Manager Eddie Howe will not spend too much time celebrating his 11th placed finish as he claims his planning for the summer “can wait until Monday, but really it starts straight away.”
The 44-year-old has already endured a busy January window, bringing in five first team players in a bid to steer the club away from relegation – a job well done as we picked up the fourth-most points since the turn of the year.
But now, the real work begins as the boss prepares to start his first full season as manager of the club and wants “to try and be ahead of the game.”
First things first, Howe plans to “speak to all the players and set out my plans for next year” with many of the current squad rumoured to be leaving in the coming months.
Talks are still ongoing with the club and midfielder Sean Longstaff to renew his contract which expires in June, with Howe “anticipating a successful conclusion soon.”
Read his full quotes:
“I was joking to someone that the planning would start on the coach on the way back. Then I had a rethink, it can wait until Monday, but really it starts straight away.
“You have to. The Premier League moves so quickly, the competition is so strong, you have to try and be ahead of the game. We have to try and be sensible about what we do this summer. We know it’s a big time for the club.”
“I’ll be speaking to all the players in different ways, whether that’s a face-to-face meeting or via the phone, and setting out my plans for next year.”
