MX23RW : Saturday, July 25 02:29:18| >> :120:27401:27401:

Eddie Howe does not want Bournemouth players to watch West Ham, Watford clash

Eddie Howe does not want Bournemouth players to watch West Ham, Watford clash
© Reuters
The Hammers host the Hornets at the London Stadium on Friday evening.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has advised his players to avoid watching the Premier League clash between relegation rivals West Ham and Watford.

The Hammers host the Hornets at the London Stadium on Friday and the outcome of the match could have a major bearing on the struggling Cherries' survival hopes.

Going into that game in hand, both clubs are currently three points clear of 18th-placed Bournemouth and also hold superior goal differences.

Howe, who is yet to decide whether he will tune in, is focused on facing south-coast neighbours Southampton on Sunday as he attempts to prolong the scrap for safety to the final weekend of the season.

"I've watched a lot of games during the lockdown period due to the fact that we are due to play a lot of the teams that have been on," said Howe.

"I don't know whether I will watch the game tonight.

"My main focus of course is on Southampton. We're preparing for that game and that takes importance over any other game that is going on.

"I would encourage the players not to watch it, if I am honest, and just focus on themselves and get themselves in the best physical and mental condition to play our game on Sunday.

"That would be my thought process."

Bournemouth have given themselves a fighting chance of extending their Premier League stay to a sixth season.

On the back of a goalless draw with Tottenham, the Cherries stormed back to shock Leicester 4-1 last weekend before falling to an unfortunate 2-1 midweek loss at second-placed Manchester City.

While they ended empty handed at the Etihad Stadium, they created more chances than Pep Guardiola's hosts and Howe believes his players can take encouragement from their positive performance.

"The feeling in the squad was of course one of disappointment when you don't win," said Howe, whose team finish the season at Everton.

"But I think we were heartened by the performance and I didn't sense any overkill on the negativity, I think it's very much focused on the next game, it has to be.

"These are two games that we have to try and get maximum points from.

"We can only focus on the first one, which is Southampton, and I anticipate the players will be in a really good place for that game.

"I've always known the quality of the group and what we can produce. I have never doubted that.

"We still had that feeling of defeat, which is the worst thing you can experience in football, but there were so many good things to take from it."

Bournemouth are bidding to secure a first league double over local rivals Southampton after winning 3-1 at St Mary's in September.

Howe feels Ralph Hasenhuttl's resurgent Saints now present a more difficult proposition than 10 months ago.

"They've improved as the season has gone on. Ralph deserves a huge amount of credit for what he has done there," said Howe.

"For me, they've been one of the most impressive teams in the second half of the season this year."

ID:406895:

Click here for more stories about Eddie Howe

Click here for more stories about Bournemouth

Share this article now:
Did you know...?
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe pictured on July 1, 2020
Read Next:
Eddie Howe "devastated" defeat at Manchester City
>
Latest Sports Video
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
Read more about Eddie Howe Football

rhs 2.0
Tables
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CLiverpool37313382325096
2Manchester CityMan City37253997356278
3Manchester UnitedMan Utd371712864362863
4Chelsea371961267541363
5Leicester CityLeicester371881167392862
6Wolverhampton WanderersWolves371514851381359
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs3716101160461458
8Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd371412113836254
9Burnley37159134248-654
10Arsenal371314105346753
11Everton371310144353-1049
12Southampton37147164859-1149
13Newcastle UnitedNewcastle371111153755-1844
14Crystal Palace37119173049-1942
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham37108194861-1338
16Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton37814153753-1638
17Aston Villa3797214066-2634
18Watford37810193461-2734
19Bournemouth3787223764-2731
RNorwich CityNorwich3756262670-4421

Subscribe to our Newsletter


Transfer Talk Daily
Match previews - twice weekly
Morning Briefing (7am UTC)
Ultra close-up image of Kevin De Bruyne [NOT FOR USE IN ARTICLES]Get the latest transfer news, match previews and news direct to your inbox!