Bournemouth interim coach Gary O’Neil has suggested that Jordan Zemura’s substitution in Sunday’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest was a tactical decision as he wanted to change the formation shape.

Left-back Zemura, who was one of the Cherries’ outstanding players in the first half, was subbed off at half time to make way for Ryan Fredericks.

The change saw the team switching to three centre-backs, and it paid off as Bournemouth came from two goals down to the match

Explaining whether he felt the change in shape was a catalyst for the comeback, O’Neil said, as quoted by the Daily Echo: “I felt it gave us some control.

“It was in my mind before the game but because we had such a quick turnaround, it was a struggle to get any work into them.

“I felt we could still cause them problems with our back four. I felt we did and we lacked quality at the end of it.”

He added: “At that point at half-time it was like – we are going to go with what we initially thought.

“I wouldn’t give the system too much credit. You can change the system all you want – if you’ve not got a group that believe and go and deliver it, it wouldn’t make any difference.

“Full credit goes to the group of players that have given me anything again. That’s two games on the trot now where they have literally emptied the tank for me.”