nufc4eva

Yeah I loved how I wasn't as worried about us losing once 1 up never mind 2 and always in the game, now it feels inevitable and depends which Newcastle turn up. On Sunday after about 30 mins I feared the worst. Getting back to those basics at very least turns losses into draws and at best gives us a foundation which seems to have eroded. Whether players aren't capable/games played/funny league this year or it's the tactics/formation/lack of in game management im not sure but has to change ideally before end of season and then try to strengthen. Would love to be positive about Eddie being the man for the job but there's big concerns, the way we approach games, lack of confidence and identity is stark compared to previous seasons.

Promising if extending our reach and trying to get these players early, hopefully can unearth a few gems for the squad/first team this summer. Really need 6-8 squad players with 4 a first team upgrade and could do with a few younger players capable of stepping in. If we start next season with Burn, Trippier, Pope starting we failed miserably.

🤣🤣 I think there's something in back to basics and be solid defending and structure before defenders man marking on halfway line. We are just a bit shit, hopefully it can be sorted. I have my concerns about how Howe has handled it, tactics etc but just want season over and see where it goes next year. Just hope we put in good performances for the fans for next 7 games, and should really be winning 4-5 of them. Be good if we got to celebrate battering a team at least once

Ignore that we had actually conceded 11 more at same stage last time were in champions league but had also scored 20 more goals.

Strangely compared with same time last season we have only conceded 5 more goals which has felt like more. Have scored 16 goals less though. We were 3rd in league. Season before that we had only conceded 26 as same stage. We leak more goals now and can't score as many. Do think Howe should take a more cautious approach given we can't score goals so keep it tight but we seem to press high.

Yeah it's been terrible. I also think if Tonali and Bruno are back he should adapt to a proper 4231 with Ramsey in the attacking mid place, Gordon, Elanga wide and Wolte up front rather than shoehorn a striker into midfield 3 because you won't adapt formation to players available or claim it is a 4231 which it hasn't been. Been saying this a while but not many teams go 433 like us, think Arsenal only ones that do it regularly. A 4231 with deeper kids may actually work and consider how we press and squeeze as a team lower down pitch rather than too high up which is fucking us.

He's not above criticism and his bosses will demand more and should rightly. Be interesting to see how palace game goes as that can be tricky, we walloped them last year at same time 5-1 I think, a good win would go someway to seeing improvement. A defeat and could get messy

This is it for me if could see him trying something different would back it and understand, he just hasn't. It's more than formation the tactics just look all over the shop and in game management to stop inevitable defeat isn't there.

That's a fair point about longevity, I just worry Howe is too stubborn, rigid in approach and doesn't seem to know how to fix the problems or adapt the style or implement his system to manage games better. This season we have limped along barely looking convincing while shoe horning Wolte in midfield, Playing Trippier a ridiculous amount when everyone can see he can't play at this level anymore, taking so long to drop Pope (I know we have still been conceding goals but Popes mistakes were often and horrific), playing high man marking where we just end up cut open, gaps between defence and mid giving opposition miles of space, rigid hugging wings for Barnes/Murphy/Elanga, Chaotic pressing, 2nd half lack of any energy (burned up in first 20.mins)

Sounds exactly what we need and it's fair to be asking questions of Howe and saying 12th simply isn't good enough. Also the bit about making players fit the system feels spot on rather than adapting system to the players. Howe has been very rigid in his ideal setup even when clearly we don't have the players to fit it. Good if we are looking abroad as well and find some gems even if need to sell a few purples. Just needs a proper shakeup. If we want to be the top club then hierarchy have to be ruthless operators, no room for sentiment even with Howe and he needs to adapt or he's no longer the right fit and the need for training ground time, energy draining style just isn't sustainable to be at the top

I don't think he's checked out, think it's disruption through injury plus symptom of how team as a whole have been. Would actually like to see how our whole defence play if rest in front of it are functioning and not giving ball away every 2 seconds, that's why we are always under pressure alongside risky high pressing /man marking from defenders. Mind I never like to see a full back back off into our box and he is doing that regular similar to Trips

Can't attract them and can't afford some of them as well, would rather we operate under the radar a bit and just be smart with our selling of players. If some have to go fair enough as long as squad and team as a whole evolves. It's a difficult one as we did in the summer go for players that would have moved us forward but big teams all swooped in, we need to take a chance on younger, less developed but with attributes to increase resale / their output. At the moment I just want a team that doesn't just collapse and can play something resembling good football. I think a few technical players alongside a bit more aggressive types changes our game. We need an absolute menace up front that can drag defenders where they don't want to be, Gordon has done that a bit but due to having absolutely shit wingers and attacking mid type players we can't use that consistently. We have already seen with Hall and Ramsey their technical abilities and need a bit of that on wings instead of inability to dribble, retain ball or good passing. It's all a bit kick and rush up front

It's probably getting into the last season we get decent money for him and big Joe so may have to sell them. Tonali etc will have high resale next few years still at least. Depends who pushes to go as could see Tonali wanting out now.

If we can't get a top forward I think we need to target someone that's aggressive and a real handful up front as well as a more technical wise player/attacking mid to reinvent ourselves. Someone that can just occupy and almost bully defenders as we don't have that. Was impressed by how Brobbey did that the other day even if he's not a top goalscorer he caused problems and that opened it up for others. Ideally would be a top striker but unlikely to find another Isak easily. Alongside that I think a DM or midfielder that's going to cover that back 4 more, 2 fullback cover, a keeper and centre half are needed. Think we may need to sell a Livra, Gordon, Bruno or Tonali to fund a good rebuild and not against it if reinvested properly.

There's games where you really have to turn up and today's was one of those and they barely bothered. Yes lot of games but do think we could have rotated more through the season and hardly easing off for a lot of the players as they will be away with international teams. They need to learn to cope with it as if want to play at the top there's a lot of games. I think Howe has had chances to blood the likes of Neave and Shahar or look more at younger players to help with rotation and he just doesn't. I think in the future and with revenue and Squad cost challenges we need to be willing to bring them through and they probably wouldn't have been any worse than what was out there today. I think for me Howes ability to develop the squad/evolve, improve tactical play, bring through young players and develop us as a top team are in doubt. I genuinely don't believe he can do it and I don't know what the alternative is but we have gone backwards so much in last 2 seasons really and needs a overhaul and different thinking. They as a team couldn't deliver against a team that were shit and haven't invested anywhere near what we have and have been thrown together at beginning of season compared to us where they have all played together last few seasons mostly.

Fuck off man with ya petty insults. Open ya eyes or just blindly accept it all. I think it's fair game for anyone to have opinions and those are mine. We could all see how that game was going today, Howe didnt

He's effective in a counter attacking side, but no good back to goal, dribbling at people, making simple passes or having any aggression at all. Need to get rid as he's just not a good fit for where we need to be

I think Obertan was better

Everyone has injuries, Pope played a ton of games, Burn as well as has Trips and Murphy. None have looked convincing and then he signed 3 attackers that he barely trusts in Wissa, Woltemade and Elanga. The whole setup doesn't work either, instead of adjusting out of a 4321 he throws Wolte as a centre mid. Make it make sense, stubborn about his formation and style. Have you noticed how our players seem to be constantly under pressure when receive the ball, that's shape and movement and instructions being given to players like Elanga/Barnes to be static and up and down rather than more fluid play. It's a rigid, boring and ineffective system and often leaves centre of pitch exposed or where we push high marking, lose ball and other team have achres behind our midfield and all the width they want. Howes style just doesn't work regularly enough and that's for him to reflect on and sort

We don't play the style to use technical players and Howe doesn't know how to change his system to do that. Needs huge performance in next 7 days or will lose more of the fans. I'm just not seeing an elite manager or anywhere close right now. It all looks pathetic

Bare minimum squad, have you seen the investment and money blown compared to teams around us right now. He could have shaped it all different and didn't. He genuinely thought it's ok still having Murphy, Trippier, Pope, Burn and that attack would work. We are fucking terrible to watch, no cohesion at all in our play and just overly relies on being fast and breaking through while being shit at it most the time. Also doesn't know when to sit and soak up pressure or to keep it fucking simple. I loved the style of play he brought in and now none of it is there, we are pretty shit at pressing, suicidal man marking that barely works, no calm build up play other than side to side, set pieces worse than ever. The list goes on and im honestly not sure he knows how to sort it. Yes been different in Champs league, hardly convincing in fa cup or league cup. Needs a refresh with good scouting, evolving the play and tactics and not just spunking a load of money on someone to just be fast or athletic. Actual technical players as that would help Tonali/Ramsey/Hall most. Must be so frustrating for them playing balls to our 3 in front that run it out of play, can't pass a ball or no skill to do things differently

https://x.com/i/status/2035721146948092025

Is it though, can you sum up this whole season? Banged out of cups, 7 games left and 12th and lost twice to our rivals looking absolutely clueless for majority of the season and no idea how to sort it, concede too many goals, suicidal football and inept up front. Howes team at end of the day, Howes tactics, Howes Formation all of it looks weak and pathetic

No aggression, no tactics, no clue, awful technical play and absolutely fuck all patterns to our game. They are just having a go, Bruce ball

Howe hanging on to players past their sell buy date, buying shite, tactically shit fuck right off absolutely fucking trash. Won't play youngsters, bought players that sent us backwards and still thinks old guard are good enough and then wastes money on Elanga, Wissa and Woltemade. Season fucking finished so those cup runs mean fuck all. I will remember just how we managed to get beat twice by these cunts, inept away and home performances. The whole lot of them are fucking losers