Eddie Howe

[Yorkie]

  On 11/02/2023 at 23:57, The College Dropout said:

The underlying point is that we needed a Cm before Shelvey was sold.  

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To guarantee Champions League qualification, probably. But, hamstrung by FFP and the inability to find value in January, they gambled on proceeding with what we had, because what we had stood a good chance of qualifying on its own.

 

Then the Shelvey sale happened unexpectedly and we tried to sign one of our summer targets (I assume) in Gallagher, but it didn't happen. 

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

  On 12/02/2023 at 00:13, The College Dropout said:

I disagree. Clubs block moves for players that they want all the time.  
 if you buy it - good for you. 

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 "Buy it". Give awa. It's more than clear what happened, it's been explained, there's no smoke and mirrors. To suggest otherwise is just to give yourself a reason to be angry over something that doesnt exist.

[The College Dropout]

I’m not without evidence. 
 

 

The club got a negligible fee for him. He only had 6 months on his contract. We lacked in his position already and knew we were likely to not replace him. But we let him go anyway. The manager wanted to keep him. What’s the motive to sell? 

[TheHoob]

Pleased to see him get his send off today. Weird to see him getting emotional actually, usually such a cool customer 

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

  On 12/02/2023 at 00:17, The College Dropout said:

I’m not without evidence. 
 

 

The club got a negligible fee for him. He only had 6 months on his contract. We lacked in his position already and knew we were likely to not replace him. But we let him go anyway. The manager wanted to keep him. What’s the motive to sell? 

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 The fact he asked to go. I dont know what's so hard to understand, Im sorry but I really dont. We granted his request to leave. 

[elbee909]

Yeah, unhappy players always do well don't they.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

Shelvey: Forest have offered me this contract and I'd like to move.

Howe: I would rather you stayed tbh, we'd like you to stay.

Shelvey: Thanks, but I'd like to move.

Howe: Okay.

 

Not hard  

[The Prophet]

A half fit Shelvey would have single handedly won us the game today. I told you it was a bad move.

 

[gazza ladra]

We really should have had loan targets identified, and have been prepared to bring one of those in based on player sales (an offer too good to refuse) or injury.
 

Manchester United were able to bring in Sabitzer on very short notice when Eriksen went down.  Obviously, we’re not as attractive an option, but there must have been many good players willing to take a stab at a club in the top four of the Premier League, the opportunity to play for a contract. 

 

5he club has done extremely well, but in this instance — selling Shelvey without a replacement, they made a mistake.

[The Prophet]

Said the same after West Ham last week, but I'd be amazed if the player we brought in on loan would have might the slightest bit of difference today.

 

The players we wanted as difference makers weren't available in January, we need to get over it.

[Theregulars]

  On 11/02/2023 at 23:23, 54 said:

I think most people acknowledge we played shit today? Don't think anyone is disputing that, it's just some people realise over the course of season you're going to get poor runs of form and poor games.

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I disagree; some people on here have taken on a quasi-religious fervour about Howe, the board and the squad whereby any criticism makes you some kind of ungrateful heathen. We’ve been playing mediocre for about 6 weeks, and the performances are - by and large - getting worse. This boring “appreciate what you’ve got” attitude (a broader problem in Britain, I might add) will hold us back in my view. That’s the approach we took to the transfer window and we look worse for it. We’re so lacklustre at the minute and if we don’t shape up we’ll get comfortably put to the sword by a good side in the cup final. Howe has 2 weeks to figure something out - we shouldn’t be in this position, but we’ve landed ourselves in this position by taking a commercial approach to football in the transfer window. 

[madras]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:18, Theregulars said:

I disagree; some people on here have taken on a quasi-religious fervour about Howe, the board and the squad whereby any criticism makes you some kind of ungrateful heathen. We’ve been playing mediocre for about 6 weeks, and the performances are - by and large - getting worse. This boring “appreciate what you’ve got” attitude (a broader problem in Britain, I might add) will hold us back in my view. That’s the approach we took to the transfer window and we look worse for it. We’re so lacklustre at the minute and if we don’t shape up we’ll get comfortably put to the sword by a good side in the cup final. Howe has 2 weeks to figure something out - we shouldn’t be in this position, but we’ve landed ourselves in this position by taking a commercial approach to football in the transfer window. 

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My turn to disagree. What's holding us back is the lack of squad depth, little options to change things, but we've really had one window to build on that and I'll stick with the plan of getting the right ones rather than any ones.

[timeEd32]

  On 11/02/2023 at 23:23, The College Dropout said:

I disagree. 
 

You can put together a well thought out post and someone will reply ‘do you think you know better than the board? They know more than you.’ That is the extent of their response.  
 

On 1st January 2023, you thought selling Shelvey and bringing in no other central midfielder would be a good idea because we have the 4 CMs playing every week?

 

Nobody doubts the leadership has done a great job. That doesn’t make them exempt from criticism. FSG have done wonders at Liverpool but they’ve clearly made errors.  It’s ok to say that they’ve made mistakes. Naby Keita was a poor signing. They are also guilty of neglecting short-term squad needs by waiting too long for their ideal targets. 

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I’ve still yet to see an answer to the question of who could we have signed that could have guaranteed a top 4 position? 
 

And I assume this is ignored because the answer is no one. The fact is they were going to be taking a risk either way. 
 

There are two reasons I find a lot of the criticism hard to take:

 

1) It has a FM like quality to how acquiring players goes when the reality is very different. I assume we were active in January but the players we wanted at the prices we wanted weren’t available. Want to complain about not getting someone on loan? Fine, but I point back to the first question on who is really going to move the needle. 

 

2) None of us know what the budget is and who the targets are for the summer, so we also don’t know how certain moves in January would have changed those plans. We do know that a big problem is we have half a squad of players who aren’t good enough on not insignificant wages and we shifted a couple of them. 

 

Supporters can live or die by each week’s results and there’s some justified complaining to do at the moment (I’d really like to see Eddie find another system we can play when we’re missing certain players for example), but thankfully the people in charge have longer term and bigger ideas.

[Theregulars]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:25, madras said:

My turn to disagree. What's holding us back is the lack of squad depth, little options to change things, but we've really had one window to build on that and I'll stick with the plan of getting the right ones rather than any ones.

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Well your point just plays into mine - the lack of squad depth was in plain sight before the transfer window, and we’ve come out with a shallower squad. The board and Howe have taken a brainless gamble and today exposed it. It’s highlighted their inexperience, hopefully they learn from it. They’ve had 3 windows. 2 have been good, 1 looks reckless. It was so predictable that going the rest of the season that light on strikers and central midfielders was a dumbass thing to do. But hey Ho, we got a bit of coin for shelvey, so all’s well. 
 

To make the post gammon-proof, I explicitly emphasise that this was their first mistake. 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Theregulars

[samptime29]

I don't think we should have let Shelvey go. We are a little short. First mistake. Apart from that we have bought well: Bruno, Botman, Isak, Tripper, Burn, Pope. I can't grumble too much.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

I didnt watch the match today, but from what Ive seen so far with regards highlights, one player wouldnt have made much difference. Looked like a bad day all round. They happen and we didnt lose, I dont feel awful.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:18, Theregulars said:

I disagree; some people on here have taken on a quasi-religious fervour about Howe, the board and the squad whereby any criticism makes you some kind of ungrateful heathen. We’ve been playing mediocre for about 6 weeks, and the performances are - by and large - getting worse. This boring “appreciate what you’ve got” attitude (a broader problem in Britain, I might add) will hold us back in my view. That’s the approach we took to the transfer window and we look worse for it. We’re so lacklustre at the minute and if we don’t shape up we’ll get comfortably put to the sword by a good side in the cup final. Howe has 2 weeks to figure something out - we shouldn’t be in this position, but we’ve landed ourselves in this position by taking a commercial approach to football in the transfer window. 

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I dont mean to be a dick so Im sorry, but this reads as quite highly strung with regards our club and team right now. 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Super Duper Branko Strupar

[madras]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:34, Theregulars said:

Well your point just plays into mine - the lack of squad depth was in plain sight before the transfer window, and we’ve come out with a shallower squad. The board and Howe have taken a brainless gamble and today exposed it. It’s highlighted their inexperience, hopefully they learn from it. They’ve had 3 windows. 2 have been good, 1 looks reckless. It was so predictable that going the rest of the season that light on strikers and central midfielders was a dumbass thing to do. But hey Ho, we got a bit of coin for shelvey, so all’s well. 
 

To make the post gammon-proof, I explicitly emphasise that this was their first mistake. 

 

 

 

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It does and it doesn't. It shows how poor the squad was (even down to the youths) but it also shows that we'll get what's needed long-term. I think you are looking at "now" as opposed to growing a strategy.

[samptime29]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:37, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

I didnt watch the match today, but from what Ive seen so far with regards highlights, one player wouldnt have made much difference. Looked like a bad day all round. They happen and we didnt lose, I dont feel awful.

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Exactly. I thought Bournemouth worked hard. Pressed well at times. Its an away point. 

[TheBrownBottle]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:18, Theregulars said:

I disagree; some people on here have taken on a quasi-religious fervour about Howe, the board and the squad whereby any criticism makes you some kind of ungrateful heathen. We’ve been playing mediocre for about 6 weeks, and the performances are - by and large - getting worse. This boring “appreciate what you’ve got” attitude (a broader problem in Britain, I might add) will hold us back in my view. That’s the approach we took to the transfer window and we look worse for it. We’re so lacklustre at the minute and if we don’t shape up we’ll get comfortably put to the sword by a good side in the cup final. Howe has 2 weeks to figure something out - we shouldn’t be in this position, but we’ve landed ourselves in this position by taking a commercial approach to football in the transfer window. 

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You keep writing this and not saying what it is you expected them to do, other than spend more money, which they won’t do due to PL FFP rules.  ‘A commercial approach to football’ is just another way of saying ‘didn’t spend the money I wanted them to spend’.

 

Howe has had deserved criticism, and then there’s this stuff.  He won’t be criticised by me if they lose the LC Final, that’s for sure.

 

Britain doesn’t have an ‘appreciate what you’ve got’ attitude; quite the opposite, it exudes a sense of bizarre entitlement and a belief that it holds a special place in the world.  Given that since the Xmas break we’ve won six, drew four and lost one game that sense of entitlement is strong in some on here too. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just a note here - this was always likely to be, at best, a transition season.  Howe and his new signings saved us from nailed-on relegation last year.

 

We are mid-February in that transition season, and the team are in a cup final and 4th in the table.  People are flapping over a few draws - most of which we should have won - yet seem to have forgotten that after the opening day win we drew five and lost one of the next six games.  These runs happen.  Fuck knows how some will react if we really do hit a bad patch.

 

The squad is threadbare and will take several windows - and lots of new commercial deals - to fix.  I’m not sure how whinging every day about the January window helps - yes, I don’t doubt you would have gone out and bought Maddison for £80m, but maybe - just maybe - Howe was not in a position to do so. 

[KaKa]

Genuinely think this guy is the best manager in the league. Have absolutely no issues with him whatsoever, and can't for the life of me understand how anyone does. This team of players we have should be nowhere near the position they are in, and it's all down to him.

 

Every critique I had in the match thread today was down to my frustration with the players. So many of them are really capable of some terrible play, and are just so careless over their decision making and execution, as well as also lacking urgency when they have the ball, it's really frustrating to watch. I'm really looking forward to the manager eventually getting some better talent to work with.

 

 

[nufcjb]

He'll probably have sleepless nights now wondering what has happened to his players and he'll probably think its his training or demands that has got the better of them. Hope he keeps his head up. Obviously, the players were absolutely wank but him being himself would say it's his fault and all.

[Theregulars]

  On 12/02/2023 at 02:36, TheBrownBottle said:

You keep writing this and not saying what it is you expected them to do, other than spend more money, which they won’t do due to PL FFP rules.  ‘A commercial approach to football’ is just another way of saying ‘didn’t spend the money I wanted them to spend’.

 

Howe has had deserved criticism, and then there’s this stuff.  He won’t be criticised by me if they lose the LC Final, that’s for sure.

 

Britain doesn’t have an ‘appreciate what you’ve got’ attitude; quite the opposite, it exudes a sense of bizarre entitlement and a belief that it holds a special place in the world.  Given that since the Xmas break we’ve won six, drew four and lost one game that sense of entitlement is strong in some on here too. 

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I’ve said over and over what I expected: don’t sell shelvey without a replacement. That’s fuck all to do with FFP. We’re now short on CMs and it looks so short-sighted.

 

Don’t agree with you re: Britain; so many people bleat on about “it could be worse” when you want better for yourself and others. 
 

I don’t think you understand my point: I have no issue whatsoever with any of our results and performances; today’s performance was dross and it’s right to call it so, but doing so triggers this ludicrous “don’t be so entitled” backlash.

There’s nothing entitled about saying today’s performance wasn’t good enough. Plainly, it wasn’t. 

[Theregulars]

  On 12/02/2023 at 01:39, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

I dont mean to be a dick so Im sorry, but this reads as quite highly strung with regards our club and team right now. 

 

 

 

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How does it? The performance was poor, the performances in general are trending downwards and the transfer window was not particularly impressive. It’s a relatively bad patch performance and results wise (I don’t think draws are great, especially when it’s the only result you get), and we had a poor transfer window (which I think is going to cost us the very significant opportunity of CL football when multiple usual challengers are having a bad season). The board, manager and squad are being criticised, and rightly so. There’s absolutely bot all highly strung about saying so. I’d say, in fact, that the reactions to this viewpoint are highly strung; it’s almost like “dissent” isn’t allowed. 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Theregulars