Lambert slams defending after Stoke throw it away
IF Paul Lambert had started to wonder why the job as Stoke boss became vacant, he knows now.
One up with 70 minutes gone at Bournemouth, and after two games and two clean sheets, the Scot must have been tempted to think that 50 goals conceded in the club’s previous 23 matches was a misprint in the Premier League table.
But then Joe Allen and Kurt Zouma fell over each other to gift Josh King an equaliser and Lys Mousset was left unmarked to head home Jordon Ibe’s free kick for the winner.
Stoke, who had looked so dominant after Xherdan Shaqiri’s fifth-minute header, are back in the relegation zone as a result.
‘I would have been absolutely disappointed coming away with a draw, never mind getting beaten,’ said Lambert.
‘We’d looked really good, the way we played and the way we defended. I can accept the first goal because there was a bit of a deflection off Joe but the second is just unacceptable, to give somebody a free header.’
If Lambert’s honeymoon period is over, he at least has the consolation that new signing Badou Ndiaye will give him something to work with.
The £14million Senegal midfielder picked out Shaqiri with a brilliant cross for the opening goal, and got stuck into the midfield battle with relish.
And Shaqiri, too, looks transformed from the halfhearted efforts under Mark Hughes, chasing lost causes and so upset that his goal added up to nothing at the final whistle that he flung his gloves to the floor and stared into space for three minutes. For Bournemouth, it was a big result to prove that their midweek victory over Chelsea was no flash in the pan.
As well as going behind after five minutes, they lost defender Steve Cook early on with a hamstring injury, and had to make a further tactical reshuffle at half-time. But Lewis Cook sparkled in midfield and Ibe began to carry more threat.
Eddie Howe’s side have now gone seven without loss — their longest unbeaten run in three seasons in the Premier League.
‘Today was a big challenge,’ he said. ‘To beat Chelsea and then play again so soon and especially to start as badly as we did. But there is a really good feel about the group. The unbeaten run gives you confidence. Would we have come back to win earlier this season? I am not sure.’ BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Begovic 6.5; Francis 6.5, S Cook 6 (King 13min, 6), Ake 7, Daniels 6; L Cook 6.5, Gosling 6; Fraser 6, Ibe 7.5 (Pugh 90), Stanislas 5 (Mousset 59, 7); Wilson 6. Subs (not used): Boruc, Surman, Arter, Simpson. Booked: Gosling, King. STOKE (4-1-4-1): Butland 6.5; Bauer 6, Shawcross 7, Zouma 6.5, Pieters 6.5; Cameron 6; Shaqiri 7, Allen 6, Ndiaye 7 (Stafylidis 71, 6), Choupo-Moting 5.5 (Berahino 83); Crouch 6.5 (Diouf 83). Subs (not used): Grant, Johnson, Adam, Sobhi. Booked: Ndiaye, Choupo-Moting. Referee: P Tierney (Lancashire) 6.