Bournemouth vs Burnley
Football games are all about the players right?
Certainly, they have the ability to make or break sports betting dreams but managers can influence the betting odds too and that can often be forgotten.
Here is a meeting of two men who have ensured their clubs are far exceeding expectations.
With full respect to both Burnley and Bournemouth, neither would be at the top table of English football if it wasn’t for the two men in charge of what happens on the pitch. They’ve got coaches who seem the perfect fit for their respective clubs and, as a result, both are thriving in the Premier League.
That feat is impressive enough but they are also showing the way forward for clubs without the resources of some of the giants they go head-to-head with.
Mark my words, that synergy and that impressive mix don’t work everywhere.
Take Cherries’ Eddie Howe for example.
He has worked wonders at the club twice now, presiding over periods of steady growth and ultimately the most successful spell in its history.
From near oblivion, the fairytale has been backed by the investment of owner Maxim Demin but it’s helped pay dividends to an extent where they are now enjoying a third successive season in the top flight.
Howe’s first spell in charge came when the club was on the verge of bankruptcy and in danger of losing its league status.
In between all this was an 87-game run in charge at Turf Moor where he oversaw just 34 wins in what he called the ‘most difficult period in my managerial career’ before returning to the south coast 22 months later.
Of course, the man who pitched up in East Lancashire straight afterwards has fared successfully, twice leading the Clarets to the Premier League.
Clarets’ Sean Dyche is another of the most exciting young managers in the game.
So here is a rare example of when moves worked out well for both parties involved. Who knows, perhaps Howe laid some of the foundations upon which the pragmatic Dyche has built.
One thing we do know is that while Dyche has also had some money to spend, he has largely achieved his success by recruiting well from the lower leagues and offering direction and stability to a proud Lancastrian institution.
The respect both men have for each other is clear and the respect their clubs have is clear when you consider they are the longest serving managers in the top flight after veteran boss Arsene Wenger.
Their unassuming, understated work may go under the radar but here are two young bosses who deserve every inch of praise that comes their way.
That this fixture sees them meet while placed 13th and seventh respectively is arguably the biggest compliment of all.
As for how they would get on at a club with greater resources, perhaps we will find out in a year or two.
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