Eddie Howe backs Bournemouth's Jermain Defoe to rediscover form and keep World Cup hopes alive
Friday 3 November 2017 11:58, UK
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has backed Jermain Defoe to keep his World Cup dream alive by helping to fire the team out of the relegation places.
The Cherries find themselves in the bottom three going into this weekend's matches.
Defoe, 35, was one of seven senior players axed by England boss Gareth Southgate when he named a youthful squad for the back-to-back Wembley friendlies against Germany and Brazil later this month.
However, Howe thinks the forward can still rediscover his best goalscoring form and make Southgate's playing party for the tournament in Russia next year.
"I think in some respect he will understand, in respect, it's not a competitive game," Howe said on Defoe's demotion.
"I think he will look at it and think he has every opportunity if he performs for us. He will still see that prize at the end of the season. I think it's up to us, and to him obviously, to put him in that position to be able to do it."
Defoe has struggled for goals since returning to the south-coast club in the summer - the winner against Brighton in the Premier League in September being his solitary strike.
"I don't think it's about Jermain to be honest," Howe admitted on the Cherries' lack of cutting edge. "It's about us as a team.
"This season if there's been a criticism of the team, we've scored six goals, it's not enough. We haven't created enough chances with regularity, we've not been potent enough in the final third.
"So that's not about Jermain it's about the team.
"Jermain had a slight hamstring problem that took him out of training for about 10, 11 days. So the plan to play him against Chelsea [last game] was for about 60 minutes maximum, anyway.
"Jermain is fine. I think he'll have a big part, [have] a voice in our season.
"He's already scored a very important goal, he's had other chances to score and, again, the team has to create and be able to supply him with the chances that he needs.
"That's been the big thing from the team's perspective we haven't quite done that yet.
"We haven't quite done that this season with the regularity that we've always done it. So, from a team's perspective, we need to find ways to score."
Howe's side travel to Newcastle on Saturday, before facing Huddersfield, Swansea and Burnley in a pivotal November run of top-flight games.
From their 10 league matches so far they have two wins, one draw and seven defeats.
"You reflect on the games and points you could have had. Against Manchester City, Everton, Spurs, we've been very competitive," he added.
"We've had a really tough start to the season with the fixtures we've had so far.
"I think Newcastle are a very well organised team. (Rafael) Benitez organises his side as one that's hard to beat."
