Eddie Howe: 'People say we have got a decent run-in but the Championship has proved no game is easy'

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has played down claims that his table-toppers have the easiest run-in of all the promotion chasing sides.

The trip to Ipswich on Friday will be the last time the Cherries take on a top six side this season ahead of an inviting last half a dozen games.

A home game against Birmingham will be following by trips to Brighton and Reading before two games on home turf against Sheffield Wednesday and Bolton.

The league’s current leaders will finish the campaign with a trip to Charlton Athletic.

With their rivals facing testing fixtures against each other at the top, Bournemouth have put themselves in a good position to secure promotion to the Premier League, but boss Eddie Howe is taking nothing for granted.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe

“People say we have got a decent run-in but the Championship has proved that no game is easy and no-one gives you anything,” said the highly-rated young boss.

“The games are very competitive, the margins are very small between winning and losing, so we respect all the teams in the division and we know it is going to be very tough.”

He added: “It’s all about keeping this group concentrated on the short-term objectives.

“The only way I can do that is by commenting on the short-term objectives which is the next game. Next season isn’t in our thoughts.”

Bournemouth took advantage of the international break by flying out to Dubai for a warm weather training trip immediately after the 3-0 victory over Boro, a performance that Howe described as the best of the season.

On the training trip, Howe told Sport360: “The facilities are first class and I am really impressed.

“We have been well looked after and I think it has been a worthwhile experience.

“We have worked the players very hard. It was a change of environment for us and a chance to take the players away, get some privacy and do some hard work.”