Howe takes responsibility, but do the players?

AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe quite rightly is given more slack than most managers in the top flight of English football.

It’s not every manager in the Premier League that has been given local awards such as the Freedom of the Borough.

Or the English Football League’s manager of the decade award, but that is what happens when one manager saves a club from probable extinction by avoiding relegation to non-league, followed by three promotions and establishing the club in the Premier League for several seasons on the bounce.

AFC Bournemouth has a long term vision and Eddie Howe is central to that, other clubs sack their managers for a poor six-game run, Howe is given time to improve over a number of seasons.

Perhaps that’s one reason why Howe took responsibility for the dismal 3-1 home defeat to Burnley.

AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe told afcb.co.uk…

“…We are not taking liberties and I can honestly say we have not done that, as the head of the team I take responsibility – you make your own luck and we have to do that very quickly.

“We will always credit the opposition, but we did not deal well with Burnley’s threats and we didn’t deal with them well enough.

“We had enough chances to score more than one goal and that’s a huge frustration for us, but the biggest disappointment is that we didn’t turn the screw in the second half…”

“…The manner of all three goals is disappointing, we can’t make those types of errors against Burnley, but we have to take collective responsibility.

But whilst Howe may have tried to take responsibility for the defeat, the players definitely hold, as Howe put it “collective responsibility”.

In Neil Dawson’s match report only two players warranted an average score of 6, two players scored 5 whilst seven scored 4 or less, with goalkeeper Asmir Begovic scoring a 2 following his afternoon to forget.

Whilst the Dean Court faithful will accept that Howe does take responsibility for not only this performance but the current run of form, they will question whether the players do.

My mate is working on some data regarding keepers recently. It really isn't kind to Begovic. Still can't wrap my head around people wanting the likes of Begovic, Foster, Butland etc. pic.twitter.com/doFgkWo7Zg

— Stephen Drennan (@babuyagu) April 6, 2019

"We will have to look at everything we are delivering, go back to basics and try and make things right."

Listen to Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe with @jordanclarkcouk on the defeat & Begovic 🔊👇 #afcb pic.twitter.com/x41UI9asaL

— BBC Radio Solent Sport (@solentsport) April 6, 2019

Your say…

davygravy wrote…

Fair play to Jordan Clark for asking the question about the keepers, needed asking. Eddie Howe would never admit to much of course but it did sound like he is going to have another think.

Hearing how Asmir Begovic had this grumble at Eddie…..and that Artur Boruc was told he would be number one for the rest of the season….I am still puzzled at the sudden change to Begovic. Perhaps it was Eddie’s way of saying to Asmir….go on then, show me how good you are…..and now he’s made errors in both games that lead to goals, maybe Eddie can now go back and tell Begovic he was right to rest him in the first place! – Join the conversation, click here.