Rico's big opportunity

I have not been the biggest fan of Diego Rico. He has had enough time to be competing for a first team place, but has always looked a little below the level needed in the Premier League to date. The Carabao Cup tie against Forest Green Rovers is his big chance to show he is ready to fill Charlie Daniels boots, and to provide more of the top calibre of crossing and defending that we want to see from him.

Top defender required - can Rico deliver?

The final ball has always been Rico's problem from where I sit. Not enough of his passes make it to other Bournemouth players and when he does cross there needs to be more assists. Whether a run in the first team will help him at this stage is what we probably should be hoping. He is expected to start on Wednesday night and if he can have a good game it will set him up for the next league match against Leicester City.

Eddie Howe hasn't a lot of choice on the left side with Charlie Daniels and Lloyd Kelly out, but he always has the option of moving Adam Smith over to the left and bringing in Jack Stacey at right-back. That is why it is so essential that Rico has a good game against Forest Green Rovers. The speed he has and the desire to get back are admirable, but it's the simple things that he has to start perfecting and Eddie Howe is going to have to be reliant on the likes of Rico in the next few weeks when AFCB need to keep accumulating points.

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We have seen players do well in the cup and progress. Tonight is a chance for some of the younger players like Kilkenny, Ofoborh and Simpson to get 90 minutes in a game and impress Eddie Howe in front of a good crowd. But for the first team it is probably even more important that we see Rico and hopefully Lewis Cook get some minutes in a game.


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