BOSS Eddie Howe described as “strange” Cherries’ home record this season – but stressed a positive conclusion at Vitality Stadium against Tottenham could change the outlook for the summer.

After 24 points from the first 13 home Premier League fixtures in 2018-19, Cherries have claimed just two points from their past five outings at their Dorset base.

This recent form featured losses against Fulham, Burnley and Manchester City, alongside draws with Wolves and Newcastle.

Howe’s men last tasted victory at home with the 4-0 triumph against Chelsea in January.

Cherries have not lost three league games in a row on their own patch since April 2016. And Howe insisted he did not want to repeat that record tomorrow against Tottenham Hotspur (12.30pm).

Asked about the possibility of a third home reverse in succession, he told the Daily Echo: “That would be something we would be very keen to not hit.

“Our home form has been strange this season, so strong for long periods – we felt invincible at home. Then we have just tailed off at the back end of the season. Those results have been tough to take because they could have been so different.

“The Wolves game we arguably should have won, we missed a late penalty. The Newcastle game we were seconds away from winning. The Burnley game we had chances. The Fulham game we had chances to score, we didn’t quite take them and we didn’t perform as we wanted to. It has been a frustrating end to the season here and results could have been very different.”

Howe added: “If you can end the season positively then you go into the summer with optimism and hope that the team is going in the right direction.”

Cherries hold a poor record against Spurs, with one point from seven top-flight clashes.

Discussing if defeats against the north London outfit had made him change his approach, Howe said: “We will always keep our philosophy but we have tried several different things against them. To think we have played all those games against them the same way would be wrong.

“We have played this way, that way, done a lot of different things. Unfortunately, the results against them haven’t been great. They have found a way to combat whatever we have tried to do, so we will try again and see what we can do.”

Quizzed on if the losses left him scratching his head for a solution, Howe said: “Of course, I think that is part of the emotions you go through as a manager when things don’t quite go as you planned or as you foresee.

“You go away and think ‘I didn’t quite get that right, if I had that game again I would of done something different’. That never stops. You are always in that process of judging yourself and analysing what you have delivered.

“The reality is sometimes it doesn’t matter how you would have set up and what you would have done, if the other team is better than you it is tough to get a result, so then it is down to the level of the performance that your players give.

“To beat any team in the top six you need to be very, very good in everything – tactically, technically, athletically. We need to hit heights to get a result and that will be no different in this game.”