Town must stop Welsh dangerman
THERE’S a Bournemouth prodigy Town must keep a close eye on this weekend.
His name is David Brooks, the 21-year-old Welsh international midfielder who has just penned a new long-term contract with the Cherries.
And Brooks, pictured, knows this part of the world very well, having played for Halifax as a kid before joining Sheffield United.
He was an £11.5m signing on the south coast last summer and has bagged six goals in 32 appearances this season.
Brooks played 62 minutes when Bournemouth beat Town 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium in December and was most recently on target in Bournemouth’s sensational 4-0 win over Chelsea at the end of January.
Used predominantly as a winger by boss Eddie Howe, Brooks has four assists as well as his goals and is a major danger to Jan Siewert’s side at the John Smith’s Stadium.
Brooks can also play in central midfield, as he did against Manchester City, and at No10.
Brooks said: “I want to play as high up the pitch as possible to try to create and score goals, but if the gaffer needs me to play in centre midfield then I am happy to do so, and I think I can still affect the game there.
“It’s completely up to him. “The squad has taken a bit of a hit with long and short-term injuries so if the gaffer needs someone to play out of position and cover a job then I am happy to do so.
“The aim of me signing was to try to make an impact and to try to affect the team and I think
I’ve done that so far and, hopefully, I can continue.” JAN Siewert is weighing up the options should Jonathan Hogg be ruled out for Town against Bournemouth.
The 30-year-old midfielder is a doubt for the Premier League clash at the John Smith’s Stadium after being substituted with a rib injury in the first half at Brighton.
Head coach Siewert went into the game with Slovenian Jon Gorenc Stankovic anchoring the midfield, with Hogg and Philip Billing playing between him and a front three of Alex Pritchard, the floating No10, and strikers Steve Mounie and Karlan Grant.
The team at the Amex featured just one change from the successful line-up against Wolves, with Dutchman Juninho Bacuna going in at right-back for the injured Demeaco Duhaney.
That was a significant pat on the back for those personnel from Siew- ert, who had made eight changes to his starting side against Wolves, who were beaten 1-0 thanks to a late Mounie strike.
When Stankovic went off after 67 minutes at Brighton – in what was only his third Premier League start of the season – sub Flo Hadergjonaj went to right-back and Bacuna was shifted into his more natural midfield position.
Which would seem to suggest the head coach now has several options to replace Hogg.
Firstly, he could leave Stankovic in place and simply play Aaron Mooy in Hogg’s position, which would rule out using Bacuna as a midfielder.
Were he to opt for Bacuna in Hogg’s place, that would open up the right-back position for Hadergjonaj or former Manchester City prospect Duhaney.
The boss could, of course, switch Erik Durm to the right hand side of defence and bring back Chris Lowe at No3.
Then there’s the question of Jason Puncheon, who was seen celebrating the win over Wolves but was then absent in mysterious circumstances at Brighton.
He could, potentially, fill in anywhere across the midfield after Siewert insisted he was still part of the squad and could be selected going forward.
With Town having played solidly enough at Brighton despite conceding territory and possession in the second half – following on from a much more encouraging display against Wolves – it would seem the head coach might keep changes to a minimum.
But then he has sprung surprises recently by promoting Duhaney and England U17 midfielder Matty Daly from the Elite Development group, the latter being on the bench at the Amex, and leaving out the likes of Mooy and Lowe, who had been virtual shoo-in selections for previous boss David Wagner.
Duhaney was injured on his debut against Wolves.
It would seem the head coach might keep changes to a
minimum