While Bournemouth have had a slow start to the season and the focus has been firmly put on seeing how quickly Jermain Defoe can break the net for the Cherries, there has been little talk about the form of Josh King. Josh has played for 90 minutes in the matches against WBA and Watford and I'm probably not the only one who is struggling to remember many goal attempts for the number 17, apart from a header that went over in the second half against the Hornets.
If Josh is slightly off the pace though, then so are most of his team-mates. But Eddie Howe has been consistent in playing King and will be hoping that Josh is one of the players that can turn his form around quickly. King has partnered Benik Afobe in both Premier League starts and come Saturday that could change.
But if Defoe comes in, it may not necessarily help King that much. He has been most effective when he plays as the standalone striker, rather than as a number 10, and yet with both Defoe and Afobe seemingly preferred in the number nine role, Josh may not be finding it as easy to switch back into being the support striker.
It is perhaps best for King when Junior Stanislas or Ryan Fraser play behind him, but it is unlikely we will see that formation while Defoe and Afobe are available. Getting the best out of Josh King is one of the keys that Howe must get right though to help get AFCB out of their current slump. I don't think the transfer talk has had a big influence on King's game, but he needs to get back to being an influence in games.
We may find that he needs time to get an understanding with Defoe and if that pairing is to be Howe's preferred striker choice, the earlier King can get a goal and get firing the easier it may be for Defoe to settle. Defoe doesn't need to be carrying the full weight of AFCB's goal scoring hopes. However, King needs to give himself the belief that he can do as well this season, as he did in 2016-17. A goal for King may well more important for AFCB in the long run than it would be for Defoe to get off the mark first.
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| Can Josh King get off the mark with a goal on Saturday? |
No doubt Josh has set himself a goal target for this season, and he probably even has a rough idea of how many he'd like to be on by Christmas. Yet, at the moment he must be baffled why he is not finding it easy to get into games, unlike the way he did in the second half of last season. He was one of the driving players of the team, forcing mistakes and running after loose balls and turning them into opportunities to score.
If Josh is slightly off the pace though, then so are most of his team-mates. But Eddie Howe has been consistent in playing King and will be hoping that Josh is one of the players that can turn his form around quickly. King has partnered Benik Afobe in both Premier League starts and come Saturday that could change.
But if Defoe comes in, it may not necessarily help King that much. He has been most effective when he plays as the standalone striker, rather than as a number 10, and yet with both Defoe and Afobe seemingly preferred in the number nine role, Josh may not be finding it as easy to switch back into being the support striker.
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We may find that he needs time to get an understanding with Defoe and if that pairing is to be Howe's preferred striker choice, the earlier King can get a goal and get firing the easier it may be for Defoe to settle. Defoe doesn't need to be carrying the full weight of AFCB's goal scoring hopes. However, King needs to give himself the belief that he can do as well this season, as he did in 2016-17. A goal for King may well more important for AFCB in the long run than it would be for Defoe to get off the mark first.
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