Kanj

He might actually come good under Howe as a second striker - not a creative one but a true second one - will need to be taught how to aggressively press though.

Change the fucking system

Annoying

2 changes no fucking way man. Seriously. Just play a 4-2-3-1 or something.

Yea, it’s always “she needs to learn, she’s so naive” and “she needs to stop leaking stories to the press” etc.

Between the articles (telegraph one was insanely good read) and all the videos, he’s just a class and committed guy. Seems a really cool character too - that video of him cutting it up with Wilson was awesome.

Good question @Yorkie, wonder if funding operating costs is OK to do, perhaps it has to do with building a bank balance outside of the TV money. IE: Many clubs take overdraft (loan) from Barclay's (due to relationship with league) and basically use the TV money as collateral to pay the overdraft back. I wonder if the club is not going that route and just funding the bank balance up front. IDK, just spitballing.

It's literally been reported that Tindall would likley be Howe's #2 and that Jones will part of the long-term future by the club. Perhaps he'll be given a more bridge/technical role where he's not exactly on the coaching staff but he's on the footballing side as an assistant of some kind. If he's on the coaching staff then he'll be where Howe places him. I'd argue Jones is more likable in the last 24 hours than before - he's speaking well and sly digs at Bruce. Bang on.

Xavi is class, one of my all time favorite players and excited to see him go home and try and manage his club.

Would obviously love to upgrade most positions, but i think that provide some balance. That support striker position in his old systems has to be able to link up play, contribute in attack and press - likely Almiron is best suited for it because it gets him back into his best position and he's far better than he's shown here. Joelinton on the wing is useless IMO.

If we use the Howe 4-4-1-1: Wilson Joelinton/Almiron Maxi Almiron/Fraser Hayden Willock Lewis Schar Fede Manquillo Dub

I love Howe calling Fraser "wee man" in that mic'd up video, kills me every time.

Top managers have been relegated before but it doesn’t get used to beat them with because it’s not recent and many years ago…it was before the time of many of these writers and twitter pundits so there’s no recency bias playing in people’s minds.

I’d love Trippier here at fullback.

Manager hopefully sorted. Bring back the transfer rumors please. *antonio banderas gif

Class posting mate.

Failure isn’t something to beat someone down with, particularly when you look at the body of work. The relegation should not define the man, what he did for years prior and how he’s handled himself since should be what you judge him on. He sure lost the momentum at Bournemouth, and some signings didn’t pan out - That’s football, but a man so highly touted for great things was (imo) torn down by the press and a classic armchair revisionist mentality too often rearing it’s head in football. Good and bad managers fail, the next step is what he should be judged on now. He’s been calculated and measured in his next job, he’s absorbed and learned from the past, and hopefully for us - he comes out firing, galvanIzing the club and the fan base and takes us up many many notches. Can’t wait to back Eddie Howe and celebrate his appointment. There’s a real underdog/hunger about him that I think will he brilliant for us.

Didn’t one of our managers say we couldn’t compete with the likes of Bournemouth? I recall jealousy on this forum when they made signings, whether they worked out for them or not. Howe, if appointed, has a different sales pitch - be part of the revolution of this club, everything you see today in facilities are changing (here are some renderings, etc) and oh money really isn’t an issue here. He never got that at a 15k stadium and a club that was literally just hoping to not fall down. Once we solidify and get out of the drop zone and into Jan - everything changes.

Richard Hughes was his technical director at Bournemouth but didn’t seem like he reported to him, and they had a scouting by committee or transfer committee approach. Every manager has hit and misses in terms of signings. seems like we’re going for more of a man city approach of having having a senior sporting director or DOF who is more of an administrative role.

I’m sure that based on everything I’ve read about the man, and listened to him speak in these YouTube videos and old interviews - he’s probably learned a ton from that and will look to rectify that if ever presented with that scenario (hopefully not). Think he’ll get the heartbeat of the city and the stadium fairly quickly, such is how reflective and intentional he seems. He will hold this job and club with the utmost respect and I guarantee he will never speak of us like Bruce or Pardew ever did (which is not saying much, but it never should happen).

Good article by Hope - really can't do anything else - made a tremendous offer to Emery and it all seemed like he was ready to make it work and then he changed his mind last minute. Happens in football. WIsh it didn't get played out in public, but that's neither here nor there. Regardless of the leak, he ultimately decided to stick around after a think, a convo, and a 2-0 win in the CL. I'm still bummed over this as I've said before - and I just hope we can get the right man in sooner than later. By the way, I read it was Charnley handling the contract stuff in terms of administrative with the legal folks. The core deal points, selling the vision etc was done by our Board. The hysteria here is embarrasing. Pointing fingers left and right and blaming Jamie or Amanda, etc....give it a rest.

The nexus and root of the snub has nothing to with a leak in the press. Let's be very clear about that, these are grown men in football. The issue has been and always been the 15 years of neglect from MA. Emery took the interview(s) and it sounded like he was leaning this way. He clearly changed his mind over the last 24 hours - be it a nice win in the CL, a convo with his owners and recommitted to his club. This job is potentially life changing, but at the current moment we are 19th, have absolutely 0 infrastructure, a weak squad and shite facilities. To poach someone in a job was a tall task. I blame the state of this club firmly on MA and the consortium have had to try and sell a vision with a ton of promises to land any manager (in a job or out of a job). To talk about "oh they spent 18 months trying to buy club, why haven't they lined everyone up for jobs in the club?" Really? Where do you work? It ain't that fucking simple to set any of this up and targets who maybe have been lined up in all areas could have found new jobs. Perhaps the story that came out that literally nobody knew it was on until the day or two it was on carries some weight? The consortium are not blameless, this is a disappointing and embarrassing update to what was genuine joy yesterday but I really would like to know what kind of work people do here to have such high expectations that things can move so bloody quickly, to constantly name Staveley every time just because it's the only name to point to - really odd and doesn't sit well with me. Blame the whole consortium, blame the "ownership" but this picking at 1 person every time feeds into this shit obsession Luke Edwards has. In any case -- I'm bummed as fuck right now because I was all "good ebening" last night and I just want this constant news cycle to end. Hopefully we hire the right person keep us safe in PL and we can build. I'll back anybody who gets appointed and I hope the rest of you all do it too.

Everything you said is welcomed minus the Bruce bit

Seems more like Ballague’s opinion versus actual fact.

Hmm, hope Ballague is speaking nonsense.