Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neill insisted his side are determined to finish the season strongly, warning Manchester United they are by no means “on the beach” despite securing Premier League status.
The Cherries secured a place in the top flight last weekend despite a 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, with points dropped by Leicester City and Leeds United, leaving them unable to surpass the 39-point mark achieved by Bournemouth. The south coast side defied the odds to beat the drop as they were among the favorites from the opening week of the season.
As such, they welcome United to the Vitality Stadium with nothing to play for but a higher finish in the bottom half of the table. However, O’Neill has warned the Reds that his side will not be in their flip flops on Saturday and will instead be desperate to respond to last week’s defeat.
“It’s going to be a good test for us,” O’Neill said Friday. “I want us to finish strong. By the time summer rolls around, there will be reflection on what we’ve accomplished, regardless of what happens over the next two and the last two.
“If you had told us in some of those dark months when we were struggling with injuries and we were even 19th or 20th that you were happy to get to 39 and sign off with four games to go, you’re probably safe, everybody we would sign up for that.
“Obviously we set a target, we achieved it, but does that mean we’re happy to just stop and park and finish on 39 points? Definitely not. Last weekend was a really good reminder that if you tone it down a bit, it can look pretty good at this level. The Premier League is ruthless.
“I’ve been looking for a response since last weekend and Manchester United at home is a great game for the boys to show what they can do.”
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