BOSS Eddie Howe has warned his Cherries players to avoid becoming a victim of one of football’s “cruel twists”.

A hat-trick of defeats has left Cherries stuck on 38 points and their Premier League status is still in the balance.

Howe has spoken publicly of his frustration at his team’s recent performances and has demanded an improvement in their final two games.

Asked whether maintaining standards until the end of the season was something a team had to develop, Howe said: “It should be there from the day you start playing football as a kid.

“It doesn’t matter what situation you are in, the desire to do your best every day should be there.

“Football is a game that can have cruel twists if you are not absolutely in the right place and we don’t want to find ourselves victim of that.

“We have two huge games to come so need to focus on Swansea.

“The players are on show in every game to prove they are going to be part of our future.

“Certainly, there is an expectation from me for the players to deliver our very best performances and to end the season on a real high. That is the challenge.”