TheBrownBottle

100%, they’re an absolute mess. It’s funny how PSR was there to protect the old ‘big’ clubs, but it means that the Agnelli family can no longer prop the club up with Fiat money. Juve never had big gates to sustain them.

If he doesn’t he’s fucked would be my view.

Zero chance UEFA punish Juve in any meaningful sense

I’m genuinely interested to see what he’ll do to correct course in the summer. He’s an intelligent football man, he must be able to see it isn’t working - and perhaps some of what isn’t working cannot be fixed with the current personnel. It feels to me like we need a real refresh in the summer - I wouldn’t be at all upset to see half a dozen players leave including some first teamers. It’s only if Howe’s proposal is more of the same that I think the board should consider giving him the bullet at that point.

I’ve seen the ‘he didn’t get his first choices’ crack a fair bit, and it isn’t convincing to me. Ekitike also didn’t seem to be first choice - Joao Pedro was. And I don’t think Pedro would fit into the system any better than Woltemade. Most managers know they won’t necessarily get their ‘first choice’ into the position - that’s cloud cuckoo land stuff. Unless we’re saying Howe and his team signed a load of players they didn’t want, then they signed players they wanted to sign. Signings are pretty much always a compromise unless you’re Real Madrid.

Sandro must’ve sacked his agent by now, given he’s been hawking him about without permission. It’s such a bad look especially when you’re so desperate to stay.

I’ve written before on here I think, but my fatha used to work at Parsons (later Siemens) for years, and worked with Bruce’s dad. Bruce’s dad refused a ticket for the ‘94 cup final as ‘he didn’t want to see that red shite play’. I kind of hope he wasn’t referring to Man Utd as a team.

I’ve heard that saying of course - but don’t get to say it though when you’ve paid huge premiums on ‘PL ready’ players. That’s why we’ve paid over the odds. This excludes Woltemade and Thiaw, of course. Elanga, Ramsey and Wissa would’ve been a fraction of that cost for similar level players from the continent. If you want to allow players time to develop, you don’t spunk the numbers we did.

He’s decent with his feet but I wouldn’t describe him as ‘technical’ by any stretch. I also don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect £65m footballers to have something about them

Happy for the lad to get the albatross off his back - hopefully can show a bit more now. He’s clearly not a £55m player, but watching the poor bugger wilt isn’t fun.

Agree - something happening with regularity isn’t bad luck.

He definitely needs inverted wingers being tighter and moving ahead of him as well as at least one midfielder bombing to get the best of him We just don’t play that way, and don’t look like we’re looking to play that way

Yes, I agree - personally, I think Howe closes the season out, presents solutions to the board re fixing things, and gets the chance to implement those changes. Pointless making a change this season unless things really take a nose-five. Another full season like this one is a no-go for me, though.

Would be funny hearing him calling them ‘the Eric’s’ post-match, mind

Which is why Howe is receiving criticism - it’s his job to fix that. So far this season, he hasn’t. There’s still time yet.

Could be problems in the dressing room - we know how he feels about Sandro from Meeelan-oh

He’s on track for that - the first no.9 I can actively remember is Mirandinha (who wasn’t from Argentina). The previous worst is still in our squad - though he’s done a shitload better in the no.7 shirt. But I can’t recollect a no.9 looking quite as half-arsed as Wissa does at present.

4. We can do them on pens

Fuck me Elanga lad - good goal that

At least you could post dogshit through his business office letterbox while using the Metro to get there

It definitely plays a massive part - but Man Utd has spent more …

Fucking hell not a chance that’s a pen

The result tonight hasn’t moved the dial re Howe for me. The same issues are there as at any other time this season - and it was always a massive ask to beat Man City in a SF, never mind after a 0-2 deficit from the home leg. There are problems - some aren’t on him, some are. He still needs the time and opportunity to fix them given what he’s done before - which means finishing this season. But he shouldn’t get the whole of next season for me - and might not get next season at all if his proposed fixes for next season are basically ‘more of the same’.