Howe about that?

Friday, 19/02/2010

Football’s financial meltdown is big news. Portsmouth, Cardiff City and Southend United were all in the High Court last week struggling to pay money owed to the Inland Revenue.

Crystal Palace have gone into administration and other clubs are walking a debt-ridden tightrope, hoping to keep themselves and their books balanced until the end of the season.

It’s not a problem that’s exclusive to the lower league or smaller clubs. When you see the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool racked with enough debt to run a Third world country, you know things are serious.

At the beginning of the season, League Two Notts County sold their reputation and tradition of world’s oldest club to the highest bidder in an attempt to reach the Promised Land. But now, with former backers long gone and Sven off to whoever will pay the highest wage, County are riddled with debt and flirting with administration.

The Magpies have already spent-out on a squad of high-earners and their gamble doesn’t appear to be paying off as they lie in the play-off positions and off the pace for automatic promotion.

In the same division another club is struggling to the same extent, but against all odds they are challenging for the title. AFC Bournemouth started last season with a 17-point penalty after going into administration and failing to follow the Football League insolvency rules.

The club were also placed under a transfer embargo meaning they couldn’t sign any new players until creditors were paid off. It left the Cherries with a real fight on their hands not only to stay in the League, but to avoid going out of business.

Manager Kevin Bond initially struggled to breach the deficit and was replaced by Jimmy Quinn in September 2008. Quinn couldn’t make the required impact either, leading to the appointment of former club captain Eddie Howe who, aged just 31, became the youngest manager in the Football League. 

The decision to bring in Howe soon paid off as the club went on a great run of results, chipping away at the points deficit and gradually climbing away from danger before securing their League status in the final home game of the season.

Over the summer the transfer embargo remained, putting greater restraints on Howe and meaning he couldn’t add to his squad, with the exception of a few loan deals. Many expected the South Coast club to struggle and few predicted a title challenge, but Bournemouth have been one of the most consistent teams in the division.

Howe has moulded and exciting team, able to score plenty of goals home and away. Consistency in team selection has probably helped with Bournemouth’s tactical fluidity, as well as improving team spirit and allowing a siege mentality to flourish.

Eddie Howe has continued to impress as injury and suspensions have ravished his squad leaving only 14 fit professionals for several matches. Rotation policy? No chance!

The Dean Court club are currently second and with the transfer embargo still in place Howe has to ask the same players to keep on performing through injury, illness and tiredness. The never-say-die spirit of the club is something to admire and the job Eddie Howe is doing should make him a candidate for Manager of the Year.

The experience the young manager is gaining will be invaluable to his future career and clubs in higher divisions, with tight budgets could do a lot worse than taking a chance on Eddie, rather than gambling with their ever-decreasing finances.

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