Eddie Howe

[Ronaldo]

40 minutes ago, reefatoon said:

All I can think of regarding Gordon not starting is that he won’t be available for the Final, so he is trying to play players that will be available for him. Trying to keep it settled. As soon as the final is over Gordon will be starting.

It wasn’t settled though. Bruno was missing so you surely put him where Anderson played. 
 

I find it hard to be critical of Howe but I think we’re become incredibly predictable in the final third. Gordon at least has the ability to make something happen.

[Guest]

Shelvey seems to have turned into the second incarnation of Pirlo since he left.

[Filflop1]

Howe has been superb but not changing

formation and starting Gordon was a mistake 

[Lush Vlad]

7 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

It wasn’t settled though. Bruno was missing so you surely put him where Anderson played. 
 

I find it hard to be critical of Howe but I think we’re become incredibly predictable in the final third. Gordon at least has the ability to make something happen.

I think that’s fair. But I also think he is bringing Gordon in slowly. He will be starting after the final, I reckon. 
 

I know it is rare to have pretty much all of your squad fit and available. But with Targett coming back, Bruno and hopefully Willock soon. We might suddenly have some genuine options and competition for a few positions. 
 

I think if we then persisted with the same personnel all the while and with no real tweaks to the formation or system. Then there would be something to be a bit more critical about. 

[BoSelecta]

8 hours ago, reefatoon said:

All I can think of regarding Gordon not starting is that he won’t be available for the Final, so he is trying to play players that will be available for him. Trying to keep it settled. As soon as the final is over Gordon will be starting.

Was just about to post this, I think it’s the case. He’ll be starting soon after the final.

[Beren]

It's a thing of Howe's, isn't it?

 

We could buy a fully fit peak Ronaldo with only Chris Wood as competititon, and he'd use R9 off the bench for the first 8 games.

 

He's done it with Bruno, Isak and now Gordon - all who should have been starting nigh on immediately.

 

Not a big knock, just the way he does things.

 

 

[Myleftboot]

12 minutes ago, Beren said:

It's a thing of Howe's, isn't it?

 

We could buy a fully fit peak Ronaldo with only Chris Wood as competititon, and he'd use R9 off the bench for the first 8 games.

 

He's done it with Bruno, Isak and now Gordon - all who should have been starting nigh on immediately.

 

Not a big knock, just the way he does things.

 

 

He tried it with Botman and he kicked off.

[Lotus]

I’ll preface this by, again stating I’m incredibly happy EH is our manager. Love the bloke.

 

However……I am very curious to see how he faces and adapts to challenges we have coming for the rest of this season and the next.

 

Our plan A is faltering. It’s clearly a trend, I think there were signs of it against Leicester (despite the victory). What’s wonderful is that we have a plan A. Even a plan A is a massive improvement over Bruce. We have had a clear tactical plan that had been effective.

 

I have always been a suspicious of teams whose route to victory involves running harder than the opposition. Simply because it’s a limited way to improve. It has a ceiling. Ours hasn’t been solely down to that but it’s been a highly contributing factor.

 

I’ll be curious to see if we persist with it, the high intensity plan. It hasn’t got much of a future coupled with Eddie’s tendency to not rotate. Of course, with a better squad, rotation may be something that Eddie finds more palatable.
 

It’s that or a change of style. If we get European football next season our form fall off will happen quicker.

 

EH has shown he can see our problems previously and then formulated an ideology to get us going forward. So he has a history of solving Newcastle’s issues. So, obviously I trust him to to it again. 

[80]

21 minutes ago, Lotus said:

I’ll preface this by, again stating I’m incredibly happy EH is our manager. Love the bloke.

 

However……I am very curious to see how he faces and adapts to challenges we have coming for the rest of this season and the next.

 

Our plan A is faltering. It’s clearly a trend, I think there were signs of it against Leicester (despite the victory). What’s wonderful is that we have a plan A. Even a plan A is a massive improvement over Bruce. We have had a clear tactical plan that had been effective.

 

I have always been a suspicious of teams whose route to victory involves running harder than the opposition. Simply because it’s a limited way to improve. It has a ceiling. Ours hasn’t been solely down to that but it’s been a highly contributing factor.

 

I’ll be curious to see if we persist with it, the high intensity plan. It hasn’t got much of a future coupled with Eddie’s tendency to not rotate. Of course, with a better squad, rotation may be something that Eddie finds more palatable.
 

It’s that or a change of style. If we get European football next season our form fall off will happen quicker.

 

EH has shown he can see our problems previously and then formulated an ideology to get us going forward. So he has a history of solving Newcastle’s issues. So, obviously I trust him to to it again. 

Good post.

 

Further to this, I'm expecting our first campaign in Europe to involve us getting possibly a few humpings against good standard opposition. Which is one reason why I'm hoping to get Europe sooner rather than later, to get it over with. It'll be a valuable education process for Eddie and the club. And I trust him to gain from that education.

[LV]

Intensity is our identity 

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Lotus said:

I’ll preface this by, again stating I’m incredibly happy EH is our manager. Love the bloke.

 

However……I am very curious to see how he faces and adapts to challenges we have coming for the rest of this season and the next.

 

Our plan A is faltering. It’s clearly a trend, I think there were signs of it against Leicester (despite the victory). What’s wonderful is that we have a plan A. Even a plan A is a massive improvement over Bruce. We have had a clear tactical plan that had been effective.

 

I have always been a suspicious of teams whose route to victory involves running harder than the opposition. Simply because it’s a limited way to improve. It has a ceiling. Ours hasn’t been solely down to that but it’s been a highly contributing factor.

 

I’ll be curious to see if we persist with it, the high intensity plan. It hasn’t got much of a future coupled with Eddie’s tendency to not rotate. Of course, with a better squad, rotation may be something that Eddie finds more palatable.
 

It’s that or a change of style. If we get European football next season our form fall off will happen quicker.

 

EH has shown he can see our problems previously and then formulated an ideology to get us going forward. So he has a history of solving Newcastle’s issues. So, obviously I trust him to to it again. 

 I’d like to see these tactics with a proper squad. I think a fall off was always inevitable with our lack of options and quality. Too much of the team picks itself. I’d like to see what he would do with Burn if he had legitimate alternatives. 
 

At the start of this season I thought this squads ceiling is 7/8

[The College Dropout]

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

[Smal]

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

Nah, come on. There are oceans between Howe and Pardew that mean that won’t happen.

[80]

1 minute ago, Smal said:

Nah, come on. There are oceans between Howe and Pardew that mean that won’t happen.

There'll need to be some changes as there is with any functional team, but yeah, absolutely no way.

 

We have really solid foundations. One testimony to us is that while it's easy to obtain and then piss away a spawny goal scoring record, having the best defence, and some of the best overall metrics, in the league is not built on luck.

[TRon]

13 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

 

Fuck off man.

[Away Toon]

West Ham are the example to look at. Up at the top fighting for a 6-8 finish with a much deeper squad that we have and then European football and a relegation battle.

[80]

2 minutes ago, Away Toon said:

West Ham are the example to look at. Up at the top fighting for a 6-8 finish with a much deeper squad that we have and then European football and a relegation battle.

Fairer. But I believe we're now a better run club.

[Cort]

32 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

 

Absolutely not - we are among the top teams for all sorts of different stats, while that was so obviously a fluke which this bloke alludes to: 

I mean from memory, how many games did we actually dominate that year? West Brom away, Stoke home? Some good results in there away at Stoke and at home to Man Utd and Liverpool, but come on, it's not like we had some long term progressive style of play.

[The College Dropout]

It’s not a criticism or due to limitations of Howe. He’s a much better manager than Pardew obviously. But the quality of player and manager in the league is also much higher now.
 

It’s the limitations of the current squad without proper reinforcements for a European campaign. 
 

Our first choice back 4/5 haven’t missed a single game all season. All now we have injuries/suspensions to 3 starters and look threadbare.  This will be a bigger issue with European football of any kind next season if we take it seriously. We aren’t beating teams due to quality. It’s intensity, teamwork, spirit and a solid defensive structure. A few injuries to that back line, fatigued legs, heads drop - these lot could struggle.  

[The College Dropout]

I don’t get it. I’m thought we all agreed this squad is over achieving?

 

added stress of european football and some bad luck and this squad could easily be 13th next season 

 

We’ll need reinforcements in numbers imo to stay in the top 7/8 + compete properly in Europe and cups.  

[The Prophet]

We'll definetly need a few in if we qualify for Europe.

[Mikky]

7 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

We'll definetly need a few in if we qualify for Europe.

You would assume that we would be parting ways with Lascelles - Lewis - Ritchie - Fraser - (Shelvey) with each of these being replaced - maybe not in a like for like manner but more so from a headcount - CB - LB - 4 - Maddison - CF, even with this we are probs 1 short still - possibly another midfielder 

 

Dummett and Manquillo will be consigned to natural wastage 

[Kanj]

Dropout, the squad has over achieved in its current position of 4th. But we’re not there on sheer luck or lack of quality like you seem to refer a few posts above. To suggest that is incredibly offensive to the work and skills our team has displayed on the pitch. We’ve had tremendous amounts of quality to be where we are, we didn’t just graft to it. The quality to execute the plan is the essence of where we are. The lack of quality and depth since the World Cup has been the reason we’ve not picked up points. 
 

we need serious investment this summer if we are to play in Europe and the multiple domestic comps. I won’t argue with that. Serious investment is multiple starters (mid, attack) and multiple squad players capable of starting across the pitch. 

[robbo_11]

5 minutes ago, Mikky said:

You would assume that we would be parting ways with Lascelles - Lewis - Ritchie - Fraser - (Shelvey) with each of these being replaced - maybe not in a like for like manner but more so from a headcount - CB - LB - 4 - Maddison - CF, even with this we are probs 1 short still - possibly another midfielder 

 

Dummett and Manquillo will be consigned to natural wastage 

 

I think this summer will see quite a few changes with Ritchie, Gillespie and Dummett all going due to contracts expiring. You then will see offers being listened to for Fraser, Lascelles and Lewis too. With the staff we have at the club now always planning for the future, fairly sure they've already said they have planned this window, we will see some potential contract extensions and maybe a few surprises. The following are out of contract in 2024:

- Schar

- Wilson

- Krafth

- Manquillo

- Almiron

- Burn

 

Eddie will have some decisions to make as he seems to like his leadership group, but the majority of these players will be moving on most likely in the next 18 months. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

He does have some options returning now and big calls to make. We likely keep the 4-3-3 as the primary shape but, cup final aside perhaps, we shouldn't be going back to Joelinton on the wing. We need to keep building up attacking relationships for our most talented attackers and finding a team balance.

 

Options in-game to freshen up the 4-3-3 or go to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2.