Hodgson is an admirer of the way the south coast club have moved forward under Eddie Howe and feels that his beliefs of how the game should be played have been a major factor in them retaining their top flight status.
“They are a very good team unit. The manager and his staff have done an excellent job and have had a period of time to fashion a team to play in the way they like to see a team play. Their recruitment has been geared towards the type of football that Eddie Howe, his staff and the club want to see played. They are a hard working team and pass the ball well and rely upon their passing ability," said Hodgson at his pre-match press conference and he can only see the Cherries building further as they make the most of the stability that the on-going success brings.
“I think with every year that goes by their position of strength in the Premier League has got greater quite simply because the players have got more experience of Premier League football and also get more and more entrenched in the way that the club want to play the game and they get better at it. They are in a strong position in that respect and that has given them stability and a core of values that they have exploited very well and have become very much a bona fide middle of the table club in the Premier League which I would think they are very happy with.”
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