Antipode23

My suspicion is there was a conversation between Howe and Mitchell along the following lines: Mitchell: "The way we do things needs to change. Here's a list of lower cost continental targets I think we should consider." Howe: "No, I need players ready to contribute now. We can't afford to take the risk." Mitchell's then basically gone wtf and yeeted out of there.

Not sure that's entirely fair on Mitchell. And re the last sentence, I think the manager might turn it down if he had preconceived ideas that he wasn't willing to allow even the DoF to talk him out of.

Nah. You're overly sentimental. Pull yourself together man!

Our amateurishness needs to be studied. Genuinely impressive stuff.

It's an interesting phenomenon, how the overall tone of this thread tends to shift between our latest loss, and the next game. In the first 24 hours or so, there's quite unanimous support for the Howe out position it seems, but this begins to cool over subsequent days, and by the next game there is quite a lot of optimism again. Some of it will be emotion making way for rationality, and that can be good. But I would argue that the negative emotions after our recent losses are not necessarily unjustified/unhelpful, at least not entirely, and that once the anger and frustration settles, there's a risk that we can be unduly blinded to the reality of our situation by memories of past glories, and a sense of duty to Howe for his role in them. In other words, maybe we're right to be angry? And maybe we can be immensely grateful to Eddie, but also of the view that he's well and truly come to the end of the road? Those views don't have to be mutually exclusive.

For me the Wissa transfer is the clearest example (out of a hideous bunch) of a myopic and amateur transfer strategy, enabled by an absentee ownership and manager given far too much influence. I agree that DCL (and even Vardy) would have been better value in hindsight (kind of wild to say that), but I'd also say weren't the most astute options we could've gone for - just better than a 55m Wissa. I don't understand why we haven't tried to milk the free agent market more, on that note, higher wages notwithstanding. Howe's always banging on about PSR, next minute he blows hundreds of millions on PL mediocrity in the name of avoiding risk. Just bizarre all round and with this transfer approach we've gotten exactly what we've deserved. Here's hoping the relevant people have learned their lessons.

Probably

I've been so burned by our incompetence the last two summers that I can't bring myself to even pay close attention to what we do this window. I'll watch from a distance for my own sanity. Regarding the new DOF and CEO, I'll show them some trust when they've actually earned it, and no earlier. I think if Eddie stays, he'll meddle in the transfers again and we'll pay the price - literally.

Keepers messing around at the back will never be anything but abject stupidity to me.

It's lazy and a non-elite approach to leave gem-finding almost entirely to other clubs, then rock up 12 months later with a 60m bid when they turn out decent. Some clubs must think we're cucks.

If we got Europe from here I'd still have major doubts about Eddie. The lack of flexibility etc in so much of what he does has to catch up with him and us eventually. I've seen enough tbh.

The fact many are still Eddie in when we actually have a chance of getting relegated boggles my mind. How bad can he do his job before he's held accountable?

Van Dijk scoring a last minute winner with a face only a mother could love.

Man that pisses me off. Such a beta mindset.

Kind of Isak and Spurs to monumentally bottle it to distract us from our troubles.

Isak getting crunched every time the ball goes near him.

Keeper with a whack to the knee, get the stretcher out

Konate must've read the Isak manual on jogging about

Not sure Eddie would know how to use him.

Eddie Howe and young Zachery Ty Brian (actor off sitcom 'Home Improvement')

About as much good as never playing them.

The problem is, if we bring the young guys in, we might play badly and lose. ...

With respect man, that's an overly simplistic and unfair representation of the Howe out argument. For a more complete picture, off the top of my head, it's worth considering: - we've been bad for way more than 10 games - just HOW bad we've been. It's almost embarrassing at this point - the exact ways in which we've been bad. Many of which fall on the manager When you flesh out even those three points, you discover an argument much more robust than just "we've had x number of bad games, sack him!".

Yeah - hard to argue with that. I guess I just feel like the takeover bounce still has some life in it, even if PSR ultimately strangles us, and that Eddie may now be standing in the way of progress somewhat.