Struggling Sunderland won't be pushovers, says Cherries boss Howe
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe will not underestimate Sunderland when the Premier League strugglers come to the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
The Black Cats head to the south coast without a win in 10 league matches, with the pressure mounting on boss David Moyes.
Despite his own side's decent run of just one defeat in the past five games, which came at Middlesbrough last weekend, Howe is not expecting anything other than a stern test when they tackle a Sunderland side who were demolished 4-1 at home by Arsenal.
"You are going to get the cliches from me, but the Premier League is a very difficult league, there are no easy games," Howe said at a press conference.
"We are coming up against a very experienced manager with a good set of players, so there will be no underestimating for us, it is going to be a tough game."
Moyes will serve a touchline ban on Saturday after admitting a Football Association charge of misconduct after being sent off late in the EFL Cup defeat to Southampton.
There have been suggestions the former Everton and Manchester United manager could face the sack if his team again fail to produce a positive result this weekend.
Howe said: "We are all under pressure to get results, it is a very demanding job. I am no different, and no other manager is different.
"The big thing I can say is things change week on week. It is such a volatile and unpredictable job that it can be very difficult."
Bournemouth have been able to produce consistent performances at home this season, beating West Brom and Everton, thrashing Hull 6-1 and then holding Tottenham to a goalless draw.
Howe said: "Last season we were really good away from home and took some great results, this year it has not quite clicked.
"At home, we have built on the good start we have had and are full of confidence."
Howe confirmed defender Rhoys Wiggins was set to miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered in his first start of a loan spell at Birmingham. He collided with Aston Villa substitute Rudy Gestede late in last weekend's derby.
"It seems serious, so he has seen a specialist and has been booked in for an operation. We will give him all the support we can," Howe said.
Sunderland fans are fed up with short-term solutions and are prepared for more suffering if it means an end to the club's perennial relegation struggles, according to Moyes.
"I think the supporters have been brilliant," said Moyes, who will watch from the stands at the Vitality Stadium.
"Away from home and at home, they come in big numbers. That's why it's such an attractive football club. It's attractive because of the people and because of the numbers who come to games.
"It's attractive because I think they all know as well, they want a period of stability. They want a period of success as well, which unfortunately they've not been able to get.
"But I think they're willing to go through the pain if the thought is that there is a rainbow at the other end.
"I think they're willing to go through the pain if they have to."
When asked for his reaction to the claims over his own future, Moyes added: "I think they were all quashed weren't they?"
The former Manchester United and Everton manager refused to comment further and was making reference to subsequent claims made by the Sunderland Echo that he was not in imminent danger of losing his job.
Moyes won the League Managers Association's Manager of the Year award three times during his 11-year spell as Everton boss, but was sacked by United after 10 months and by Spanish club Real Sociedad after exactly one year.
Moyes will be without captain John O'Shea at Bournemouth, with the centre-back becoming the latest key player to miss out through injury after being forced off against Arsenal due to a hamstring problem.
Midfielder Sebastian Larsson will not be rushed back after missing out so far this season due to a knee injury but he was scheduled to appear for the Under-23s on Friday night, while Lee Cattermole (back) and goalkeeper Vito Mannone (elbow) have made further progress.
Jan Kirchhoff (hamstring), Manchester City loanee Jason Denayer (adductor) and Fabio Borini (groin) all remain sidelined, but Moyes, whose side have registered only two points in the Premier League, maintained a public show of optimism before the trip to the south coast.
When asked what a win before the international break would do to lift the club, Moyes said: "It would be great if we could.
"So the job is to go to win, we have to win, we have the attitude to win all the games.
"I'm not saying we haven't before but we'll go out there with a positive attitude.
"We've got to find a way of getting over the line, of taking points from games and trying to drag out a result if we can, which we weren't able to do last week."
Source: PAR
