Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe. (Getty Images)
Reports from the Mirror claimed last week that AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe was set to be offered a new and improved contract by the club.
The 40-year-old still has two years left on his existing deal with the Cherries but the Mirror claimed that the manager was set to be offered a new deal which would double his wages to £4million-a-year. Not very long after, an alternate report from Bournemouth Echo quashed the claims of a new contract, stating that there have been no negotiations.
The veracity of these claims and counter-claims remains in doubt but it does open up a discussion as to whether Howe deserves a new and improved contract?
The Englishman has been in charge at Dean Court for six years now, having joined them back in 2012. In his first season, Howe led the Cherries to promotion to the Championship, courtesy a second-place finish. Back in the second tier, Bournemouth finished the 2013/14 term in the tenth spot, which is a solid achievement for a newly-promoted side.
However, the biggest moment of Howe’s managerial career came in the 2014/15 term as he masterminded an EFL Championship title-winning campaign, firing Bournemouth to their first-ever appearance in the Premier League.
Having broken into the top-flight, Howe has continued to make huge strides with his team. In their debut season in the English top-flight, the Cherries finished 16th, before breaking into the top-ten in the 2016/17 season as they finished 9th.
Last season saw them slip down to 12th but the club enjoyed another solid campaign under the young English manager. The Cherries are currently sitting 6th in the ongoing term, with seven points from four games.
At 40, Howe is still young but he has garnered ample experience in his managerial career. The Englishman has overseen over 450 matches across all four divisions of English football and is currently the longest-serving manager in the Premier League.
A proponent of fluid and attractive football, Howe’s footballing philosophy is clearly evident in the way his teams set out. There are certain things that stand out prominently about his management skills. His ability to improve individual players and build a team that has consistently performed greater than the sum of its individual parts is truly commendable
For example, out of the 14 players Howe used on the opening day victory over Cardiff City this season, six players were part of his squad from when Bournemouth were in the League One. It is not common to see a manager do continue with the crux of a team from the third-tier to the Premier League and make it work. But Howe has done exactly that.
Bournemouth might not have undertaken strong cup runs or participated in European football so far. But what Howe has achieved at Bournemouth in the past six years is remarkable indeed.
Taking a team from the lower leagues to turning it into a solid yet stable Premier League club is no joke. Suffice to say, the 40-year-old has built a dynasty with the Cherries. And a new contract with a better pay packet is a just reward for the things he has done at the club.
