wong989

So long as he doesn’t start getting injured like Botman, truly thought he was a transformational player, then the injuries pile up. Not sure what they’re doing with Botman but he needs a long time out an a whole new approach to movement in general it seems.

Close to re-injuring himself

Hes never here. Mad how little I’ve come to care about all of it. Thought Sven looked absolute top tier, a transformational centre back. Any time you think hes on the way back turns out hes got another 3 months on the sidelines. And then we go out and buy injury prone players for our first 11 on purpose 😅 at least I don’t live in Vancouver anymore, nothing beats that

It's mental. I was praying we'd sign a couple of higher quality technical midfielders somehow, because when we weren't scoring from forcing errors by pressing, we were making very few chances. Without Trips dictating the right side of the pitch, giving AG space on the left, there is no coherent attacking idea. The quality for consistent counter attacking doesn't exist, too many players that lack composure and touch. So now, we've stopped pressing, we've lost a huge amount of goals, and lost the aura of being a tough game with no room for error. We are the ones making unforced errors now. Its like watching Southgate's England. There's any amount of players with the athleticism to play high press. We decided to spend near 100 million on Ramsey and Elanga, players whose strength is not top tier creativity, dribbling, passing etc. Its mildly upgrading the squad in the same image as before but without actually using the system. Makes no god damn sense. Regardless, Sunderland is the game you play at 100%. You aren't saving yourselves for next week, if thats the case, the lads dont get it.

You'd think so. At the least have somebody 18-21 with the attributes to play his role after a few months of coaching, and looking for the potential to be a big upgrade. Certainly before spending 40-50 million it has to be asked, are these next level players? Do they have the potential even? They’re 23ish. The passing, dribbling, touch, vision is unlikely to become far better than what it is. Yes, they may become effective in a given system and improve certain aspects, but that’s true of near any player.

Team with supposedly better players easily beaten by a team that showed aggression, desire, tactical nous, but no quality whatsoever. This is squarely on Howe, as bad as some individuals were. Our approach, execution and desire, absolutely disgraceful. Absolute joke, so many times we’ve gone into games like this. To go into a derby like this is disgusting

We show a bit of aggression and high pressing for 2 minutes and start to dominate why the hell did we go into this match with no aggression and allow them to dictate the match. What is Howe thinking, far too many times now.

Oh good just try the same thing again give em another half of unchallenged possession. Look at the confidence they have because they pressed us high and we stopped. Been awful going back to last year. Majority of our goals for 2 years have come from winning the ball in the opposition third. Now we don’t even press that area against promoted teams. They are beating us at our old game. Time to be at least considering whether any coaches are an upgrade, been going on far too long

No aggression , just passive, absolutely pathetic. As bad as the players are this is on Eddie. Hes done amazingly well in tough situations, been the best manager in the league at times . But for a while now it’s like Southgate is in charge. Press them high , get into them. Why are we so timid it’s pathetic.

Howe’s track record and bias when hes in sole charge of signings is his biggest weakness as a manager. Wasted so much money this summer on players with low ceilings and the floor really isn’t high enough to justify the money paid. And why are we not pressing them high. It’s a derby ffs, force em into mistakes, we don’t have the quality to walk thru teams or the brains/technique to trigger press and counter, just leave ourselves open and constantly give the ball away

The players look crap but this set up is terrible. This mid block, stand off-trigger press, whatever it is, the players don’t seem to get it, bad teams can cut through our midfield. We’ve finally got a fast centre back and we won’t press high or even as a unit. Why isn’t Eddie noticing 1. Crap teams can press us high with great success even though we have supposed counter threats. 2. Our team doesn’t have the technique or IQ to consistently be a threat on the counter. We generate as many chances for the other team by misplacing passes. 3. It’s Sunderland. Into them at ever goddamn opportunity, they are now more confident than they should be, should be pinned in their own half.

I wonder about the Trippier aspect as well. Worrying that he kept us so many points, and now that he's not our no1 RB, neither management or the players have been able to implement the mental side of what he brought.

If we are going to have a season, it needs to start here with a bang. A lot needs to change. Need the lads unified and composed out there. Clean sheet is hugely important, we need to get back that air of once we're ahead you aren't getting back. Don't have that when Trips isn't on form, but don't understand why the management or players haven't addressed this. Secondly, once we score we need to take advantage of them when they over commit to an equalizer. That means making our passes count. Been far too sloppy at times for a while now. So long I've been waiting for this, INTO EM LADS. Hope Nick bullies the hell out of their back 4

I’m sure you could also show me a magazine where Asians are carrying tree trunks

People saying the criticism of Ramsey is harsh, maybe it is. It’s the recruitment I have a problem with. No other top 6-7 club pays 40 mil for him. Then there’s the fact that we are crying out for a legitimate elite/potentially elite technical 8. Have to think a club with better scouting/decision making could get 2 players for 50 mil who could add more and in near as much time, without the fact this lad has had a rake of injuries already

We’ve qualified for CL with some average teams. Eventually the cartels endless signings will click. Near 150mil on Ramsey, Wissa and Elanga. I’d be thinking there’s got to be a winger with pace and a higher technical ceiling, younger and cheaper abroad. Minteh is a good example. 1 year and he was ready. Spending 10-15 for a winger about as good as Elanga is what we have to do, in positions where we can’t sign wait a season to rely on them.

It’s a shame, the first while he was here he looked immense, intelligent, unshakeable, the only minor weakness being speed/agility, but he was better than he looked that way and rarely did it cost him. After the injuries it seems his confidence in tight spaces is dented massively, and he seems a bit slower. I think we need to keep him and improve the team in terms of composure and technique. Sick of seeing us endlessly misplacing passes. We need a midfielder who technically exceeds Bruno, whether it’s a prospect or now. Shame these last 2/3 years we didn’t sign someone with the potential to do it, because we can’t sign Eze’s once they reach that level.

I 100% agree, just wish we’d take more risks when it comes to replacements. Lately so much emphasis on prem experience , even when cost, injuries, form or something make it seem like we aren’t improving near enough. Our 11 still isn’t that good. No top prospects either. When you think none of our u23s seem to have close to the potential of Elanga, Joelinton (in different ways even), Bruno, I mean our wing, forward, mid options are great for certain matches, but nothing coming thru. Need to beat Brighton off the pitch in terms of value signings

I think like with Anderson, there’s a problem with breaking into that midfield. Our youngsters seem overawed and play within themselves, run, don’t give the ball away. See Anderson then go to Forest and England and run a midfield himself. Miler needs to know he can do what he wants an if he fails he fails.

At the end of last season and possibly a season or 2 before I'd have looked at other options. Only because our performances in games against average teams were so poor, if we weren't pressing we made nothing, and Eddie didn't look like buying a player who could help with that. But no, I wouldn't have sacked him. Unless someone with a great track record of value signings and similar overachievement was available. Would never sack him now, re-assess in summer, after whats likely to be a 7-8th place finish, with no reason to believe the transfer window will catch us up to a significant degree. Love Eddie and blame admin for our lack of progress.

Dublin is much worse than meh now

This is it, so concise, gotta learn that. Aside from Burns obvious problems playing LB, his closest players are Joelinton whose technique is average on a good day Tonali, who is deepest mid generally, and the left wingers, whose technique is not their strong point. Although at this point it’s gunna be a struggle for Burn at left back because he’ll be targeted by the press and on the counter. Don’t have near enough players in different areas of the pitch with even good to very good technique, been a problem for years. If pressing into mistakes doesn’t work we’ve got little threat away from home.

Been a theme for a while now, Southgate-esque performances many times the last few seasons.

Other than that, same problems in midfield, and the technical levels at wing and midfield not good enough. Just getting swamped.

Shocking. We don’t even have an Ashby at left back and continue with Burn 2 years after his run at left back cost us so many points and teams just reamed our left side. Love Burn, hes not capable at left back unless he’s playing against the slowest, oldest right sided team in prem history.