Source: Bournemouth_Echo
Howe wants Cherries to be 'braver'
BOSS Eddie Howe is demanding a return to home rule and is urging his Cherries troops to be braver in front of the Dean Court faithful.[LNB] Howe's high-fliers opened the new year with another indifferent display, finishing on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat by League Two strugglers Northampton.[LNB] First-half goals from Luke Guttridge and Ryan Gilligan saw Cherries finally come unstuck after they had ridden their luck over the festive period.[LNB] And despite escaping with wins against Cheltenham and Torquay, Cherries paid the penalty on Saturday as the Cobblers claimed a deserved victory.[LNB] Since winning their opening five home league games, Cherries have been far from convincing on home soil, with three defeats and a draw in their past seven.[LNB] Howe said: It was a disappointing afternoon. We started badly, got worse and didn't get much better after that.[LNB] It was a game of few chances. They took their two and, apart from a couple of half chances late on, we found it really tough to break them down. I thought they defended really well and made it difficult for us. But, on the flip side, we've got to look at ourselves.[LNB] We were nervy on the ball. We need to take a chance, believe in ourselves and trust each other. I think that's been missing for a little while here. There can be an eerie atmosphere so we need to enliven ourselves and make sure we come back better.[LNB] We're expected to win and I think that's part of it. The key things are belief and confidence in your own ability to play and pass the ball.[LNB] Howe, who was forced into a tactical switch due to Warren Cummings's suspension, added: We made a few changes to try to find something that would work for us but it wasn't to be.[LNB] We didn't really get going or play how we can. I don't think the change in formation had anything to do with our ability to pass the ball, which was disappointing all day.[LNB] We didn't perform and we will look to put it right in the next game. We've bounced back really well from disappointing results in the past and we've got to do it again.[LNB] If we perform like I know we can, I believe we are a match for anybody in the league. Every time we have dipped below our standards, we have ended up getting beaten so it's not like we are playing at full capacity and still losing.[LNB] I do think we actually play better football away than we do at home and that's partly due to the pressure and expectation of performing in front of your own supporters. But you would think with our league position and the results we've had this season that we would be a bit more confident.[LNB]
