COOL, calm and composed – on the face of it – Eddie Howe is nothing like the stereotypical football manager.

But the fresh face, polite demeanour and seemingly relaxed manner belie the burning desire to succeed that simmers beneath the surface.

While football followers everywhere are used to seeing angry middle-aged men waving their arms frantically and screaming at their players, Howe offers a refreshing change.

The Cherries boss, by his own admission, is not a “ranter” or a “raver”. But whatever anyone thinks of his style, there can be no doubt that his approach is reaping the required results.

Howe’s attention to detail and willingness to put the hours in have been key ingredients in his superb start to life in the hot-seat.

Having replaced Jimmy Quinn on New Year’s Eve, something which Howe himself admits “came out of the blue”, the former defender has set about saving the club he loves.

Such has been his immediate impact, Cherries now find themselves just two points from safety and within touching distance of finally escaping the League Two drop zone ahead of today’s trip to Gillingham.

Howe insists people would be foolish to think the job is already done. And despite his laid back look, supporters needn’t worry about the players’ focus and commitment wandering while Howe is in charge.

“Hopefully, if we achieve our objectives towards the end of the season, we can look back with a sense of pride and a sense we’ve achieved our objective,” said Howe from the comfort of the Dean Court office he shares with assistant boss Jason Tindall.

“But until we’ve done that, we can’t stop for a minute.

“You can’t relax. I don’t feel that way and I’m sure Jason doesn’t feel that way. Until we’re safe and still in the Football League, there will be no one sitting back and relaxing at all.”

While the points have come thick and fast since Howe took over, the revival has been far from easy. Off-field upheaval and a rolling transfer embargo have done nothing to help the country’s youngest managerial pairing. But what they have to contend with in the boardroom, they more than make up for in their dedication to the job.

The hours can be gruelling and they spend plenty of time on the road. But this part of the job has come as no surprise to Howe, who got used to it when he worked under Kevin Bond.

“The only thing that’s surprised me is that, mentally, you never switch off,” he revealed.

“Kevin had talked about it – waking up in the middle of the night thinking about football – and it’s spot on.

“There’s a lot of planning involved if you want to do the job properly and you do have to think ahead. You can’t enjoy any win because you’re thinking about the next game. That’s the reality of it.

“I like to see opposition teams myself, so before you know it the whole week is taken up. But that’s not me moaning, that’s just the reality of the job.

“Luckily, we love football and we wouldn’t be doing anything else given the choice. It’s a fantastic opportunity and a fantastic job, but it’s hard work.”

Howe is fortunate to have the backing of what he describes as a “great group of pros”, while he is also extremely grateful for the support he has received from Tindall.

“Jason has been fantastic since I’ve come in,” said Howe. “He’s been a real help and you need people who are willing to work hard and put all the hours in.

“We go to games together and do most things together and he’s been a real pillar of support to me.

“You need that team behind you and, without it, it’s a difficult job on your own. I’m very grateful to him because he’s got a young family, with a two-year-old daughter Sienna, and I drag him away and he never sees her so I do appreciate that.”

The duo’s wives, Vicky and Claudine, have also played their part and Howe said: “You need to have an understanding family behind you and this is where both myself and Jason are extremely fortunate.”

Howe’s efforts have not gone unnoticed and he has attracted the attention of the national media as he moves ever closer to saving Cherries from the dreaded drop into non-league.

And if he is to complete a Great Escape, it will be in his own style.

He takes comparisons to former Cherries boss Sean O’Driscoll as a “huge compliment”, while he has also borrowed certain techniques from Bond and Mel Machin.

But whether he flourishes or fails, he will remain true to himself.

He said: “You’ll always end up doing it your way because if you try to base it on someone else, you’ll end up failing.

“You’ve got to do what you think is right then if it doesn’t go well, you can hold your hands up and say ‘well, I had a crack doing it my way’.”

Fortunately for the town’s football fans, there have been few signs so far that Howe’s Cherries reign is going to end in anything other than success.