Caretaker boss Jonathan Woodgate taking one game at a time at Bournemouth

Jonathan Woodgate insisted his only remit at Bournemouth is to win Tuesday’s FA Cup tie at Burnley but did admit his first week at the south coast club was not an enjoyable one.

The former Middlesbrough boss was brought in last Monday as a first-team coach until the end of the season, but two days later Jason Tindall was sacked following a fourth consecutive Sky Bet Championship defeat.

Woodgate was placed in caretaker charge and guided the Cherries to a 3-2 victory over Birmingham on Saturday.

Before and after the weekend success the former Tottenham and Real Madrid centre-back reiterated his full focus was on the next game and that is still the case prior to the midweek fifth-round clash.

“The remit is to win the game against Burnley on Tuesday night and that is as far as it goes for me,” Woodgate said.

“It’s good to come to a different club and coach different players and be out of your comfort zone, but last week I didn’t enjoy one bit to be honest with you – apart from winning on the Saturday – because it was difficult.

“It’s good to come in and learn from different coaches because every coach is different. You can pick up different ways they coach and it’s good to stand back at times and watch different players and different coaches coach.”

After numerous roles at Middlesbrough, including a year in charge at the Riverside Stadium, the 41-year-old returned to the dugout when Tindall brought him into the club earlier this month.

Woodgate maintained on Monday he had not had time to think about whether he would like the job on a full-time basis, with his concentration fully on restoring the Cherries’ confidence.

Bournemouth were second as recently as December, but have slipped to sixth in the table and now have the juggling act of bidding for promotion while also trying to enjoy success in the FA Cup.

Caretaker boss Woodgate added: “You want to win games and winning the last one you want to win again and win again because it breeds confidence.

“It is important that we pay the FA Cup the full amount of respect and put a good side out ready to win the game. If you win one, then win two, who knows what can happen with that.”

The former England international will face Clarets boss Sean Dyche for the first time at Turf Moor, but the pair have developed a good relationship in recent years.

“What he has done for Burnley is unbelievable but what he helped me with as a first-time manager was brilliant,” Woodgate revealed.

“He was someone I could ring when I wanted to, he would text me and I would speak to him on the phone, so I thought ‘fair play to him for doing that’.

“He has done an unbelievable job at Burnley. Sometimes he gets criticised but he just carries on and keeps Burnley in the Premier League.”

Woodgate has also picked the brains of another manager with plenty of experience over the past week in the shape of former Bournemouth boss Harry Redknapp, who he worked with at Spurs.

He added: “I have spoken to Harry quite a bit. He gives that advice and has been there and done it. He is a really good guy, who I know I can trust.”

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