HE’S TROY MEENEY
Ake: Old Hornets mate is always a nightmare to mark but we are ready
BOURNEMOUTH defender Nathan Ake fears “nightmare” Troy Deeney will wreck Bournemouth’s dream start to the season.
Eddie Howe’s men sit just two points outside the Champions League places ahead of their trip to Ake’s former club Watford.
Ex-Chelsea ace Ake, 23, who had a spell alongside Deeney on loan at Vicarage Road in 2015 (the pair battling with Mesut Ozil, right), said: “It is always good to go back, I had a very good loan spell there and enjoyed playing for Watford.
“Troy is very tough to play against. He is a nightmare and always around you. He presses very hard and is tough in the air.
“It will be tough but we need to be ready for that. It will be a hard game because Watford have very good players and have had some great results so far this season.
“At home they are very tough to beat as well, but we go there with confidence.
“We cannot go there thinking we are all that and we have to be hard to beat – but we want to win, for sure.
“We have started really well, but it is just a start. We need to keep going and keep a good mentality. “We can achieve something, if we want to. It is all about our mentality, and we need to keep doing as well as we have since the start of the season, then see what happens.”
The Cherries are flying high in seventh – level on points with Watford – drawing comparisons with last season’s surprise package Burnley (Ake in action against the Clarets, below). But manager Howe is refusing to get carried away. He said: “I believe we are a team that is improving and playing with confidence. We are pleased with where we are, but know there is a long way to go.”