AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker has revealed he was “a little surprised” that the Cherries landed all of their deadline day transfer targets.
AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker has revealed he was “a little surprised” that the Cherries landed all of their deadline day transfer targets.
Goalkeeper Freddie Woodman was the first to sign before Nat Phillips, Siriki Dembele, Todd Cantwell and Kieffer Moore flooded through the gates at Vitality Stadium on what was a busy day on the south coast.
Parker had previously expressed it would be “a frantic 12 or 24 hours” with signings expected - especially in attacking areas and the club did not disappoint with Cantwell, Dembele and Moore all arriving as attacking options.
When asked whether or not it had been a frantic day for the head coach, Parker said: “It wasn't really frantic in the sense that there was nothing we diverted from late on.
“These were players that we were in the market for or we were in and around for sometime. “You often find in the window the things that become frantic are the ones that you quickly divert from because you hear someone else is available but that wasn't the case really.”
He continued: “At the same time I was probably a little surprised they all fell into place and that is why I said what I said.
“We were in and around these signings - did I suspect we would land all of them? Maybe not but we have managed to do that which is incredible.”
The Cherries boss was keen to point out all the hard work put in behind the scenes, he added: “Fair play to everyone at the football club who is behind that - recruitment, owner and yeah in terms of the business we have done we have done very, very good astute business. Financially very good, quality that can help us now for the remaining part of the season, yes one million percent as well.
“We are partly in a fortunate position that this football club has positioned itself over a period of time now that big clubs, big players feel that this is a place for them to develop and give their players over to develop and has a good track record so we are in a fortunate position with that and I am pleased with the five we got.”
Parker also believes he has added players who bring different qualities to the team that compliment what he already has at Vitality Stadium.
When the head coach was asked what the players will add to his squad, he said: “You would expect me to say it but all of them bring something different to what we have not got.
“Whether that is Dembele, a one-on-one specialist, I would say who can really get at defenders one-on-one and beat a man, it is something we probably needed to add to the team.
“Cantwell is a bit similar, big experience in this division - two promotions if I am right in . A big quality that I think is fair to say Todd will be the first to say probably it’s stalled a little bit his career over the last year to 6 months, so yeah hoping we can re ignite that and show his quality and he brings something again a bit different.
“And along with the others, Nat an experienced centre half has played at the level and Woodman and Kieffer Mooore.
“These are all players that I feel, we have not just signed these players because they are good players, but they bring something different to probably what we haven't had and that is part of developing a squad , part of developing a good team really.
“They all have attributes here which we are looking forward to using.”