We know Eddie Howe is a fine manager but, in continuing to lead Bournemouth from the danger zone, he has proved cannier than imagined.
“Danger?” you shriek.
“Bournemouth were challenging the top six a few weeks ago and they have now lost four in a row.”
Correct, and thanks to a terrible run the chance of staying up there and finishing in a Europa League qualifying position is receding. This should give Howe and his followers a peaceful Christmas as they focus on the new-year ambition of winning as many points as possible this season without ruining the start of the next by qualifying for Europe.
Never mind the bottom three, finishing seventh in the Premier League is proving one the greatest threats to managerial security. It is the devil’s position for mid-table clubs on the up – high enough to encourage deluded supporters they should think even bigger next season while causing maximum vulnerability.
Those Champions League clubs who win the domestic cups to create an extra European place for the Premier League are a menace to those below. While Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool have recently begrudgingly found consolation in being in Uefa’s second-tier competition – the top six being accustomed to dealing with the fixtures – those readjusting pay a price. The Europa League qualifying rounds, especially, are saboteurs, wrecking summer breaks and coaching reputations.
Burnley are the latest to suffer. Sean Dyche undermined his impeccable work at Turf Moor by stupidly creating history and leading his club into those pesky European qualifiers, which for Burnley kicked off on July 26.
For a squad lacking the depth to deal with domestic and Uefa commitments, the repercussions could be dire. Burnley remain in the bottom three after their latest poor performance, losing at Crystal Palace. If they do not get out of trouble, never will the phrase “victims of their own success” be so appropriate.
While everyone else in the Premier League was fine-tuning squads and fitness ahead of the season, Burnley were heading to Athens, Istanbul, and – most exotic of all – Aberdeen.
By Sept 2, Dyche’s men had played 10 competitive fixtures. They played only 41 in nine months last season.
The only consolation is that it could have been worse. Imagine how few points they would have had they made the group stage. They lost to Olympiakos in their final qualifier, but the damage was done and they still look like they are getting their breath back.
Burnley are not the first case of Europa League incapacitation.
Ronald Koeman paid the ultimate price for reachin the Europa League when he was sacked as manager at Everton
Ronald Koeman paid the ultimate price for reaching the Europa League when he was sacked as manager at Everton
Ronald Koeman finished seventh in his first season with Everton in 2017. Little did he know that by winning the Europa League and League Cup while finishing sixth, Jose Mourinho was ending Koeman’s Goodison career by giving him the extra Uefa spot.
After starting the season on July 27, Koeman made the cataclysmic misjudgment of actually winning his Europa League qualifiers and was sacked after just two Premier League wins in nine games.
When Slaven Bilic comes to write his memoirs, after the chapter slaughtering the club’s owners for moving to the London Stadium from Upton Park, he will surely trace his decline at West Ham to May, 2016 when he, too, finished seventh. The next season began on July 28 and West Ham won one Premier League game in their first two months.
It has always been thus for those with least European experience.
