Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Cherries: Boss won't allow a negative reaction
BOSS Eddie Howe wants to ensure negativity fails to undermine Cherries' promotion push after revealing his wounded troops had taken their Morecambe mauling on the chin.[LNB] Cherries' 5-0 reverse at Christie Park their heaviest league defeat for more than eight years prompted the doubters to question whether Howe's men could stay the course this season.[LNB] But with the high-flying Dorset outfit second in League Two and still on target to complete one of their best first halves to a season, Howe is calling for pragmatism rather than panic.[LNB] He told the Daily Echo: The lads have responded excellently, as they have to every defeat this season. We've worked them hard in training and had always planned to do that anyway.[LNB] It's nice to have a slightly longer gap between games so we can try to get a few injured bodies back and identify and work on a couple of areas we need to improve on.[LNB] We've been beaten 4-0 and 5-0 this season and that is clearly something we don't want to make a habit of. It is disappointing because for the majority of the time we've been water tight.[LNB] But it's important for us and for everybody around us not to over-react after one performance. We're still in such a great position and we don't want any negativity to affect that.[LNB] Howe, who was in the firing line when Cherries were beaten 6-0 at Peterborough in September 2001, will be looking for an instant response when they host Notts County on Monday.[LNB] The Magpies will arrive at Dean Court for the Sky-televised showdown with one-time Cherries loanee Dave Kevan at the helm following Hans Backe's shock departure yesterday.[LNB] Backe stepped down following a brief seven-week stay at Meadow Lane and just 17 days after he guided County to FA Cup second round triumph against Cherries.[LNB] Howe added: We've had it a couple of times already this season and both Lincoln and Grimsby came here with caretaker managers.[LNB] Every situation is different at every club. They have been in the media a lot this season but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and we can't let it worry us.[LNB] It's 11 versus 11 and it doesn't matter who the manager is, so we tend not to think about it. For us, it is just a case of preparing our lads for the game.[LNB] I had a good chat with Hans after the cup game and he seemed like a nice guy. He seemed very switched on with the league and knew all the players in our side. He came across really well.[LNB] Kevan is among a group of players to have made just one appearance for Cherries, his coming as a substitute against Wrexham in April 1994 during a loan spell from Notts County.[LNB]
