TheBrownBottle

I can deal with ‘false 9’ and ‘double pivot’ easier tbf. Still think the ‘double pivot’ thing is a bit wank; it’s basically playing with two half-backs, as football did for decades without calling them ‘pivots’.

You know, some of us were watching this club in a crumbling SJP with crowds under 20,000 and with relegation to the third tier a very likely prospect. I know that is the case for some of those criticising Howe. The club wouldn’t exist for those who came along a lot later without that. Probably best to knock this kind of patter on the head.

Yeah, just saw that. An Ashworth appointment. There is something very wrong in that dept at the moment. Hopefully this is the beginning of getting it fixed.

Longstaff is a decent PL player and an academy product. We won’t be getting rid any time soon

I agree - but I won’t hold my breath. I’d be happy to see a massive clear out

We were linked to Ba in the late ‘90s. He always looked like he was going to be a cracking winger. Also, the bleached barnet preferred by flair players of the mid- to late-‘90s is still burned into my memory banks, watching Gazzetta hungover to buggery

Tommy Svindal Larsen, based on nowt except Champ Man 97/98

It would be 3pm on Saturday - as would all other FA Cup Third Round matches - via legislation if somehow I become Prime Minister All other KO times - other than replays - are unacceptable for an FA Cup tie.

Let’s say we get £10m-ish for Targett, £12m-ish for Wilson, and £15-20m-ish for Almiron. Targett’s fee isn’t close to amortised yet, so he wouldn’t be of any use to the FFP budget other than getting £100k pw off the wage bill. Wilson & Almiron’s fees though would likely free up £60-80m in transfer fees under FFP for players in Jan. I don’t think this is remotely likely tbh - Howe is pretty conservative when it comes to squad changes.

I think Dummett will get another 1 year extension. Has to be the end of the road for Ritchie, though

His wages would make a fee unlikely, though. And the likes of Hayden would likely need a payoff

Unfortunately selling starters may have to be the answer - Wilson, Almiron, Willock, Joelinton etc would free up a lot of wriggle room. The other option would be one of our ‘new’ boys for big bucks (Bruno, Isak etc). We’re getting nothing for our deadwood - it’s not like they weren’t available already.

Makes sense mate. I just get bamboozled with numbers beinn my used - there isn’t always a consistent position etc for each number

Yeah, agreed - though I’d still prefer he stays at centre forward

Our league form makes it an even bigger gamble. Every position is worth millions more - I wonder what the accountants allowed for this season? It may be that we have no buffer

This ‘positions as numbers’ pish again What is a ‘7’? I’ve never seen Isak play right wing - the usual ‘7’ position, nor as a deep lying forward if that’s what a ‘10’ is. Would folks be able to use words so daft twats like me can understand what you’re on about?

Christ, poor old Mike Hooper I heard he’d become a bouncer in Durham. He’ll have been good at it, given his previous job often saw him taking abuse off drunks …

Yep, bang on analysis for me

True, though it also wasn’t much of a squad game back then. It was closer to that in BR’s time, of course. I do get a wee bit annoyed at the ‘think of where we were under Ashley’ crack though, as if the club is working in the same circumstances just with different personalities. It’s as irritating as the ‘that was a Steve Bruce performance’ when we play badly. I’ve not seen a Howe NUFC side ever look as lost as any Bruce side did in an average match.

Totally agree. It doesn’t work with me either. And I don’t remember the ‘remember where we were with Ossie’ stuff when KK’s side had a bad run, or ‘remember where we were with Gullit’ under Robson (who’s sides had some really bad batches of form). Howe is a far, far better manager than Bruce, and has got things out of players they both had that Bruce couldn’t dream of. Howe has also been massively backed to the tune of almost half a billion over four windows, and isn’t managing at a club with a poisonous atmosphere with a hated ownership which sends him into every presser to be its mouthpiece. It’s a very, very different club today.

I agree, and it has to be take as the whole picture. A bad spell was inevitable at some point. I think Howe does take a share of the blame - just as he takes a share of the credit for the previous form. His managerial bank balance remains ‘in credit’ for me. We should have some faith that he can correct what’s going wrong - including his own missteps. He’s not going to be able correct everything at the moment - so he needs time.

The Isak criticism is lost on me. The lad gobbles up chances when he gets them. We need to work on getting him the ball more often in more dangerous positions

I agree, and too many are reacting emotively to criticism and thinking it’s the same as calling for his head. It isn’t. And it’s a football forum - not sure what else folks are meant to talk about. I wouldn’t want to read lots of ostrich impersonators sticking their heads in the sand, telling me that shit is sugar.

I agree, it is a point that missed. Last season has raised expectations, but it’s also bought Howe credit and time. I also doubt that the same patience would exist for a similar run if last season was just ok. Howe though did have last season, proving that he can do it - so I’m happy for him to get that time.

They’ve had six days rest. We’re not short of that many starters - Pope (which has less meaning when Dubravka was MOTM), Trippier and Tonali are the only players missing who I’d say would be first choice. Obviously, the lack of options from the bench means that we tire quicker as the game wears on. But that starting XI wasn’t exactly a million miles from our first choice XI.