Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has praised the prospects of Eddie Howe making a move to Everton, advocating for fans to deflate their unease about links to the ex-Bournemouth man.
Despite achieving victory, a 3-1 Cherries win over Everton on the final day of the 2019/20 season was not enough to prevent Howe’s Bournemouth from suffering relegation.
Stepping down as manager soon after relegation was confirmed, Howe has been out of work ever since – though he did come close to joining Celtic after talks in March.
A few months later, Celtic confirmed talks had broken down in an official statement leaving Howe distant again from dugout duties.
Following Carlo Ancelotti’s switch from Merseyside to Real Madrid however, the boyhood Toffee has emerged as the frontrunner for the job and has been confirmed as a target by the Telegraph.
Townsend moved quickly to allay concerns surrounding the possibility of a Howe appointment, outlining some of the difficult circumstances in which Bournemouth had to operate.
Townsend said on talkSPORT:
“For me, if I am looking at it, I think Eddie Howe would be perfect [for the Everton job].
“Reading on Twitter last night, he’s not somebody the fans want, but you have to kind of forget the last two or three months where Bournemouth got relegated and everything was up in the air.”
“If he had what he did with Bournemouth at Everton, and the resources and squad that they have, for me, he’d be the best man to get the club to where they want to be.”
Read Everton Verdict
Although Howe has a bond with the club and would be available, the spectre of Bournemouth’s woes lingers over his reputation.
However, Howe also bears a legacy thronged with successive promotions up the English football pyramid – with five years in the Premier League on top of that legacy.
However, Townsend’s reasoning itself merits further examination.
Farhad Moshiri’s record of investment in the club is substantial and the Toffees hierarchy would likely continue to back Ancelotti’s successor on the basis of past precedent.
With the existing squad and the potential to be backed, Howe may have a more solid foundation afforded to him than was achieved at the Vitality Stadium
