Respite at last for Eddie Howe. It wasn’t the best game, it wasn’t the prettiest game, it wasn’t a derby that will take its place in the history of great derbies, beyond the fact it happened after more than seven years and with little immediate prospect of hostilities being resumed any time soon, but it was a win and one that was sorely needed.
The word from the club was always that Howe’s job was safe, but no manager could feel entirely secure after a run of eight defeats (one of them on penalties) in nine games when his side went out of three competitions, with their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League significantly diminished. While progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup is not enough to excite many any more, whether fans or directors, a bad defeat to a local rival may have begun to erode Howe’s standing with the fans – who have been generally supportive.
