HawK

This is like (not the same as) when we got Ferdinand off QPR, we now have the power to walk up to an established club and rip away their prized assets. We're in the big leagues, lads.

Yellow ticker time ?

Between signing Anthony Gordon for £45m, or signing no-one at all, I know which one gives us a better chance of finishing in the top 4. If Almiron or ASM get crocked again we're fked. This lad can do what's needed and seemingly fit right in to our high-tempo, high-pressing, shithousing machine of a team without a hiccup. Between him and Murphy/Fraser/Ritchie starting wide for one of ASM or Almiron, I know which one I'd choose every time. Is it helping to strengthen the weakest part of our team? Obviously not. But signing depth in positions where we drop off a cliff in quality after the first XI can be just as important as plugging a gap in the first XI if there isn't a suitable player for the right price at the time. In Dan Ashworth we trust. Welcome to the toon lad, I hope you do well and are given a warm welcome by all.

At the moment, beyond ASM and Almiron, we have absolutely nothing on the wings. Murphy, Ritchie, Fraser, Joelinton might all try hard, but they just can't cut it at the level we're at. Gordon is leagues above any of those, and can be pushing ASM/Almiron for their starting places. He's young and hungry. I agree we have bigger holes to fill in our starting XI, at the moment that's Longstaff's position, assuming Joelinton drops into the middle again once ASM returns to the left wing. Can't get mad about this signing the more I think about it tbh.

It's nice to hear that he thinks he's doing as much as he can, and then some. Would have to be a right snide fker to be as 2-faced to say that and then it not be the case, and I don't think him to be like that. Dispells the 'lazy French flair player' myth that often gets touted about on Twitter etc.

The absolute master of passing the ball into the net and being in exactly the right place to follow up on rebounds.

You're not alone in this...

I've come around to Gordon from the perspective of seeing the board trying to capitalise on our position in the table and sustaining it for the remainder of the season. If Maddison was available for the same money, I have no doubts we'd be going for him instead. But the January market is awful and we don't want to pay through the nose. I'm sure Gordon could do a job for us, even if it's just more competition on the wings.

If it is Dyche then I think they've prioritised the money off Gordon over the managerial ability of Bielsa. Not sure which approach is best for them atm, just clears the path more for us imo.

If the rumoured points around Bielsa not liking the state of the squad from a pace perspective are to be believed, then it's not a big leap to say that in such a system that him taking the job would be conditional on Gordon staying. Bielsa may have spoken to Gordon and he might have received assurances, which is why he's back today. All speculation, I just don't think him back in training is good news for us when trying to sign him.

Can you imagine a crowd trying to hit the high note in Take On Me reworded as an Eddie Howe tribute? Would break every window for miles

Said it before but our league results, W10, D9, L1 (away, last minute goal vs a better team on reputation) is looking more and more like an FM save scummer's wet dream Even sacking off the FA cup to make sure you could field the same XI in bot League Cup legs without rotation and all players at 100% condition

Would make my fucking year if that happened

The Notebook

Quasimodo < Dowie < Gordon Its like an evolution chain

If you follow this thread closely, even that has become debatable

To build upon our collection of absolute specimens of masculinity within our squad, naturally.

Expected, learn from it big lad and move on.

Can you imagine how many goals Maddison would have had if he'd been playing instead of Willock, with Longstaff tasked with holding back a bit to give Madders the freedom to roam and put those chances away.

I think Maxi is not in the starting lineup right now solely because Howe is being loyal to the lineup that's doing so unbelievably well. All things being equal, Maxi's one of the first names on the teamsheet. He's slimmed down a lot since his early-season injury, and he looks just as good as before, but hopefully now without that extra timber he can be a bit more involved in the defensive work too. That said, as I said in his thread, with Burn and Joelinton on the left I do think there's a spot for him there even if he doesn't do as much defensively as they can more than cover for him.

He ain't built like a footballer, that's for sure.

'Shutup and enjoy the ride' encouraged people to overlook how awful Pardew was. This is a forum and its entire existence is to allow discussion. Differences of opinion and debate are healthy.

I think he genuinely scares a lot of modern-day footballers. He's fucking scary.

Longstaff is far more valuable in games against stronger opposition when we have less of the ball. He's invariable exposed when he's given opportunities on the ball.

Just on the reason why he's not playing - Howe is an absolute stickler for not making changes for the sake of them. If a side is doing well, e.g. conceding like no goals ever, or getting points on the board when we're bottom of the league, then he won't change it. I remember when we started our upturn in form in January last year, and we were chomping at the bit for Bruno to start. It was said that it was to allow him time to 'bed in', but I think it's a lot more to do with showing loyalty and respect to the current XI at the time that were doing well and grinding out the results. It's also partly think why I think Longstaff plays every single game and every minute of every game - he's part of a team that just doesn't lose and there isn't an obvious replacement of genuine ability who will do what he does. It's also the same argument he can use against the club captain every match, look, you're not getting a game cause we're not losing and I don't want to disrupt the team. The squad would lose respect for Howe if he brought others in 'just because' when he didn't bring in Lascelles. It's a win-win, he gets buy-in from the team that's getting results, they know the manager backs them, and it means whoever comes in is absolutely focused on trying to make that shirt his on merit, not reputation. If we lose or don't get the result we want, he has the irrefutable proof in the points themselves and backing to make those changes. It would send the wrong message to change a winning/undefeated team just because of perceived differences in ability. There needs to be undeniable benefits to all parties in making the switch for us to keep this team spirit that's become absolutely core of our form. All this aside, I'd be dropping Willock and Wilson next game for ASM and Isak but I don't know what kind of expectations of keeping the shirt Wilson and Willock have been given. Who knows, maybe Howe's said to the squad 'as long as this defensive run continues, I'm not changing the starting XI unless there's an injury', and it's a perfectly reasonable stance. Not one I'd make mind, but I'm not one of already the most succesful English managers in Premier League history. I'll defer to Sir Eddie.