Tuesday 28 April 2015 14:02, UK
From being on the brink of Football League extinction six years ago, to being on the cusp of the Premier League, Bournemouth's meteoric rise has proven to be one of the biggest stories of the season.
With Bournemouth effectively promoted to the top-flight following Monday's 3-0 win over Bolton, their inspirational manager Eddie Howe has been showered with plaudits.
But just how exactly has Howe masterminded the Cherries' rise to the top? We analyse Howe's credentials after a stunning campaign at the Goldsands.
RECORD
Howe, 37, is in his second spell in charge of the hometown club he also represented as a player. He was first thrust into the hot-seat at the age of 31 with the club in crisis in January 2009, threatened with relegation from the Football League during a season in which they had been deducted 17 points.
He engineered survival and then oversaw automatic promotion the following year under the constraints of a transfer embargo and though he left for Championship side Burnley in 2011, he soon quit Turf Moor for personal reasons and returned to the south coast the following year.
He secured promotion to the Championship in 2013 and his stock will rise yet further after sealing Bournemouth's place in the top flight for the first time in their 116-year history.
PERSONALITY
"Throughout the last six years, everybody has given their heart and soul to play for Eddie," chairman Jeff Mostyn said of his manager.
Howe comes across as a humble, easy-going, thoughtful personality, too modest to accept the praise coming his way, but behind that is appears a shrewd mind who has a talismanic effect on his players.
Howe's captain, Tommy Elphick, suggested he "deserves a knighthood" for what he has done for the club and players, while former Cherries boss Harry Redknapp - who watched jubilant scenes at Dean Court from the Sky Sports studio - quipped: "Make him Lord Mayor!"
The team spirit he has fostered at Dean Court is one of great togetherness and reflective of Howe's inclusive personality.
RELATIONSHIP WITH CLUB
The relationship Howe enjoys with the club's chairman Mostyn, coupled with that of hands-off owner Maxim Demin, appears to be a harmonious one.
Howe is trusted by the club and has been open with fans, underlining the feeling of a community club being run well.
His work in that regard has even seen him compared to Jurgen Klopp, whose bond with fans and club at Borussia Dortmund is the stuff of legend.
"I have always felt the supporters are with me," Howe said the morning after the night before. "It shouldn't be them thanking me, it should be me thanking them. It is a family club and deserves its moment in the sun."
"I've been on record many, many times I think he is the best young English manager," chairman Mostyn told Sky Sports News HQ.
"I know his desire was to manage a Premier League club, and that miracle has happened. Here's a young man who is dedicated to the club - he's been here since he was 10.
"He will go from strength to strength. I cannot see him wanting to leave this football club, his family or his home to go on to another club."
RECRUITMENT
Howe's early time in charge of the Cherries saw limited opportunities for recruitment.
The side that won promotion to the Championship contained the bulk of players that excelled in League One and a number from the League Two days.
But the club was bought by Demin in 2011, the Russian businessman taking 100 per cent ownership in 2013.
Tokelo Rantie arrived for a then club-record £2.5million and other high-profile players such as Dan Gosling, Artur Boruc, Kenwyne Jones and Callum Wilson have been brought in.
TACTICS/STYLE OF PLAY
Howe's style of play has won plenty of plaudits - not least from Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers. He advocates an attractive, attacking game and the 112 goals in all competitions his team has scored this season is vindication aplenty.
He has stuck firmly to this philosophy but is also meticulous in his approach, constantly analysing performances and looking for ways to get extra from his players.
"It is coaches like Eddie Howe who will take the game forward in this country because they believe in a way of working and they have a philosophy," Rodgers said of Howe after a 2-0 FA Cup win earlier this season.
"Eddie is similar to myself in terms of the philosophy of football. It is not easy when you're a young manager to stick your head out to get your teams to play and pass the ball but he certainly does that."
MEDIA
The pressures and demands of media work in the Premier League will be more intense than anything Howe has previously experienced, but he seems level-headed enough to be able to take it in his stride.
