Howe ready to press for his ultimate ambition

In the interviews the weekend before last you just might have heard Eddie Howe on ITV comment that his ultimate ambition is to get AFCB to the Premiership. He has set his sights high and I can see why he feels it would be an ambition that could be fulfilled. While Roy Keane may snipe that AFCB haven't the cutting edge to hurt teams like Liverpool, there is nothing to say that may develop over the next few years with some further player investment and training of the current crop of young players.

Eddie Howe is not quite ready to walk out on
 his dream of getting AFCB to the Premiership.

The initial aim has to be to stay in the Championship and to build year upon year in attracting players who can start to challenge the higher places in the division. While Eddie Howe is at the club I can't see anything detracting him from trying to achieve his ambition. We are told that Maxim Demin is right behind Eddie and that they share the same goals. It is not a simple aim and it can't be done overnight. It will take a few attempts to build the club further, but if you look at what has happened in just the last five years it is hard to see any other club that has somewhere near the drive and ambition of AFCB.

Much will depend on the coffers and to what extent the manager can be financially backed. The target is clear though. The fans turned out in their droves for AFCB v Liverpool and they will again and again if Eddie Howe can get his team to challenge at the top of the Championship. The January window has brought some important signings. Kermorgant I always felt is the kind of bullying centre forward that always does well against teams like AFCB. It will be a good addition to have a forward with his kind of no holds barred approach to getting a shot off. Adam Smith can also surely only add quality to the team and at his age he is going to develop into one of pillars of the team.

I still feel that Eddie Howe has to get our midfield players to score more goals to help earn the club safety this season without most supporters having to look over their shoulders in April. If he does that then that would have been a very successful first campaign back in the Championship. And with a few more signings in the summer AFCB could start to become one of the top sides in the Championship.