"I just want to enjoy football" - Tavernier on European goals and welcoming Rose

LAST season was a good one for the Cherries – and Marcus Tavernier played an important role.

The forward played in all but four of Bournemouth’s Premier League games, starting 31 of them, as they qualified for the Europa League for the first time.

A best-ever goal contribution return while at the Cherries saw Tavernier score seven goals and provide four assists, including the equaliser at Nottingham Forest to help the club maintain their unbeaten run to the end of the season, taking it to 18 games.

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But a new season brings new challenges, and with the prospect of European football for the first time in club history, perhaps the biggest challenge is the transition to new boss Marco Rose.

Tavernier told the Daily Echo that so far, it had been smooth.

"It's been good," he said, speaking from the club’s training base in Austria.

Marcus Tavernier. (Image: NQ)

"Very tough, but preseason never gets easier.

"It's been good to be with the new manager and the new coaching staff and start to implement his ideas on the training pitch.

"It's obviously a big change for players who have been here for a while and similar sort of style of play that we're doing, but it's just implementing them little ideas he wants to change and go forward with."

On Rose, the Englishman said: "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.

Marcus Tavernier. (Image: NQ)

"The boys have really bought into his ideas and the way he wants to play on the pitch, which just leaves it down to us now to learn and get to know more of what he wants to do."

Asked what adjustments Rose had made, and what he had been asking Tavernier to do, the forward said: "I don't think it's been more player specifics.

"It's more as what we're going to do as a team at the moment because there's so much information that needs to come across.

"I'm sure them fine-tuning details will come into the games and when we start playing more.

"But he's definitely making us play in a different way in a sense, but at the same time, still the same.

"But I think it's just getting them key details he wants us to do to play in the matches."

(Image: Richard Crease)

On a human level, Tavernier said they had welcomed Rose and his staff with open arms.

"I was once the new player at this club and I needed people to help me and like I said, I think I've said it previously that anyone who comes to this club feels welcome straight away, and that doesn't matter who you are," he said.

"First of all, we respect you as a human, and that's the, that's the ultimate thing we have, and that's why people have settled in so quickly.

"I think it'll be no change for the manager.

"He's felt so welcome so far, and we want to continue that as we, as we want to grow throughout the season."

(Image: Richard Crease)

The team are in Austria for ten days as their pre-season preparations ramp up, and they face their first friendly test today, against St Pauli.

The game, for Tavernier, will be a key early step in playing the way Rose wants them to.

"I feel it's just implementing our ideas," he said, on their priorities for the game.

"I mean, obviously it'll be against a tough opposition, as every game is in preseason, especially when it's your first match.

"But I think it’s more focused on us and what we want to do.

"Of course, there'll be mistakes with a lot of good things as well, but it's trying to now start to be able to put to test what the manager wants in a game, and that's what we've got to do tomorrow."

(Image: Richard Crease)

From a personal perspective, Tavernier is as driven as ever to continue to improve and perform for the team.

"You always want to improve in every season and in every game, and that's the same mentality I'll have going into this season on different areas I can improve," he said.

"I'm sure the manager will be able to help me in certain areas and give me some small details to help me contribute even better to the team."

But he won’t be making any explicit goals: "Last season I made it clear I don't want to make any personal ones.

"I've done that in all my past, in all my previous seasons.

"I just want to enjoy football.

(Image: Richard Crease)

"I mean, I feel like I play better when I do that. So my main goal is just to get on the pitch and play with a smile on my face."

A bit point of excitement for the club is that first foray into Europe, and Tavernier can’t wait.

"Not just speaking for myself but everyone involved in with Bournemouth, whether that being the players, staff, and fans, we're all excited for this new journey," he said.

"I mean, it's something of real importance to the club.

"It's history like we wanted to do, but we didn't want to just come into this competition.

"Obviously we want to try and compete and go as far as possible and make something even more achievable for the fans."

(Image: Richard Crease)

Speaking to both Ryan Christie and Ben Gannon-Doak this week, it is clear that the mindset in the group is that they want to go on and win something this season, or at the least go deep into one of the cup competitions.

That mindset is echoed by Tavernier: "You don't want to just be in these cups just to play matches and not reach the final and try and win something.

"I think we're at a stage now where we've competed well in the league and we've just missed out on cups and not performing as well as we have.

"So I think it's time to make a little change and try and really push on in these competitions and seeing how far we can get."