greydos

I would t say they had plenty of ball, the odd turnover from a midfield tackle was about it. And our midfield hasn’t been giving inroads into our defence all season. West Ham was the same. So was Arsenal and Manure away. Edit: I appreciate Bruno’s been part of those last 2 results. Just saying our midfield has been effective as a defensive shield and a method to progress to the final third, Bruno or not.

Nah we do it lack everything. West Ham had 1 shot on target, from a set piece. Bournemouth barely threatened and couldn’t get through our midfield. Defensively the midfield works. It also gives a platform for us to get up for the final third of the pitch (which was lacking last year and was why Howe wanted and used Wood). I agree our current midfield lacks creativity in the final third. The whole team does though. Both the system and the individuals not quite right in that third

You are definitely right. The quality of player we had shows Pardew didn’t believe in coaching. With the right setup and mentality, that team could have controlled and dominated play against way more teams and challenged for the title. My lovely Eddie Howe would have that team progressing whilst being in Europe the following year and giving a real fight to the top 2.

I’ve no real idea about JWP and you’re probably right he’s not good enough for us. But the list of players dominated by Bruno, one of the best midfielders in the EPL and so world, is hugely long like. I’d still take players dominated by him. Just like I’m still happy with Joelinton and Longy even if Rice seemingly dominated them

A lot of this makes sense. But doesnt address the argument that Shelvey shouldn't have been released, or to apply your logic in full to this scenario, with Shelvey our squad would be stronger than it is without him, and so we'd be more likely to accumulate the 70-80 points needed for champions league this year. And i can't imagine the long term signings we want to sign in the summer who we think are so pivotal to our future, are going to turn their noses up at signing for us now because we reached champions league too early.

We know now. Even if a gamble pays off, there’s still the risk that’s been undertaken. I see no need to make this risk, unless the gains in the summer are guaranteed to be massive. If next September we’re sat having signed Rice and Bellingham I’ll say fair play risking only achieving Europa Conference for a year was worth it. (I appreciate that level of player is unrealistic but it illustrates the point that even gambles that pay off are not truly successful until you can see what you win on the other side)

I love our “Club” at the moment and see no need to revert to a “Cloob!”

A 2 or 3 year contract suggests yes, but I can’t predict the future so who knows. Chances are some premier league team would see value in him though. He’s played in the league consistently since the days before Man City had won a single title. That pedigree would not be without admirers

Should’ve kept Shelvey until the summer. If Howe’s any good at management he can explain that the club won’t hold up his dream move to Nott’s Forest in the summer and if they want him desperately we’ll still let him leave for no money even with a year left on his contract. So as far as I can see Shelvey going has nothing to do with FFP or preventing us buying players in the summer because of high wages. Also, Shelvey in the team last year had us achieving a points per game return that was top 4 level. It’s no answer to say Anderson is still here when Eddie won’t trust him to play CM at all

I just don’t think this whole “we’re keeping our power dry for the summer” argument really cuts it. There’s clearly time and place for buying players to get you through a short-term problem, Chris Wood is recent successful proof of that, arguably Targett and Burn also. There’s no guarantee a long term target will come to us in the summer. And the idea the owners have a master plan for advancing to champions league and staying there in future is tantamount to saying they can accurately predict the future performance of other teams and so know that, even if Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs and Brighton improve, because of a few commercial contracts signed we’ll be sustainably better than those sides on the pitch. There can be no such guarantee! A January disappointment

I think this Shelvey talk is missing the point a little. No-one’s saying he’s a world-beater, but: 1) if Shelvey gets minutes, it means Longstaff/Joe/Jo are fresher and so can perform better when they’re on the pitch, 2) teams sitting back against us would play to Shelvey’s strengths, as he’d get more time on the ball to ping into midfield and so Joelinton/Longstaff could concentrate more on getting forward and not leaving Isak & Maxi isolated, 3) yesterday Shelvey put a ball in for Forest on a six-pence that should’ve resulted in a goal. It was similar to Longstaff’s cross for Wilson that Isak finished against Fulham. We could definitely use a deeper-pinged cross as a variety to our attacking crosses, as we most often tend to get to byeline and Trippier floats it or Almiron on his baby-right foot slides a slow pass across the ground and falls over. I’m certain we’d be stronger with Shelvey and Eddie seems to hold the same view

The real question you’re asking here is this: “Is Eddie Howe able to coach a side to consistently beat the poorest teams in the league?” The answer is emphatically yes. No need for a tin hat for you. But if you question whether Howe can turn draws against Leeds, Wham, Bournemouth etc into wins just look at last season.

If you liked Eddie’s reception, you’d have loved Fraser’s!! ”You know what you are, you know what you arrrrrrre, Ryan Fraser, you know what you are!” And “He plays on the left, he plays on the riiight, (insert name of Bournemouth player) makes Fraser look sh1te!” ”We want Fraser on, we want Fraser on!” also their P.A when announcing our team pre-match went through the subs out of order, deliberately leaving Fraser last so that the crowd could settle into a good boo of him. Was class to be fair! @WillDanceForChocolate Jefferson Lerma had very little English apparently so didn’t get anything out of him. Keiffer Moore, Lerma, Solanke all seemed very nice though!

I think this lad is the best one-on-one defender I’ve seen since Ashley Cole. Just unreal in duels

I watched him a lot today and his role in this team is so difficult. He’s basically being asked to play like a target man, he has to stay high and wide left with Willock upfront so in line with him and Burn miles away in the back 3. It means he receives the ball back to goal with a full back tight on him as the opposition have ages to read the pass coming (having pressed us out of a right-side possession). I think we saw him play better under Bruce as he picked the ball up deeper and ran at defenders, rather than receiving the ball back to goal and having to hold off the defender, turn them beat his man, with no-one to pass to. I think this is one area where Howe’s tactics can be questioned. Maxi should be allowed to drop deep and get the ball on the half turn from Joelinton/Longstaff before progressing it on the dribble.

It was a lovely stadium reaction to Howe, and Tindall who left the stadium on foot out the front door and signed loads of autographs. We played really poorly. We’re a bit like England at the EUROs in style in that we’re solid and competitive in midfield but we don’t have the technical quality and control of Italy’s midfielders where we can progress the ball upfield through the midfielders. We always have to go round the side through the full back or play a channel ball. Someone like Jorginho at DM would’ve massively improve us in the short term. Burn’s 3rd centre back role means it’s so hard for Maxi compared to Almiron. Maxi always receives the ball from the 30/40 yard pass on the deck fizzed into him, with his marker close buy and he’s back to goal. Almiron gets nice short passes from Trippier’s with Longstaff an option nearby. So you can’t really compare the output of the two players as the system is completely different for them both. We really need the LCM (Willock today, Gordon nominally after, though he played as a 10) to get much closer to Maxi when he’s going to receive the ball. Just my perspective that it’s not his fault he isn’t creating much or contributing much as the system’s letting him down badly

Yeah teams seem to have worked out that you can’t play traditional crosses against us, I.E above head height for players to attack on the penalty spot as our giants win the first contact. So they’re going for low shoulder-height crosses to win the near post flick and it’s working time and again against us.

Jonjo Shelvey was taken to Forest because Steve Cooper loves the was Shelvey: “doesn’t want to coast through games!” Mwahahhahaha ridiculous https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/feb/10/jonjo-shelvey-leaving-newcastle-was-hard-but-i-cant-say-i-regret-it

Byker? I always thought that was a fictional place but I’m from Cardiff so what do I know?

No way does Bruce risk a slow player allowing his pies to go cold. He has the pies with him; the player sprints to fetch the ketchup

Think Agent Mitro’s well and truly blown his cover! edit: spelling

I’m in the Bournemouth box for this one. Apparently we get an interview with a player after the game. Hopefully I’m asking them how it felt to chase shadows on the way to getting tonked 4-0!

Surely Robotman? He doesn’t seem feminine at all to me! Or is that just you reflecting the fact you’d love a cuddle of him?

I don’t care just win. Even if it’s cause Rashford misses the decisive penalty. Just win!!!

Home (Bristol). Because, I’d rather win in Bristol than lose amongst Manure fans in London. A manure supporting mate asked me if he got 2 tickets would I want to go with him. The thought of being in the red zone if we lost, no thanks can’t face that!