Bournemouth's top-10 finish delights manager Eddie Howe
Sunday 21 May 2017 19:12, UK
Eddie Howe hailed the record-breaking efforts of his Bournemouth players after the club ended the Premier League season in ninth.
The top-half finish sees them seven places better off than last year, in what is only their second-ever campaign in England's top tier.
A 1-1 draw at Leicester helped Bournemouth finish on 46 points, with Junior Stanislas' early opener being cancelled out by Jamie Vardy's second-half tap-in.
Howe could not hide his delight at Bournemouth's achievement, admitting it arguably goes down as the greatest season in their history.
"It's a fantastic achievement and a fantastic day for the club," Howe told Sky Sports after the Leicester match.
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"When you consider our recent history and where we have come from, I don't think it should be underestimated - the achievement by this group of players.
"It's a very talented and committed group. They've given me everything on the training ground and I'm delighted for them for reaching this milestone.
"I think it does [go down as the club's best season in history] because the position speaks for itself. Although you don't get a trophy or the plaudits that you do on the back of a promotion, it really should be acknowledged by everyone in the Bournemouth area how well these players have done.
"It's such a difficult league to play in as we all know, and to finish in the top half above some of those clubs below us is a great achievement."
Howe will now be tasked with trying to improve on Bournemouth's record season, and the 39-year-old knows that a big challenge lies ahead for the south-coast club.
"Who knows if it's possible but we'll have to go out and prove that it is. I believe that there's more growth in this team," Howe added.
"It's going to take a lot of hard work in the summer, but hopefully we can do that.
"It's not always about recruitment, it's about what you're going to do on the training ground so I will focus on that first."
