Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe talks about his own football philosophy… and how flattered he is to be touted as a future England boss
The 38-year-old credits his success with Bournemouth due to the working relationship he has with assistant Jason Tindall
EDDIE HOWE continues to write an epic footballing story on the South Coast — one he has been forced to make up as he goes along.
About to complete his ninth year as a manager despite being just 38 years old, English football’s most promising coach accepts he has never had a mentor or fellow boss to lean on.
Instead, Howe — whose remarkable progress at Bournemouth has alerted England and Arsenal — is doing everything his own way, even though some of his coaching methods have not been a success.
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Howe today opens up about his philosophy, which has seen him lift the Cherries up from the bottom of League Two to a second season in the Premier League.
He talks about his self-doubts, the battle to make training interesting and his winning partnership with trusted right-hand man Jason Tindall, even though their disagreements can turn into spectacular rows.
Howe said: “One of my difficulties is I took a job very early at 31. Usually, you use the early years to go and watch other coaches and see other ways of working, maybe go abroad. I’ve not had that.
“And obviously, when you are a Premier League manager, you are not welcome (at other clubs) in this country and it becomes more difficult to go abroad to look at another club.
“During international breaks, the people you would want to see are away with their countries.
“So that type of learning is not there. My training sessions are self-made. I have not had a mentor as such.
“I’d say it is unusual but not a bad thing. My philosophy is mine. My ideas are mine. I’m not trying to imitate anybody.
“Sometimes we have tried things and not liked them.
“We are always looking for the next thing to bring to the group.
“We constantly test the players. In pre-season, we tried early starts. We had a forfeit for a losing team who had lost a competition in the US. I think they had a 6am start.”
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As he prepared for today’s match against rock-bottom Sunderland, Howe spoke in his office on the second floor of the training-ground pavilion behind Vitality Stadium.
He said: “I spend the most time sat in here, with the coaches, saying, ‘What can we do which we have not done before?’
“When you think how long we have been in management and the amount of training sessions we have put on, keeping the players interested is a difficult challenge.
“My playing career helped me because it was tough. Full of set-backs and disappointments. No championships. No titles. No massive success.
“At every turn, I was waiting for something to go wrong and the same with my early management career. You have to brush away the disappointment.
“I am very self-critical. As a player I knew if I had performed badly, I did not need to see what mark I got in the paper.
HOWE ON... JACK WILSHERE
"You have doubts before any transfer and think ‘Will this player fit? Will he make the team better?’
We have never gone for a big name, a high-profile player.
Naturally, concerns went with that but they were blown away after the first few days Jack was with us. He has been brilliant on the pitch but also brilliant off the pitch. Jack has fitted in so well.
Jack has had serious injuries but the signs look really good for the future now.
He has just completed two 90 minutes back to back.
We play Arsenal on November 27 so I will have a good chat with Arsene Wenger."
“As a player, you can damage your confidence if you are too critical but as a manager it is important to learn and look at yourself.
“If we have not performed and I need to take the blame, I am big enough to do so.
“That is why I film training. I wanted to analyse myself as a coach, how I look on the training pitch and how my players took to the drills. Sometimes you cannot always see it when you are out there. You cannot see behind you.”
Howe is flattered at being connected with the Three Lions job and Arsenal — but also realistic.
He added: “The first time I got linked, it was almost like, ‘That is ridiculous to be linked with England’.
“To be linked with your country again is very flattering, I won’t deny that.
“If you are linked with other jobs you are doing well but I have to concentrate on the day-to-day because things can turn for the worse very quickly.”
Behind the scenes, assistant manager Tindall, who is also 38, has played a major part.
Howe said: “He has been pivotal. At first, I didn’t know how it would work. Jason had retired like me and we coached together and it fitted straight away.
“He is the only person who really gets my philosophy, or now it is our philosophy.
“We are very, very different. I am the one who looks at things negatively to get a positive response. Jason is always positive. He is very good with people.
“We argue a lot. He is very stubborn and if I could change that I would. Actually, we are both stubborn.
“I always said when we started, ‘I don’t want you to agree with me if you don’t’. I now regret saying that!
“We go at it here in this office with our disagreements. People hear it down the corridors and say, ‘Oh, they’re having a tiff’.”
There is no doubt that Howe — along with Tindall — are on a journey which will inevitably take them to St George’s Park and the home dugout at Wembley.