HaydnNUFC

Against Burnley he brought on Fernandez and went to a back 3 to tighten up and we did look more solid and saw the game out. If we were intending to sit back then I don't know why he didn't do the same, move Dummett to a CB in a 3 and bring Lewis on to play LWB. First time I've had questions of Howe was yesterday and I hope he can provide the answers and still believe he can but needs help in the transfer market. This squad is finished.

Agreed tbh. He's had Liverpool, Arsenal and Leicester away plus Man City and Man Utd at home and I doubt he'd have planned for Clark's red card or Darlow costing us 2 goals v Brentford. He has however not had the impact we all desired but he has come into an absolute shitshow of a squad. Said it before but what's worried me is these last 2 games. We've had a break since playing Man Utd off the park and have looked clueless in two halves of football against a League 1 side and garbage Watford who had lost their last 7 in a row. The club needs to just splash for our targets and get them in ASAP as we're just tossing games off given our options.

The only gripes I've had thus far with the owners have been not binning Bruce immediately, the length of the manager search and the Emery debacle. Call it bedwetting if you want but this window is starting to worry me tbh, 2 signings half way through when it was clear we needed at least 3 or 4 asap is poor imo. Especially as we knew how important getting players in early was. If either a CB or midfielder aren't signed before Saturday it's more than likely another game tossed off. And likely we'll be back to a sizable number of points adrift given Watford's next 2 fixtures.

Hate the term "plan(ning) for the Championship". Huge football pet hate.

If Wood plays against Leeds I'd start Willock ahead of Longstaff in a more advanced midfield role, assuming we sign no one. Think he'll have someone to play off and make runs beyond in Wood. And although Willock has been garbage this season, Longstaff's presence on the pitch is an insult the the eyes.

You could, but given how large Benitez' shadow looms especially on here he would increase the pressure more than any 'DoF'.

Really don't think that'd work. Undermines Howe and Benitez is never a director.

^ Still the case for me now. If we don't make 3 or more top signings for the positions we need the pressure will increase. Pay the money and get it done.

What's worried me is you have been able to see what he's trying to do in games aside from the latest two. We seem to have gone backwards since the break after Man Utd. Small sample size but enough to cause enough worry to make me think we're almost certainly going down unless we can make 3+ top signings.

The job is a first for Howe in ways despite when he kept Bournemouth in League 2 with the points deductions et cetera so you can't really judge him on that yet imo. When Bournemouth went down they were plagued with injuries and would've stayed up had the goal line technology been turned on at Villa Park. Regardless, I said before he has this window and February for me to prove his worth. I like him and still am behind him, but fuck me these last 2 games have not done him any favours. Looked clueless after going behind to League 1 opposition and looked clueless after going ahead at home in a crucial game. Bizarre given that his game management was spot on v Burnley, our only other win, when he brought Fernandez on and went 3 at the back to tighten up. If you're going to sit off, do that.

He should be, and he has gotten more out of them in his time here than Bruce was able to get this season. Not saying much like, given that Bruce was practically winging it. I've said a few times now that he's improved us tactically and its individual errors and shit refereeing that's been costing us. The last 2 games now though against Watford and Cambridge have worried me and we seem to be going backwards. Both tactically and offensively, while the defensive issues are still there to be seen. Questions need to be asked, he isn't infallible but I really do resent the clamour for a Benitez return.

Neglect since January 2017 is rearing its ugly head. Relegation has been on the cards for ages and runs like the one we're on haven't been rare; 4 wins in 24 in 2017-18, 4 wins in 22 and no wins in the first 10 whilst losing all the home games in that 10 in 2018-19, 4 clean sheets at SJP since June 2020. I was saying pre takeover that any other manager than Bruce would have us away from a relegation battle as we don't have that bad of a squad; more than happy to hold my hands up and say I was wrong. This squad is terrible. No balance, severe lack of quality and defensively inept. Should Howe be doing better? Probably. 4 of his 10 games have been against Man U, Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal to give him some slack and individual errors have been costing us; Darlow v Brentford, Clark v Norwich, the concession of that bollocks penalty at Leicester, Shelvey v Liverpool Dubravka v Cambridge, could go on. Now you could counter this by saying that Howe continues to pick those who make the errors but do we have anyone else? The midfield options are shit, the CB options are shit. What's alarming me mind is we seem to have gone backwards offensively whilst still being dross defensively. Against Brentford we were superb going forward, likewise against Burnley in the 2nd half and against Man Utd. To muster 1 shot on target at home to a Watford side who are yet to keep a clean sheet this season however is tbh, a joke. Probably needs to rethink this 4-3-3 until we can sign a midfielder and at least 1 CB. Lastly I knew that the shadow of Benitez would loom large on here. People need to move on, the ship has sailed and he has failed at his 2 jobs since leaving us, churning out those garbage results with an Everton side far better than ours. In addition to that he's ostracised Rodriguez and Digne whilst continuing to play a vastly underperforming Rondon. I'm going to reserve judgement on Howe until the end of February to see where we are in the league, how the squad looks and if we've improved. Even still, he's probably well suited to bringing us back up if we were to go down.

We're lucky that the other teams are so bad that we're still in touch having won 1 game all season. We need to splash on at least a CB and a solid midfielder because everything about us atm points towards relegation. Fucking livid btw, all the support these players are getting and they haven't responded whatsoever. So shit.

6. Not that that's saying much. Benitez continues to play Rondon at Everton. All managers at Man Utd play McFred seemingly. Probably because there's no one else? Especially for us as Bruce was happy to sell Lejeune without replacing him?

He's played Clark in 3 out of his 10 games. Only reason that's been amplified is because of the errors he's made.

We've had 2 and half years of (non existent) Bruce coaching. A guy who sold Lejeune to give Clark more playing time. The inability to hold leads has been a staple since June 2020, its not new nor is it something that can be fixed in 10 games; 3 of which were against the two Manchester clubs and Liverpool. Now I'm not defending Howe for these results btw, just trying to lend some perspective before people go "oOoOh GeT rAfA bAcK". Given how he's been doing with a squad far ahead of ours, I'm not so sure. Still love the bloke btw, not trying to rewrite history here.

Agree. Especially today and Cambridge. But look at the other games in isolation.

Take a step back and look at the games in isolation. Otherwise we really are the deluded bell ends who turn on managers that the media portray us to be.

Only way he should imo. Knew this would happen on here. As soon as a bad run comes along then it'll be 'ohhh get Rafa back', even though he's not been great in management since he was at us ~3 years ago.

Didn't play to his strengths at all. Didn't cover himself in glory but not his fault wholly.

Whey. Unlucky Rafa. Shouldn't be so shite at choosing jobs. Good luck wherever you go.

Simply just shit. Trippier should be captain.

Poor from him today and the results don't paint him in any light. That defence is garbage plus the attack has seemed to gone backwards. But plenty of revisionism going on in here. Hate this fucking place

Yep. Aside from the goal he was shite and contributed nothing. Which sounds daft but honestly, useless aside from that one moment of brilliance.

Shit result and shit performance tbh from both the playing and managing staff. First half we were better despite not creating anything clear cut. Second half we got the goal...then decided to sit off. With our defensive record. That's on Howe imo, I am still behind him and still like him but that's on him for me. That second half was pathetic. We have a gargantuan task on our hands. I'm not going to go 'ohhh we're 100% certain to go down' but it's looking a tall order without at least 3 or 4 new signings coming in.