duo

Just look at Villa to see the difference a manager makes in attracting players.

13 minutes ago, ManDoon said:

Just out of interest do people think Emery would have done a better job (theoretically). 

IMO absolutely - he a winner for a start.  So straight away you are bring in a winning mentality to the dressing room.  I also think from a recruitment point of view we would be a more attractive proposition to players.

19 minutes ago, Robster said:

Howe (at the moment) isn't being successful at what he's trying to do.
Bruce never tried to do anything.

That's the difference.

What is Howe 'trying' to do though?  I am not seeing it.  I am not defending Bruce - God No - but am struggling to see any tactical change under Howe.  We're as devoid of ideas as much we were under Bruce.  It's like it is a conundrum that neither are able to solve.

2 minutes ago, ManDoon said:

Yeah definitely, I think this is clearly one of the most important transfer Windows in our history and don’t feel that we’ve done very well so far. That’s so far though, depends how it ends I guess.

We should have had deals lined up like Trippier so as soon as the transfer window opened we sealed the deal.  It's too late now imo. 

I can't stand Shelvey - Just doesn't graft enough for the team - never looks like he cares.  The worst thing is I don't think it is his lack of ability - I just think he's lazy.  Rarely makes himself available in attack - he thinks it's enough to try and ping a pass now and again.  Does the bare minimum to pick up his wages.  If you compare his work rate to that of Joelinton - they are miles apart.  I would be curious to see the miles he covered today as he looked stationary for much of the match.

1 minute ago, ManDoon said:

I think it’s been pretty badly ran considering the time frame. Recruitment was the number 1 priority. That process should have been properly implemented, with the correct appointments.

 

Say what you want but how Watford can find a decent DM for 4m and we can’t seem to find a single player despite our wealth. That’s not good enough so far. 

In part that's Ashley's doing - I don't think we had much of a scouting network.  Where we've really fallen down is not bringing the right people in to run the club to help ensure we get the right appointment and sign the right players.  It all feels a bit amateurish atm from the recruitment of the manger to the signing of players. And it's costing us.

7 minutes ago, Shadow Puppets said:

Dummett played well today, for the most part.

He did I agree - but he should have stopped that cross. Just ran out of gas.

If we had a new CB and LB today we might have won it.  I've lost count the number of games we've lost from attacks from the right.   Yet our first signing was a RB. 

19 minutes ago, LV said:

Whatever way you look at it this takeover came like a thief in the night. The consortium were planning to take over a club with Benitez at the helm and the the next thing you know bang they’ve got the takeover.

But no Benitez. So what do you do? There was no plan B because they weren’t even expecting to get plan A and then suddenly it happens. What do you do? 
 

I agree in an ideal world they should have binned Bruce straight off but they were caught on the hop. They may have had other managers in mind aside from Benitez but managers just don’t wait around without a job in case an unlikely takeover happens. 
 

I just can’t blame the consortium for any of this. I really think they are doing their best in an almost impossible situation. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

I don't think anyone is blaming the consortium as under Ashley we were down - 100%.  It's more a missed opportunity as with better planning and appointments we had a fighting chance of staying up.

4 hours ago, POOT 2.0 said:

Lascelles won't listen to a new CB if he was partnered with him. 

 

If we get one CB in...it'll be to replace Lascelles. Schar is a better player IMHO. 

100% - worry is I can see Eddie still playing him.

5 minutes ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

We're not actually that easy to beat though. We've drawn a lot of games and are often 'competitive'.

What's cost us all season is throwing away the lead.  Got to see games out.

31 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Pretty disappointed with Howe at this point tbh. I know we're shit but he's not giving us any edge whatsoever. We're utterly incapable at holding a lead and he's extremely accountable for that; the team mentality, the way they're drilled, in-game decisions... its all lacking. Absolute pisstake that we didn't see that out today. 

 

I'm desperate for him to do well cos I love the way he carries himself. But ergh. Worried at this point that it's not really going very well. 

 

If he's the key decision-maker re recruitment and he isn't identifying CM as priority one or at the very least two, I think that's a concern. That's where we lost the points on the pitch today. Aye we need CBs. We need everything. But CM would make the biggest difference. 

The most worrying thing is since he's come I don't feel much has changed.  He's had time now to implement things but I am struggling to see it.  He looks totally out of his depth - devoid of ideas - throwing £25Mil on the likes of Wood just shout desperation.  We've known for months that the club needed to strengthen in Jan but it feels like they've no plan in place - where Rafa would have a list of 10 players for each position, they seem to only have a couple.  Throw bid after bid after bid for the same player when it's clear the club doesn't want to sell.  You could argue his hands are tied with the players he got, which is true - the bench today was laughable.  But I do think another more competent manager could set us up better, make us harder to beat. 

4 hours ago, Tiresias said:

i agree with that but i think we're probably down anyway. Need to take championship year to rebuild squad and then hope the premier league dont change the rules to ban us when we come back up (they totally will)

We're down - 100%.  We've blown every chance we had of staying up.  The only thing we can hope for is that lessons have been learnt and PIF recruit a DOF in to properly run the club and spend out budget a bit more wisely.

2 minutes ago, Shadow Puppets said:

What a difference 6 mins can make. If we’d have dealt with that cross everyone would have been saying it was a hard earned victory. Fine margins. Genuinely think we were the better team but the edginess in defence cost us and made us sit back. Lascelles’ error started the process of the game getting nervier. I don’t think it was a conscious game plan to sit back at all.

 

 

 

One shot on target - against Watford 

9 minutes ago, ManDoon said:

I think Howe if we were mid table would have been the ideal appointment, I think situationally it was the wrong call. I really like the guy and very much like his football ideals 

I wouldn't say ideal but he could do less damage.  How the club thought he was the right person to keep us up I have no idea - talked the talk clearly but can't seem to walk the walk.

I think the problem we have is we've people running the club who don't know football. THE first signing should have been a DOF - they should have got one in to help run the club - got them to make the decision on the new Manager, the players.  I feel because it's been left to the likes of Amanda they're making mistakes, took too long to sack bruce, took too long getting a new manager then panicked and rushed to get Howe.  Took poor advice when looking for a striker and wasted £25Mil on an out of form striker.   I don't know how we get out of this mess.

54 minutes ago, Wandy said:

I can honestly see them sacking him if Benitez becomes available next week. 

And I for one would back that

Only thing we can judge Howe is on results and so far he's failing miserably.  The club have backed him to the tune of £40 Mil and I saw zero improvement today.  We had one shot on target today against a team in the bottom half.  If we can't attack the likes of Watford what hope have we against the better teams.  

2 minutes ago, LV said:

Get in the sea man. Him and Ashley are why we are where we are. Blaming Howe for it all, fuck me 

Howe was never the man to keep us up though imo and so far it's looking like he won't. 

2 minutes ago, POOT 2.0 said:

 

A striker famed and lauded for being excellent on crosses hasn't been in the right place for a single one. Absolutely no instinct. No excuses...but £25m in Burnley's bank is apparently weakening them.

If he was bought at Eddies request you've got to question his judgement.  Awful buy.

Just now, ManDoon said:

Wood is not the answer, he’s slow, his touch is shocking, and he’s not even holding the ball up. We’ve been had 

Never was - he's been awful this season.  It's no surprise.

Just now, neesy111 said:

Not been impressed with Wood at all.

Are you surprised?  Utterly desperate buy.  We've bought a player bang out of form.

1 minute ago, ManDoon said:

CM now, CB now, another striker now 

Too late

1 minute ago, duo said:

Come on Wood - earn you dosh mate

Or not...

Come on Wood - earn you dosh mate