BOURNEMOUTH MAULED BY LIONS
YOU can almost understand Eddie Howe’s thinking. Knocks and fatigue after the festive period, a top-half position in the Premier League to safeguard and winnable matches against Hull, Watford and Crystal Palace ahead.
The Bournemouth manager weighed all that up and decided to risk the rotation. A full rotation of all 11 players, no less, from the side that faced Arsenal on Tuesday.
Against League One opposition, it must have seemed like a gamble that was worth taking. But, as we should all know by now, the FA Cup often bites those who disrespect it and Howe’s Bournemouth were well and truly mauled by Millwall.
Goals from Steve Morison, Shaun Cummings and Shane Ferguson reflected Millwall’s superiority and Howe claimed afterwards that he had no choice but to make wholesale changes and he meant no disrespect.
‘Though I haven’t been forced, my hands are tied a little bit,’ he said. ‘We are so stretched, the Premier League is such a demanding league and we feel we need our best players available. We tried to protect the players we had fit.
‘It’s a really difficult one. We’d love to win the FA Cup. I’m not trying to disrespect it or do anything that harms the game, far from it. But you’ve got to do what’s best for Bournemouth FC.’
A dark cloud hangs over Millwall with Lewisham Council trying to force through a purchase of land around The Den to hand over to a property developer and the prospect of relocating to Kent after 117 years here is a real one.
But with a critical council summit this Wednesday, Millwall’s players could not have been more persuasive as to their worth to the local community than this. They piled pressure on Howe’s vulnerable defence from the outset, with Morison missing an open net early on, before thumping home a header from a Shaun Williams corner in the 26th minute.
Millwall doubled their lead when Cummings reacted quickest after Morison’s cross-shot was beaten out by Adam Federici. And Ferguson rounded off the win in stoppage time, racing clear to drill home the third.
Millwall boss Neil Harris said: ‘We guessed Bournemouth would make changes as they have big games coming up.
‘We knew they would want to come and play football and it was vital if we had any chance to press high, make tackles and compete. My side won’t ever lack the edge to compete.’