Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. (Getty Images)
Eddie Howe may be the youngest manager in the Premier League but his team has already surpassed all expectations in the ongoing campaign so far. The Cherries currently sit sixth on the table with seven points from their first four games.
A 2-0 victory over Cardiff City on opening day was followed by a wonderful comeback against West Ham United, where Bournemouth showed plenty of character to win 2-1 despite trailing by a goal at half-time. If the game against West Ham was not enough to prove their determination and eagerness to compete, the remarkable comeback against Everton certainly was. Howe’s side overturned a 2-0 deficit in the dying stages of the game to rescue a point.
Although the Cherries suffered their first defeat of the current campaign against Chelsea last weekend, they have already shown a lot of promise and the good start could go a long way in deciding their Premier League fortunes.
Things seem to be going right for Bournemouth and they have made another productive decision. According to Sky Sports, 28-year-old English winger Junior Stanislas has signed a three-year contract which should keep him at the club till 2021. Stanislas is one of the most experienced members in the squad and his contribution in the attacking third should be resourceful to the Cherries once he takes the ground.
The 28-year-old is currently sidelined due to a knee injury but once he returns, he should add that edge to Bournemouth’s attack.
Stanislas joined Bournemouth from fellow Championship club Burnley in 2014 and helped the Cherries secure promotion to the Premier League in the 2014/15 season. Since then, the winger has been a standout performer for Bournemouth in the English top-flight, netting 19 times from 87 appearances across all competitions.
Despite succumbing to the knee injury in the latter half of the previous campaign, he managed to score five goals and provided two assists from 19 appearances in the Premier League.
It is quite evident that Stanislas has been an impact player for Bournemouth in the attacking third. A winger defined by pace and strength, he is capable of operating on either flank and also in the centre of the attacking third.
He is adept at holding on to the ball and tends to hustle his way past the opposition full-backs, following which he either sends crosses into the box or links play with his teammates. Cutting inside from the wings, he has a keen eye for goal and does not hesitate to pull the trigger from the edge of the box.
Although he is not particularly good in the air, he makes up for it with his supreme set-piece ability. The 28-year-old is not only adept at scoring from direct free-kicks but also poses a threat from indirect set-pieces with his presence of mind.
Even though Bournemouth have scored six goals in the Premier League so far, their goals, apart from a few, have been lucky and have come from unexpected situations. Joshua King and Callum Wilson work hard but they have lacked support from their teammates at times.
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Suffice to say, Stanislas has been the missing link in Bournemouth’s attack so far. Once he returns, he should add cohesion to their attacks in the final third. To sum it up, Bournemouth have struck gold by tying the player to the club for another three years.