TheBrownBottle

Depends who the owners are

It’s not the extra 8-10k seats that would make a difference tbf. Which is why expanding SJP would be a waste of money

He’s right of course - we can’t break in under the current circumstances. There is no ‘natural’ growth route to catch those teams. The only avenue available which PSR etc doesn’t touch is a new stadium.

Honestly, you might be right. I still think Howe’s done a cracking job all things considered - but I am more than a bit concerned atm. We don’t seem to play in a co-ordinated fashion.

I think if Staveley had managed to spend a short time not briefing the press re Emery we’d much further ahead than we are. I agree generally re momentum, but I still think Howe has done a good job.

Howe's power can only come from performance on the pitch - he would have been in a strong position with Ashworth. I can't imagine Howe's stock is all that high at the moment - so I can't imagine he'd win an internal battle

SIR Steve Redgrave? Christ they’re just giving them out to anybody these days

Which is what happens when you stand still in the transfer market - teams absolutely know how to play against us, and so far Howe hasn’t found the answer to it.

It never looked like a particularly good midfield to me - it’s far too slow for a start; Joelinton isn’t technically good enough to play there, and Tonali is very much ‘jury’s out’. I haven’t seen anything to convince me that any other manager would be able to make that work as a three man midfield.

He’s not playing the same position(s) that he did that season. He’s clearly much better further forward, but he’s a middling (at best) midfielder.

We’re three years in and hundreds of millions spent. Howe does have some responsibility for the current squad if it isn’t good enough. Failure to buy a right winger or a centre half with pace in those three years can’t just be blamed on PSR - the money was available to spend.

Cheers mate ‎

It does indeed ‎ - the FA screwed the Football League over many years ago with the creation of the PL, but they haven’t ruined them by taking a European place away from the League Cup

League Cup win = European qualification 😉

The burning question remains though: who’s dad is hardest?

I’d take a League Cup trophy and finishing 17th over finishing second in the PL tbh.

Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m not at all sure we would have. I’m yet to see our midfield look much cope with Tonali in there.

Haha yep. Have to say that I’d still be unprofessional enough to try it if I thought it was likely to be worth it - but I’m just not feeling that at the moment. Hope to buggery I regret it

I’m not arsing myself to stay up for this one; it’s a school night, we’ve got a shite record there and we’ve been poor most of the season so far so I reckon we’ve no chance. Which means of course we’ll probably win - make sure you all thank me later when we do

The handsomest knacker in the knacker’s yard. It is a bloody shame really, but he needs to be out of the door and replaced.

Apart from the bit when we were winning more

That isn’t as impressive a feat as it would have been in, say 1994 or 2004. Being one of Italy’s best players in 2024 … Jury is very much out on Tonali for me. Longstaff is a solid but bog standard PL midfielder. Tonali is a very, very expensive midfielder who is really owes us a top season.

Likewise. All this is liable to do is see ticket price hikes - which usually follows from inflated wages. Like the PL, the PFA does little for the good of the game.

I honestly think the hardest part is knowing who might take the job? Instinctively I don’t think any big hitter takes it in the present moment - but I don’t know how the ownership might approach them or what they might offer? It says everything about the job that Howe has done that we wouldn’t be looking at another Eddie Howe for the job (should he leave). The man has done a cracking job for the most part.

That was during the Worst Injury Crisis in the History of the World mind