There’s real trouble at Bournemouth, who’ve lost two of three-straight relegation six-pointers by a combined 7-0 score line.
The Cherries are in the Bottom Three, the pressure increasing on manager and seemingly untouchable club hero Eddie Howe following a 3-0 home loss to Watford on Sunday.
The home score line in a relegation six-pointer alone would be enough to crush most managers, but Howe has driven the Cherries from the lower leagues to Premier League regular status.
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That’s now in question, though, as Bournemouth is two points away from the safe places after allowing the Hornets to leapfrog them.
Howe is not shirking responsibility for the problems of the Vitality Stadium set, which is beset by injuries and ice-cold stars. Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser aren’t making much happen whether industrious or not.
“I’m not going to blame anybody, we are trying to do the right thing just haven’t executed it very well. Confidence, nerves, it is such a key thing. We have been on a difficult run and this week key players have got injured. We had players playing that aren’t 100% fit. When you get a setback were not able to lift ourselves in the way we normally would.
“We are not looking free-scoring and when you concede a goal it seems a long way back. We need to focus on both disciplines. The manager always has to take responsibility when things aren’t going well. Instilling confidence back to the players is my job.”
There’s no time for low confidence; Bournemouth has Norwich City next, a match with a chance for the Cherries to keep at least one team in its rearview mirror.
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