AFC Bournemouth vs Swansea City - Bournemouth not safe yet, warns Eddie Howe

Posted Friday, March 11, 2016 by PA

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has warned there remains plenty of hard work ahead despite his squad fast closing in on Barclays Premier League survival.

The Cherries could reach 38 points with victory over Swansea at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday - a tally which Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce believes would prove enough to stay up.

Howe's well-drilled squad have found consistency in recent weeks, returning back-to-back wins from a three-match unbeaten run to pull clear of the scrap to beat the drop.

Nevertheless Howe is taking nothing for granted, wary that a seemingly comfortable 11-point cushion can quickly be eroded should one of the teams in the relegation zone hit their own run of form.

"Saturday won't guarantee anything but it can help, as all games can, if we can take maximum points from them," Howe said at a press conference.

"No one can predict what the final points tally will be. There is still some way to go in the season, teams can go on good runs at this time of year, so we just have to focus on this game and try to win."

Bournemouth have won many plaudits for their positive attitude and work rate during what has been a first campaign among the elite clubs of English football.

Howe hopes that strength of character can continue the club's development, having come up from League One and going on to win the 2014-15 Championship title ahead of Watford.

"We are fit, we are talented and have some really good players within the squad, but we do have that attitude and character which has defined the team," he said.

"When you look at the run we went on from League One to maintain our charge at the end of last season when there were five or six teams who could have ended up winning the title and going up, but it was us.

"Now again we've had some challenges this season, we have been given a couple of jabs in the stomach, but we have always managed to respond and keep fighting.

"It is our greatest characteristic, but the hard thing is to maintain that, which will always be our challenge."

Swansea have themselves recorded successive wins to boost their own survival hopes - and all while head coach Francesco Guidolin recovers from a chest infection.

"They have managed to do really well under Alan Curtis. It hasn't affected their game and that's full credit to their players," Howe said.

Guidolin has called for Swansea to build on that recent revival and finish the season strongly.

Guidolin missed the wins over Arsenal and Norwich as he was in hospital , and the Italian will be absent again for Swansea's first top-flight visit to Bournemouth while he continues to recuperate at home.

But Guidolin is convinced that Swansea are now looking up the table rather than the relegation battle below them, with nine points between themselves and the drop zone.

"The important thing in this period is our position in the table," said Guidolin, who conducted the pre-match press duties but has been advised by doctors not to travel to the south coast this weekend.

"We had two important victories but it is not enough. It is not finished, I want more.

"I know our team is a good team and we can do better, we can finish the season very well.

"The Premier League is difficult and we cannot be sure, but the table is looking better for us.

"When I arrived in Swansea we had two points more than the teams in the relegation zone, now it is nine.

"But it is not enough. I want to see my team play well Saturday and for the remaining matches this season."

Guidolin has selected the Swansea team to play at Bournemouth, but first-team coach Alan Curtis will once more be calling the shots when it comes to kick-off.

Curtis, in fact, has the best record of the three managers who have been in charge during Swansea's fractured campaign.

The former Wales international, who was appointed interim manager following Garry Monk's December dismissal, has picked up 14 points from his nine games at the helm.

Monk collected the same number of points from 15 games, while Guidolin has five points from his five matches in command.

"Alan is my friend, he is the perfect person," said Guidolin when asked about Curtis' influence at the Liberty Stadium.

"We see football in the same way and he is important for me and the club.

"He is important for Swansea fans and the feeling is perfect between us."