ExiledGeordie

January is very important but for me it does feel like things are going to come to a head this season one way or another. He’ll either manage to pull if round and get us playing again going forward (maybe with a new RW) or we’ll continue to be really inconsistent and finish outside Europe and he’ll be removed. I agree there have been issues with our play creeping in for a while now.

Yeah it’s an odd one but he does often take ages bedding players in, Bruno for example. Hopefully yesterday has finally shown him he has to start him now, has to, he’s too good to leave him on the bench.

I think you can be very concerned at aspects of our play which raises questions about the management but still not be “Howe out”, that’s where I am currently anyway.

It’s definitely an odd season so that combined with a disastrous summer are things that go in favour of Howe.

Hopefully he’s finally realised that Tonali can play in that slightly deeper role as he’s good on the ball and has good recovery pace. Let Bruno try and influence the game further up. Our attack however is woeful, we’ve run out of ideas, players out of form and desperately need of a new right winger or someone who can pull something out of their arse. We couldn’t break through a wet paper bag currently. The league is an odd one this season and we’re definitely not completely out of the European race but we look very mid table in our form. January will be interesting and to see how the season pans out but the pressure is definitely increasing on Howe.

Exzctly this. Let him control play with his technical ability and let Bruno try and create in the 8 position

His managerial spell here might depend on him getting this sorted to be honest

I guess we’ll see what the team is made of today. Lose today and we’re very much drifting into mid table and we’ll start to be losing ground on the European chase. Have to be more clinical with our finishing.

Why sign a 55m Italian international midfielder if you’ve already got someone to do the same job? (If this is the case). Like the Barnes/Gordon situation repeating itself.

Our problem is other than Isak we don’t really have any regular goal scorers. Wilson yes but he barely plays and Barnes is a finisher but can’t get a start. We need someone else who is a legitimate threat and creates like on the RW. Gordon isn’t even creating a lot at the moment and he’s not a natural finisher. Logical thing currently seems to be pushing Bruno further forwards because he’s the only one who can open teams up.

Tavernier, do me a favour 😂

I think Howe lost his way second half with all the changes but fully agree the players let him down with mistakes and poor finishing before that. We are creating chances albeit less than last season but are awful at finishing them.

Whitehead on pod on the tyhe made the good point that he’s only really going get form and get up to speed fully if he plays regularly which Howe doesn’t seem keen to do currently.

Hate this fixture

Yeah complete farce, John Gibson was saying this on a recent podcast. It’s literally the perfect set up for the top six to keep the status quo.

Yeah I guess 🤷‍♂️ I’m enjoying the club actively wanting to progress and try and fulfill ambition but as I’ve said in another post I’ve abandoned my original ambitions in the honeymoon of the takeover when we all dreamed. Our wings have been clipped and we’ll be 4th on occasion when everything clicks but more like fighting 5th to 7th from now on and aiming at a cup. I just don’t see how we can realistically become a regular top four side. We can’t spend a fucking thing.

The Isak situation has an inevitability about it for me, eventually champions league clubs will come in for him. As others have said if we get a massive sum for him and re invest then so be it. I don’t want him to go but that’s the reality of it I think. Hopefully European qualifying can stave that off.

Thoroughly depressing

Building the academy, being shrewd in the transfer market like Brighton and moving to a new stadium is probably the only way we can reach our potential and ambition.

Have to sign a RW in Jan for me, someone who can create and score goals to help spread the play and create space more particularly as we don’t play with a 10. We also need goals ffs

The cartel have won for the time being, our hands are completely tied. We’ll be occasionally 4th down to 8th for the time being I think with a tilt at cups. It’s great to actually have ambition again but I’ve downgraded expectations completely with the current premier league set up.

I agree to a point and there is a stale feeling creeping in. Have to say however I don’t really see us becoming a top four team with current PSR handcuffs.

Yes I don’t think the captain role has worked for him at all.

Glute problem, being assessed. I’d imagine he’ll be ok.

If this inconsistency continues whether it’s a combination of players letting him down and being unable to break teams down then we’ll probably finish outside Europe and he’ll be gone. I’m definitely not in the Howe out camp at all but there are some concerning signs and part of me does start to think has he reached his peak and it’s starting to become a bit stale? There’s obviously plenty factors involved too such as PSR. January is going to be interesting to see what they do, could make or break the season.