Pitman + Grabban = New Strike Partnership?

Last updated : 15 December 2012 By Bournemouth Co-Ordinator

With the return of Brett Pitman and the return to form of Lewis Grabban could Eddie Howe have found the strike partnership which is going to maintain the unbeaten start to his return to Dean Court?

On the pairing, Eddie Howe is quoted in the Bournemouth Evening Echo as saying: "Brett was excellent against Scunthorpe and he worked extremely hard. I think he benefited from the hard work he had been putting in on the training ground, bearing in mind he came to us from Bristol City having had very little football in the past four or five months. He has crammed in a lot of hard work since he joined us and I think he is looking really sharp now. We have been really pleased with him. I think, as a partnership, they had their best game against Scunthorpe. They linked really well together, both working off each other and dove-tailing well. In terms of a strike partnership, it does take time to develop. But there are signs that they could have a good understanding in time. You look at the respective styles of the players and see whether that could be a match. I do think they have the capability to form a good partnership. Grabbs is very athletic and he can run in behind and stretch defences. Brett is technically a very good footballer who will want to come into pockets of space. But the real strength of it is that they can do both. Brett can run in behind as well and Grabbs is also technically good enough to receive the ball in tight areas. I like the fact that they are both, first and foremost, very good players".