AFC Bournemouth head coach, Scott Parker, revealed a change in system is an option ahead of Wednesday night’s game with Birmingham with several injuries and suspensions leaving the squad “stretched”
Adam Smith is unavailable and Jack Stacey and Steve Cook remain a doubt ahead of the trip to St Andrew’s and Parker hasn’t ruled out changing formation for the Championship tie.
Speaking to Nerve Sport on the possibility of switching to a back three, with so many injuries, especially in the right back position, Parker said: “Yeah it is a good point, it’s an option for us, we can do that.
“With a change in system and a change in style it has its pluses and its weaknesses, that is up to me and my job to what outweighs what really.
“But definitely, look, we are very flexible as a coaching staff and as a team to make the right decisions.
“Whether that is making a decision on personnel or making that decision on a tactical element that we feel we can hurt the opposition we will do that – it is an area we can look at.”
Parker has not had much time to prepare for the game with Birmingham and the Cherries fixture schedule means the squad has had a lot of travelling to do, limiting Parker’s time on the training pitch.
But the former England midfielder knows this is what playing in the Championship is all about: “It affects preparation but this is this division really.
“You often find you get this in the season and a lot of the time you are recovering, play, recover, play, recover, play.
“The work you can actually do and the detail you can actually do as a team is limited because of that.
“There is no hiding that this next 10 days, in terms of geography wise is challenging for us, there is a lot of travel in there.
“But this is part and parcel of what this league is, part and parcel of the job really, so these players are well equipped and understand.
“Every modern day play understands the travel and demands that are put on them – we will be fine.”
David Brooks has given the head coach another headache to worry about in attack, as the winger was sent off at the weekend after picking up two yellow cards. Parker explained it was “silly” but has “drawn a line” on the incident but is now without the Welsh international for the game against Birmingham.
But with the return of Junior Stanislas and Ben Pearson to the squad at least Parker now has more options in midfield and with academy graduates Christian Saydee and Kyle Taylor waiting in the wings should Parker choose to change his approach and switch to a back three he now has more players further forward at his disposal come Wednesday night.