AFC Bournemouth
A look at Eddie Howe's journey to 400 games as permanent AFC Bournemouth manager, from club journalist and former Daily Echo head of sport Neil Perrett.
Beginner’s luck or tactical genius? Only time will tell.
It was a line from one of my Daily Echo match reports during the early stages of Eddie Howe’s managerial career.
And following a much-needed victory in a tumultuous season which had started so disastrously, it was also a line Howe took umbrage at.
Whether the rookie boss had been fortunate to preside over the win or whether he had what it took to cut it in management, the answer would soon become apparent.
Tasked with keeping the Cherries in the Football League in the dark days of 2008/09, Howe achieved the remarkable feat against all the odds.
And there was certainly no luck involved as the club’s most successful manager penned the first chapter in the AFC Bournemouth fairytale.
A hugely-popular figure during his playing days, supporters clubbed together to fund his return to Dean Court from Portsmouth in 2004. ‘Eddie Share’ raised more than £8,000 in the space of 24 hours.
Winning over the fans following his appointment as manager was never going to be a problem. Winning football matches most definitely was.
Marooned at the foot of League Two and 10 points adrift of safety, some followers had already given up the fight.
“This clearly shows a total lack of ambition,” posted one irate season ticket holder on the comments section of the Daily Echo website after Howe had been given the job. “The club is going out of the league and probably out of existence.”
Mr Angry clearly made no provision for the fact throwing in the towel has never been in Howe’s make-up.
Fiercely competitive as a player, his determination to succeed has always stood him in good stead in management.
And a leader of men as one of the Cherries’ youngest captains, his ability to get the best out of his players has been key to the club’s rise to the Premier League.
Howe has always given everything.
And he has always demanded and expected the same from his players, whether they were a free transfer or a multi-million pound signing.
His class of 2009 was built on hard work and nothing has changed through the years, while the spirit engendered during the backs-to-the-wall early days has also carried on.
Never one for publicly criticising his team following a poor performance ten years ago, Howe has continued to command the respect of his players by dealing with matters behind closed doors.
A born winner, who is also gracious in defeat, Howe has taken in his stride all that has come with being a Premier League manager.
Cool and calm in the heat of battle, he has remained rational and pragmatic, displaying the same traits in the top flight as the ones which helped him keep the Cherries in the Football League.
From locking horns with the likes of John Still, Keith Hill and John Coleman, Howe is now trading blows with luminaries such as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez.
And he has earned the right to pit his wits against some of the world’s finest managers.
He has seen unprecedented change at the club during his 400 games at the helm but has changed little in himself. And it has served him well.
As one optimistic fan posted on the comments section of the Daily Echo website after Howe had been given the job in 2009: “Good luck Eddie. If you can do it, you'll be a hero…”
