Scott Parker wants fans to get behind the team and believes they can be a “huge help” in the upcoming season – more so than before the pandemic.
Bournemouth start their new campaign with a first round tie in the Carabao Cup against League One MK Dons on Saturday.
The 3pm kick-off follows on from Tuesday’s defeat to Chelsea but gives fans another opportunity to see the team in action before the league opener against West Brom next Friday.
Speaking to Nerve Sport about fans being an even greater advantage this season, the Cherries boss said: “Yeah, I think it definitely will.
“I think if there is one thing, it has been so sterile at the football stadium.
“The emotion of our game and what we love is amplified by the crowd and the fans.
“As a player, you’re an entertainer when you enter the field, the crowd helping the team is a massive, massive difference.”
This is Parker’s second game at Vitality Stadium and knows it is not just up to the fans to create an atmosphere but his team must give the crowd a reason to get behind his side.
He continued: “I said it after the game here [vs Chelsea], I have played in this stadium and when the crowd is behind you it is difficult.
“It’s a tight stadium, when the crowd is in full blaze it is a difficult place and we have to make it like that this year.
“It is down to us ultimately as a team to get our fans behind us.
“Like I said I have some very good, fond memories of the home crowd round here so I have no doubt with them behind us this year it will give us a huge help.”
The new Bournemouth head coach will have to deal with several injury concerns going into the weekend’s fixture and fans will have to wait to see their latest acquisition, as Leif Davis wont feature against the Dons on Saturday and he also gave an update on Arnaut Danjuma’s fitness.
He said: “He will be a bit short [Davis], he won’t be ready for this weekend and neither will Danjuma, other than that we are at full strength.”
Steve and Lewis Cook also remained sidelined with Parker saying the two are “ a bit more longer term” and confirmed Ben Pearson is “away from the club” as he is “not well at the moment”.
Some more positive news however sees Junior Stanislas return to the fold. The experienced winger has just signed a new two-year deal with the club and Parker revealed the 31-year-old will be involved at the weekend..
Parker added: “His fitness is good, he has come back in a good place.
“He was training on his own for a number of weeks so we are just easing him back into some football work and not just running – it is very different.
“Junior will be involved at the weekend in some capacity and we will try and get some minutes for him.”
Jaidon Anthony is also in contention after suffering a broken wrist in training last week to further bolster the Bournemouth coach’s attacking options for the visit of Russell Martin’s Dons.