Andy

We're drawing games that we would lose under Bruce, unfortunately that's not enough of an improvement.

I think Joelinton is fine in that position too, if he can maintain current performance levels. He's breaking up play as well as anyone outside of the top 6 tbh, it's not even a meme anymore.

He's absolutely shocking, like. Find it hard to believe that we don't even have someone in the academy who could do a better job. Constantly loses the ball and his lack of pace pulls the defensive line back ten yards. Isn't even particularly good in the air to make up for it. Sometimes looks okay against forwards who are equally immobile, that's about the extent of his game.

Joelinton was indeed very good again, but I wish chances would stop falling his way like

It is concerning if he hasn't identified the midfield as our biggest weakness, like. I'm not sure if that's actually the case or not though, we'll find out in the next couple of weeks. For all we know there could be unreported work going on behind the scenes to strengthen up in there. I have an uneasy feeling that he rates Shelvey in particular a lot higher than any of us in here. I'm not convinced he'll be replaced any time soon.

For all that Howe hasn't started well, I'm not having that we'd be better off under Bruce like we're in this mess because of him, his luck had clearly run out this year.

Difficult to form an opinion after one match but first impressions weren't great. Battled hard enough but thought his movement was poor and he didn't really give their defence anything to worry about

Trying not to be too knee jerk, but he certainly didn't cover himself in glory today. It was clear shortly after we scored that he needed to freshen it up but he waited too long and allowed them to gain momentum. Defended him last week on the basis that he didn't have a striker on the pitch, he's got the one he wanted now, so it's time to start delivering results. The game management in the last twenty minutes was Bruce-esque, unfortunately.

He's the absolute antithesis of what you want from a captain in this situation, complete opposite of a calming presence.

Can't wait to see the back of Lascelles like, easily one of the worst starting defenders in the league.

Performance is absolutely irrelevant, just need to find a goal. Had a few half decent chances but the confidence is just non existent.

Willock has been shite all season, manager is irrelevant on that one.

Looks like the kind of player who is capable of making his own chances though through directness and pace, which often makes up for natural finishing anyway.

I doubt it will be the only choice, pretty much everyone credible is reporting that we're still in the market for another striker.

Calm down man. If we're struggling to attract quality players into a relegation scrap, it'll be twice as difficult for Burnley. They aren't exactly an attractive proposition to begin with. Given their debt, I'd be surprised if they even reinvest the money into players.

Can't help but feel like the only acceptable answer to that would be "already on that train"

Mad that we're paying 20 million for him and he's getting the train up like

Better than 1 in 2 record in Germany like. €50m is probably about right for a 25 year old striker with that kind of record in the current market tbh, especially given his form this season.

Underwhelming but let's give him a chance eh. May turn out to be a shrewd signing if we can get some crosses into the box (Trippier) and if we can maybe get him a partner with a bit of pace.

Looks raw, direct and exciting, would be happy to bring him in alongside a more established striker. Would be a lot of pressure on him, but he might be young and confident enough for our circumstances to not really phase him.

You can't really compare stats from the first 8 games under Bruce, to the 8 games Howe has managed which include Arsenal, City, Liverpool, Man Utd and Leicester like, especially taking into account the fact that he took over a team on a downward trajectory who were unfit and bereft of confidence heading into this run. Howe has a lot to prove, but as of yet hasn't really had a chance. Saturday was the first real blotch, but even then we were still hamstrung by the lack of investment in strikers in the Bruce era.

Hope that's bollocks about the wage structure like. If our current crop of shite want parity with the new signings, start performing to a level where the board have any desire whatsoever to keep you.

It's completely acceptable to have concerns and people shouldn't be shot down for voicing them tbh. Patience is important but if we don't have a striker in by the end of this week we'll be in a pretty bleak position for the Watford game. January window is notoriously difficult but we need to buck the trend and start getting things done this week. Money talks and in theory we have a lot of it, it's time to start showing it.

Wouldn't be averse to signing Wood as long as another striker comes in with him, maybe someone young and more unproven of Barbossa's ilk, who wouldn't then have all the pressure of being the only fit striker at the club.

it's not entirely untrue, either, to say we did play "okay" for a good chunk of the game, we were just toothless and went into panic mode towards the end. If we'd taken our chances it could easily have been been 4-1, 5-1, and we're calling it a job done. Of course, it does sound daft when you've just lost against a side from the lower leagues. But the problem IMO is less the performance itself and more the bluntness up front, which is only going to be solved by adding new players. If you have a squad full of players who are scared of scoring, it doesn't matter what league your opposition are from.