THAT’S HOWE TO GO DOWN
Curbs fears for Eddie’s future
BOURNEMOUTH’S wretched 4-1 home defeat by Newcastle leaves them staring at the drop.
They are next to bottom in the Premier League with six games left, visiting Manchester United tomorrow with games against Tottenham, Leicester and Manchester City to come.
It is a daunting run at the best of times but now one being taken on the back of 16 defeats in their last 21 games.
In his two spells as manager, Eddie Howe has lifted Bournemouth from the basement to the Premier League.
He has been in charge for a total of 11 years, taking over at the age of 31 in 2008 when they were in League Two and on the brink of bankruptcy.
One man who knows all about staying a long time at a club and then seeing it all crumble is former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley.
He was at The Valley for 15 years, 11 in sole command, taking them up into the Premier League and establishing them.
Curbs left when he thought he could do no more – only to watch as the Addicks plunged into League One after his departure. Now he fears the same thing could happen on the south coast.
He said: “Bournemouth is probably the smallest club that has ever been in the Premier League, apart from Wimbledon. Their stadium holds less than 12,000.
“That is the worry. It is so, so hard to keep a small club at that level for a long time. The job just gets harder.
“The other fact is that Eddie has spent an awful lot of money and some of the signings have not worked out, like Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke.” Ibe cost £15m from Liverpool and was released last week after not appearing since September; Solanke cost £19m and has not scored in 18 months.
“That’s why the criticism starts,” said Curbishley. “People expect more.
“You become established at a club, you have success and people expect it to get better.
“Eddie has done fantastically well. This may be a blip. If he finishes outside the bottom three he can carry on.
“But he has a real job on his hands. Eddie is going through stuff he’s not really gone through before.
“He is a victim of his own success. You start getting asked the awkward questions.
“Before people were not expecting too much. Now they are. Now he has to accept the criticism.”
The Cherries board would be reluctant to axe club legend Howe but the 42-year-old could decide to walk away.
Curbishley (above) added: “Like me at Charlton, Eddie has stayed loyal to his club.
“But if that speculation is going to continue about him and his future, he has to stay in the Premier League. Simple as that.”