Bournemouth manager Gary Paul O’Neil believes new signing Antoine Semenyo will not be under pressure to perform right away due to his lack of Premier League experience.
Bournemouth’s manager thought the January transfer window was a good month for the club after adding some quality to his squad.
After an impressive performance for Ghana in a friendly game before their World Cup games, the Cherries beat out Crystal Palace to sign the Ghana striker on a long-term deal from Bristol City in January.
Bournemouth is currently having one of their worst Premier League seasons, prompting them to bolster their squad with some January signings, including Black Stars forward Antoine Semenyo, who has spent his entire career playing in England but not in the top flight.
While Gary O’Neil thinks the former Bristol City player’s skill set may benefit his squad, he will need to adapt to the Premier League’s style. The 23-year-old striker hopes to make his Premier League debut against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
O’Neil told the press ahead of the match, “Antoine Semenyo can play as a number nine or off the side, but he will need to “adapt” to a new league. Of the new signings, none of them aside from Darren Randolph have played in the Premier League, so there’s an adaptation to the league needed.”
O’Neil, a former Portsmouth midfielder, explained to the media at the press conference that the newly signed Bournemouth players are in a new phase of their careers, so the coaching staff has been working with them since their arrival.
“We’ve been working on that since the moment they arrived, and we’re looking to get them all up to speed. The other side of it isn’t football-related. They’re in a new area or even a new country for some. They’re getting used to their surroundings. We need to help them feel settled. Of course, they can help us here and now, but they have good years ahead of them with room for improvement,” the manager of Bournemouth explained.
