West Ham full-back Ryan Fredericks had a tough day at the office against Liverpool.
The Englishman was making his first competitive start for the Irons, and they don’t come much tougher than Anfield.
The summer signing from Fulham was subject to the blistering pace and trickery of Reds winger Sadio Mane.
The Senegal international was in fine fettle, and gave Fredericks the runaround down the Liverpool left.
The full-back’s performance left some feeling a little concerned about him potentially starting against Bournemouth.
The Cherries looked good in their opener against Cardiff City, and possess a bunch of speedy forward players.
Ryan Fraser a potential problem?
Fredericks will definitely be hoping for an improvement against the south coast club, but Ryan Fraser may make life difficult for the 25-year-old.
The two-cap Scotland international opened the scoring against Cardiff, and was a contast threat throughout the game.
The £400k signing from Aberdeen in 2013 showcased his excellent dribbling attributes last weekend and made himself very difficult to track.
Ryan vs Ryan: who wins?
With West Ham being the home side, one has to imagine the Irons will see slightly more of the ball on the day.
That said, Bournemouth are a possession-based side, and like to spread the play out wide to utilise their wingers.
Fredericks will want to bomb forward as much as possible and try to cause havoc on the overlap.
If the Cherries settle into their rhythm though it could spell trouble for Fredericks, and Fraser’s low centre of gravity and speed could be an issue.
It isn’t the easiest fixture for Fredericks to bounce back in, but if West Ham can get a foothold and dominate the ball, then hopefully Fraser will be the one having to defend.
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