Pilko

Shelvey fuck off Jones. Starting XI: 6/11 players from the Championship season Bench: 1/9 players from the Championship season Why choose the fucking shite cloggers constantly?

what a fucking shambles (if true).

Ole Ole Oleeeeeeeeeee

Jarred Gillett alert for the Brentford v Norwich game later lads! On the Ronny double up with Sky. PP freebie on Greenwood and Foden 2+ SOT 16/1 Stones and AWB cards 28/1

It's not about "coming around" - from what I've seen of Howe there are clear positives to the guy but also legitimate concerns. Which of those weigh heavier I'm not sure yet and that in itself is a large part of why I'm struggling to get behind the idea. Also, my expectation was a blockbuster appointment and the new owners leaking names and the Emery thing only served to feed that, giving Howe the mark of someone well down the list and that underwhelmed feeling that I'm struggling to shake. I'm 50/50 on whether Howe is the real deal or not right now. 6 weeks ago I'd have snapped your hand off for someone who I was 50-50 on (from a position of someone we were all 0-100 on..) - now, I can't help but feel we should/could have got better. As I've also said several times already, I really, genuinely hope he's an excellent appointment and that my doubts are proven wrong. He'll either be the best or second best manager we've had in 15 year by virtue of not being an absolute fucking numpty, but how good he is beyond that remains to be seen. I'm sure it'll be interesting if nothing else!

5 for me. We're a shitshow after fourteen years of chronic mismanagement. Howe clearly is no mug but is he the right sort for an immediate and abrupt reversal of fortunes? I'm not so sure either way, hence the fencey vote of a 5.

What a way to start a new era - appoint a bloke who the old regime would have eventually chosen anyway and who one of our worst starters under Bruce gives a glowing reference for. The more I read, the more it feels like the new lot are a bunch of bloody amateurs. Yeah, early days, don't know we're born, takes time, trust the process, get behind him, etc etc. I'm finding that really hard so far, they've done nothing to help alleviate the lingering malaise. Even punting Bruce they've made an arse of by taking too long to do it and to replace him. Expect nobody will like this post but just calling it as I see it. Would love to be wrong.

Three weeks to end up with Howe, knowing much more exciting candidates were spoken with, leaves me underwhelmed and pissed off. Don't think he's anything special and I worry how brittle his Bournemouth team ended up being that he'll lack the ability to transform us defensively. I really hope he proves me wrong and turns out to be a massive success. He's got a hell of a job on.

Is this just not another example of the Ashley/Bruce era hangover? "Man prepares well for job interview" and impresses people purely because the last bloke in post was a laughable bag of shit who could barely be arsed to train the squad. People doing what's normal suddenly dazzles us....

3 weeks of talks to end up with Howe, we look like a bunch of bloody amateurs. I know I will find it difficult to get behind such a painfully insipid appointment.

Eddie fucking Howe man. I'm gutted. What a disappointment, all the promise and riches and positivity of the new regime, all the exciting names mentioned, and after spending weeks on "the process" they're going for the lemon barley water of football managers. Can't be arsed me, might go back to not caring feels easier

They've fucked this up royal. Whatever you think of Howe, you can't help but feel underwhelmed knowing Emery was first pick.

How many times does he want to say "keep the faif" and "have faif" in that interview?

The obvious shout is Fergie but feel like that's too obvious. Dario Gradi?

Rotherham a few years back as well! I'm just trying to recall where Paddy Kenny has been from a recent podcast he did

Definitely did stints at Plymouth and Bury.

I think the squad as it stands are probably absolutely craving and dying for some detail, organisation and semblance of a proper plan. Two years of "let's play" and getting slapped on the back and fired up before kickoff probably does that.

Just as well there's nobody with a brain at the local rag or I reckon we'd be seeing an edition of the Newcastle Ebening Chronicle later on.

What an unbelievably good appointment Emery would be.

Spurs should get Sherwood in til the end of the season. Likes attacking, English, wears a gilet so clearly he's clever, and crucially above all else he knows the club.

Might they offer a DoF candidate a contract to be manager for this season followed by a move upstairs and ability to select the next long-term appointment?

(Soon to be) relegated twice in a back line that leaks like a colander. Shall we get Roger Johnson and Nigel Quashie in while we're at it?

Fornals SOT for £260 and Targett card for £230 to go along with this. Fuck betting, I'm having a few weeks off it, sick of these constant near misses. I'd have settled for any one of the four!

A late Targett card would salvage a dreadful weekend here.