A break from the norm this week. I want to discuss a certain manager…but not our own this time!
Well if there are any West Ham fans out there who harboured hopes of snagging Eddie Howe for next season, I think that love is destined to be unrequited. At least for the time being. Wash that man right out of your hair and move on baby! Now that he has taken AFC Bournemouth into the Premier League promised land you can bet your bottom dollar he’s going nowhere.
They call him The Messiah in Dorset and he really has performed miracles. The man with the Midas touch has taken a club from the brink of extinction to the top flight. Not single handedly of course, but without him none of it would have been deemed possible let alone achieved.
I first met Howe when he had just taken over as manager. It was one of my first interviews for Soccer Saturday. I don’t know who was more green…him or me! I do know he didn’t look like a manager. He had a baby face, a bad haircut and a baggy club tracksuit but his calm reserve stood out. Although he had little media experience (like myself at the time!) his answers were well thought out and totally composed. I remember thinking this is a man in control.
The previous year the club had been in complete financial turmoil, were minutes from being wound up by the administrator Gerald Krasner, and were eventually saved by a consortium led by chairman Jeff Mostyn. They started the season of 2008 on -17 points. It didn’t go well and Jimmy Quinn (the former West Ham striker) was relieved of his duties in January. There was obviously no money but they needed a new direction. In stepped Eddie Howe.
He was the youth team manager at the time. He often jokes that they really had no one else to ask and the truth is maybe they didn’t. They certainly didn’t have the money to bring anyone in. But the then Cherries director Adam Murry saw something in Howe. He was already a fans’ favourite as he’d joined as a 13 year old schoolboy and spent most of his playing career at Dean Court, so convincing them wouldn’t be a problem. He was 31 when he took over with no experience and no cash to spend…but anyone who has met him knows that he has an inner steel and a determination that belies his years. The New Year’s Day appointment turned out to be a master stroke.
He lost his first couple of games but they made him permanent manager anyway. The board perhaps knew something that, at the time, Howe did not. He admits that he feared they’d made a terrible mistake, that the job was too vast, too intense for someone just starting out in his managerial career, but he stuck at it and by the third game he got his first win. That was the turning point…that was the beginning of probably the greatest ever football league success story. He kept them up that season thanks to a Steve Fletcher last gasp winner against Grimsby and the rest, as they say, is history.
Three promotions, a brief spell at Burnley and a decent haircut later, the Messiah has masterminded Bournemouth’s meteoric rise to the highest division in the land. And the praise and accolades are showering down upon him. Even Gary Lineker is asking the question “(have we) possibly found the English Special One?”
Nay-sayers will suggest the title was bought with Russian money. Yes, they’ve spent some cash. Investment was made by Maxim Demin, in the infrastructure, the staff, the ground and of course the players and their salaries. Yet you won’t find a household name in the squad. How many of you had heard of Matt Ritchie, Andrew Surman, Mark Pugh, Harry Arter, Tommy Elphick, Steve Cook, even Artur Boruc before this season? Until Kenwyne Jones arrived in March, few people outside the South Coast other than fans of lower league football would recognise any of the names on the roster. Lots of loans, no huge fees, a few free agents and the highest transfer was £3 million for Callum Wilson, and that was after losing Lewis Grabban to Norwich so they broke even with that one. When I interviewed Mostyn a few weeks ago he was at pains to point out to me that Howe had been “completely respectful of Demin’s money”. Shrewd investments and clever signings by the manager and his staff over a period of five years laid the groundwork for the phenomenal success that would eventually come.
Howe eats, sleeps and breathes football. He’s a student of the game, a fine tactician and he can also spot a player, and a bargain. Let’s not forget his signings for Burnley weren’t bad either. He signed Charlie Austin from Swindon, who he had initially spotted when Austin was playing for Poole in 2009 but couldn’t sign him because of Bournemouth’s transfer embargo, well the striker has done alright for himself since. Kieran Trippier, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Sam Vokes and Danny Ings were all his men and played a key role in securing Burnley Premier League status.
Can the Football League Manager of the Decade replicate his magic in the Premier League? We’ll see. Personally I think he’s in a win-win situation. Little will be expected of his team in the top flight. Anything other than relegation is a bonus but if they don’t survive his star will still soar. Of that I’m certain.
This is not an Eddie Howe love-in and I haven’t defected to another team. I’m still an ardent Hammer. I will admit to a soft spot though. It’s a lovely part of the world (I can’t wait for the away day!) but best of all they play the football we like to see. Not only were they promoted to the top flight on limited resources, they scored the most goals, were the most entertaining and they were consistently in the top spot all season. 111 days in total. They deserve it.
I’ve been lucky enough to be at close quarters watching the Cherries rapid ascent. I’ve covered the club for Sky Sports many times over the years, the access has been incredible and we’ve always been welcomed. The players are down to earth, approachable and a credit to the game. They are top lads. I’ve filmed behind the scenes, conducted interviews, watched numerous games, produced features on players and even did my first live match report from there for Soccer Saturday. I feel a small connection with the club which is why I was so pleased and honoured to be asked to co-host their end of season awards. Ok they asked Jeff Stelling first but I won’t hold it against them!
It was a terrific night, hastily put together by all the staff who were quietly preparing for promotion but were never expecting to become Champions. All of a sudden it was a title-winning party! Awards were given out, emotional speeches were made to thunderous applause, a few tears were shed and there were some amazing shapes made on the dance floor afterwards.
What struck me was the closeness of this club, the tight-knit group, the community feel. It really was a collective effort and every single individual was made to feel part of the team and a vital element of the success. Eddie Howe made sure of that…repeatedly leaving his table to add to our host notes throughout the evening, “don’t forget to mention so and so, please thank this person, make sure you highlight that person”. He was the same the following day on the bus parade. He made everyone feel special, from the fans, to the players, to the office staff. It was a pleasure to watch and I must admit I was a little envious that all these people from one place, one town had come together. It was a pretty humbling experience.
I hope they don’t change too much. Shut up shop. It’ll be hard not to. When the Premier League comes calling the community becomes global and it’s difficult to contain. Subsequently everything becomes a lot more controlled. Maybe it’s inevitable. If you want a seat at the big boys table you have to grow. I’m not going to be a hypocrite and say it’s bad. I’ve worked for Sky Sports for nearly 15 years and I avidly support the work we do, the brand, and in my opinion the quality of our football broadcasting is second to none. I know what goes on behind our own scenes, the hard work, dedication, attention to detail but more importantly, how much our production staff really care about the standard of our output. Some people hate how the face of football has changed. I don’t agree with all of it but as far as Sky helping make the Premier League the most exciting league in the world…I’m a believer! So it’s nice to see a club like Bournemouth reach out and grasp the Premier League comet. Fingers crossed they don’t crash and burn. Something tells me though, to paraphrase another writer, with Howe in charge, they’ll shoot for the moon and even if they fail, they’ll land among the stars.
Come On You Irons!
B x
If you want to watch my recent AFC Bournemouth feature for Soccer Saturday you can see it here:
http://youtu.be/Q2A_Glz3hak