Super Duper Branko Strupar

Who's this patronising female commentator?

TINO!

HD is back

Ive had to go to the SD option

Fuckin cuuuurrm oooon

Newcastle 2-2 Arsenal Bournemouth 0-2 Man City Ipswich 2-2 Leicester Liverpool 2-0 Brighton Forest 1-0 West Ham Southampton 0-1 Everton Wolves 2-1 Palace Spurs 2-2 Villa Man United 1-1 Chelsea Fulham 1-1 Brentford

Wow. The point I'm making is you're using assumptions and sweeping statements to try and paint things as facts, when in fact they're relative unknowns. You've decided to focus on something rather arbitrary as "profile" to prove Howe cant get a team playing possession based football. Does Haaland's profile scream possession? Isak's "profile" is great feet and touch, awareness and clever runs. He'll do fantastic in a team creating more chances for him by using the ball more should the team he's in be able to achieve it imo. Look, I'm aware you'd like Howe to fail. I don't get it personally, but there you go. The points you're making read very agenda driven. Looking for something to try and back up a pre determined argument. But it just makes much less sense than you'd like it to. Watch Tonali show his class this year. I'll pull you up on your post next year talking about how much you thought he'd be great in that role.

The Tonali one is complete nonsense, that's not the payer he's been before his time with us at all. And you're only saying that about Gordon and Isak because that's what they've so far done with us, because thats how we've played. To say they absolutely couldn't play well in a more possession based set up is narrative forming and IPs alarm is blaring. But more importantly the overall point you're trying to make is flawed. Its a criticism of Howe and the signings made because they apparently don't have the profile for how we're trying to play now (not a fair criticism but we'll run with it), as some kind of proof he's not capable of coaching a side to play this way. But we're not going to have bought players for how we want to play in 3 years time, are we? No one does that. You gradually try and build a team to evolve a way of playing over time. We've gone from a very well organised, pretty much low-mid block, conceding the fewest goals side, to a high tempo pressing side, to now looking to control the game more. We needed players that could play all those systems. If you play high intensity pressing football but are buying players that wont fit that system, but the one you plan on playing in 2 seasons, you're going to get the sack because you'll be shite. Its crowbarring criticism in where it's not relevant.

This is a loaded reply, so I'll just expand a bit because its irked me. Below is a list of players bought whilst Howe has been manager that any normal football fan would say would be extremely competent in a possession based set up. Trippier - 12m Bruno - 40m Botman - 35m Isak -63m Gordon - 45m Tonali - 55m Hall - 28m Which is 278m. Ive left out Barnes even though I'm very confident he'd play well in a possession based team playing well, but as he's the boo boys' persona no grata I'll leave him out, just for a quiet life, basically. So who'd you say doesn't "have the profile" for playing in a possession based side who we've wasted all that cash on. Pope - 10m Barnes - 38m Tino - 35m Wood - 25m Burn - 13m Thats a very generous 121m. Of which we got 15m back for Wood plus the loan fee. Pope clearly sits in that list, but picking up that kind of goalkeeper especially when you're desperate for a goalkeeper and there's a bargain to be had on an international would be clutching at straws to criticise given the timing of it. I wouldnt put Barnes and Tino in that list myself but theyre in there to satisfy the people that are desperate for a stick. Even Burn is harsh. All that said that's not a quarter of a billi wasted on players of the wrong profile that would prove Howe's teams aren't inherently able to play possession based football. To look at the list of transfers made whilst Howe has been in charge and say it suggests he doesn't have the ability to get a team playing possession based football is wholly unserious and not rooted in considered thinking.

What, because we didn't sign Ross Barkley?

Are the people saying possession based football not being Howes style just people that never watched his Bournemouth side? Or just haven't listened to him talking about wanting to implement more possession based football since he first arrived. He went on about it loads when he first joined, but that they were all working with what we had. Im guessing some of it is just lack of awareness, some of it is disingenuous. Whether it's working as intended or not ATM is a different question.

Can he play as a 10?

Think I agree. Tonali was definitely bought with this change in mind, though. I think him on the right of the 3 kills what is being tried a little, though. He has to be more central to our play if we're going to do that as Bruno is too erratic. I just think the midfield needs a bit of a move around, personally. Would love to see Bruno replace Longstaff on that right hand side and Tonali move in to the central role, especially at Home or "easier" away games. Joe L or Joe W on the other side as appropriate.

We don't play like that anymore by choice I think is more the reason. Howe wants us to have the ball more, rather than be happy for the opposition to have it in their half and us win it back with high pressing. Last year the press was being bemoaned as we had a huge injury crisis which the running and pressing was being pointed at for being the cause. And apparently it wasn't Isak's game and we were wasting him (kind of agree). We're trying to be a possession based side now and creating chances of of own, rather than stealing them off the opposition. Right way to go imo, not working atm though.

Not 10s.

Liverpool for the past however many seasons.

Ross Barkley? A 30 year old who's had 1 good season at Luton Town since he last played well at Everton in 2017 is now the answer we should have gone for?

Ross Barkley.

Don't worry. Your opinion is worthless so I have no reason to read what you say. It's a happy place, more people should follow suit.

He's the pits. Put him on ignore.

Refs a cunt

Sounds like you need a duvet day.

Get the fuck in. Much more like it. Far from clean, but we'll have it.

Madness we're not going with Kelly's recovery pace at the back, mind.