Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Big win is Howe we recover
BOURNEMOUTH boss
Eddie Howe is anxious for his players to avoid a crisis of confidence as they attempt to rectify their Premier League slump.
The Cherries have lost eight of their last 11 top-flight games and travel to Everton searching for just a third win since October.
The south-coast club, who were knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Brighton last weekend, have shipped 15 goals in their previous four matches in all competitions.
They have also lost captain Simon Francis, fullback Adam Smith and midfielder Lewis Cook to long-term knee injuries in the past two months.
“It’s another massive game for us,” said Howe.
“We’re very keen to show a response to the recent run that we’ve been on.
“The fixture list we had was incredibly tough, the injuries we suffered were difficult for us to handle, and I think confidence just took a little knock on the back of those two things.
“Confidence is such an important factor in any professional team, we need to make sure that we don’t doubt ourselves in any way and we go to Everton full of confidence.”
Right-back Nathaniel Clyne, signed on loan from Liverpool last week, is set to make his league debut.
But Cherries top scorer Callum Wilson and creative winger Ryan Fraser face late fitness tests.