Bournemouth’s summer of restructuring continued with the acquisition of free agent Sylvain Distin on a one-year contract. The 37-year-old became the club’s sixth signing of the close season and, according to manager Eddie Howe, his top-flight experience should prove invaluable for the campaign ahead:
“I see Sylvain playing a similar role to the one Ian Harte played. Off the pitch, he is someone the younger players can turn to in times when they need to speak to someone who has seen it and done it. Ian was invaluable to us in that respect last season and the season before when he had experience in the Championship and no one else had. Sylvain now takes on that role and on the pitch I still think he has a huge amount to offer. He still has his athleticism and is technically very good. We are very pleased to have him”.
The History
Born in Bagnolet (a Paris commune), Distin began his club career at non-league outfit Joue-les-Tours, where he scored four times in 32 appearances in 1997/98. After just one season, he transferred to Ligue 2 outfit Tours, recording three goals in 26 outings in his only year at the club. Another Ligue 2 outfit, Guegnon, then came calling in the summer of 1999, with Distin netting once in 33 appearances as they went on to scoop the French Cup.
Distin’s performances for Guegnon courted the attention of Paris Saint-Germain, where he plied his trade for one season before being sent out on loan to Newcastle United. The six foot four inch defender chalked up 28 appearances at left-back for the Tynesiders but opted to sign for Manchester City at the end of the season so he could revert to his favoured centre-back role.
Distin hit the ground running with the Sky Blues and was subsequently named as the club’s Player of the Year for the 2002/03 campaign. He amassed 178 league outings in all for City, netting five goals in the process.
At the end of his five-year contract, Distin teamed up with Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth, winning the FA Cup in his first season with the Hampshire outfit. The robust centre-back spent two full seasons at Pompey – serving up two assists in 77 appearances – before signing with Everton prior to the 2009/10 Premier League campaign.
For five seasons, Distin established himself as a regular starter, tallying 161 league appearances, two goals and three assists throughout that period. The emergence of England starlet John Stones saw the Frenchman consigned to a limited role last term, with Distin only mustering 13 league outings (1146 minutes) over the course of the campaign.
The Prospects
Certainly, bearing in mind that the aforementioned Hart played just four times in the Championship last term, Distin will be hoping for far more minutes on the pitch at the expense of either Steve Cook or Tommy Elphick in the heart of Bournemouth’s back four. Discussing his move with the club’s official website, the former Everton man is clearly optimistic of securing a regular role for the Championship winners:
“I am not here to save or to teach anyone, I am here to be part of the team so I am not putting myself under any pressure or obligation. The guys here had a fantastic season and learned from their experiences game after game. I want to enjoy my football and the Premier League and I am sure we can do that. I am really happy to be here. It took a bit longer than expected but it is great that it is done now”.
One might surmise, then, that he’s been given reassurances about playing time from Howe. Given that Elphick is the club captain, it may well be that Cook is the likeliest to miss out on a starting role, though his tally of five goals in the previous season far exceeded Elphick’s single strike.
Although the new changes to the BPS scoring – which reward dominant centre-backs for clearances, interceptions and blocks – should benefit the Frenchman, there are a few more alluring prospects in Bournemouth’s rearguard. In the wake of Tyrone Mings’ move to Dean Court, the south coast club are set to line up next season with the Championship’s two most creative full-backs, given that Simon Francis (66) and Mings (52) ranked first and second for key passes last term. In addition, the attacking returns of Mings (one goal and four assists) and Francis (one goal and six assists) underline their superior Fantasy potential at a time where we are still uncertain over the number one spot, after Howe snapped up Artur Boruc and Adam Federici over the last few weeks.
Setting aside the viability of each target, Bournemouth could offer the best defensive coverage of any of the newly promoted sides. Only Middlesbrough (37) conceded fewer goals than the Cherries (45) last term, which suggests that their attacking flair is complemented by a degree of tactical diligence.
Furthermore, Howe’s side have been handed a kind start to their first ever Premier League season, encouraging Fantasy managers to source budget options before their schedule gets more demanding around mid-October. With a quartet of enticing home ties (AVL, LEI, SUN, WAT) and a visit to Norwich City within the first eight Gameweeks, Bournemouth (who rotate with fellow new boys Watford over the 38 Gameweeks) look poised to make their way into Fantasy managers’ plans, though Distin’s chances of staking a claim in our five-man backlines look debatable.
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RIP Anya.