Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has described his current squad as the best in the club's history.

The Cherries have achieved their highest ever second-tier points total this season immediately after promotion from League One. They are also going to better the previous best finish of 12th, set by Harry Redknapp's side exactly 25 years ago.

"I think that in itself it is a tremendous achievement by the players," Howe told the club website. "It was a target we had at the start of the season – we've achieved that and we want to finish as high as we can.

"The ultimate feat would have been promotion, but after that it was our aim to surpass what [Redknapp's] team did.

"It was going to take a special group to do that and I feel that's what we have got here."

Despite a resounding victory over Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Bournemouth's slim hopes of reaching the playoffs were ended as other teams above them won.

They go into the final day of the season on Saturday in ninth position but could realistically finish as high as eighth.