AFC Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe has responded to Town manager Mick McCarthy’s pre-match comments regarding the Cherries’ summer spending.
McCarthy was generally complimentary towards Good Friday’s visitors in the run-up to the 1-1 draw - "I think they are the best team in the league” - but pointed out that they have paid a few significant fees, rather more cash that he has during his time with the Blues.
"They’ve spent a few quid, a few more million than I have because I don’t think I’m at that million figure anyway,” the Town boss said at Thursday’s pre-match press conference.
"They’ve got good players, Eddie Howe’s done a very good job, of course. But they have been backed. They’ve got Tokelo Rantie who’s a sub, who I think they spent £3 million on. Callum Wilson, they spent a few million on in the summer.”
After the game Howe was keen to put the record straight regarding his club’s spending, telling the Bournemouth Echo: "The only thing that irks me is when people say things that are factually incorrect. Mick likes to talk a lot about our financial dealings and it’s not my style to comment back.
"All I will say is that in the build-up to the game, he spoke about Tokelo Rantie and Callum Wilson but forgot to mention we sold Lewis Grabban and I think you have to be fair and balanced.
"Our net trading from transfer fees in the summer was zero so to suggest we have built our success on money, I don’t buy and it’s factually incorrect so I would like to put that straight.”
While McCarthy didn’t mention Grabban’s move to Norwich for a reported £3 million, later on in his press conference he made reference to the £4 million sell-on the Cherries were understood to have received when former youngster Adam Lallana moved from Southampton to Liverpool.
"I think they were the beneficiaries of the Adam Lallana deal because he’d been there as a kid and that’s been spent well,” McCarthy added.