KaKa

4 minutes ago, Slim said:

Most games comes down to if the team score tbh.

Not if the other team is good enough to respond, which I'm not sure this Man Utd team would if Southampton get on top.

1 minute ago, Stifler said:

If Southampton score 1st here, I think Man Utd will be fucked.

Agreed.

This game is going to come down to whether Southampton take their chances.

11 minutes ago, splinter said:

Sporting  director role overated IMO, Ferguson never had one or mourinho .Howe made good signings without one before Ashworth came.sonetimes the old ways are the best, get out and watch players and not from behind. Computer. 

What century do you think this is? 

5 minutes ago, Ben said:

That Man U team looks shit 

While they spent £60 million on a fourth choice centre back.

3 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

Worried about how solid they are defensively. Eddies Mag's only managed one shot on target and 22% possession against them at home so they must be some side. 

I wish you all the shots and possession in the world man. And yet another early season loss.

With De Ligt hopefully continuing his impressive Maguire impression.

2 minutes ago, Kanji said:

kaka, I love your passion and love your takes on footie talent. But we are fundamentally different on this topic. I was excited about Mitchell’s arrival and his pedigree but he is never in a million years going to supersede the work Howe has done here. Maybe I’m old fashioned but I’m a manager and players guy first. Suits very very last. 

I can accept our difference of opinion on this.

I don't think the all conquering manager setup works nowadays, and having Howe involved in so many things will ultimately take away from the club's progress.

I think if Howe can just relax and at least give things a chance he'll ultimately benefit from it and be an even better manager.

Just now, Kanji said:

I really don’t know what a sporting director who’s failed to sign a CB from palace and it have gone so publicly bad has done to give you the need to defend him so passionately when the manager who was instrumental in bringing us our top end talent is now being told by the likes of you to focus on coaching again. You can’t be serious. 

Maybe you should look into the work he's done elsewhere then.

Besides, I don't care who the sporting director is. Whoever has that position is in there to do a job.

You can't just have the manager doing what he wants because he has been successful previously, if that is not his remit.

Everyone needs to play their position, simple as that.

Man Utd central midfield is Mainoo and Eriksen.

Yikes ...

Just now, Kanji said:

Howe has earned the chance to do what he pleases and say what he wants. Whether measured or not. suggesting otherwise is absolutely poor form.  

I disagree completely I'm afraid. This is how problems start.

This kind of thinking is likely what got Amanda and Mehrdad out of the club.

Everyone has their role and responsibilities to fulfil, and should carry those out, as well as respect others positions too.

1 minute ago, andycap said:

I fancy Southampton for there first league victory today lads. 😂 

They've been quite competitive in their games.

What's killed them is the daft goals they give away playing out from the back 

They're definitely awkward enough to upset Man Utd at their place.

6 hours ago, Chinese Fans said:

Compared to Eddie Howe, Mitchell's emotional intelligence is so low. I even have reason to suspect that Mitchell and Howe cannot work closely together.

5 hours ago, Chinese Fans said:

I just have a strong feeling. In Mitchell's interview, there were differing opinions about Eddie Howe and the club system, which could be a voice of disunity. But Eddie Howe always emphasizes the unity of the club in every interview.

Eddie's interview just after Mitchell arrived, and prior to them even sitting down to fully discuss things, invited all of this speculation and drama in the first place.

It was a terrible move. And I'm sure Mitchell did not appreciate having to deal with that right off the bat, prior to having even done an interview at the club himself, or having even spoken to Howe properly.

Not very emotionally intelligent at all, actually.

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

The media want Howe for the England job. It’s all fake news. 

Oh my God ...

Keep forgetting about this.

I bet this is what is behind all this. Might even be the FA trying to rock the boat behind the scenes as well.

5 minutes ago, Kanji said:

Eales and Mitchell can fuck right off. Literally this is the most STUPID thing the club could have done. We are early doors in this season and they have created a problem for absolutely no reason at all. 

Eddie's interview before even sitting down with Mitchell, started all this drama to be fair.

9 minutes ago, Memphis said:

This shit-stirring is getting seriously weird now. As ever, people are talking past each other rather than to each other. 

 

FACT: Paul Mitchell doesn't think the existing scouting setup was "fit for purpose".

FACT: Paul Mitchell was hired to overhaul the system, with his job considered "90% about recruitment".

FACT: Within the existing scouting system, Eddie Howe - aided by Nickson, Ashworth, et al - made several astute signings.

FACT: Eddie Howe has said he understands and supports the idea of reshaping the scouting system and signing internationally.

FACT: As a club, we have to modify our existing way of recruiting because PSR/FFP is restricting our potential outflow of cash.

FACT: Paul Mitchell has praised Eddie Howe's coaching and has spoken that they're forging a working relationship.

 

All of those things are objectively true. Mitchell can call for an overhaul of the scouting system without shitting all over the previous signings. Howe can rightly be proud of his role in the signings while also understanding that the system was not good enough or able to identify a wide enough variety of players.  What people are doing is conflating all these things - saying that Mitchell calling the previous system "not fit for purpose" means that he thinks all those signings were also not fit for purpose. That's incorrect. And by the same logic - Howe defending his signings means that he's criticizing Mitchell's new approach. Again, not necessarily true.

 

Nature abhors a vacuum, as the saying goes. When Mitchell delivers his interview on the first Monday of a two-week layoff, people have got to fill their column inches with something in that interim period. Level-headed, reasoned analysis doesn't sell papers.

You tell em Rafa! 

Maybe the guy that brought him in knows what he's doing!

19 minutes ago, timeEd32 said:

You're ignoring reports that Eddie was very supportive of moving in this direction:

 

Howe has pushed the club to modernise and become more scientific in their recruitment processes, which is part of the reason a sporting director with Mitchell’s profile was sought.

 

One of the criticisms levelled at Howe by some supporters — and rejected by the head coach — is that he prefers Premier League additions. Howe would contest that Newcastle’s recruitment team hold far greater data and analysis of domestic and European targets than of those from further afield and that he would acquire more players from elsewhere if similar levels of information were available to him.

 

I really think the main driver of Howe's Germany interview was Bunce. He may have been unhappy about how Staveley left or the manner in which Mitchell was appointed, but there's no reason to think he's anti-DoF. He knew this was happening even if it didn't play out exactly as he would have wanted. But he has said many times, including again today, that training sessions are the highlight of coaching for him. Having a performance director - someone who would have input on how training is run - brought in without his say would have been a major red flag to Eddie. The fact this appears to be going well is huge.

 

That's not to say he hasn't had or continues to have some issues with Mitchell, but it definitely seems likely that it's being blown out of proportion. 

Yes, I agree that this is being blown out of proportion.

However, with these articles from Hope the discussion has just developed regarding the importance of the DOF role.

All I'm simply stating is that IF there are issues with that at any point, I'm not really in favour of any manager that can't work within that setup.

10 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Classic KaKa, I didn't say 'NONE' of it was rumoured, I said you have theories that haven't even been rumoured let alone reported. 

 

These bits in bold are your theories

 

 

 

Ah, well yes, that is me speculating on their thinking based on what was reported, as that is all we have to go on.

Nickson had a lot of support internally apparently, and would have been best placed to work with Howe in the manner he wanted.

Instead, despite him being considered, he wasn't appointed, and they brought in someone else without consulting Howe allegedly.

Then you have the CEO and the new DOF speaking about Howe not being as involved in other areas and focusing on his managerial/coaching role.

I don't get the impression any issues behind the scenes going forward will see them decide to move Eales and Mitchell to accommodate Howe with a Nickson appointment at DOF.

6 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

You now have theories about what's happening that haven't even been rumoured let alone reported? What have you done with the real KaKa? Respond with 2 lol emojis if you're in trouble. 

 

 

None of that was even rumoured?

One factor in the equation is that his period at Newcastle has not been entirely smooth behind the scenes, with moments of friction coming from Eddie Howe’s already-established authority, a blurring of responsibilities, plus managing the high expectations of owners in Saudi Arabia’s PIF, although Ashworth strengthened relations with chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan during the trip to Riyadh at the start of this year.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5275694/2024/02/15/why-manchester-united-want-dan-ashworth/

Toon talent spotter set for promotion in wake of Dan Ashworth's exit, new stadium plans suffer a blow... and former winger misses out on academy role

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13146825/NEWCASTLE-NOTEBOOK-Toon-talent-spotter-set-promotion-wake-Dan-Ashworths-exit-new-stadium-plans-suffer-blow-former-winger-misses-academy-role.html

11 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

I mean it was only a matter of days ago you were laughing at anyone suggesting there was any issue at all. Now, if there is an issue you're choosing Mitchell over Howe?

 

Genuine question, if Howe had the gravitas of Pep, Klopp, even Emery or Arteta, is that still your answer? At what point does Howe prove himself as being more important than this specific DoF?

I'm still not certain how much of an issue there really is.

It's the international break, and hypotheticals are being discussed with every new doomsday article from 'Hope'.

IF there is an issue I'm just not really wanting a manager that doesn't seem to want to work with a DOF, again, IF Hope's speil is accurate.

It's not about backing Mitchell specifically. It's about wanting a DOF and structure that gives us a better chance of success IMO.

Just now, Kid Icarus said:

 

Ashworth snaked off to Man United, that was hardly Howe's fault, and even then our signings were very good. What if Nickson became DoF and essentially moulded our scouting around the playing style that Howe and him have already established?

When Ashworth left there were reports he was being marginalised by Howe. Easy to dismiss at the time because Ashworth was a snake, but looks like that was indeed an issue that may have even influenced Ashworth's move.

After Ashworth left, there was talk of Nickson getting promoted to DOF, but it didn't happen. And so someone higher up didn't seem to want that, and opted for someone of a higher calibre.

That decision probably means they are not prioritising Howe over everyone else. It was also reported Howe wasn't consulted in the hiring of the new DOF, which seemed to get his back up, hence the interview shortly after Mitchell came in.

7 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

I'm pretty confident that if it did come down to it, you and whoever else who would prefer to opt for Mitchell over Howe would be in an extreme minority. 

Well I think that minority would include PIF.

They have hired two top DOFs now and clearly want a really good one in place.

Don't think they'll keep putting up with the manager falling out with them.

2 minutes ago, LFEE said:

Although I’m far from subscribing that Mitchell won’t do a good job here. Let’s be straight. EH is THE most important person at the club. Have no doubts about that.

Yeah, he has been, but for me personally, not wanting to work in this structure is a deal breaker.

I can't see any real future success without it.

52 minutes ago, gbandit said:

If there’s an issue of trust and it’s not going to work then Mitchell can fuck off.

Really?! So Ashworth out, then Mitchell too?

And so I presume Howe would be DOF and manager then? Or we do without a DOF?!

No thanks!

33 minutes ago, Jack27 said:

Gone back and looked at where the fit for purpose stuff is coming from and on the face of it, Mitchell seems absolutely right. 
 

Mentions our lack of sales too, something that is clearly going to continue holding us back if we don’t get better at it

Exactly! He was bang on regarding our recruitment.

42 minutes ago, 54 said:

In regards to Bunce, as the above comes across as there is a bit of agro between Bunce and Howe. In his presser today, in Eddie terms Howe absolutely raved about Bunce today. His exact words where:

 

"James is working really well I have to say, I think he has been hugely impressive since he has come in, hes very passionate, hard working, involved from the very start planning phase of training, to the execution, he gives us really detailed analysis afterwards as well, so I think he's been a really good addition to the team, its been very positive."

 

Hope going to no Hope as standard in that article.

That's awesome man.

Very glad to hear that 

Genuinely think if Howe is bought in it is only going to make him a better manager.

Really encouraging.