I must be one of the fans who is happy to fly Jordan Ibe's flag these days. I have been hard enough on him at times, but you have to agree with Eddie Howe that his last three games have probably been the best we have seen of Jordan Ibe in a Bournemouth shirt.
Whether Howe should consider playing Ibe behind a striker is something we could see again. He has done it before and while he is coming off the wings so frequently and doing much better it would be worth looking at in my opinion perhaps when Stanislas returns. It is funny the way things can work out when players get injured and others have to fill into unusual roles. It's only then that discoveries can often be made in the heat of a match. Ibe has found he can step up when others are out and now he is starting to fulfil his potential.
What has impressed me most is that Ibe has been willing to take responsibility. Okay, he might miss and not make the keeper make a save. The bigger picture is that he is not afraid to miss anymore, and while has has had plenty of flack for not doing as well as he might at times, he is now challenging himself to do better and I think we can all support him in that.
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| Ibe seems more relaxed when he cuts inside and goes down the middle. |
It is going to take Ibe a long time to repay us in performances, but he's made a start and what I have seen in those recent games I have really liked. He has started to drift infield more when he gets to the last third of the field and this really suits him. It is as if he gets too confined on the wing and can't find the space to always see team-mates or get crosses in before he runs into trouble in wide areas. But when he has been more central he has more options and he has been twisting and turning with more success and is usually able to get his shots away.
Whether Howe should consider playing Ibe behind a striker is something we could see again. He has done it before and while he is coming off the wings so frequently and doing much better it would be worth looking at in my opinion perhaps when Stanislas returns. It is funny the way things can work out when players get injured and others have to fill into unusual roles. It's only then that discoveries can often be made in the heat of a match. Ibe has found he can step up when others are out and now he is starting to fulfil his potential.
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What has impressed me most is that Ibe has been willing to take responsibility. Okay, he might miss and not make the keeper make a save. The bigger picture is that he is not afraid to miss anymore, and while has has had plenty of flack for not doing as well as he might at times, he is now challenging himself to do better and I think we can all support him in that.
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