Chicken Dancer

If Howe does end up going there’d be no shortage of applications. We attracted Benitez whilst lingering in the relegation zone with Mike Ashley as owner, and nearly got Emery (again lingering in relegation) and probably would have if we didn’t let slip. Both were/are pretty ‘big’ names as far as managers go and we’re infinitely more attractive now, that’s for sure. Mourinho would be a disaster though, fuck that.

Doesn't matter if you're Alex Ferguson, Steve Bruce or Eddie Howe. If your team is regressing and making the same mistakes on a consistent basis, you're going to be scrutinised from inside and outside the club. A big end to the season and this goes away. Balls in the court of the players and Howe to deliver.

Aye, he’s a cracking player. Short of confidence for sure but can’t help but feel the season may have went a little differently if we’d changed system a tad and had Tonali + Joelinton behind him (as a 10). Certainly in some of the home games. I’ll never get over the start of the Everton (H) game - Joelinton wide left, him CM and Gordon up top. Just no need whatsoever.

Criminal we’ve even tried him centre mid, never mind persisted. Really talented player, it may never work over here but we should have died trying. Such a shame, personally be pretty gutted if we shift him in the summer.

4 is more likely than 21 that’s for sure. I’d guess anything between 8-12, some tricky games. Palace (a) Good time to play them, not historically somewhere we’ve been great. Bournemouth (h) kryptonite Arsenal (a) no chance Brighton (h) kryptonite Forest (a) good venue recently, them fighting for their lives makes it a tricky game. West Ham (h) resurgent and fighting for their lives. Should win, wouldn’t be surprised with any result Fulham (a) always seem to play these last day away from home. Could go either way, but suspect they’ll have a shot of Europe on final day

You’ll probably find out in June or July when we pay £40m for him

There's absolutely no way Jacob Murphy will be playing in the Premier League in 4/5 years. Not a chance. Get rid because he's not good enough. I'm not advocating chasing him down Barrack Rd btw - I love the bloke and he's been a great servant. But he's very, very limited and just not all that good. He never has been if we're being honest. I do take your point though about availability and he is likely cheap, so not saying he should be first out the door but if he's starting games for us in 2027 we're in bother.

Whilst I agree with the last part, it's time to be completely ruthless. If we can't find a buyer then fair enough but there's no way Jacob Murphy should be getting many minutes at all for us going forward, with the exception being if we miraculously end up with Conference/Europa games. He's a top bloke, a model professional but he's not very good at football. Granted he had a great season in 24/25, but time to move on from the likes of him, Willock etc.

I've always fancied Miley in the deeper, more central role long term. Like a Michael Carrick sort of thing. I'd be gutted if we lost Tonali, we'd really notice a difference if he left. If I was given a choice I'd obviously rather keep Bruno but I'd much rather we were able to keep both. We need to wheel and deal in a world of PSR but losing Isak and Tonali in successive summers wouldn't say much for any project that's meant to be happening.

Not win the league but I thought we were a few signings away from being a permanent fixture in the top 4/5 and a few years away from challenging at the very top.

Yeah he definitely has support within the club and rightly so. As I say, he deserves a shot to make version II of his team, but it might get worse before it gets better imo. Above all, I hope it never turns nasty for him. There’s been pretty much universal support for him inside the ground since he got here, but I’ve definitely noticed a few murmurs and vocal displeasure this season.

People don’t want change for the sake of change though. Not once have I seen anybody say ‘Howe is shit’ or anything similar. Everyone’s in agreement that he’s been incredible and likely the greatest NUFC manager in our lifetime. I was definitely ‘Howe’s the man but I’ve got some major concerns’ at 10:44 on Sunday morning to now being fully fledged member of the ‘I’d like a change’ camp. The way I see it, people want change for a combination of the following; - last summer we blipped a fuck load of money on absolutely bang average at best, absolute shite at worst, despite having an opportunity to really kick on - our next fixture is in April, yet the same issues that were plaguing us in the infant part of the season are still happening now. Go a goal ahead? No matter, we still won’t win. Need a goal in the last minute? Here you go lads. Teams must fucking love playing us. - lost twice to Sunderland. Despite what people say, it’s the fixture that means the most to plenty fans. I personally could accept defeat if we’d maybe just not got the rub of the green or were beaten by an absolute belter, but instead we had to go out with a whimper. That second half on Sunday was the most pissed off I’ve been in fucking ages and it was the straw for me, I can’t lie. It wasn’t supposed to be like this; we got our takeover, had plenty success since and they’ve came up, recruited way, way better than us in the summer, beat us twice and have a very good chance of finishing above us. All in their first season - that’s just completely unacceptable. - the insistence to persist with things that just clearly aren’t working. Woltemade in midfield this season, Burn at LB a couple of seasons ago. - we’ve lost our identity/mojo/whatever you want to call it. Maybe Howe is trying to reinvent us, but whatever this is, isn’t working. Nobody can sit there and tell me with a straight face we’ve played well more than 5 times in the league this season, and I’m not talking about the odd first half here and there. 1) Villa (a), Liverpool (H), Everton (A), City (H). Maybe I’ve missed one or two but from memory that’s it. Even the home wins against Wolves, Fulham, Burnley - even Leeds - we weren’t exactly great. We’ve been laboured as fuck all season (back end of last season too imo) and I’ll be glad when it’s done and we can enjoy the World Cup. A huge red flag for me are the parallels between what’s happening now and what happened in the arse end of his time at Bournemouth. That Bournemouth lad who posted on here summarised it and it’s eerily similar to what’s happening now. There was one who went on a NUFC podcast when we appointed Howe who basically said the same stuff. Would I like a change? Personally yes I would. Do I think Howe more than deserves a chance to have a go at next season? Yes I do. I’d like to see us be a little more creative in the transfer market and be a lot more ruthless with the squad. If we start handing out new deals to some of the shite then you can at least lower your expectations and prepare for another season of hovering around 8th-14th. Same goes if we start bidding for the likes of Solanke. If he’s to stay, add a new coach or two to your team. Just get some fresh ideas or something, it’s went very stale. Fergie done it, Pep does it. It works fine for them so injecting a bit of life into the tactical side of things wouldn’t be a bad thing imo. Not that I think Howe would ever entertain the idea.

I love Jacob Murphy as a character but he can’t be starting games for us in 26/27. You can’t sell all of your squad players but he’s the most limited imo. He tries hard and has been a brilliant servant but we should be entertaining any reasonable offers for him and Willock. Wissa we have to just pray someone overseas gives us some of the money back or hope one of the relegated teams have a bite. The time is probably right for Trippier and Pope to move on but I’d keep Schar about.

I’d be astounded if we end up winning 5 out of 7 games. We play Palace at a decent time but Brighton and Bournemouth are seemingly as much of a kryptonite to us as the mackems are.

Sandro’s away ole ole. I’d be gutted mind but sooner him that Bruno, every time . More worried at what we’d potentially replace him with tbh.

I can understand the Isak situation being used in the early part of the season - maybe even Christmas time - but using it when we’re going into April is a stretch like. Had all season to figure something out yet the same shit happens on a consistent basis.

It’s not just the results though is it? It’s the performances and the manner of them that’s the issue for many now. How many times have we chucked away a lead to lose? Sure I read we’ve dropped 22 points from winning positions, even adding a third of them back on and we’re right in the mix. How many times do other teams just bypass our midfield? These issues are surely on the manager to sort? If we can see it why can’t he? All of these things have been happening since August, and everyone has continuously said ‘plenty time left, Eddie will sort it’, well now there’s 7 games left and people are still saying the same things.

Good post and summarised my thinking well. The fact the same things are happening time and time again is the red flag for me. I hate the thought of it getting nasty for him, he definitely doesn’t deserve that, and also hate the fact I’m wanting a change. I don’t think he leaves if I’m being honest, but at the very least I’d like to see him add a coach or two to his backroom staff with some fresh ideas. He won’t like, as I doubt he’d relinquish any sort of control. But the best of the best have done that and it’s worked for them.

Fun fact - 3 of his kids have the same birthday despite being born in 3 different years.

No matter how much any of us try to play it down, beating Sunderland is always top (or very near) the priority list when the fixture list comes out. We’ve not beaten them in the league since Ryan Taylor and not on Tyneside since that 5-1. Yes, they’ve not been in the league for a long spell but there’s been 6 home leagues games against since that and 5 away. We’ve not won any of them. Obvious this group weren’t here for the vast majority of them but let’s not pretend it’s anything but an absolute farce. Add in the fact that we’ve recently won a trophy, had two spells in the Champions League and have spent an absolute fortune in comparison to them in their absence. Finally, there was the complete non-performance at their place in December. They owed us a result and at the very least a decent performance and we got neither. There was only one team winning that second half and it wasn’t us. In fact it was a carbon copy of so many games this season I’ve lost count. It was always going to be the tipping point for many. It may be small time to think that way but it’s always the case when it comes to derby games. The reaction would have been entirely different if it was Brighton, I can assure you that. People are rightly pissed off - I’m still fuming now tbh, as you can probably tell

Would be the cherry on top that. Unbearable if that happens. Pure embarrassment they’ve done the double over us (again) not to mention look likely to finish above us. Honestly just wish it was 24th May now.

Yeah I agree. Hate that I’m turning my nose up to European football and a potential session in southern Europe in autumn but I think it’d be more hassle than it’s worth for the club.

Think he will eventually leave us and go back to Brazil, hopefully in many years after a couple more trophies. Miss him terribly, by far my favourite player of my adult life.

Conference league has the potential for some tasty away games for us as fans but I think as a club we could do well to avoid it.

If I was an aging footballer I’d definitely be going to the MLS rather than becoming a squad player in Europe. Orlando would be a belter place to see out your career.