What Every Bournemouth Player Has Said About Marco Rose So Far...

Marco Rose may only be a matter of weeks into his AFC Bournemouth reign, but if the mood inside the Cherries' Austrian training camp is anything to go by, the German has already made a strong first impression.

Following Andoni Iraola's departure at the end of last season, Bournemouth turned to Rose - a coach with an impressive pedigree at clubs including RB Salzburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig. Known for his energetic, front-foot style of football and emphasis on aggressive pressing, Rose has quickly begun stamping his authority on the squad without completely reinventing what had already become a successful formula.

Perhaps the most telling aspect of his early tenure has been his willingness to engage with players individually. Speaking to the Bournemouth Echo, club captain Adam Smith revealed the new head coach has already sought input from the dressing room's leadership group.

"I think he's been top, to be honest with you. He had some meetings with myself and the leadership group just to get to know what we like and what we don't like. He's obviously told us what he expects from us, and I think overall it's been a very good camp".

That collaborative approach has been echoed throughout the squad, although several players have also highlighted subtle tactical differences under the German.

New signing Bafodé Diakité believes Rose's coaching identity is already becoming apparent.

"It's more easy when you have a new coach because everything goes back to zero, you can say that. He brings a different way, for example, to press, different way to play because he thinks like a German coach, so he has his thing different than the last coach, Andoni. But yeah, it's good".

Those changes haven't been overwhelming, however. Ryan Christie suggested Rose is building on existing foundations rather than tearing them down.

"They were very welcoming on my first day back and yeah, training is good, high intensity. I think day by day starting to implement what he expects of us, what tweaks he wants to make. Nothing too crazy, so it's not like we're trying to learn all over again. But yeah, positive energy, which is good, especially when you come to camps like this, to keep training exciting and keep the energy high."

The recurring theme throughout Bournemouth's pre-season has been intensity. Rose's teams have long been associated with relentless pressing and high-energy football, and several players admitted that philosophy has already become evident on the training pitch.

Daniel Jebbison appears particularly excited by what the new manager is asking of him.

"He demands a lot, but that's only going to improve us. But I really like it. He's very enthusiastic and a very good attitude, and it kind of feeds on us. He's very pressing orientated and lots of detail off the ball. And that I love that. I love pressing and fighting, and so that's his style suits me very well".

Goalkeeper Djordje Petrović has also noticed the increased demands.

"I think he's a very good person. He's very open. He speaks with us. And then I think everyone feels it was a joy and I'm very excited to work with him. Yeah, we are working like with big intensity and then that is what he asked from us. And yeah, these things are very important for us and we are going to build it from this game and then from every next week".

While Rose's tactical ideas have attracted plenty of attention, just as many players have spoken about his personality.

David Brooks praised the way the 49-year-old has gone about introducing himself to the squad.

"He obviously introduced himself to the team and he seems very friendly. He's had multiple chats with the majority of the lads. So yeah, he's obviously a really nice guy. Everyone's getting on with him.

"It's obviously just getting used to what he wants and his style of play and things like that. The intensity of training's been the same, and, like you've seen yesterday, obviously the boys are working hard in the game as well. We're all enjoying it."

Marcus Tavernier believes Rose has already reinforced the close-knit culture that helped drive Bournemouth into European competition.

"He's a real nice person, that's the main thing. He wanted to come across and made sure that we are a big family. And even though we already are, he's made that message even more important and clear and saying that we need to have everybody with us throughout the season as it's going to be a long, tough test, but first impressions are really good".

That personal touch has also extended to the club's younger players.

Charlie Stevens said: "He has shown the trust in us and he knows how good we are and he's asked us to just show that here."

Similarly, Ben Gannon-Doak has appreciated conversations that have gone beyond football.

"He's brilliant. He's a good character, a good person by the looks of things, and he seems to really know his stuff as well. So aye, it's all positives all round so far. Obviously we've had conversations about obviously bits specific to on the pitch, but also just had conversations about how summer's been, how the World Cup was and stuff".

Alexander Smith will continue to chat in depth with other members of the Cherries squad during his time in Austria, and the full unabridged conversations has been read over on the Bournemouth Echo website, where viewers are invited to get on board with a special offer of 6 months for just £6. 

The squad describe a manager who is approachable yet demanding, tactically detailed without overcomplicating matters, and determined to foster an environment built on togetherness as much as intensity.

It is, of course, only pre-season, and the real judgement will come once the Premier League campaign begins. But if first impressions count for anything, Marco Rose has already won over his new squad before a competitive ball has even been kicked.