It’s often said that there is no one man that can ever be bigger than a football club and that is obviously true, but if there was ever a football club that was built around its manager it would be AFC Bournemouth and Eddie Howe.
It is a scenario that is completely understandable, 10 years ago the Cherries were being docked 10 points in League One after falling into administration, something that would eventually relegate them to the fourth tier of English football.
After failing to exit administration in the correct manner, the Cherries were then docked a further 17 points at the start of the 2008/09 campaign. That campaign began with Eddie Howe on the coaching staff under Kevin Bond.
Kevin Bond would be sacked along with Rob Newman and Howe and in came Jimmy Quinn as manager, whilst Howe was re-hired as part of the youth set-up.
101 days later and Quinn was sacked and the club turned to Howe to save the clubs football league status and probable existence in the process.
Fastword from those days and looking up at the turnstile gates of Dean Court you would be forgiven for believing that not much has changed, but due to the ridiculous nature of the clubs rise, AFC Bournemouth are now in the midst of their fourth campaign in the richest league in the world.
The club in many ways has failed to keep up with its meteoric rise from competing in League Two in 2010 to the Premier League in 2015.
But on the pitch, AFC Bournemouth have proved themselves amongst the elite, taking the scalps of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal along the way.
The Cherries have punched above their weight, arguably since promotion to the Championship in 2013 and that is all down to the managerial skills of Eddie Howe and the support of the owner Maxim Demin.
Tabloid newspaper The Mirror have reported that Howe is now set to be rewarded with an improved contract.
The report claims that…
“It is understood that Howe’s £750,000 salary was significantly improved following their promotion to the Premier League three years ago — and it should now rocket above a basic £3m, with bonuses adding to the pot.
“Now his pay will sit alongside Crystal Palace’s Roy Hodgson, Brighton boss Chris Hughton and Sean Dyche at Burnley.
The Mirror added…
“The contract will also contain a hefty compensation clause, should Howe be lured away.
However the report has been denied by Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam and journalist Alex Crook on social media.
Despite media reports over the weekend – #afcb Manager Eddie Howe IS NOT due to sign a new deal.
He’s already on a long-term contract.
I can’t see him leaving any time soon anyway. #fakenews
— Mark McAdam (@markmcadamtv) September 9, 2018
Told there is no truth in reports Eddie Howe is on the verge of signing a new contract at #afcb is already tied to a long-term deal.
— Alex Crook ⚽️🎙 (@alex_crook) September 9, 2018
Your say…
AFCBfan wrote…
Without Eddie Howe, the whole thing comes tumbling down. Watford can chop-and-change managers at will, it seems, with no detrimental effect; I don’t think the same would happen with us.
Look what happened the last time he left: flying in League One, to scraping into the play-offs, to mid-table obscurity, to the relegation zone in 19 months.
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