Eddie Had A Dream: Eddie Howe - 'the best defender in the division'

Looking back at Eddie Howe's first departure form AFC Bournemouth seems a long time ago now. Bournemouth were being managed by Sean O'Driscoll and rumours of Howe's possible departure started as early as February 2001, which is where this extract come from. Yet, Eddie Howe was to stay at AFC Bournemouth until the troubled 2001-02 season, when the club not only lost Eddie to Portsmouth but were relegated to League Two.

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Extract from Eddie Had A Dream 
Chapter 3. Captain fantastic (1999-2002)

Keeping hold of Eddie Howe became a bit of a preoccupation for Sean O’Driscoll as the season progressed. Sean was not keen on letting Eddie Howe go. Eddie was a young player that looked destined for big things. When the talk of Eddie moving came in February 2001, O’Driscoll made it clear that clubs would not get a cheap deal. In the programme notes against Walsall, Sean said: ‘To clarify Eddie’s situation, there have been numerous clubs watching games throughout the season. I was informed an offer from an unnamed club was imminent during the latter part of the week. To safeguard the interests of the payer and the club, I decided to omit Eddie from the team.’

The writing was on the wall. Eddie would be sold it seemed. Speaking on all the speculation, Eddie Howe’s agent, David Fordham told the Dorset Echo: ‘With a player as good as Eddie, and remember, he is the best defender in the division, there is always going to be interest from other clubs. It’s a matter of talent, not money. Eddie has never been money motivated.’

An unofficial bid of £600,000 was thought to have been sent to David Fordham a few days before the window shut, but Eddie Howe shrugged it off when he was named in the team to play Walsall. ‘The game did me a favour and gave me something to concentrate on. In the build-up, I wasn’t thinking about anything else and it will be the same for the match at Swindon tomorrow. I was pretty nervous before kick-off because I felt everyone would be looking at me to see how I played. I was tense during the week, but worked hard in training and was really looking forward to the game. I was a bit apprehensive about the reception I might get, but the supporters were absolutely fantastic and really helped me get through it all and I would like to thank them for that,’ Howe told the Dorset Echo. Eddie even scored in the game which some may have felt was like a parting gift.

Eddie Had A Dream is now out on paperback £13.49 and as an ebook £9.99 from Amazon/Kindle. Simply enter Eddie Had A Dream in the search field to find the books. The book should take you back to a few memories of AFC Bournemouth and years when Eddie Howe was developing as a player and then a coach. If you do buy a copy, don't forget to leave a review.

The £13.49 paperback version of the book is now available on Amazon/Kindle - click on this link

To order your £9.99 ebook copy of Eddie Had A Dream - click on this link

First season in the Premier League – cast your mind back to those back to back wins over Chelsea and Man Utd

Rival Lines: Watford - 'We can be out of the bottom three by Christmas,' says FTRE

Rival Lines
Match Preview
Watford v AFCB
Podcast Interview: From the Rookery End
Twitter @watfordpodcast

This week I had a quick word with Jason at From the Rookey End Podast. We all know that Watford have had a bad run of it, but there must be something fundamentally wrong at the moment at Vicarage Road. Perhaps Jason can shed some light on the situation?

CC: Why have things not been working out so far this season for Watford?

FTRE: Putting it simply we can't score goals and we can't defend. We have created a lot of chances in our games this season, but our finishing has been poor. The defensive issues had been apparent towards the end of last season and the attempts to address that over the summer have not been successful.

CC: Does the FA Cup final still have a legacy that has stayed in the players' minds or were there problems surfacing even before the final last season?

FTRE: In 2019 we have won more cup ties then league games. Towards the end of the season we were only able to beat already relegated Huddersfield and soon to be doomed Fulham. It feels like we were beaten before walking out on the pitch at Wembley, as opposed to our current predicament being a result of that game.

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CC: Has the team deserved to be at the bottom or do you blame injuries, VAR or any other reason for some of the dropped points?

FTRE: We've had a few injuries including captain Troy Deeney, but by no means is it an excessive list. We do feel that we've not had the rub of the green when it comes to VAR. Handballs that should have been given in the lead up to equalising goals by Newcastle and Spurs spring immediately to mind. However, we should not allow this to cover up for some poor performances this season. The opening day defeat at home to Brighton and the absolute hammering received at Manchester City were difficult to stomach.

CC: Why do you think there hasn't been much of a bounce from the change in manager?

FTRE: In Quique’s first game in charge at home to Arsenal we did have something of a bounce. The second half performance by Watford was one of the most dominant we have seen at Vicarage Road for many a season. We should have won that game and that could have been the springboard to get our season going. However, this recent run of games has included trips to Manchester City, Wolves and Spurs. All very tricky games. Two draws in our last two games with solid performances to match will hopefully mean we are now starting to get things going and that “bounce” is not far away.

CC: Watford perhaps should have won against Tottenham last time out so can you see yourself out of the bottom three by Christmas?

FTRE: With the talent we have in the team we have the ability to get ourselves out of the bottom three by Christmas. The question that needs to be answered is do we have the mental strength to do that. Since we have been back in the Premier League, we have started each season strongly but tailed off towards the end. How we cope after such a poor start remains to be seen.

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CC: Can you foresee another change of manager if the points don't pick up soon, given the Pozzo's history?

FTRE: The football world seems to be well aware of how the Pozzos operate. A lot of people and pundits are uncomfortable with it. The positive in all this is that they are quick to make decisions when they need to be made. They do not let situations plod along until it is too late to do anything about them. I would not see them changing their modus operandi if things weren’t to pick up in the next couple of months.

CC: What have you made of Danny Wellbeck since joining the team - four minutes wasn't much of a run out for him last game?

FTRE: Unsurprisingly, the club have taken things easy with Danny given his history with injuries. We have seen glimpses of what we know this ex-England international is capable of in a Watford shirt, but nothing more. In his first full 90 minutes against Coventry City in the League Cup, it felt to me like he was being asked to take it steady and, at times, just seemed to be on the fringes of the game. We hope soon that he can put his injury troubles behind him, and we get to see the Danny Wellbeck of old.

CC: Is Abdoulaye Doucoure the one player Watford can't afford to lose come January if they are to have a good season?

FTRE: Watford fans were pleased that we were able to keep hold of Doucoure over the summer. But to be fair his performances in the back half of last season and so far this season, have not been as consistent as they were in 2017/18. Last season Étienne Capoue was the standout player in midfield and when on his game, Gerard Deulofeu is a class act. Having said all that, come the January transfer window, it may not be a case of who we can’t afford to lose, but do we need to look at a changing of the guard.

CC: Five goals scored from nine games is a bit below par, so do you need a couple of strikers in January or do you trust in Gray, Deeney and Deulofeu to get you the goals you need?

FTRE: Following on from the previous question, we haven’t made wholesale changes to the team over the summer and not lost any players of significance. This team was able to score goals and from all over the pitch. On the face of it, we have the players capable of getting the goals. But most fans will tell you that centre-back and striker were the two positions that needed addressing and have done for some time. A fit and healthy Wellbeck is an exciting prospect but keeping him that way is the challenge. We do have some potential aces up our sleeves. Young strikers either on loan or to arrive on a pre-agreed deal. The Pozzo model is not traditionally one that throws bundles of cash at a player to solve a problem, and that’s what you need to buy a “proven Premier League goalscorer”. So, one of these young starlets may end up being the roll of the dice in the striking department.

CC: Do you think it is a good time to play AFC Bournemouth at home, as we can be a pretty inconsistent team?

FTRE: As far as Watford are concerned, I’m not sure that is the case. The consistent side of Bournemouth is the dangerous pace up front that always seems to cause us problems. I don’t see that changing this weekend, so we need to make sure we are on the front foot and giving the Cherries issues of their own to think about. What we certainly don’t want is a repeat of last season’s game at the Vic.

CC: What do you expect the Watford team to look like when it takes on the Cherries?

FTRE: Quique has recently looked to a back three to address our defensive vulnerabilities and that is starting to bear fruit. Well, okay, maybe just green shoots of recovery! I don’t expect him to divert from that, so we are likely to see a 3-5-2 formation on Saturday. If things go well for Prödl and Capoue, we may see them back and involved after injuries. Otherwise, the line-up, minus Danny Wellbeck, should be similar to the one that took to the field at Tottenham last week.

CC: Let's have a score prediction - is this Watford's first win of the season in the Premier League?

FTRE: Well I very much hope so! However, in the main the games between the two sides have been tight affairs with a splash of craziness thrown in! I’m going for an exhausting 2-2 draw!!

CC: Many thanks to Jason for braving the questions. Everything is still to play for at this early stage of the season but the pressure is surely on Watford. Bournemouth have to try and use that to their advantage and try and make Watford get frustrated. The Hornets are going to be trying harder than ever to get a win and Bournemouth's players need to be up for a real battle for every ball. The Cherries need to think back at how well they finished when they played Watford last time and hold it in their memories that Watford will want revenge. The Cherries will have to defend well and must stop Watford from getting that early goal.

To listen to the latest thoughts From the Rookery End - head up to the Watford podcast site.

Would Defoe or Surridge be doing better than Solanke?

You have to wonder what Jermain Defoe could still do for AFC Bournemouth when you see him scoring goals in Scotland for Rangers. Eddie Howe is right I am sure to build a team with youth and longevity ahead of it, but it will take time for players like Dominic Solanke to find his scoring edge in the Premier League as it is a big step up for him.

Defoe keeps coring for Rangers but couldn't do it for AFCB since his return.

Would Jermain Defoe be doing better than Solanke? Well, I'd say he should with his experience, but when he did have the opportunity at Dean Court he didn't really make as big an impression as we might have hoped. We can't say Eddie Howe hasn't tried to see experience lead the line, but with players like Glenn Murray, Jermain Defoe and Lewis Grabban, Bournemouth didn't find that the number of games played really made these strikers more able to get the club goals.

Now Eddie Howe has picked youth. Dominic Solanke is one of those who he will look to develop like he tried with Lys Mousset. It is arguable that Sam Surridge might even have been a player that could have got some minutes this season and might have made a name for himself in the Premier League. Sam is doing brilliantly at Swansea in the Championship and that is probably where he should be at the moment, but next season could be another thing. If Solanke can't get any better then we really could be seeing Sam Surridge taking on the Premier League and I expect Bournemouth fans would love that, especially if he did well.

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The immediate task though is to get Solanke starting to fire. He made one brilliant goal for Callum Wilson against West Ham, but if he can only do something like that in one out of every eight or nine games, then is it enough? Eddie seems to be very pleased with Solanke and is willing to move Josh King out to the wing to accommodate him. I'd reckon at the moment that it isn't paying off, but Howe may need a few more players to return like Junior Stanislas and David Brooks before he can see Bournemouth finding more ways for the Cherries to score than mainly relying on Callum Wilson to net every game.

Eddie Had A Dream - 'We want Grovsey out!'

We are back in 2012 when Eddie Howe was up in Burnley trying to get his young team to turn around their form and AFC Bournemouth were in the clutches of real trouble with Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks in charge and Eddie Mitchell deciding to face the music (or at least some angry AFC Bournemouth fans). Here is an excerpt from 'Eddie Had A Dream'.

Eddie had A Dream 

Chapter 10. The Homecoming 2012-13
With Bournemouth nine games into the new season and defeat at home to Walsall, Eddie Mitchell bravely or perhaps foolishly stepped out in front of the home fans again. This time it was in front of the reception at Dean Court, to understand their frustrations and to plead with them that he wanted the same as them – a successful side. He was asked by one fan, after a home defeat, what he made of the current situation? And what was he going to do about it? While admitting that the situation was awful, in slightly more colourful language, Mitchell said: ‘It’s all very well saying change it, change it but we keep changing, changing it and we’ve got to find a way of winning.’

Eddie Mitchell did not have a microphone and so when he was asked to speak up, he took his time to try and hear the questions and to be heard. But this was an unhappy Dean Court and Mitchell was probably wondering what he could do to placate the fans. ‘We’re all on the same side.’ said Mitchell. ‘I could have employed Glenn Hoddle but we’d still be in the same situation. You know it’s football. The balls round. We try our best.’

The chorus of, ‘We want Grovesey out!’ grew louder and louder before fans started to sing ‘Oh Eddie Howe!, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie, Eddie Howe!’

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The fans had given their view on matters, however unlikely the possibility of getting their favourite son back to Dean Court. ‘Sort it out!’ was one shout. Eddie Mitchell then got more animated. ‘Okay, sort it out, he says. I sack Groves tomorrow, yeah. I sack him, it costs the club a lot of money, but I sack him tomorrow. And we get, I don’t know Glenn Hoddle, Eddie Howe and we carry on as we are. What do we do sack him?’ said Eddie Mitchell.

It may not have been a ringing endorsement for Glenn Hoddle from Eddie Mitchell, but the crowd would have accepted anyone other than Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks. It just wasn’t working and Mitchell knew it as well as those baying for blood. It was a noise that was ever more demanding of change. The end of the saga came on 3 October 2012.

Paperback

To order your copy of 'Eddie Had A Dream', please go to the Amazon website and make sure you secure your paperback copy at £13.49 before the Christmas rush, just click on this link or type in Eddie Had A Dream, in the search bar on Amazon/Kindle.

I am giving 15% of my earnings to Julia's House Children's Hospice. Eddie Had A Dream has also been featured on Up the Clarets this week.

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To order your £9.99 ebook copy of Eddie Had A Dream - click on this link

Here is a video taster of what was to come a historic win over Bolton Wanderers to take AFC Bournemouth to the Premier League! Reading from  Eddie Had A Dream

Did the Billing-Cook partnership work?

We saw a central midfield trial if you like on Saturday. Lewis Cook and Philip Billing had a run out together because Jefferson Lerma had been busy in his international week and had done a lot of air miles. Both Lewis and Philip would have known that they needed a big performance to hold on to their place next week, but I'm not sure they did enough to both stay in the team.

Philip Billing has made plenty of stars but is he dominating midfield yet?

Lewis Cook was certainly laying deeper than how I like to see him when he is in the team. Lerma does that job really well and it complements Lewis, when he can be the player further forward in central midfield. Lewis' great quality is in slipping balls in either side of central defenders for the runs of Callum or Solanke. He does his work at pace and is usually one step ahead. But playing a more defensive role doesn't always get the best out of his game I believe.

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I also tend to think Philip Billing is great one week and then slightly disappointing the next. I don't know if it is his long stride that makes it look like he doesn't quite get to players quickly enough to make the challenge, and also looks like he is simply jogging alongside rather than really hounding and forcing errors of the opposition. I know he can do it, because we have seen it in some games, when he shows a really strong appetite to get the ball off the opposition.

I'll be expecting Lerma to be getting some good rest ahead of playing a part this weekend. It is the fact that he adds solidity and a platform for others to push forward that has made him such an essential player in the middle. We need AFCB nipping at the feet of Watford players and really getting o top of them and Lerma just has that ability to get in quickly, he's just so mobile. AFCB missed that last weekend and Eddie Howe must know that.

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Eddie Had a Dream 
eBook version -available now!

Eddie Had A Dream: Reserve team manger, the job's yours Eddie

The end of Eddie Howe's playing career came abruptly at the start of 2007, even though he kept his boots available until the summer. He was already coaching and Kevin Bond decided to that Eddie Howe's new career could really get going now that his playing career was over.

Extract from Eddie Had A Dream
Chapter 5. A modern coach
Kevin Bond was clearly pleased with the way Eddie took to coaching, because in June 2007 he offered Eddie and Rob Newman new contracts. The one-year contract for Eddie made him reserve team manager. Eddie had only announced the end to his playing career a week earlier, but had been on the coaching staff for six months. Howe’s calm manner with the younger players was just what the club needed. ‘To get the best out of young players, they need to be given freedom to play, rather than expecting someone to snap at them for every mistake they make.’ Howe said. ‘That’s what I try and do. The approach at reserve level is to say go out there to impress me and show me what you can do......’

The job offer to Eddie Howe at the time might not have seemed that enlightened, but if the club had not managed to retain his services at this transitional period, the club would never have had the success that was to follow. Eddie Howe certainly wasn’t thinking about the new contract leading to anything more long term. Asked if he thought he could one day become Bournemouth’s manager he said, ’I honestly haven’t thought about it. I’m doing this job to the best of my ability. You cannot worry about the future, you just have to wait and see what happens.’

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 Yet, Eddie wasn’t ruling himself of rising to the challenge one day. Eddie knew it would not be an easy job to do, but you can tell that he liked the prospect with the humour of his replies to any such suggestions. ‘I’ve seen how Kevin works behind the scenes and so far, it hasn’t put me off. I know what would be required, but it’s another thing going out there and doing it… It’s a big workload being a manger and it’s a very hard job to do properly. But I’m told it’s a lot better if you win on Saturday.’

Eddie Had A Dream is now out on paperback £13.49 and as an ebook £9.99 from Amazon/Kindle. Simply enter Eddie Had A Dream in the search field to find the books. The book should take you back to a few memories of AFC Bournemouth and years when Eddie Howe was developing as a player and then a coach. If you do buy a copy, don't forget to leave a review.

The £13.49 paperback version of the book is now available on Amazon/Kindle - click on this link

To order your £9.99 ebook copy of Eddie Had A Dream - click on this link

If you want more of a sneak preview, listen to my snippet in the video below when Eddie Howe is appointed manager having previously been youth and reserve team manager:

Adam Smith - just full of running

The reappearance of Adam Smith against Norwich City was perhaps a bit ahead of time. At least I hadn't expected for him to be back for the Norwich game, but he was absolutely full of running and we saw that it was Jack Stacey who was going to miss out.

Adam Smith didn't hold back against Norwich City.

Eddie Howe certainly thinks very highly of Adam and I don't think there was another player that would have run more yards that Smudge at the weekend. He was everywhere. I was only disappointed when he had that shot in the second half, coming from an offside position to go so close with a chip that sped narrowly over the right had corner of Norwich's goal. Callum Wilson had made the little pass to set Adam Smith on his way, but the offside flag was always going to go up.

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At the back, I also though Adam was strong in the tackle and didn't show any trouble in lasting the 90 minutes with plenty of forward runs up the wing. It will have given Smith a chance to play with Harry Wilson, and yet I don't think either of them got anywhere near the amount of crosses that Diego Rico was able to put in from the left wing. So there is something for Adam Smith and Harry Wilson to work on.

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It was harsh on Stacey not to get into the squad, as I don't think he did much wrong in his previous few games. But Adam Smith is clearly the number one in the right-back spot, and if Eddie thought he was fit enough to start then you can see why he made that choice.