MANAGER Eddie Howe insists he will not compromise his passing principles in a bid to help Cherries halt an indifferent series of results.

Defeat by Leeds on Tuesday extended to five games Cherries’ winless run in the Championship after they had started the campaign with back-to-back victories.

Currently 15th having taken eight points from their first seven matches, Cherries face third-placed Watford on Saturday in a lunchtime kick-off in front of the Sky cameras (12.15pm).

Howe told the Daily Echo: “For me, how we play is the best way to play and the best way to get consistent results. It is also the best way to have a chance to move the club forward.

“We are certainly not going to revert to a different way of playing. We may tweak tactics and formations but the principles of our football will remain the same while I am in charge.”

Cherries have accrued two points from their past five league games having let slip the lead in losing to Nottingham Forest and Leeds and drawing with Rotherham.

Asked whether he felt there was an element of mental fragility creeping in, Howe replied: “Once it has happened a couple of times then I am sure it goes through the minds of the players.

“But we have been here before, we won tight games last season and I see no reason why we should suddenly develop that. I would be at a loss to explain why.

“We are coming up against good sides and clinical players who have taken the few chances they have had. It is something we need to address because we can’t work so hard to get leads and then give them away so easily. It is very disappointing if you keep making the same mistakes.”

Howe made three changes for the Leeds clash with Andrew Surman, Ryan Fraser and Ian Harte coming in for Eunan O’Kane, Marc Pugh and Charlie Daniels. Midfielder Dan Gosling, who turned his ankle in training on Monday, is rated 50-50 for the trip to Vicarage Road.

Boss Howe added: “We hadn’t won for a few games so we wanted to make changes and give other players an opportunity and I thought the lads who came in did very well.

"I was very pleased with Andrew Surman and Ryan Fraser, especially in the first half, and Ian Harte was his usual consistent self so I was pleased with impact of all three players.”

Howe believes Cherries have made considerable improvement since losing 6-1 at Vicarage Road in their first away game in the Championship of last season.

He added: “It was probably a positive thing that we were able to learn from that defeat and use it as a motivation for the rest of the season.

"We knew that if we fell from our standards in this league, we would get punished.”