The Prophet

I still don't totally grasp the sudden clamour to get stuck into Eales. For sure, he has to shoulder some of the criticism received over the transfer market, but it seems over the top.

Parish must have Mokbel on speed dial.

It's probably just a bit of conflict or disagreement about how best to do things, which is perfectly normal in most working environments. It usually leads to flexibility and compromise.

Fair point.

I don't think I'm the one with the agenda here. I've written, multiple times, I have no problem with Paul Mitchell and I'm excited to see what he can do for the club. This conversation was in relation to one particular segment of his interview, which as a club executive trying to present a united front, sounded a but dicey. The interview was needed, but sounded like a self preservation exercise in parts. Granted, we don't know what questions he was asked.

Wasn't sure where to put this bit about Nickson...

He's looking sharp again.

I think it was important someone other than Howe came out to discuss the transfer window, it shouldn't be all on him. I still think we'll hear from Eales too.

What's with all the straw men? "The segment of the interview doesn't read great from Mitchell." "So you don't want the club to improve then?" Wut.

I'm not complaining about the appointment of Mitchell or the changes he wants to implement. They sound very positive. It was a response to a specific comment made in Mitchell's interview, which in my opinion doesn't read great. Perhaps it was because of the question he was asked, maybe he phrased it clumsily or maybe he's a bit of a dick, but it sounds awfully like self preservation on his part. I'm not really fussed, as long as Eales, Mitchell and Howe forge a good working relationship that allows us to effectively navigate future transfer windows.

While I'd agree with this, Mitchell does talk about his admiration for Howe and that he's excited about the collaboration going forward. I didn't like some of his interview, but it wasn't all bad.

I think there's some good stuff and some iffy stuff in his interview, but there's definitely am element of delegating blame in the above. It might not be intentional, but the subtext is pretty evident. As long as Howe, Mitchell and Eales get their shit in a pile, I don't care who's fault it was, it's water under the bridge.

It sounds like blame delegating to me: 1. He states multiple times he's new and was there to support rather than control. 2. He implies we could have worked on multiple deals, but Howe only wanted that one player (Guehi).injuries 3. He implies that Howe had final say on all transfers.

Perhaps he's just a bit of a dick? Doesn't mean that he isn't great at his job or is unable to get on with Howe.

I have mixed feelings about them. Some good stuff in there and some unnecessary bits too. That's why I think a video interview might have been a better format, always difficult to frame these things when you don't know what questions were asked or how the answers were delivered.

I don't think that's what he was trying to say. More that we need to be more data-led and cast a wider net with our approach to scouting. He feels our current approach is too narrow and isn't effective with PSR around.

I can't find it, but Kieran Maguire did a piece on how they estimate stuff and in a nutshell it's nonsense.

As Mitchell says, conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing and is needed to push the envelope. Even us laymen recognise we need to take more risks within the PSR restricted window we're forced to operate within. It might not be that Howe is unwilling to do that, but we previously didn't have the means. Similarly Mitchell needs to recognise Howe believes in a tight knit dressing room and scouting is as much about the person as it is the player for him. Both have spoken of a collaborative approach, so I don't think we should assume they can't work together.

I get what you mean. For example... Howe said in July that for him to be happy at the club, the new working dynamic with Mitchell and performance director James Bunce had to be right. On the addition of Bunce, Mitchell added: ‘I would like to believe someone as smart and intelligent as Eddie Howe would recognise quality wherever it came from. We’ve got to keep building that into our infrastructure. ‘That goes for scouting as well. I think good players are becoming harder to find because scouting is so competitive. But I think Eddie recognises good players and he also recognises this club is evolving to be bigger, and bigger and bigger. If you look at the super clubs, their infrastructure, their recruitment, they don’t just look at one market only. Feels pointed and a bit condescending. Obviously we can't hear how it was delivered though.

They all have a slightly different spin, but I do feel the Hope version does feel (probably deliberately) more pointed.

It's from Hope's article.

Fair enough, what parts did you find shocking? (Not a dig, asking out of interest.)

I like Eddie's method of signing good eggs to build on a solid dressing room, but Mitchell is right, we need to take more risks in foreign markets.

Overall it does sound like that both Howe and Mitchell are going to have to put on their big boy pants and concede a bit of ground.