Eddie Howe Calls on Fans to Create 'Hostile' Atmosphere for West Brom Clash

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has admitted that the Cherries' upcoming clash with West Brom is a very crucial one in a very honest assessment of his side's next venture.

Bournemouth are set to face off with the Baggiesat the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, hoping for a win that will take them extremely close to securing top-flight survival for the fourth successive season.

Howe's side sit in fourth place on the Premier League table, but only six points away from the relegation zone. Victory would leave them needing just four points to reach the league's proven 40-point safety net, and Howe isn't ready to downplay the importance of Saturday's match.

"I think we have work to do. It is tight and there are a lot of clubs involved," he told the Bournemouth Echoahead of the clash.

"From our perspective, we need to make sure we prepare very well for West Brom. It is a huge game in our recent history and a game where we need our supporters to really get behind the players and try to make it as hostile as we can for West Brom.

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"Our fans were very good against Tottenham and I didn’t expect anything different. They really did support the players in every moment of the game and that is all I can ask."

West Brom, meanwhile, are rooted to the bottom of the table and are obviously the likeliest team to drop down to the Championship. With eight games remaining this season, they will have to make up ground really quickly in order to have a chance of survival.