Bournemouth's Mixed Feelings After Draw Against Newcastle
Marco Rose left the touchline with mixed feelings. The new Bournemouth head coach got the performance he wanted, just not the result.
In an open, end-to-end contest, his side saw victory slip away late on, a single mistake costing them two points and denying Rose a first win in front of the home crowd.
Rose sees positives despite late blow
For Rose, this was a day to judge more than the scoreline.
“It was mostly about the result but as a coach you evaluate the performance as well and in most phases of the game it was really good,” he said, reflecting on a match that swung repeatedly in midfield and in transition.
“It was a quite open game, quite up and down. We can get better in some parts of the game,” he admitted, before turning straight back to the key moment. “Today for me it was not even a set piece for the goal because we had already cleared the situation, but I don't want to blame anyone because I saw so many positive things.”
The late equaliser clearly irritated him, yet it never tipped him into public criticism. Instead, he leaned into the bigger picture: a team still absorbing his ideas, still learning his demands.
Above all, Rose sounded struck by the reception on the south coast.
“I am really thankful for the warm welcome and I really appreciate to be coach of this team. It was a really nice feeling to coach this game,” he said. The only regret? Not being able to turn that warmth into three points.
“Like last week we would like to present our fans with a win but we will have to wait one more week.”
Scott: “A mistake at the end has cost us”
In the dressing room, the mood matched the manager’s – frustrated but not broken. Midfielder Alex Scott, who found the net, did not hide how sharply the finale stung.
“I think we deserved to win the game. A mistake at the end and it has cost us three points,” he told BBC Final Score. “We had chances to go and win the game and didn't take them so for now it is head down and focus on Newcastle next week.”
The story of the afternoon, from Scott’s vantage point, was of missed chances and a goalkeeper who refused to be beaten easily.
On Djordje Petrovic, he added: “He made a few good saves, one from a corner really early on and a few in the second half. Probably an even game but we were the better team on the day and probably deserved the points but they stuck in there and got their goal at the end.”
Bournemouth had the initiative. They had the looks at goal. They did not finish the job.
Scott’s goal and growing role
Scott at least had his own moment. Arriving from midfield, he took advantage of Evanilson’s work to break the deadlock.
“Evanilson is really good at running in behind and holding on to the ball and for me as a number eight I want to score more goals so making that extra burst to get on the scoresheet is important,” he said. “Hopefully I can get a few more this year.”
That extra burst is exactly what Rose will want from him: a midfielder who doesn’t just connect play but finishes moves.
Life under Rose: high press, high pace
Change in the dugout has not ripped up Bournemouth’s identity, but it has sharpened a few edges. Scott sees continuity with Andoni Iraola’s work, with some new detail layered on top.
“It's similar, probably a few more patterns on the ball,” he explained. “It's high pressing football, exciting football for the fans. It's going to take a few weeks to get used to. We're learning, he's a top manager and he has got top coaching staff as well so we have really enjoyed the weeks he has been here so looking forward to the season.”
The style is clear: front-foot, aggressive, with more structure when Bournemouth have possession. The results, Rose will argue, will follow if performances like this one become the norm.
A bond with the stands
If there was one constant through the Iraola era and into Rose’s first home outing, it was the backing from the stands. Scott knows exactly what that has meant for his own journey.
“They've been brilliant ever since I have been here. It's a great fanbase, a real family club,” he said. “I owe a lot to them for how they have treated me when I wasn't in the team and came back in the team. Had a good season last year. They've always stuck with me and believed in me so it was great from them to feel that support today.”
The applause at full-time told its own story. The win is still missing. The trust, clearly, is not.
Now comes Newcastle, and with it the next chance for Rose’s Bournemouth to turn promising performances into something more tangible.
