Burnley manager Sean Dyche has heaped praise on opposite number and former Clarets boss Eddie Howe ahead of Saturday’s clash against Bournemouth.
Cherries chief Howe swapped the Vitality Stadium for Turf Moor in January 2011, and presided over a transitional period as Burnley continued to deal with the impact of relegation from the Premier League the previous year.
Howe then moved back down south in October 2012, and his stock has continued to rise in tandem with Bournemouth’s own phenomenal ascent up the Football League.
'He's done a really good job, without a shadow of a doubt'
And Dyche was effusive with his compliments for his predecessor, remarking that "he [Howe] has done very well" with the Cherries and, despite the "good backing there financially," Dyche said "that aside, you’ve still got to get the job done" and believes "he’s done a really good job without a shadow of a doubt."
On Howe’s spell in charge of the Clarets, Dyche admitted that "things didn’t work out as well here and sometimes that’s the way it goes," before adding: "It’s not to say he’s done a bad job by any means, but it just didn’t work out as smoothly as it has done at Bournemouth."
Burnley boss Dyche also quipped that Howe "has done a good job there and I am deemed to have done a good job here, so everyone wins."
Howe admits that managing Burnley was 'a real challenge'
Meanwhile, Dyche’s counterpart at Bournemouth has revealed his spell in East Lancashire remained a vital learning curve during his formative years as a manager.
Howe admitted he has "really enjoyed the 18 months there, and they were the times I learnt a lot from," before adding that the move "was all part of the learning process," and managing the Clarets "was a real challenge and I enjoyed it at the time."
Saturday’s trip north will not be Howe’s first as a visiting manager to Burnley – the last time he and the South Coast club were in town, they secured a 1-1 draw during a season in which the Clarets were automatically promoted to the Premier League.
And with his former charges now looking as comfortable as ever in the top flight, Howe believes the Clarets "have got more than enough to stay up," and noted "they’re strong at home, and they look like a team playing for their manager."