The College Dropout

Limited player. Don't think the transfer speculation will have done him any good mentally. it is what it is with the lad, I just laugh at those that think he's a good player at this level. Watching football with your brain disengaged. Signing a RW should've been a top 3 priority last summer and we are paying the price now.

Of course, you can. You have to know your players and work around their limitations. You can't demand something of someone that they have proven they literally can't do. That's basic management. Isak wasn't injury-prone before he joined. So there's likely something in the demands of the player that is causing injury. I've said for a long time, Isak isn't physically capable of playing Howeball for 90 minutes 3x a week. He gasses by 60 minutes so often to the point he can barely move. I think Isak needs to improve his conditioning. Until that happens, Howe has to reduce the physical demands on him one way or another or else the cycle will continue.

Well we've had Gordon, Ritchie + 1 the entire time so that would be the first route. As I've said.. the alternative is not having Wilson at all for a longer period. Which is what we have now. This is basic logic and risk management. You suffer a little in the short term to the benefit of the medium long-term. Not doing that is what we've done and we're stuffed for the entire season based on a high-risk short-term approach to injury management.

You have to manage injury-prone players minutes - you can't opt-out because they will get injured again. As has happened with Wilson (and Isak tbf). If you try and play Wilson 3x a week for 90 it won't be long until he breaks down. Even if it's a kid because it keeps Wilson fit for another week.

No he hasn't. This is not true at all. + 90 minutes on 12/19 (keeping the format used here) against Chelsea in the league cup. A month injured, 26 minutes off the bench then completed 270+ minutes in 8 days then tried to go again 3 days later. Broke down. This is not how you manage an injury-prone 32-year-old coming back from a month's layoff. "Managed very carefully" - nonsense. Likewise this latest injury - he wasn't match-fit for 90 minutes but Howe played him through exhaustion and then he got injured again. The same thing happened to Isak. He returned too early when clearly not match fit. Played through exhaustion several times. Then injured again. And Isak is the one that is meant to be able to play close to 90 minutes back-to-back and he's nowhere near it. Howe has to change how he manages Isak and Wilson. Neither has the physical capacity to play Howe-ball 3x a week for 90 minutes. Isak's long-term injury record will go the same way as Wilson's if Howe does not change his approach. It's already a mirror after 18 months. It's not bad luck, if it keeps happening to several players.

I don’t think he was signed with the idea he would be 4th choice LB. Rather he needs more development than initially thought but ‘the club’ still have faith in him. I’ve said it before. I don’t think Eddie really wanted him (for this season). Same with Tino.

Agreed. He is partly responsible. The big worry is the performances. Being 7th is good. We won’t stay 7th if we play like we have recently.

Not enough discussion of the most likely scenario imo. A lot of wishful thinking in here.

We’re over performing our attacking Xg over the last 6. Suggesting we’ve had quality finishers. Suggesting we are scoring due to the quality of finish rather than the quality of chances/ attacking play. Certainly against Forest we were clinical and they wasted chances. Nothing in the Xg data against opponents suggests if we carry on as we are results will improve. We’ve already got more than we probably deserve.

No. I mean since that tie we’ve become the worst defence in the league. That is a fact. I agree with you it’s a part of the story but Howe’s job is to manage and coach. He needs to tighten us up or I think it could cost him his job.

No. We’ve conceded the most goals in the league since Joelintons injury. That’s a fact. By every Xg against model I’ve seen we’re the worst in the league since that injury. We’ve conceded 2 or more goals in 6 out of the last 7. It’s awful. I watch some FPL content. A lot of people have Areola and Dubravka. Over the last 6 games Newcastle and West Ham have been the worst defences in the league (prior to this GW).

No im saying it as a matter of fact. But I don’t think the system works without at least one top athlete in midfield. Howe needs to change the system. I don’t think adaptability is a strength of Howe.

We have the worst defence in the league by nearly any metric since the Joelinton injury. Again, if he doesn’t find an answer he will be under serious pressure.

Truthfully nobody knows the temperament of Saudi, Staveley and co. when facing setbacks. Noise in the summer was that we needed European football next season as a minimum target. I strongly believe he’ll be under pressure if we don’t achieve it. I think several football people in the hierarchy will be under pressure if we don’t achieve it. They could perhaps scapegoat Ashworth. Again nobody knows the temperament of leadership to setbacks so I don’t know how you can say with confidence that he will not be under pressure. We’ll see.

With Eales publicly targeting Europe as a goal in Jan, if he doesmt achieve it he will be under pressure and it may even cost him His job.

Didn’t watch the game today. And I like him overall. But his lack of physicality in our system makes him a weakness. Not sure of his ceiling tbh

Could try having Bruno and Longstaff both sitting. Or something else. This doesn’t work.

Miley’s not ready. He’s a passenger a lot of the time. If he was 24 years old £15m signing I would be disappointed. Given his age and experience he’s done a commendable job. But he’s also a weak link.

Why didn't you wait until tomorrow?

Agreed.

Tbf he was knackered when he got injured. I mentioned it before - he needs to Wenger RVP treatment. If he looks tired, sub him. If he's jaded - rest him. Otherwise he will literally break down.

I'm planning to roll. I don't like Dubs in goal but I fancy us for a jammy clean sheet. Can't get to KDB, I like Toney but happy with my 3 for now. Those are the scary players. The rest all seem a bit punty.

Compare the tone to even selling ASM - very different. This is what you get when you spend several hours a day on a NUFC forum.. analysis of tone

It backs up everybody's points (both positive and negative)... just with data.

https://x.com/Edit_Kev/status/1758501634869514732?s=20 No idea where to put this but a good read