Eddie Howe

[Gallowgate Toon]

Howe's 'be brave' approach has got us to where we are, it'd be weird for him to change it. He thinks we can compete a certain way and one loss won't change that in his head.

 

Arsenal was the only game I can really think of where we actually changed after getting battered for a bit. 

[Ace]

12 minutes ago, madras said:

Point me to where these pearls of wisdom were pre 1230 

Do you know what hindsight is? 
 

I don’t think even the most negative of us could have had us playing that badly. The only thing I said pregame was how athletic they are and we didn’t deal with it 

[midds]

He's got a big decision to make this week - stick or twist. 

 

Stick with what's got us 3rd in the league, best defensive record, clean sheets etc or risk it and try to catch Spurs on the hop in the biggest League game of the season. Fully expect Spurs to prepare for the full court press, 433, Trippier bombing on, Burn edging central when he sees it happen and using the 'extra man' to create havoc. 

 

I just worry that some have sussed us out and know exactly how to counter what we do virtually every game. Does he go with the regular formation and risk being predictable, thus playing into Spurs' hands? Or does he change a successful system and have the element of surprise on Spurs and start with Wilson and Isak? Big week. Big decisions and if he gets them right we're virtually home and hosed. Get them wrong...

[SUPERTOON]

Don’t expect any major changes, if Wilson starts it will be for Isak imo.

[Scotty66]

5 hours ago, STM said:

I'd certainly like Howe to explore 3 at the back for games like today.

 

                       Pope

 

        Schar     Botman    Burn

Trippier                                 Targett

 

         Willock  Bruno  Joelinton 

 

                   Isak   Wilson

 

Would have caused them problems.

 

This looks absolutely solid to me and very very similar to how we already play in possession with the added benifit of two strikers who can play alongside each other or one in front and one behind. Even Murphy could play in Targett's position. 

 

Would really like to see this after Howe tweaking it to perfection. With hindsight this would have worked well against the aerial bombardment of a team like Brentford first half and also a team like Man City who can pin us back but we hit them fast on the break.

[The College Dropout]

Spurs have played that 5 at the back even without Conte I believe.  Spurs are doing Spurs.  If they are on job we are susceptible to the balls through to Son.  But we are more likely to steam roller them out the game.  
 

It’s Brighton that have that 2 man defensive pivot. Direct balls behind the defensive line into Mitoma and March with athletic strikers.  
 

a lot of the other teams don’t have the personnel to try the Villa route.  

[The College Dropout]

I think we are better off ourselves having a double pivot in midfield sometimes rather than a back 5.  
 

A back 5 means a slow CB still has to come out and engage while vacating a space. A double pivot has central midfield Players that can drop into half spaces defensively quicker. Or bring our wingers right back to form a back 6. 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by The College Dropout

[STM]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

I think we are better off ourselves having a double pivot in midfield sometimes rather than a back 5.  
 

A back 5 means a slow CB still has to come out and engage while vacating a space. A double pivot has central midfield Players that can drop into half spaces defensively quicker. Or bring our wingers right back to form a back 6. 

 

 

 

 

While I agree. I don't think we have the players for a double pivot.

 

Longstaff is a grafter, Joelinton is good as an 8 but not convinced as a 6, Willock is a firm no.

 

If we had a Neves etc, yep.

[80]

39 minutes ago, midds said:

He's got a big decision to make this week - stick or twist. 

 

Stick with what's got us 3rd in the league, best defensive record, clean sheets etc or risk it and try to catch Spurs on the hop in the biggest League game of the season. Fully expect Spurs to prepare for the full court press, 433, Trippier bombing on, Burn edging central when he sees it happen and using the 'extra man' to create havoc. 

 

I just worry that some have sussed us out and know exactly how to counter what we do virtually every game. Does he go with the regular formation and risk being predictable, thus playing into Spurs' hands? Or does he change a successful system and have the element of surprise on Spurs and start with Wilson and Isak? Big week. Big decisions and if he gets them right we're virtually home and hosed. Get them wrong...

Two good things:

 

1. Howe has always come through these moments well in the past.

 

2. Of all decent teams, Spurs, with their managerial flux, are the least likely to devise a canny way of paralysing our system. I'd be much more worried about Brighton.

[The College Dropout]

17 minutes ago, STM said:

 

While I agree. I don't think we have the players for a double pivot.

 

Longstaff is a grafter, Joelinton is good as an 8 but not convinced as a 6, Willock is a firm no.

 

If we had a Neves etc, yep.

Perhaps. I think Longstaff and Bruno would be the best double pivot we have. I think Longstaff starts next week to have more protection in that inside right position.  Probably goes Joe over Willock at LCM for the defensive protection.  

[STM]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Perhaps. I think Longstaff and Bruno would be the best double pivot we have. I think Longstaff starts next week to have more protection in that inside right position.  Probably goes Joe over Willock at LCM for the defensive protection.  

 

I just think he sees this as our best team:

 

         Longstaff   Bruno  Willock

Miggy             Isak/CW       Joelinton 

[The College Dropout]

I think the team that started Man Utd is the strongest one we have but with Miggy on the right. Joe or Joel depending on the fixture. 

[RodneyCisse]

I think part of today was how good Villa were plus Gordon being frankly useless against an old Young.

[The Prophet]

The only thing with Spurs is that it does feel like we struggle v three at the back. Again, Son and Kulu will try to suck the full backs in field for Emerson and Perisic to bomb on.

[Ace]

1 hour ago, midds said:

He's got a big decision to make this week - stick or twist. 

 

Stick with what's got us 3rd in the league, best defensive record, clean sheets etc or risk it and try to catch Spurs on the hop in the biggest League game of the season. Fully expect Spurs to prepare for the full court press, 433, Trippier bombing on, Burn edging central when he sees it happen and using the 'extra man' to create havoc. 

 

I just worry that some have sussed us out and know exactly how to counter what we do virtually every game. Does he go with the regular formation and risk being predictable, thus playing into Spurs' hands? Or does he change a successful system and have the element of surprise on Spurs and start with Wilson and Isak? Big week. Big decisions and if he gets them right we're virtually home and hosed. Get them wrong...

I think our standard formation in theory is a good fit against Spurs especially considering recent form.
 

Personally I’d start Miggy and Willock as our wide men against spurs then bring Maxi, Wilson and maybe Gordon in vs Everton and Southampton where we may need to break them down so need more players further forward.

 

Arsenal will be a tough game so a similar formula to spurs might be best and then for Leeds/Leicester who are a bit more open than Southampton/Everton you could go with a mix of both line ups.

 

The game where I think we need to change our system is against Brighton as IMO they are a better version of Villa overall. Go for a 4-4-1-1 and catch them on the break 

[toon25]

Burn simply cannot start again at LB. 

[Ace]

Just now, toon25 said:

Burn simply cannot start again at LB. 

Id prefer Targett but I’d be surprised. Do you honestly expect him to make the change? 

[toon25]

Just now, Ace said:

Id prefer Targett but I’d be surprised. Do you honestly expect him to make the change? 

I don't

[Guest reefatoon]

9 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Stop being so sensitive. 
 

Howe has done miracles. He’s been great. We know this. 
 

But we came to play the exact same game we always try to play. When it didn’t work, we had no idea how to stop the opposition. The 10s kept getting the ball in the half spaces and doing whatever they wanted. The left back kept exploiting space out wide. Bruno was piss poor but he was often running between two 10s. We kept being vulnerable to Watkins runs between central defenders. Botman was playing like he didn’t realise Watkins was right footed.  These are things we can mitigate and prepare for. 

That’s too long an answer man, just tell me to fuck off  I just like to be a sarcastic cunt is all, but it doesn’t seem to come across properly when typing it. 

[LFEE]

One of the few times he’s been out coached. The midfield was a mess from minute one.

[Smal]

After a sleep I don't think we need to twist for the Spurs game. Bring Longstaff and Miggy back into the team, get the midfield and pressing structure right and keep doing what has worked for us all season. Write this off as a one off. We had too many players who didn't know what they were doing yesterday tactically - primarily Gordon and whoever was playing right central midfield (first Willock, then Joelinton). If you have two out of 6 front players not pressing correctly it will always be a disaster. 

 

He completely outcoached Conte in the reverse fixture - played the full backs deep and narrow and Spurs couldn't deal with it. He knows how to be flexible. 

[magvicar]

We were bound to struggle a bit when you consider we've had 3 away games on the trot and two of them in London.

Our expectations have elevated and that's why this game against Villa is more of a shock to the system.

Obviously it's not nice but it can end up being a massive blessing in disguise because the players can now have a nice regroup and analyse the game and also knowing they have home games to come and no more silly 3 away games off the belt.

 

If anyone had asked me if I would be happy with 6 points from 3 successive away games, especially against two teams that are revamped and play at notoriously difficult stadiums for away teams, then I'd have snapped their hands off.

 

Eddie Howe says it as it is without throwing anyone under the bus and also without getting too over critical. He turns negatives back towards looking positive from that point.

We'll be fine.

 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by magvicar

[stozo]

13 hours ago, toon25 said:

Burn simply cannot start again at LB. 

Feel like the Burn hatred is grasping for a solution that doesn't exist. The worst piece of defending on our left side yesterday came for the third goal, where Targett ended up completely wrong side of McGinn which opened us up. We'd all prefer a Kieran Trippier style option on the left, but that isn't Matt Targett and Dan Burn is the best LB at this club at the moment. 

[TRon]

9 hours ago, LFEE said:

One of the few times he’s been out coached. The midfield was a mess from minute one.

 

He couldn't really find an answer to the pace of their front men either. Schar especially was shocking on the day.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Think missing Longstaff has been a bit overplayed, he does some of the niggly stuff well but we saw against Brentford that he can struggle with physical teams & become a bystander.

 

Looks like we struggled with balls behind and were pushed too high with too large a gap between defence & midfield for second balls. Sure, the pressing in the middle could've been better but that's a hard task to maintain against a well-drilled side. It did look reminiscent of the Liverpool shambles.