When it was claimed that Jack Wilshere had reportedly turned down AC Milan and Roma in favour of a season-long loan switch to Bournemouth, the midfielder’s decision was met with widespread surprise.
It was later reported that the opportunity to move to Italy may have been taken away from — rather than rejected by — Wilshere, who was also linked with Sevilla, Watford and Crystal Palace when it became clear that Arsenal were willing to sanction his departure on a temporary basis.
If there was indeed no alternative to remaining in the Premier League, the last couple of months have shown why Wilshere made an astute move in choosing Bournemouth.
Last Saturday’s 6-1 thrashing of Hull City moved them into the top half of the table — at least until Watford triumphed against Middlesbrough a day later — with manager Eddie Howe Howe reaffirming his status as one of the most promising young managers in Europe.
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Perhaps even more noteworthy than Bournemouth’s league position is the style of football Howe encourages.
There were times last season when Howe was urged to change his approach, particularly during a run of eight league matches without a win between the end of September and the middle of November.
Howe refused to budge and his faith was justified when that barren stretch was followed by consecutive victories over Chelsea, Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion.
By the end of the season, Bournemouth were celebrating Premier League survival by a comfortable five point margin and Howe received plenty of plaudits for sticking to his beliefs and for promoting proactive, attacking football.
One of the most interesting observations to be made about Bournemouth’s modus operandi is the prominent role played by those who represented the club outside the top tier.
Nine members of the starting XI selected to face Hull last weekend turned out for the club in the second division, and it is testament to Howe’s coaching prowess — as well as the quality and mentality of the individuals in question — that players such as Harry Arter (signed from Woking), Steve Cook (Brighton and Hove Albion), Callum Wilson (Coventry City), Simon Francis (Charlton Athletic) and Charlie Daniels (Leyton Orient) have not looked out of place while playing at the highest level of the game in England.
“I spoke with the manager here and as soon as I met with him I knew I wanted to work with him, to be my coach and improve me as a player and I thought I can do it,” Wilshere said shortly after completing his move to the Vitality Stadium.
“After being here for 10 days, seeing him on the training pitch, I feel he can definitely improve me. He is a great coach, he is honest with you and he will take you through clips of training and show where he thinks you can improve. For me he is the perfect coach to come and work for.”
Wilshere will be hoping that his long-term future still lies at Arsenal, and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could hook up with Howe at the Emirates Stadium in the future.
Wherever he ends up, the Bournemouth manager certainly looks destined for the top.
Burnley need to turn Turf Moor into a fortress
On the face of it, Turf Moor does not look like an easy ground for opposition outfits to visit.
Burnley lost only two of 23 matches at their compact home stadium on their way to the Championship title last season, while Liverpool and Watford have already suffered defeat there this year.
It is therefore mildly surprising to learn that Burnley had the worst home record in the Premier League during their single-season spell in 2014/15.
No side won fewer points in front of their own supporters than Sean Dyche’s men, who will need to improve in that regard if they are to avoid the drop this season.
Burnley’s three away games so far have brought three losses, with Chelsea and Leicester City both winning 3-0 and Southampton 3-1 winners last Sunday.
While Dyche would probably not have expected to pick up anything from such fixtures, he will be aware that Burnley’s home form will have to compensate if their struggles on the road continue.
A return of seven points from a possible 15 at Turf Moor is a solid enough start, particularly as their early opponents included Liverpool and Arsenal.
An opening-day defeat by Swansea City and a 1-1 draw with Hull City will have been viewed as missed opportunities, though, and Burnley will be determined to make amends when Everton come to town on Saturday.
Dyche has moved away from his favoured 4-4-2 formation in recent weeks, with the absence of the suspended Andre Gray prompting him to deploy five men in midfield against Watford, Arsenal and Southampton.
He will likely stick with the same approach against Everton, when Burnley will be looking to prove that Turf Moor can be their fortress this season.
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