As we move into the first weekend of the Premier League season, one fact remains most obvious above all others – Eddie Howe is destined to move up the footballing ladder, and it needs to happen sooner rather than later. A lot of people like to call him the best young manager in the game, but as the great Brian Clough once said, he’s probably one of the best old ones too.
The 39-year-old has had his moments which includes his ill-fated tenure with Burnley, but now that he’s got the hiccups out of the way it’s time to zero in on the successes. Howe has the cool, calm and collected mentality that is always going to take young bosses far because there’s no cockiness to speak of.
This Bournemouth team have been more than at ease with life in the Premier League, as evidenced by the fact this is already their third season in the top flight and they show no signs of slowing down.
A lot of that is down to how Eddie sets up his teams, with the idea that it doesn’t matter who the opponent is so long as the players keep the right mind set. You can only beat what is put in front of you, and that’s a philosophy that has been beaten into these players whether you want to believe it or not.
Having dealt with the experience of big time matches for well over two years now it’s clear that the big occasions don’t phase this guy, and the best test of his metal came when the links to the Arsenal job started emerging.
Instead of entertaining the idea of moving Howe knew that he needed to develop both his skills and his squad further, deciding to hone his craft on the south coast for a little while longer. He comes across as a man of principles and a dedicated individual, which could bode well for whatever team is able to obtain his services.
A big part of their success comes from shrewd and smart business decisions, starting with the core of the squad. Out of the 30 registered players within their first team 20 of them come from Great Britain & Ireland, and whilst that isn’t a requirement by any means, it shows that Eddie likes to do things old school by having flashes of quality mixed in with a side that has great chemistry.
It’s not like they’re struggling, either, with their 9th place finish last season proving that they can easily become an established top half side under the guidance of Mr Howe. Sure they flirted with relegation in 2015/16, but that’s only because their squad was battered by injuries and even then the gaffer remained as confident as he was at the start of the season.
The big teams within English football need some kind of humility and not just another big name because that kind of thought process brings consistency. With the upcoming campaign right around the corner we feel as if it should be the last for Howe with the Cherries, with our preference in terms of his end location being the Emirates.
It’s an obvious selection, but it’s one that won’t come with any smoke and mirrors. Have Wenger mentor Eddie for a while to ease him into the squad, kind of like Fergie did with Moyes (but more successfully). With United, they were expecting greatness and it wasn’t delivered, but with the Gunners they’ve got low expectations heading in given the disappointments they’ve suffered over the last few years.
Bring some of the youth through, give him a full pre-season to prepare and the rest will come naturally.
