![]() Ibe started just two league games all season.Īnd Howe failed to cure serious defensive problems which raised the red flag in 2018-19, when Bournemouth conceded 70 league goals in finishing 14th. Solanke, at £19m, has scored three goals in 32 league games. Howe made some excellent signings - such as Callum Wilson, Joshua King and David Brooks - who will either serve Bournemouth outstandingly well in the Championship or, far more likely, leave to reap a huge profit, as will Nathan Ake when he completes a £41m move to Manchester City.īrooks, in particular, was badly missed because of injuries this season.īut, on the other side, Liverpool were prime financial beneficiaries of an uncertain touch in the transfer market.īournemouth spent a combined £34m to lure Dominic Solanke and Jordon Ibe from Anfield. ![]() He built the club from the bottom up but this does mean he can escape scrutiny for a season that was, by any measure, a serious failure. What must also not be ignored is that his last season was a truly dreadful one, raising further questions about his approach and work in the transfer market, where expensive failures cost the Cherries dear. In their eyes he leaves a hero, a man with a prime place in Bournemouth's history. While not sharing the devotion to Howe displayed by many others, it must be said he deserves huge credit for his work in transforming Bournemouth into a club that sat relatively comfortably in the Premier League before this final flawed season.Ī club's fans are often the best measure of a manager's reputation and his departure was greeted with an outpouring of thanks from those who had lived the dream with Howe on the south coast. ![]() Was his one unsuccessful spell away from Bournemouth - at Burnley, where he also had family issues to deal with after the death of his mother - a consideration?Įither way, it was an indicator Howe's stock was maybe not as high as his admirers thought, and perhaps he would need to work successfully at another club before landing what might be regarded as a "big" job. Was it because he was seen as in his comfort zone and at "his" club, where he had total control and it was very much 'Team Eddie' - a position earned through his earlier stellar work, work done ensuring safety in the bottom half of the top flight rather than fighting for honours at the top? These were the sort of jobs Howe's disciples insisted he was perfect for, so why was he not approached? Everton - the club Howe supported as a boy - went for a three-time Champions League winner in Carlo Ancelotti rather than the man who guided Bournemouth through the divisions. Arsenal went for the previously untried Mikel Arteta as successor to Unai Emery and won the FA Cup. Tottenham had Jose Mourinho in place as soon as they sacked Mauricio Pochettino. ![]() Gareth Southgate is England's manager for the long term after reaching the World Cup semi-finals and building an exciting young side, but more intriguingly a succession of high-profile Premier League jobs came and went in recent months without Howe ever being under serious consideration.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |