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Eddie Howe


InspectorCoarse

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Apologies for the long post but I felt I needed to just put down some of what Howe has done at Bournemouth for those who have only really paid attention to him since he signed for us.

 

Some may know as I've said before, but I live in Bournemouth. I came down here in 2009 for work just after their "great escape" (and after our first Ashley relegation!) and have seen first-hand what he did here as although I've never supported any club but Newcastle and never could, I kind of adopted Bournemouth whilst Ashley gutted our club from the inside and I was marooned 360 miles away.

 

What Howe is doing now is not new, and it should not be a surprise. He has a long and incredibly impressive history in improving players, massively. Obviously it doesn't happen to all players, as you have to buy in to what he wants of you and his methods, but for those that do they'll find he can have them playing easily 2 divisions higher than they've ever played before. At Bournemouth he did this with many players and I've long wanted him to get this job and was over the moon when Emery turned us down and we moved onto "that fella from Bournemouth". Although he didn't to my knowledge bring anyone all the way with him from L2 with Bournemouth, he variously bought or inherited many players in League 1 who became PL regulars with hundreds of appearances to their name.

 

Here's Bournemouth's league timeline in the Howe years, and some key moments noted....

 

2008–09 - League Two - Great Escape from -17 points
2009–10 - League Two - Promotion
2010–11 - League One - Jan 2011 leaves for Burnley, replaced by Lee Bradbury who fails in Playoff Semi Final
2011–12 - League One - Bradbury sacked, Paul Groves takes over with Bournemouth 11th
2012–13 - League One - Oct 2012 Groves sacked with Bournemouth near foot of table. Howe returns, turns it around and wins promotion in same season
2013–14 - Championship - Finished 10th
2014–15 - Championship - Promoted as champions
2015–16 - Premier League
2016–17 - Premier League - Finished 9th, highest finish in club's history
2017–18 - Premier League
2018–19 - Premier League
2019–20 - Premier League - Relegation and Howe leaves

 

Now I've already said he didn't take anyone from L2 to the PL with Bournemouth (Though Ings was with him in L2 but then moved on to Burnley when Howe went there), but I think at least part of that is that from January 2008 to December 2010 Bournemouth were operating under a transfer embargo due to going into administration. This is why they had -17 points in 2008/09, and why they had to turn to 31-year-old Howe. That he not only saved them but got them promoted the next season whilst under that embargo is incredible enough, but all the below players (Except Ings) were then signed by Howe, Bradbury or Groves whilst in L1 and went on to make a lot of appearances in the PL as Howe took them up through the leagues when he came back from Burnley:

 

09/10 - League 2

Danny Ings - Came up through the U18s, Howe gave him his debut in the cup when in L2, played most of next season in L1. Howe then went to Burnley and took Ings with him. Also managed Tippier at this time, probably why Trippier was so keen to join.

 

10/11 - League 1 - Howe signings

Adam Smith - On loan initially when in L1 due to embargo, then joined permanently, has made 158 PL appearances and still playing for Bournemouth now

Marc Pugh - 67 PL appearances over 3 seasons

Harry Arter - 69 PL appearances for Bournemouth, now at Notts Forest

 

11/12 - League 1 - Lee Bradbury signings

Steve Cook - 168 PL appearances before moving to Notts Forest

Charlie Daniels - 129 PL appearances

Simon Francis - 136 PL appearances before retiring

 

12-13 - League 1 - Paul Groves then Eddie Howe returns in October for January window

Tommy Elphick - 12 PL appearances in first season up before being signed by Aston Villa

Lewis Grabban - 18 PL appearances in first season up, then went on loan to (amongst others) Sunderland, before moving to Notts Forest

Matt Richie - Signed from Swindon by Howe after his return, 37 PL appearances before moving to us

Ryan Fraser - Another Howe signing, 120 PL appearances before also moving to us

 

And that's not counting the likes of Shaun MacDonald who played 3 times in the Prem etc, just the headliners. So that's a full TEN players who went from L1 to the PL with Howe and made a significant contribution, some over many years and 5 of them making 120+ PL appearances - 6 if you count Ritchie completing them here.

 

If a manager can make a player 10% better, you take it and would say he's doing a great job, because that's a brilliant return. But we have a manager who can make you two DIVISIONS better if you trust the process and buy into his methods. We're incredibly lucky to have him, and nothing he's doing is a flash in the pan or anything he hasn't done before on a consistent and prolonged basis in terms of improving players, and so I expect he'll also continue to do it in the future with anyone else we sign - provided they have the right character and mentality.

 

Small anecdote - He bummed a cigarette off my wife back in 2010. :lol: Bournemouth were having their end of season promotion party at the RNLI headquarters in Poole where my wife worked as a restaurant manager. She was a smoker back then, and was outside having a cigarette when Eddie Howe came out and chatted to her for a bit after asking if he could have a cigarette off her. At the time he was a nobody really, she didn't know who he was but knew AFC Bournemouth were booked in for a party and from chatting whilst they smoked for that few minutes she found out that he was the manager, so I had to fill in the blanks for her. She says he was really lovely, which of course we'd expect. No idea if he smokes regularly or if like some people do only when 10 pints in (He may have been sober for all we know, I'm certainly not saying he wasn't and even if he was wasted, he deserved it), and of course more than a decade has passed since anyway, but there you are.

 

TL;DR - I think Eddie Howe is fantastic, and have done for over a decade. Even though he still owes my missus a cigarette.

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Perez wound me up as a player when I'd accepted we were a club hanging around the Woops section of the transfer market. The idea of signing him when we have the option to snap up Bruno Guimaraes and Sven Botman level players just seems pointless.

 

 

Edited by Kid Icarus

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Just checked with the wife - Howe was definitely pissed :lol: , and kept saying to her "Don't tell anyone you've seen me smoking!". But she says he was very generous and kept buying everyone drinks, players and staff, and was absolutely lovely.

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5 hours ago, nemtizz said:

If VAR wasn't an abomination we'd be undefeated thanks to this legend.


Pisses me off to no end. :lol: 

 

I know we lost on them in the 98th of 97 but if that Isak goal had (rightfully) stood they looked broken as fuck in that moment. It would’ve been four easily. 

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6 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Man City (Schar penalty), Liverpool (Isak offside, Carvalho goal), Wolves (Longstaff penalty), Palace (Willock goal)

 

That whole run was completely ridiculous, VAR has definitely improved for us since we complained after Palace.

Brighton high foot?

 

Was another one IIRC.

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8 hours ago, Chris_R said:

Apologies for the long post but I felt I needed to just put down some of what Howe has done at Bournemouth for those who have only really paid attention to him since he signed for us.

 

Some may know as I've said before, but I live in Bournemouth. I came down here in 2009 for work just after their "great escape" (and after our first Ashley relegation!) and have seen first-hand what he did here as although I've never supported any club but Newcastle and never could, I kind of adopted Bournemouth whilst Ashley gutted our club from the inside and I was marooned 360 miles away.

 

What Howe is doing now is not new, and it should not be a surprise. He has a long and incredibly impressive history in improving players, massively. Obviously it doesn't happen to all players, as you have to buy in to what he wants of you and his methods, but for those that do they'll find he can have them playing easily 2 divisions higher than they've ever played before. At Bournemouth he did this with many players and I've long wanted him to get this job and was over the moon when Emery turned us down and we moved onto "that fella from Bournemouth". Although he didn't to my knowledge bring anyone all the way with him from L2 with Bournemouth, he variously bought or inherited many players in League 1 who became PL regulars with hundreds of appearances to their name.

 

Here's Bournemouth's league timeline in the Howe years, and some key moments noted....

 

2008–09 - League Two - Great Escape from -17 points
2009–10 - League Two - Promotion
2010–11 - League One - Jan 2011 leaves for Burnley, replaced by Lee Bradbury who fails in Playoff Semi Final
2011–12 - League One - Bradbury sacked, Paul Groves takes over with Bournemouth 11th
2012–13 - League One - Oct 2012 Groves sacked with Bournemouth near foot of table. Howe returns, turns it around and wins promotion in same season
2013–14 - Championship - Finished 10th
2014–15 - Championship - Promoted as champions
2015–16 - Premier League
2016–17 - Premier League - Finished 9th, highest finish in club's history
2017–18 - Premier League
2018–19 - Premier League
2019–20 - Premier League - Relegation and Howe leaves

 

Now I've already said he didn't take anyone from L2 to the PL with Bournemouth (Though Ings was with him in L2 but then moved on to Burnley when Howe went there), but I think at least part of that is that from January 2008 to December 2010 Bournemouth were operating under a transfer embargo due to going into administration. This is why they had -17 points in 2008/09, and why they had to turn to 31-year-old Howe. That he not only saved them but got them promoted the next season whilst under that embargo is incredible enough, but all the below players (Except Ings) were then signed by Howe, Bradbury or Groves whilst in L1 and went on to make a lot of appearances in the PL as Howe took them up through the leagues when he came back from Burnley:

 

09/10 - League 2

Danny Ings - Came up through the U18s, Howe gave him his debut in the cup when in L2, played most of next season in L1. Howe then went to Burnley and took Ings with him. Also managed Tippier at this time, probably why Trippier was so keen to join.

 

10/11 - League 1 - Howe signings

Adam Smith - On loan initially when in L1 due to embargo, then joined permanently, has made 158 PL appearances and still playing for Bournemouth now

Marc Pugh - 67 PL appearances over 3 seasons

Harry Arter - 69 PL appearances for Bournemouth, now at Notts Forest

 

11/12 - League 1 - Lee Bradbury signings

Steve Cook - 168 PL appearances before moving to Notts Forest

Charlie Daniels - 129 PL appearances

Simon Francis - 136 PL appearances before retiring

 

12-13 - League 1 - Paul Groves then Eddie Howe returns in October for January window

Tommy Elphick - 12 PL appearances in first season up before being signed by Aston Villa

Lewis Grabban - 18 PL appearances in first season up, then went on loan to (amongst others) Sunderland, before moving to Notts Forest

Matt Richie - Signed from Swindon by Howe after his return, 37 PL appearances before moving to us

Ryan Fraser - Another Howe signing, 120 PL appearances before also moving to us

 

And that's not counting the likes of Shaun MacDonald who played 3 times in the Prem etc, just the headliners. So that's a full TEN players who went from L1 to the PL with Howe and made a significant contribution, some over many years and 5 of them making 120+ PL appearances - 6 if you count Ritchie completing them here.

 

If a manager can make a player 10% better, you take it and would say he's doing a great job, because that's a brilliant return. But we have a manager who can make you two DIVISIONS better if you trust the process and buy into his methods. We're incredibly lucky to have him, and nothing he's doing is a flash in the pan or anything he hasn't done before on a consistent and prolonged basis in terms of improving players, and so I expect he'll also continue to do it in the future with anyone else we sign - provided they have the right character and mentality.

 

Small anecdote - He bummed a cigarette off my wife back in 2010. :lol: Bournemouth were having their end of season promotion party at the RNLI headquarters in Poole where my wife worked as a restaurant manager. She was a smoker back then, and was outside having a cigarette when Eddie Howe came out and chatted to her for a bit after asking if he could have a cigarette off her. At the time he was a nobody really, she didn't know who he was but knew AFC Bournemouth were booked in for a party and from chatting whilst they smoked for that few minutes she found out that he was the manager, so I had to fill in the blanks for her. She says he was really lovely, which of course we'd expect. No idea if he smokes regularly or if like some people do only when 10 pints in (He may have been sober for all we know, I'm certainly not saying he wasn't and even if he was wasted, he deserved it), and of course more than a decade has passed since anyway, but there you are.

 

TL;DR - I think Eddie Howe is fantastic, and have done for over a decade. Even though he still owes my missus a cigarette.

 

Thank you for your post. Ever since last season, I've needed no convincing as to what a gem we have in Eddie, but that was a good read.

 

Not because I have any doubts, but just for my education, what do you think went wrong at Burnley, and (in the end) at Bournemouth? 

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Every team has dodgy decisions go against them. We did just seem to get a shit load in a 4-5 game stretch. Now the dust has settled and a lot of the emotion taken out of it. I think it was only really the Wolves and Palace decisions that I have an issue with. 

 

The Brighton high foot I’m not having. Everyone seemed to stop playing after the whistle. Seemed daft to blow the whistle in the first place. But shit decisions happen all the while. We were poor all game, anyway. No guarantee we would have won 1-0. 
 

Liverpool, whilst heartbreaking. Was perfectly fine. We had wasted a bit more time in stoppage time. Cliched, of course. But it is a minimum of. The Isak goal was marginally off, no? Even though I can’t stand the way VAR is used for offside. That isn’t unique to us and this game. 
 

Need to stop pissing and moaning about things we can’t change and start looking forward.  

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zdAVsAnSVs&t=70s

 

There's basically no way to tell if it was on of off, it's guesswork how far his knee is over his foot (if it is at all), plus the exact moment contact is made on the ball is near impossible due to the video frame rate. No way it should have been disallowed.

 

As for the Carvalho goal, the literal amount of time the ball isn't in play has never (until seemingly the world cup) been added on. There was a very clear narrative to the game and the ref seemed to make a point of stopping his watch and playing every second. Completely fine if it was consistent but he cannot decide to just do it in extra time, if he'd been doing it throughout the second half we would have had another 10 minutes to find an equaliser.

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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31 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zdAVsAnSVs&t=70s

 

There's basically no way to tell if it was on of off, it's guesswork how far his knee is over his foot (if it is at all), plus the exact moment contact is made on the ball is near impossible due to the video frame rate. No way it should have been disallowed.

 

As for the Carvalho goal, the literal amount of time the ball isn't in play has never (until seemingly the world cup) been added on. There was a very clear narrative to the game and the ref seemed to make a point of stopping his watch and playing every second. Completely fine if it was consistent but he cannot decide to just do it in extra time, if he'd been doing it throughout the second half we would have had another 10 minutes to find an equaliser.

 

 

 


Fair enough on the Isak offside. Even tighter than I remember. 
 

Really don’t get everyone getting so upset by the added on time, though. We were time wasting and using gamesmanship from about the 5th minute :lol: which plenty of teams do, of course. We then did it twice more after the 90. Can’t really moan if we then concede a goal. Due to our own delaying of the game. 
 

It won’t be the first or last time a ref plays more than the time added on. Especially if there was a sub, injury or goal etc during that period. 

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There was over 2 minutes added on though. I'm not against time out of play being literally added on but it's rarely how it works (and not how it's supposed to work in the current 45 minute a half format) and it's pretty obvious when referees go out of their way to do it.

 

It was still our fault for falling asleep on the corner like, so it's not really an excuse for the loss (we nearly scored ourselves during his added on time), but it's just another example of 'the rub of the green' going to the same sides.

 

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20464371

 

 

Edited by Hanshithispantz

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