BOSS Eddie Howe believes this week’s events at Brentford could make the Bees “an even more motivated and difficult opponent” for Cherries.

Brentford boss Mark Warburton, along with assistant David Weir and sporting director Frank McParland, were told their contracts would not be renewed at the end of the season.

Howe said: “I always think it’s very difficult to comment on other clubs when you’re in my position. It’s none of my business what Brentford do.

“All I will say is that I think Mark Warburton has done a fantastic job and has managed the team very well. A lot of the players have come up from League One to the Championship and have really improved and progressed and he and his staff deserve a lot a credit for that.

“What the Brentford owner decides to do, that is his right but I am sure Mark will have a very good career beyond this season.

"We expect a tough game, regardless of what’s happening off the pitch. Brentford’s players have shown really good spirit this season and I don’t expect that to change.

“Now the statement has come out and it is final, I think that will help the situation. I think the problem was the uncertainty.

“We could be facing an even more motivated and difficult opponent than we were potentially a week ago. We need to make sure we are more motivated than them and that is our challenge.”

A second-half goal from Junior Stanislas earned Cherries a 1-0 victory over Brentford in their first home game of the season in August.

Howe, who made his sixth career start in a 1-0 defeat at Griffin Park in 1997, said: “I remember playing there early in my career and it was a ground I visited many times after. It is a really tough place to play and a tough place to win.

"We have had some really good battles with them down the years and they have done extraordinarily well this season.

“Mark deserves a lot of credit for how his team has played and the results they have got. They have done it in style as well. They didn’t surprise us when we played them here because we knew they were a good side. They played very well on the day.

“I think it was the only game this season where we have been fortunate to get three points. There are many times when I can consider we have been unfortunate not to win and that was probably the only game where we didn’t play well and came away with three points.

“We are four games unbeaten and picked up a point in our last game when we were slightly disappointing so we will be looking to try to put that right.”