Eddie Is No Saint

Last updated : 10 September 2010 By Bournemouth Co-Ordinator

With our nearest and dearest up the road in turmoil (or so it seems), Cherries boss has turned down the managers position following the departure of Alan Pardew.

Although Howe himself has not commented, Chairman Eddie Mitchell has been quoted in the Bournemouth Evening Echo as saying: "I have accepted the fact that we are not going to be able to hold on to him forever and Southampton’s interest was very flattering. If they had been in the Premier League, where they were a few years ago, then I may have felt differently and might even have tried to persuade him to go because it would have been a good move for him. However, although they could probably take him further in the long term, they are where they are and we are competing with them. I wouldn’t have been doing my job that well if he had decided to go. I think it was the right thing to do. I am pleased for Eddie that he is being considered by bigger clubs and he is definitely one for the future. I think we will lose him eventually because he can go further than the club can. Whether we were debt free and had a few million pounds kicking around, I don’t think we would be able to compete in the Premier League because we just haven’t got the fan base or the stadium to take the capacity to keep earning the sort of money that is needed to stay there".