Barnes23

Quite telling that he chooses that as a moment to talk about attitude, commitment to the team etc

Sunderland 1-1 Forest Fulham 1-2 Villa Liverpool 2-1 Palace West Ham 1-1 Everton Wolves 1-2 Spurs Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle Man United 2-1 Brentford

"Coaching and management is 90% people skills. It's 10% football." Working out well for him

That is a very short-sighted way of looking at it, tbh. His tenure has to be assessed as a whole in relation to our direction for the future, and our current league position needs to fit within a greater context of what has happened this season - the things which Howe is responsible or partially responsible for, and the things he is not. This season is done but there is every chance, if we did part company with Howe, that our next appointment could a) do worse next season than Howe would have done and b) go badly wrong. We have to understand what has gone wrong this season, the extent to which Howe is responsible for it/can turn it around and weigh that against his work with us as a whole. If we do decide to replace him, we had also better be very confident in the candidates we are able to attract. Personally, I don't see an abundance of attractive options.

Brentford 2-1 Fulham Leeds 2-0 Wolves Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth Spurs 1-2 Brighton Chelsea 2-1 Man United Villa 2-1 Sunderland Everton 1-1 Liverpool Forest 2-1 Burnley Man City 2-1 Arsenal Palace 1-1 West Ham Brighton 2-1 Chelsea Bournemouth 2-1 Leeds Burnley 0-3 Man City

IMO all signs point to Livramento leaving, the only question is whether we look to sell another on top of that. I find it hard to imagine us losing any more than 2 first XI players for a number of reasons.

Unless the injury has just fucked him. But Howe's remarks in that one press conference, roughly along the lines of needing to perform at the required level, would seem to indicate a different assessment to that one.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/clyxx5j8408o

Tino going for the Isak end of season transfer strategy

Personally, I don't want to rush to conclusions. Have to wait to see what the summer brings - but the worries are there.

West Ham 2-1 Wolves Arsenal 2-1 Bournemouth Brentford 1-1 Everton Burnley 1-2 Brighton Liverpool 2-1 Fulham Palace 1-2 Newcastle Forest 1-2 Villa Sunderland 1-1 Spurs Chelsea 1-2 Man City Man United 2-1 Leeds

I don't think a more successful season would have prevented the likes of Livramento and Tonali potentially leaving, tbh. The cup win + CL qualification did nothing in terms of keeping Isak last summer.

The thing with Wissa is that he did look like a good player at Brentford, even a very good one. You don't hit 19 PL goals in a season without having something about you. It may well be the case that the injury screwed over both us and him and totally diverted the course of what may have proved to have been a very astute signing. No way to know for sure.

Echoing the above, Schar is still our best CB (providing he returns to his previous levels post-injury). Has to stay.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5yxl4l4k74o

Aye, my reaction too. For that to be said publicly does suggest he is under serious scrutiny and doesn't bode well at all.

Some equivocal comments from Hopkinson on Howe it seems

He's still a better player than Thiaw, tbh, assuming he returns to his pre-injury levels. I can't see Burn leaving this summer but I would be looking to invest in a young CB if possible.

Very good today I thought, some excellent link-up play and more aggression in his game, too. Really hope we can make it work with him.

I've increasingly drawn the same conclusion as you and that stat provides a really interesting data point by which to try and figure out what is actually going on. When Schar came in for him earlier in the season and kept the starting berth until injury, we looked a lot more solid and structured as a unit. We really miss that solidity on a consistent basis with Thiaw in the side (not exclusively his fault, of course, many factors at play here which are difficult to tease out and separate). I wonder if less high defensive actions is what is leaving our now infamous gap behind the flat midfield even more exposed than normal? And also creating an instability or chaotic element in high central positions which is part of why we find it difficult to exercise control in games, hold on to leads etc? (Fatigue, limited technical ability, tactical instruction of course all play a major role here too)

Really hope we are not considering signing this lad on a permanent basis in the summer, even as a back-up.

Different psychological mechanisms at play, I think. Most people are leaning into the uncertainty which I can understand because there was only one report + just now the update from Romano. There is also, or probably will be shortly, a bit of denialism and choosing what you prefer to believe (we would all love to believe he wouldn't even consider leaving for another PL team, let alone Man Utd). I've skipped right ahead to the brace for impact, psychologically prepare for the undesired outcome stage. Not because it will necessarily happen, but because my read is that there is something there, that it's not nothing. I hope I'm wrong.

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If they were able to get it that badly wrong back then (and I believe any alternative sale would have been preferable), I think they can easily miscalculate again in the exact same way. Especially regarding a "depreciating asset". There is no point catastrophizing but I definitely wouldn't rule out this report being true - as much as I want it not to be.