"Everything goes back to zero" - Diakite

LAST season was a frustrating one for Bafode Diakite, but this summer represents a big opportunity for the Frenchman.

The Cherries' second-most expensive signing of all time, behind Evanilson, Diakite arrived at the club last summer for €35million plus €5m after the departures of both Illya Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen, and he went straight into the team.

He made a good start to life at the Cherries, as they went on a strong run of form to begin the campaign, losing just one of their first nine games, a 4-2 defeat to Liverpool on the opening day.

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But, as the side’s form dropped and after a poor defeat at Brentford after Christmas, Andoni Iraola had to make a change, and it was Diakite who made way for James Hill.

Hill then proved to be one of the club’s top performers as they reached the Europa League for the first time, meaning the Frenchman made just three substitute appearances in the second half of the season.

(Image: Richard Crease)

Diakite spoke to the Daily Echo on the Cherries’ Austrian pre-season tour, and said his first campaign at the club had been "50/50," but overall a frustrating one.

"Because I'm a competitor, so I want to play," he said.

"But when the goal of the team is to go forward, if the coach changes something and the team is doing well, if you think for the team, he will not change.

"And he is right because at the end we finish in Europe and everything was good."

But the summer has brought plenty of changes at the Dorset club.

Head coach Andoni Iraola departed, with Marco Rose arriving, and ever-present centre-back Marcos Senesi has also left.

(Image: Richard Crease)

Diakite knows that opportunity awaits him, but said he would have the same mindset whether it was Iraola or Rose in charge, although having fresh eyes does make some difference.

"I know last season, it was my first season," he said.

"Like we say, it wasn't like we expect, but even if it was the same coach, I will come back in the preseason and give everything because now I know what the championship wants, what I have to do, and I have to give everything.

"But yes, it's more easy when you have a new coach because everything goes back to zero, you can say that.

"So now I have to give everything and show what I can do."

Bafode Diakite (Image: NQ)

Rose’s tenure, although only a few weeks in, has been good so far.

"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," Diakite said.

"But yeah, it's good.

"I think the first game was a good game for us and now we will continue to improve for going forward."

That game, against St Pauli, saw Diakite score his first for the club in any match, as he headed home from an Amine Adli corner.

(Image: Robin Jones/AFC Bournemouth)

The two are close and have been playing together since they were teenagers in Toulouse.

"It's good when you know people before, it's more easier to speak with them, to play with them, because we used to play together," Diakite said.

"Like you say, we played together since when we were, I think, 14. So yeah, it's 10 years ago. So it's more easier.

"And even, for example, with Adrien [Truffert], I’ve known him since a long time, because in the national team of France we played together, we played also against each other when we was young.

(Image: Richard Crease)

"But about Junior [Kroupi], it was more difficult because he's more younger than me, so we didn't play together.

"But when you have the same language, it's always more easier."

Diakite said having Truffert, Adli and Kroupi all join up with the team at a similar time last summer helped them all settle in, and he said playing in the Premier League took some adjustment.

"I think you have more intensity and more duels in England," he explained.

"But like I say to some of my friends, you are maybe more tactical in France.

(Image: Richard Crease)

"Because maybe it was because I played in a team who have a lot of the ball, but if I have to compare, you run more than when I was in France because always you have a transition, you have to compete for the ball, go forward, come again, go forward.

"But when I was in France, most of the time we keep the ball, we keep the ball and we try to find the good passes, a good way to go forward."

He continued: "Most of the strikers [in England] are already on you when you have the ball, so you have to have more concentration before them to be forward and to anticipate the movement of the opponent."

Diakite is one of the Cherries squad who has European experience, playing in both the Champions League and Conference League with Lille – although the Europa League will be a new experience for him.

(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

There will be opportunities for every squad player this season with the extra games, and Diakite is clear in his personal objectives.

"Take again my level when I started the beginning of the season last season," Diakite said, when asked about his aims.

"I think I started well, so I have to take again this ambition and give everything.

"Now I know, like I say, what the championship wants, so I have to improve my level with the ball, without the ball.

(Image: Richard Crease)

"And yeah, for a start, I have to play, and after this give everything, give everything in duels, everything.

"When you are a competitor, okay, you will think about the team.

"You have a lot of games, so sometimes you have to change some players.

"But when you are a competitor, you want to play every game.

"So it's up to me to give everything and to be ready to play when the coach will call me."