We saw a bit of a change in the line up for last Saturday's match against Newcastle. There was no Andrew Surman because of a calf injury, and the injury could well be bad enough to keep Surman out for the rest of the season.
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| David Brooks could become a more versatile player. |
So with David Brooks named in the starting eleven, it was good to see him get another chance to play in central midfield rather than on the wings. I thought he did reasonably well, even if he is perhaps coming back from his Achilles problem and not quite back to his sharpest yet. What I expect Howe is thinking is that Brooks has great vision and can pick a pass. If he can get Brooks sitting more comfortable playing in midfield, behind the two front strikers it could add another dimension to Bournemouth's play.
Brooks is no slouch and can push on through tackles well and if he can find himself getting into positions in the middle of the pitch, where he can thread ball through to the attackers or shoot himself, he could have even more influence in matches than he does playing out on the wing. For David's personal development, it is no doubt good for him to experience playing in different positions anyway at this stage of his career.
Brooks still has a lot of potential. He will bulk up more I'm sure and this would help him if he does find that central midfield is more to his liking. For the moment, he could get the rest of the season next to Lerma, which again would be a good learning curve for him, and if he keeps developing at his quick rate, we could have an even better player on our hands next season.
...not sure that Brooks is completely robust enough for a central midfield role. He looks better suited to a wider role with his quick thing and pacey skills?
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