Milburn

They’re not. Top clubs look for adaptability, tactical flexibility, elite in-game management and evolution over time. Howe looks increasingly like a manager completely wedded to one system, one type of player, and one way of playing.

I want us to win as well, mainly because we badly need some positivity heading into the summer. In my eyes, Eddie Howe is a dead man walking anyway because: a) the football has been figured out. The game has moved on, while Eddie still feels stuck on the platform with the same rigid ideas. b) history tells us there are very few examples of managers turning a genuinely poor league season into something completely different the following year. c) even Howe’s own Bournemouth spell showed that once things started going wrong, he struggled to pull it back, and so far he hasn’t shown in Newcastle that he can break out of these spirals either. I honestly think he’ll be gone before Christmas regardless. But it would still be completely toxic to head into the summer without at least some illusion that next season might work out. That illusion disappears pretty quickly if we finish with another home defeat, especially against a weak West Ham side. Fingers crossed.

So Burn and Schar starting next season then.

What makes this one interesting is that West Ham actually have to come and attack the game. Most teams lately have just sat compact, waited for transitions and comfortably nullified our extremely predictable one-trick-pony football. The vast majority of teams have clearly figured us out by now, while Eddie Howe stubbornly watches on from the sidelines like changing anything would violate the laws of physics. Even the substitutions around the 60th minute are just predictable like-for-like changes. So it’ll be interesting to see whether a more open game finally suits us again, or whether even that won’t matter anymore. Regardless of the result, Kieran Trippier deserves a proper send-off. Our most important player of the new era.

Rationally, no. It’s obviously nowhere near as hopeless or toxic as the Ashley/Bruce era. That was genuine stagnation and decay. But emotionally? This is probably the lowest I’ve felt since then, because for the first time since the takeover I genuinely don’t believe in the direction under the current manager anymore.

I haven’t felt this down about the club since the Ashley / Steve Bruce days. I’ve lost faith in Eddie Howe. The bizarre team selections, the rigid tactics, the constant leads thrown away… it just feels like the same problems repeating over and over with no real sign of change. Personally, I’d be surprised if he’s still here by Christmas. Regardless of all that, have to back the team and the manager while he’s here.

Exactly. And that’s why these cycles are so hard to reverse once they set in. It’s not just form, it’s the message, the energy, the belief, all starting to fade at the same time. That’s also why “credit in the bank” is such a dangerous argument. It doesn’t really apply when the underlying trend is going the wrong way. You can hope he turns it around, but history suggests that once it gets to this point, it’s incredibly difficult to pull it back. If you look at Howe’s time at Bournemouth, he didn’t manage to turn it around there once things started to slide either. In a somewhat similar position are Liverpool, who also look set to stick with Arne Slot. I’m not seeing any real signs that either Newcastle or Liverpool are about to reverse that trend under their current managers. It wouldn’t surprise me if both clubs quickly end up regretting those decisions.

I think that comparison is a bit off, to be honest. Comparing Howe to Jürgen Klopp doesn’t really hold. Klopp is on a completely different level as a manager. And even Klopp evolved. That “heavy metal football” got more controlled and adaptable over time, and more importantly, Liverpool built a proper structure around him. Recruitment wasn’t just “give Klopp what he wants”, it was data-driven and club-led. That’s the key difference. It wasn’t just about backing a manager with one style. It was about evolving both the team and the structure. Right now, we’re not really seeing that same evolution. I’m actually looking forward to the summer as it’ll be the first real test of whether there’s been any learning from what’s happened.

Either Burn starts, or he’s replaced by a very similar profile, which kind of says it all. To me, Howe is a bit of a one-trick pony. Whether it’s inability or unwillingness to adapt (or a combination), it’s the same approach over and over again. A team built on ageing athletes is always going to fall behind the younger, more technical sides at the top. But beyond that, our style has been figured out. Most teams we face now know exactly how to nullify us. The surprise factor is long gone. That’s why this summer is so important. Do we finally see a shift where recruitment is driven by the club with a clear identity, or do we end up chasing more of the same profiles? The pessimist in me thinks it’ll be the latter. Howe’s nephew tasked with finding the next Dan Burn or Joelinton. It honestly feels like our Kodak moment. Sticking with what once worked while the game moves on around us.

There aren’t many players in this squad I’d genuinely be sad to see go. Maybe Miley, Bruno and Hall, but that’s about it. That said, I struggle to see anyone paying the money we want for Livramento. He’s been too injury-prone. My money is on him signing a new contract.

If true, it's a disappointing decision in my opinion. Howe has shown clear weaknesses tactically, in how he uses and utilises certain types of technical player - just look at Germany’s number 9 sitting on the bench - and, above all, the team has been on a downward trajectory for the past 13 months. There have been far more poor performances than good ones. But if the club has made its call, there’s not much value in fighting it. We back the team, we back the manager, and hope he proves the doubters wrong next season. First test being whether players such as Dan Burn is still starting on opening day I guess.

Good first half, credit where it’s due. Should’ve been at least three up at the break Second half though… same old. We sit back, lose control in large spells, and hope for the best. On another day Brighton score one or two more and we’re all having a very different conversation. Result is great but performance still full of the same cracks. But for now, enjoy the win!

65th minute subs coming up

The bigger picture isn’t just where we were, it’s where we’re heading. And that’s the concern. But today, we can at least put that aside and enjoy what looks like a win.

Congrats on basing your entire opinion on one half of football. Some people will stick to the bigger picture.

Fair play. Credit where it’s due. Big response so far, much sharper and actually looking like a team. Brighton will probably tighten up second half, so a third goal is massive. More of the same please.

So apparently that Arsenal performance was positive enough to just run it back. Same 4-3-3, same core of players. The only change is Joelinton coming in. That’s the “response”. Losing 1–0 to a nervy Arsenal side and creating very little, and the takeaway is “more of the same”?

That’s exactly it. I don’t think many want him gone. Most people would love nothing more than for him to turn it around. But, as you say, hoping and believing are two very different things. Right now we’re stuck in the same predictable 4-3-3, the same like-for-like subs, and some pretty poor in-game management. Finishing the season with momentum is absolutely crucial after a disappointing league campaign, but there’s zero sign of that happening. I genuinely can’t see us getting anything from a flying Brighton unless he actually tries something different.

Brighton are everything we are not at the moment. My money is on a 4-3-3, Burn and Trippier as starting full-backs and another home loss.

I think we “adapt” in a very limited way. It’s mostly tweaks within the same structure rather than genuine changes to shape or approach. The overall pattern stays the same, regardless of how the game is going. Just look at how Iraola kept tweaking things throughout the game last week. Howe isn’t even close.

The problem is when those principles turn into rigidity. You’ll struggle to find top managers who don’t adapt when things clearly aren’t working. It feels like we’re locked into the same 4-3-3 every week, with like-for-like subs around the 65th minute regardless of the game state. That’s not philosophy but inflexibility. His in-game management have become woeful.

Has to go. He is just not good enough. It’s a good thing the season stops at 38 games. Give it a few more and we’d genuinely be in a relegation fight.

We’re still in this. Arsenal are clearly out of form as well.

Watching Brighton tear Chelsea apart… That’s another team we’re going to seriously struggle against in our next home match. High intensity, movement, clear structure.

I believe no one is denying what Howe has achieved. It’s been a huge turnaround. But I think that argument focuses a bit too much on the headline achievements and not enough on what we’re actually seeing week to week. It’s not just “one below-par season”. it’s the performances, the recurring issues, the dropped points from winning positions, and the lack of visible improvement over a longer period. And he’s spent lots of money. We’re one of the biggest spenders in the league during his periode here. You can list semi-finals and last 16 runs, but at the same time we’re 14th, conceding soft goals regularly, and losing games we shouldn’t. This isn’t about forgetting what he’s done. It’s about whether we’re still moving forward or starting to go backwards.