The College Dropout

I just mean no hope until we get players back and injuries ease up. I don’t expect us to win on the road until that happens. Once we get players back and can rest up. We’ll win most of our games. Plan A will work most of the time. And we’ll get confidence and momentum back. I still think 7th is our floor this season which isn’t bad at all.

Where did I say I wanted Gerrard? And even if I did, so what? What is your actual point?

What I’m saying Is true though. People are just sensitive. As you say, the argument is solid. You just find the first line incendiary although the harshest part is a fact. I’ve not said he’s shit, or anything untrue.

Yeh me too. He’s a good manager and the best English manager by some distance. But he does have some limitations. Sticking to his plan and approach when it’s not working is one of them.

You can see how he got Bournemouth relegated. He’s great at motivating a core group of players to go out and execute his plan A. With some injuries, bad luck, loss of momentum etc. he can go on a bad run and he doesn’t seem to do a whole lot to switch things up when things aren’t working well. He doesn’t mix things up for the sake of it which has its benefits and but also disadvantages. I’ve accepted we are in for pain until we play once a week and get players back. We should still win most of our games at home but away, I’ve got no hope atm.

We need to get used to playing European football and we need to have a squad capable for European football.

I don’t think that’s because we lack a DM imo. I could be wrong. But I think there’s just something a bit off and reactive about our out of possession play when not pressing.

Only the winner. They changed that rule a long time ago now.

Nobody liked Pardew from the start anyway. But iirc Pardew out was the season after? We aren’t unique in this regard. But we aren’t patient. It all depends on the owners and upper management. Arsenal are reaping the benefits of being patient with the right manager. Most fans would’ve seen him sacked after they finished 8th in his first full season.

My point is not whether people were right or wrong. But the fans were not patient. We don’t have examples of taking a proper backwards step and our fans wanting to stick with the manager. Tbf once he had his stooge in situ. Mike Ashley was a very patient owner.

I could name the other one who did well, then did badly then everyone wanted him out.

Agreed it’s the default nature of football fandom. ‘oh Howe, you’re a genius. I want you to be our SAF.’ Let us finish 8th this season and a lot of those people will be wanting him out. As you say, that’s the nature of fandom.

One bad season and people want the manager gone. A bad season where we finished 5th and got to a European semi final too.

Agreed. Robson was the best manager Shephard was ever going to hire. I wanted him out at the time but I’ve learnt a lot since then. We should’ve backed Robson for as long as possible. But we have impatient fans. A lot of our fans won’t tolerate a backwards step under Howe, thankfully I think we have smarter people in charge this time. I expect some patience and better hiring when the time comes.

Need more from him on the ball. He needs to be able to keep the ball under pressure better. I think he’s too easy to snooker when pressured and he’ll just fall over looking for a foul. He does a lot for the team especially off the ball defensively and offensively with his movement. But he needs to improve his feet and his passing. Miley hasn’t had a huge influence on many games. But he looks to have good feet, so he can get himself out of trouble and find a team mate when being pressed. His ceiling is scary when you look at him technically and physically.

Nobody could pass in that second half. Would be interesting to see our second half passing stats as a team. It was absolutely awful.

It’s all just proposals from what I’ve read. In the next 10 years we will see a new competition. It’s about whether Real and Barca can woo enough big clubs around Europeto make it worth it. I can see them grabbing all the semi to big clubs in Spain, Italy, France (PSG excluded) and all the old European royalty (Celtic, Benfica, Ajax) to form a new competition. Saudi might get involved too - but after the World Cup most likely. It’s the only way long term they can compete with PL teams.

I find it hard to criticise him based on a single mistake from a player. I have the same criticisms I’ve had all season of our play away from home. This is atleast the 4th game we’ve seen waves and waves of opposition attack with seemingly no response. That I find frustrating. But I would have had these criticisms if we had won.

At the time it sounded like a formality eg remaining in the PL. could perhaps be a European place but I doubt that.

The anything that happens here they will talk about Saudi money. City have a fantastic setup. Nobody talks about it.

We know Ritchie is good around the group and must be a decent trainer. He’s also been a player Howe likes and trusts. You can’t say any of those things for Lewis Hall. Im not agreeing with the decision. But I do understand.

You’re saying Trippier is tired because he made a last minute mistake. Trippier’s general performance was solid. Nobody in the match thread was upset by the substitution.

Agreed. I would prefer we defended in 2 banks of 4. A solid 4411/442 should give you defensive cover but gives players more attacking options when they receive the ball and gives us more bodies to presss a defence. But honestly - something. Something else.

The money is important tbf. Real Madrid have signed that Endrick lad for next season. He’s got to get solid minutes upfront. If he was consistently benched for Joselu and Diaz and not coming off the bench - there would be consternation. This isn’t to that level but it’s a similar thing. A part of it is Howe’s style. He was overly slow in bringing in Livra and it was the crisis that forced his hand. If Burn and Targett stayed fit I don’t think we would’ve seen much of him at all either.

You refuse to believe he’s no worse than Matt Ritchie but I do believe Howe doesn’t seem him as a wide man. I would like to see him ahead of Ritchie too. But I understand why he isn’t. The money is frustrating because we’ve signed a 3rd choice LB who is now 4th choice. The money committed to him could’ve gone to a first choice LB or a right winger. With someone so highly rated you would hope he would be more ready for playing time.