Heron

FWIW I think he'd be excellent for that role. Want to keep him though, he's wors.

I could see the arguments for why it was done but I did think to myself today what negative impact this may have had. For me Bruno leads through his ability and quality of performance but if he isn't playing well what does he lead with. Trippier was quite clearly organising and talking lots at full back. I generally think it's better to have deeper lying players as captain anyways such as defenders (but I am biased).

He cannot carry the can as the root cause but he absolutely could be a contributory factor. I think even from Howes interviews where he has played it perfect politically, players that have been signed may have been put out by that, as the scouring and coaching team may have done too. Mind, my hope would be that this would give them all fire in their belly to disprove that statement.

I think the club have made mistkaes from the top down more than the other way around and hence why the root cause of my concern lies less with Eddie Howe and more with the way the club has operated. None of the performances have been good to date this season though for a whole host of reasons, it seems. Individual mistakes, wrong formation (1st half today), players being touted about pre season.

It's all about perspective. We have come sk far in such a short spell of time albeit in an unusual fashion by finishing higher then lower again. Presently we're higher than we finished last season. I won't apologise for being positive.

Which we are and have already been in too. I think (happy to be corrected too) that was before all the FFP and PSR restrictions being really heavily implemented too...

And it's where we currently are.

100% behind him as it stands still to be honest. Why wouldn't I be... we're ahead of where I expected us to be.

Directors direct, if they're criticising direction but haven't yet given their own then rightfully those who believe and statistically have done well under said previous direction will rightly question and be put out by being publicly questioned - I say this without viewing his interview mind...

Murphy was probably our MotM today

TBH mate, I thought the team we went with at the start was strong and likely to give them a hard time / us a comfortable win. I'm saying he got it wrong in retrospect. Which is obviously easy. Tonali should be starting versus City it seems to me. I'd probably have something like the below (based on them all being fit). Burn free and coordinating at the back, sweeping and clearing the lines (or potentially Schar as he has more mobility and could step into CDM with Burn slotting at CB to prevent them playing through the lines). Livramento and Trippier playing as part of a back 5 without possession and as wing backs with possession. Similarly 4 across midfield with Gordon dropping in without possession and a low block to give us the chance to break out on the counter. Joelinton to follow Rodri everywhere and muscle him and hopefully free up Tonali and Bruno to coordinate play. Isak as always the threat up top. Wouldn't be pretty but versus Man City and away from home I think this makes us more compact and less likely to concede, witht the ability to control the game more versus lesser teams. Probably not for this thread, I know. I think Tonali will be huge for us in time but he needs given game time now and we need to stop leaking goals and controlling games. I'm not sure intensity is our correct identity at the moment, not unless the players hearts and heads are in it. Whatever has happened at the top, has rocked the boat all the way to the bows in my opinion. It's the fans', players' and Eddie's job to steady the ship...and we can.

I do think issues have stemmed from the top down rather than bottom up like.

I also thought Howe went like for like and that back fired. Playing our usual 3 in a similar vein would have stifled Fulham a bit and they'd have had less going forward. We'd have had the quality to control midfield but instead we were over run.

Thought he should have been on sooner once we got the goal personally and rode the wave as it turned.

Howe got his tactics wrong at the start today but was also let down by 3+ individual errors for each of the goals. I'd have taken 3 points from these last 2 games, personally. We haven't played well this season but we've got the results I'd have liked (not loved, but liked). Onto the next game.

Yeah. I think he personifies it most but we're lacking confidence and tenacity atm. Not sure why, seems there's something 'off' to me.

At least he doesn't have Cole Palmers.

Locking wheel nuts.

Blyth pier.

Seeing the preview for NUFC vs Man City makes me desperate to win today. Go in full of confidence and we can beat the blue bastards at home.

Hammers being nailed. Back in the toolbox, Irons.

Cole Palmers barber absolutely stealing a living.

Longstaff starts. Tonali starts next week.

West Ham are awful out of possession.