Could Howe fairy tale at Bournemouth be over?
South coast club facing relegation battle with injury list reaching crisis point, says Jeremy Wilson
Any visitor to first-team training at Bournemouth this week could have been forgiven for wondering if they had either stumbled across the wrong venue or been given the wrong time. Gavin Kilkenny, Christian Saydee, Corey Jordan, Jordan Zemura, Jaidon Anthony and Zeno Ibsen Rossi were among the under-21s mixing it with a senior squad depleted to a point that really does merit the “bare bones” catchphrase famously coined by Eddie Howe’s friend, and former manager, Harry Redknapp.
Nathan Ake, who will be out for between a month and six weeks, and Callum Wilson, who could miss the next fortnight, were the latest casualties from a 3-0 defeat on Saturday against Liverpool that was Bournemouth’s fifth consecutive league loss.
Add in the wider statistic of only one win since Sept 20, unwanted potential off-field distractions, a gap of just a point to the relegation zone and it is legitimate to ask whether Bournemouth are now facing the biggest challenge of their five seasons in the Premier League.
There is also the perennial question of whether Howe himself is approaching a significant career crossroads, even if he did add some important perspective recently when he referenced those days in the not-so-distant past when the very existence of the club was in grave doubt.
Briefly alarming sequences of defeats have been a recurring feature of Bournemouth’s Premier League tenure. Each season since 2015-16 has contained a run of at least four straight losses, even if it feels particularly difficult just now to forecast confidently any imminent end to their struggles.
Five matches await in the space of 19 days and, with almost an entire starting XI in the treatment room, the best prospect for comebacks are Lloyd Kelly and Josh King, who could feature against Chelsea tomorrow.
Captain Steve Cook had an operation on his hand yesterday and will be out for about three weeks, while Ake, David Brooks, Charlie Daniels, Junior Stanislas and Adam Smith are targeting various return dates in 2020.
A comparable glut of injuries last year prompted Howe to re-examine everything from pitch surfaces to the nature of his training sessions, which are renowned for their intensity. Recent ailments have had a mixture of causes: Cook was struck on the wrist by a Dele Alli cross; Brooks has needed two ankle operations following a freakish pre-season back-heel; and Kelly was tackled in training by Harry
‘I am 100 per cent committed to this club, and a little bit embarrassed with the speculation’
Arter – but the loss last week of both Ake and possibly Wilson to hamstring injuries will prompt internal scrutiny.
It was unusual to hear Howe specifically make reference to the injury crisis after Saturday’s defeat and, although most concerned just now about the players’ confidence levels (Dominic Solanke has not scored in 26 appearances), there was perhaps also a wider message about squad depth ahead of the January transfer window.
The chances of Bournemouth selling Ryan Fraser before his contract runs down at the end of the season have certainly narrowed. The club do still hope that he will sign the contract extension on offer, but with Premier League survival still far from secure, any income from a quick sale is increasingly outbalanced by the difference that just a few extra goals or assists could make in the final run-in.
News this week that Jordon Ibe is facing charges of failing to stop after an accident (which he denies) and careless driving (for which he did not offer a plea) following a car accident in July was also hardly ideal, even if Bournemouth have long been aware of a potential trial.
Howe has previously turned to the books of John Wooden, the legendary American basketball coach, at times of adversity in his management career, and there is a consistent mantra: “Complaining, whining and making excuses just keep you out of the present. Focus entirely on the process.”
An attempt last Friday to draw a line under being linked with managerial vacancies at Arsenal, Everton (the club he supported) and potentially West Ham United was noticeably absolute. “I am 100 per cent committed to this club and I am a little bit embarrassed with the speculation, if I am honest, after our recent run of results,” said Howe.
“It’s come at a bad time because people will then question whether your work has been affected by what’s being said outside. I am invigorated and energised to get results here. There isn’t a problem with my energy levels or my enthusiasm.”
For those who might wonder about the risks of Bournemouth lacking their previous purpose after having stabilised themselves in the Premier League since 2015, it is worth emphasising the excitement surrounding plans for a new training ground, which were approved in October. Construction packages are out to tender and it is hard to exaggerate the importance to Howe of securing a long-term legacy from what has been the most successful period in the club’s history.
That wider ambition, coupled with Howe’s experience of overcoming comparably poor runs, should provide confidence that Bournemouth will rise from their current slump. The gravity of the situation, and the need to get players back, however, is no longer in doubt.
“We have to get over it,” said Howe. “We have no choice, otherwise our Premier League status is in massive danger.”