Eddie Howe previews Bournemouth’s trip to Swansea
It is intriguing to see just how quickly clubs can fall into a top-flight crisis. The Premier League is without a doubt one of Europe’s most competitive leagues, and it is a challenge for any team to gain promotion and avoid an immediate relegation scrap.
AFC Bournemouth are a perfect example. Eddie Howe’s men won the Championship in 2015 and haven’t looked back since. A scrappy 16th place finish after their maiden year in the top division proved just enough to fight off relegation, and a ninth-place finish last season was the Cherries’ reward for their attractive style of football.
The start of this year’s campaign has been mixed for Eddie Howe, after his team’s winless run led to fears that Bournemouth’s Premier League dream might be coming to an end. But in true fighting spirit, the Cherries have climbed out of the bottom three and look set to push further up the table, following two successive wins over Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town.
An away trip to Swansea awaits Bournemouth this weekend, and Eddie Howe was quick to admit that any poor result in the Premier League could lead to a crisis.
“I think we’re all under pressure. When you’re managing in the Premier League, you’re often one result away from a crisis.
“If you keep doing the right things, the luck changes and I’m a firm believer in doing the right things.”
Swansea’s struggles have been evident this season, and Paul Clement’s side currently sit in 19th. The Swans have only scored seven goals so far this season, but Eddie Howe didn’t hold back in his praise for the Welsh outfit:
“They’re a good team, I’ve seen them many times. They’re very organised and you can see how well they’re coached from watching them. It’s a tough league and sometimes you can have a run of games and lose confidence.
“They’ve got a very good squad, a very good manager and I’ll be backing them to come back out of it.”
Bournemouth’s last game ended in an emphatic 4-0 victory over Huddersfield Town, with Callum Wilson grabbing his first Premier League hat-trick not long after his return from a serious knee injury. But despite the comfortable result, the Bournemouth manager made it clear he wanted his team to push on, and keep up the high standards.
“When you go into any game it’s about how you prepare and the mindset you’re in. We’ve got to look to build on recent performances, we don’t want to drop our standards.” Howe said. “We don’t underestimate them but it is all about us and how we carry on from the Huddersfield game, but you can’t afford to drop your standards in the Premier League.”
With the prize of a more comfortable mid-table spot up for grabs, AFC Bournemouth will travel to Swansea in the hope of extending their impressive spell of results. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.