Scott Parker believes Bournemouth’s young squad are “struggling for air” and face more defeats like the 9-0 hammering at Liverpool unless help arrives before Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Having overseen promotion as Championship runners-up last season, the Cherries began their Premier League return with a 2-0 home win against Aston Villa.
But the fixture list has not been kind and a 4-0 defeat at reigning champions Manchester City was compounded by last weekend’s 3-0 home loss to in-form Arsenal.
Things would get even worse on Saturday afternoon as they suffered an Anfield annihilation as Liverpool recorded a record-equalling Premier League win.
Asked if he hoped that the 9-0 defeat was the lowest point of Bournemouth’s season, Parker said: “At this present moment in time, yeah for sure. Definitely.
“But at this moment in time, where we currently are, I can see some more, to be honest with you.
“We need to make a decision. That’s just where it is. I think I’ve been clear on that from the minute I stepped in.
“I’ve been clear throughout all of that in terms of how this season could look for us, these experiences what we’re going to face, what they may look (like) and I stick by that. And that is exactly what it will look like.
“We need to make a decision and try and help this group, this young group, who at times are struggling for air.
“Every one of us – me, my staff, the fans – we need to make that decision, really.”
Parker spoke well in the bowels of Anfield given what had just unfolded on the pitch – a performance that underlined the need for new faces before the deadline after what has been a quiet summer.
“I don’t know (if there will be more signings),” the deflated Cherries boss said. “We’ve been trying to do that.
“There’s millions of reasons why and there’s loads of circumstances why this is not just as straightforward as not being able to sign players because players don’t want to come or whatever it is.
“There’s a lot of issues here for the reasons why we’ve not been able to do that and it just depends whether them issues resolve or we make a decision. That’s it, really.”
