PopeandGlory

I just think he always looks like the weak link in the team whenever he plays. He was our joint lowest outfield player rating on Saturday on the stat site I saw. He always picks the easy pass when there are more progressive options on, or will take so long to decide what he needs to do so the chance has gone. He doesn’t really offer a goal threat or assists. His best return was last season (6G, 2A), which is the only time he’s ever scored more than 1 goal in a season. He’s also not particularly a solid defensive midfielder as we saw last season when our midfield was cut through like a hot knife through butter with him consistently in it. I wouldn’t say his performance on Saturday proved he should be playing ahead of a €60m Italian international. What it might prove is the midfield needs better balance.

Boycoutt Woke Stack.

Incredible that one of those has won the PL.

Better than Ramage - Boumsong - Bramble - Babayaro?

Modern football often eliminating wingers running down the wing and hoying a cross in. Boils my piss watching a winger have a chance to put a cross in but they either: a. turn back and pass it backwards because possession is the most important thing in the world. b. cut backwards because they are left footed and playing on the right for the 1/50 chance they’ll eventually cut in and score a goal. I often think it could be exploited more with a combination of 5 foot nothing defenders like Martinez and modern goalkeepers unable to catch a football. Plus my corner bets.

I just hope we don’t go anywhere near Elanga. He’s the same level as Miggy and Murphy and would not be an upgrade. Even during this great run for Forest, he’s on 0 goals and 1 assist in 10 games.

Is that why his transfer policy was just to buy any player he’s previously worked with?

Alternatively, lose it and we may as well fold the season.

Our songbook generally these days is appalling.

Got it ticking again yesterday. The last 2 have been almost like watching us 2022/23. Pressing, go a goal or two up and then see out the game with a solid defensive performance and shithousery. Other than Liverpool we’ve got a reasonably favourable set of fixtures coming up until Boxing Day. Lets hope this continues.

Times like this I really struggle to make excuses for Howe.

Shame. Quite liked him and now I’ll want his career to totally crash and burn.

I don’t think anyone has said “he’s just a motivator” or “doesn’t use tactics”. People have said he’s more motivational than tactical. There’s quite a significant difference.

Any defender who can pass a football always ends up with calls to hoy them into midfield. Almost like you just need to pass a ball to be a midfielder. Bet it wouldn’t take long to search for similar calls for Schär, Mbemba, Alexander-Arnold, Stones etc.

From my point of view it just cements more that Howe is a motivator rather than immense tactician. It’s no surprises our best performances this season have been against the better teams, particularly at home. Backs to the walls mentality. Worked a treat when he first came in, all the way to the CL. But put us in a game we are favourites where we expect to do well and we often don’t. Started to happen towards the end of the 4th place season, we started games as favourites and stuttered at times, carried on into last season and this. Obviously not an exact science and there are anomalies along the way, that’s sport. I think he’s tried to transform us to a more possession based team to ensure we have other ways of playing but that loses the above mentality and puts pressure on rather than taking it off. More pressure, more misplaced passes, more mistakes. Similar at Bournemouth, multiple promotions as the underdog and it all fell apart when they were more established and went into games expecting to do well. High press, counter attacking at pace will see us do well. We must find a solution when we face ogre teams like Everton though, or every good result will be cancelled out by a bad.