The College Dropout

Btw I have plenty of criticisms of Howe as a coach. But I don’t think he’s tried to change us too much

We went for Delap and Pedro first and they can press. Isak wasn’t known for pressing either and he wasn’t great at it but he was effective.

From where we are now you think this team can match the team that qualified for the CL on goal difference? You mentioned 4th. We ain’t finishing 4th 5th and probably not 6th either

Mate - look at the football with your eyes.

Villa have dealt with the bs rules much better than us. They have been run much better than us over last couple of seasons. Not everything has worked out but you can see the strategy and the logic in their moves. We’ve been rudderless and living off the fumes of old leadership for years and the fumes are beginning to to run out.

Think most of us knew the summer was we insufficient

Agreed. That’s the biggest issue with Wolte. He can rarely get the press right. With a half press we are half the team.

Or he’s in poor form ? Hes never been Bruno good on the ball but he’s been especially bad recently. Needs to find his game again.

I do doubt his quality. Yesterday he did try. He just didn’t have the quality.

Yep. Joelinton too. Heavily criticised players. But I think we get 4 points at least from the last 2 with them all fully fit.

Wilson is the default profile of an optimal Howe striker. Isak is the deluxe. I think Wissa is workable variant. Ramsey and Elanga look to be poor signings. Elanga in particular I Dont think is signed by any competent transfer committee. I don’t blame Howe for that. There was a power vacuum.

I actually disagree. We aren’t going to out football teams with more resources than us. We need a prime Pope level GK that make saves, catches crosses and sweeps. If he can play that’s a bonus but I want GK skills. We must resist the desire to become North East Spurs on a smaller budget. Players that are technically better than the other 13 but lack character and basics. I don’t want Vicario.

He doesn’t play like someone who has been a 9 for a decade. He doesn’t make the right runs. Needs to play with Wissa too

Thought he was ok tbh. Did need subbing for Barnes or for him to move to the right though. Lack of quality when it mattered but I think that’s his level more time.

I’m concerned about this lad. Good reputation. Has some fundamentals. But he weekly giving Jermaine Jenas down to the nickname. No impact. No presence. No forward ball. I wanted him off at half time. Joe didn’t do much when he came on. But his presence alone meant something. I stand by this. If we are to make it to the top, we have to be bigger presence and tougher then the rest. We’ll never be that team with Ramsey in it I fear.

We’ve become a weak team defensively. A soft touch. Spursey.

It’s a poorly run club outside of the ability to spend money

2 isn’t a pattern. And the first was a 7th finish with only 6 less points than we managed the next season. We were genuinely good the 7th season either side of the injury crisis. We’ve been shut this season from MD1

Same. In certain we’ll be back to permanently mid table. The big issue has been the leadership. This entire project has lost steam, momentum, direction and belief. We’ll continue to throw around the 7th/8th most money in the league. But smart thinking ? Nope.

I think we just do it badly now. Woltemadd struggles to intiate the press consistently. We signed the same profile of player we already have apart from Woltemade who was 6th choice.

Not a good idea though. We lacked quality last season but with no European football, Isak and Murphy, Bruno, Tonali, Barnes and a strong defence we had enough. This summer more than anything we needed to add 1 Isak/Tonali level attacker. A Tonali level misfielder and Cb Just to stay 5th imo. The margins in this league are thin. The difference between us and Brentford isn’t Murphy’s In depth it’s Bruno and Isak.

Criticism is fair. Advocating sacking him isn’t.

He hasn’t though.

Then you don’t know ball. Maybe 1 player we signed this summer would’ve started the league cup final. Not if I was choosing.

Why was he even able to do that ? a club with proper leadership wouldn’t have had the summer we had. Anthony Elanga is an Antony level signing for £80m. It’s not a transfer a well run club makes. I wouldn’t be counted as a ‘football person’ and I could tell you after 2 appearances Antony or Elanga are worth the money paid. You get 3 decent football people of equal autonomy and they wouldn’t sanction that move.