Theregulars

It’s the potent mixture of condescending and stupid which makes him particularly memorable.

They’re already fixed.

Mind how you go, mate.

It’s more just that your point didn’t work, because facts got in the way. Farke’s proactivity produced the same outcome as what you identify as Howe’s reactivity.

The score remained the same and Leeds lost

Starting to see Port Untenable on the horizon.

Better than Elanga and Murphy, although query why he’d leave there to come here.

Did it, though? On qualifying for the CL the first time round, the only “sure-fire” purchase was Barnes (as a squad player). Hall and Tino were very much young with upside and Tonali was new to the league (and looked lost at times at first). On qualifying for the CL the second time round, I think woltemade was supposed to be young with upside. Otherwise everyone else was for the here and now purpose of improving the squad, which I think was a learning point from CL1 due to the ravage of the injury crisis on a small squad. Certainly at least 2 of the “here and now” purchases haven’t worked (I think you can make a case that Ramsdale has provided fair value for fee and that Ramsey has something about him worth working with, and Thiaw has worked). But again is the strategy about Howe’s hubristic refusal to countenance non-PL proven players? Not for me.

Which players that fit into such a bracket has Howe been responsible for turning down? As @SteV correctly points out, which such players have been offered to Howe for review? Looking at it holistically, I would be surprised if Howe came in knowing that he was going to request Bruno, Botman and Tonali. I think these were players recommended to him and he agreed. There are also players who Howe has likely personally requested and got (Trippier, Burn, Pope, Barnes, Elanga, Ramsey). Some I'm not sure whether recommended to him or requested by him (Tino, Hall [my inclination is that the latter was suggested by Ashworth]) and some have been purchases forced by crap circumstances (Wissa, Woltemade, Vlachodimos). I think it is entirely reasonable to say that the club as a whole needs to get comfortable sharpish with transacting in the manner of the first category (sensibly priced players from abroad recommended to the manager to fit a style and strategy). There has been - particularly recently - perhaps too much emphasis on the second category, but to me this seems pretty reasonable given (i) Mitchell's narcissism and ineffectiveness meaning that the second category was not available and (ii) that Howe delivered a trophy and two Champions League qualifications with a 7th / 8th best wage budget. So I don't really see how you can look at the whole picture and say the issue is managerial hubris; perhaps he has overstepped the mark and slapped away suggestions by a DoF unreasonably but from where I sit it looked like he worked fairly harmoniously with Ashworth for a short spell and that he (like many of us) found Mitchell obnoxious. Perhaps in fact Howe is just incredibly difficult to work with and refuses to engage with transfer suggestions which do not relate to his hand-picked "PL-proven" mantra. Personally I reckon he just has a specific skillset and attitude in mind and last summer I think he was left to run / decide matters (and specifically identify players himself) with no warning. Given that he is obsessive about e.g. video analysis of opposing teams, his knowledge base of players' suitability to play for his side will be a lot more detailed re: PL players in my view. I think he will have worked 80-90% on those players over his career compared to Europe-based players. I think he has probably spent only minimal time on leagues outside of Europe. So, when asked to identify players, perhaps he went with his comfort zone (maybe that is blinkered or limited thinking but I think it's probably quite rational). Certainly we can have a conversation about whether he is still able to identify effective players (Elanga is an undeniable red flag), but I don't see how the situation is caused by Howe being so hubristic that he refuses to sign better value players from outside the Premier League. Even the Summer just gone 2 of the 6 signed were from the Continent, so yes the minority but clearly he's open to the idea. Overall just looks again like trying to interpret matters very narrowly to suit a needlessly absolutist and conclusive narrative. Personally I don't think Eddie Howe is remotely hubristic, he strikes me as humble, modest and very willing to operate backstage while others take the headlines.

Irredeemable, comparisons to Obertan are fair.

Never convinced that he passed the dickhead test. Legend in his own mind and played well approx 25% of the time. You can go wherever the fuck you like, tiresome twat

Aye there are some reducers planned for Finniesta.

Just some generational wars

I love Tanaka.

Christie and Scott don’t have Europe. When tonali had no Europe, there were discussions about whether he was the best midfielder in the league. If you add 15 games to their seasons playing as they do, would they be as effective?

I’m not saying get rid but I don’t think his players are playing for him as much anymore.

Dreadful etc

Montpellier

Seen through a financial and sporting Lens it would be a good transfer

Yeh same thing for me, last few weeks been thinking maybe what Hopkinson said meant that Howe actually hasn’t committed, not the other way round.

Would certainly make the squad that Lille bit better

Is that true, though? We keep targeting them and seem to be in a position to spend more now. I’ll certainly take the argument about inflated fees and wages, but I also do take the rational argument of seen them prove it in very similar conditions and circumstances. like anything, the right answer is a mixture (which is what we’ve done since the takeover to largely good effect before this season)

I’m still yet to hear a good argument why buying players who have played well in the PL to play in the PL is not a reasonable approach

Right decision for sport