Eddie Howe

[Jagten]

29 minutes ago, 80 said:

 

I see where you're coming from, but I don't really think that's right. I'd say one of the best things about what we've done overall is build a squad and club that, if Eddie somehow disappeared tomorrow, is really well positioned to be taken on by A.N.Other. There's nothing eccentric about it, no sense of personality cult. Just team spirit, fitness, tactical awareness and natural quality. I wouldn't accept any manager coming in and struggling Bruce-style to convert the team to 'his way of thinking'.

 

Conversely, if the club had hedged it's bets with, say, an oppositional sports director we could end up at war with ourselves and not getting the best out of what we have which, overall, Howe absolutely has.

I slightly disagree re squad composition. We have one progressive passer, which is evident when teams sit off us. It feels to me like we've witnessed a subtle recruitment step-change since Isak, and signings have been more about enabling Howe-ball. I don't want an oppositional sporting director, but I do want a directorship that appreciates risk management. The most likely outcome is that Howe eventually fails. I hope we keep this in mind.

[Theregulars]

4 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

That Man U game when we seriously needed a win, and it was one of the most lopsided 2-0's in history.

 

The proof is still carved in stone that we got there by winning when we absolutely needed it with a ridiculously thin side that pretty much had individuals forced to play more minutes than any other top ten team. It's a hell of an achievement, and you'd have to be a really self entitled loon not to acknowledge it. 

It was a colossal achievement to finish 4th with that squad.

 

it doesn’t mean that he’s also not the best in big games - he just isn’t, his record in them for us is mixed. 

[Andy]

2 minutes ago, KaKa said:

Tough couple of games for the boss man. Think he'll be better for it though.

 

We need a new approach for these calibre of teams IMO.

 

Would like to see us setup to draw them onto us a bit more,with maybe more of a mid block instead of sitting deep, and look to then counter attack them from there.

 

We have a lot of players that could really punish these teams in more open space.

 

Sure we'll try something different next time around. Learning experience.

 

To be fair, the gameplan was working until they went down to 10 and were forced to sit back. It's not so much the calibre of opposition that was the problem, it was breaking down a low block - an issue carried over from last season.

 

Even if you take away their sucker-punch goals and the game had finished 1-0, it would've been evident that the issues with breaking teams down are still there. Howe needs to suss this out quickly, as there'll be plenty of teams that'll employee these tactics this season. 

[Vinny Green Balls]

1 minute ago, Theregulars said:

I’ll go through them again:

 

- cup final: lost 

- CL crunch run-in: Leeds away scabby draw, Leicester home very nervy, Brighton home fantastic 

- last year away games vs sky 6: lost at Liverpool, lost at Man City, drew at arsenal, drew at Manchester United, won at Tottenham, drew at Chelsea - meh record 

- cup semi last year: it gets forgotten but we laboured massively. Adam Armstrong was fucking unlucky not to tie the home leg 1-1.

- last year home games vs sky 6: great draw v city, meek against arsenal, great win against Manchester United, poor loss against Liverpool, good win vs Chelsea, destroyed spurs 

- this year first 2 big games: lost with poor performances.

 

The point I’m making is, on evidence, his record on big occasions isn’t great. I don’t think it’s as wild a take as you’re making it out to be. This is before we remember all the really disappointing performances last year when we couldn’t score. 
 

He is a very very good manager, I sense that he isn’t elite. I hope I’m wrong.

He had shittier players overall and a much thinner squad. Speaking of not being particularly nuanced.

[Theregulars]

3 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

He's having a mare. That's really what it is.

I don’t think I am - I think it’s a fairly reasonable comment. His record in big games with us is mixed. 

[HaydnNUFC]

5 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

Well I’m not sure your take is as nuanced as reality suggests it should be. When the pressure of the run-in really ramped up - ie when Liverpool started winning every week - we drew at leeds looking pretty ropey, we played great v Brighton, and we were edgy and a pope wondersave away from a loss against Leicester. We were meek AF in the cup final. We were meek away to city both this and last season. We were wank at home to arsenal last season. We devoured spurs when we needed to and beat Man U at home in a big match. 
 

His record in big fixtures is mixed. It suggests to me that he isnt quite top table at this stage. Today we didn’t look like a well coached team.

 

Do think this is quite short sighted tbh. Last season Man City away we missed quite a few chances, should've scored at least twice. Hammered Man Utd and Spurs. Don't think we were 'wank' against Arsenal at all; they just took their chances and we didn't. Leeds away was crap for 25 minutes then we fought back and got the lead in an away game against a team scrapping against relegation in their first home game under a new manager. Brighton we were class and it was fairly unprecedented how Leicester set up against us; we had about 80% possession and missed a load of chances again, hit the woodwork twice iirc.

 

Today was crap, but the games in isolation don't add up to him having a mixed record in big games at all imo.

[Theregulars]

Just now, Vinny Green Balls said:

He had shittier players overall and a much thinner squad. Speaking of not being particularly nuanced.

I don’t think that’s fair. You just challenged me to admit he did well last season, which I’ve done. Can you now concede that his record in big fixtures is mixed? 

[dcmk]

1 minute ago, Theregulars said:

I’ll go through them again:

 

- cup final: lost 

- CL crunch run-in: Leeds away scabby draw, Leicester home very nervy, Brighton home fantastic 

- last year away games vs sky 6: lost at Liverpool, lost at Man City, drew at arsenal, drew at Manchester United, won at Tottenham, drew at Chelsea - meh record 

- cup semi last year: it gets forgotten but we laboured massively. Adam Armstrong was fucking unlucky not to tie the home leg 1-1.

- last year home games vs sky 6: great draw v city, meek against arsenal, great win against Manchester United, poor loss against Liverpool, good win vs Chelsea, destroyed spurs 

- this year first 2 big games: lost with poor performances.

 

The point I’m making is, on evidence, his record on big occasions isn’t great. I don’t think it’s as wild a take as you’re making it out to be. This is before we remember all the really disappointing performances last year when we couldn’t score. 
 

He is a very very good manager, I sense that he isn’t elite. I hope I’m wrong.

We massively over-achieved last year.  No elite coach in the world would think Champions League football would have been an achieveable aim for us last season.

 

Yet this guy did it, and got us to a domestic cup final.

 

The entitlement is off the charts with some on here.

 

 

[Vinny Green Balls]

Just now, Theregulars said:

I don’t think that’s fair. You just challenged me to admit he did well last season, which I’ve done. Can you now concede that his record in big fixtures is mixed? 

with shittier players and a thinner squad. It is perfectly fair, particularly since you claimed that my stance wasn't nuanced.

[Theregulars]

Just now, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Do think this is quite short sighted tbh. Last season Man City away we missed quite a few chances, should've scored at least twice. Hammered Man Utd and Spurs. Don't think we were 'wank' against Arsenal at all; they just took their chances and we didn't. Leeds away was crap for 25 minutes then we fought back and got the lead in an away game against a team scrapping against relegation in their first home game under a new manager. Brighton we were class and it was fairly unprecedented how Leicester set up against us; we had about 80% possession and missed a load of chances again, hit the woodwork twice iirc.

 

Today was crap, but the games in isolation don't add up to him having a mixed record in big games at all imo.

But literally they do. His record is a mixed bag of outcomes in them, including some quite meek losses. It’s not blasphemy to criticise Eddie Howe. The last 9 days show that he needs to get better in some areas, especially in matches against the big teams and in big matches. 

[Theregulars]

Just now, dcmk said:

We massively over-achieved last year.  No elite coach in the world would think Champions League football would have been an achieveable aim for us last season.

 

Yet this guy did it, and got us to a domestic cup final.

 

The entitlement is off the charts with some on here.

 

 

Arguably it’s entitled to walk around calling anyone entitled who disagrees with you. 
 

I’ll state it again - he did a great job last year and we overachieved. Nonetheless, his record in big matches is mixed. 

[BonesJones]

Haven't been registered here that long, so seeing a few particular reactions on here for the first time.

 

You'd swear Eddie has been here many many years and we've caught up with the spending of the Sky six.

 

In reality, the new owners have only been in the door for five minutes, and as Eales said, it was another opportunity to build a club from basically scratch.

[Theregulars]

1 minute ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

with shittier players and a thinner squad. It is perfectly fair, particularly since you claimed that my stance wasn't nuanced.

I don’t think it is, really. Your stance appears to permit no criticism of Howe. Yes, we overachieved with a small squad. But also, yes, his record in big games is mixed. Why can’t both be true?

[et tu brute]

Just saw his interview on YouTube and he thought a very 'good performance', no Eddie it was anything but

[dcmk]

Just now, Theregulars said:

Arguably it’s entitled to walk around calling anyone entitled who disagrees with you. 
 

I’ll state it again - he did a great job last year and we overachieved. Nonetheless, his record in big matches is mixed. 

 

Most managers' records in big matches will be mixed.  

 

Peps record in Champions League was mixed until last season.  

 

[HaydnNUFC]

1 minute ago, Theregulars said:

But literally they do. His record is a mixed bag of outcomes in them, including some quite meek losses. It’s not blasphemy to criticise Eddie Howe. The last 9 days show that he needs to get better in some areas, especially in matches against the big teams and in big matches. 

 

It wasn't anticipated that we'd be competing with these teams so soon after the end of 2021-22 though. You've got to give him slack there. I don't think we were poor in any of the 12 games against the usual top 6 last season.

 

I agree that's its not blasphemy to criticise him. Today was poor imo for 90 minutes, not just the 70 minutes with a man advantage.

[Vinny Green Balls]

2 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

I don’t think it is, really. Your stance appears to permit no criticism of Howe. Yes, we overachieved with a small squad. But also, yes, his record in big games is mixed. Why can’t both be true?

That is horse shit. I am happy to admit that he fucked it up today, which I have said something like four times in this thread today. The reason it's mixed is maybe that being a small squad and having mixed results against massive teams with ridiculous wage bills is fucking coupled. Jesus Christ , man. Your argument would make a lot more sense if we were at their level last year. You really are having a mare.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Vinny Green Balls

[Gawalls]

2 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

I’ll go through them again:

 

- cup final: lost 

- CL crunch run-in: Leeds away scabby draw, Leicester home very nervy, Brighton home fantastic 

- last year away games vs sky 6: lost at Liverpool, lost at Man City, drew at arsenal, drew at Manchester United, won at Tottenham, drew at Chelsea - meh record 

- cup semi last year: it gets forgotten but we laboured massively. Adam Armstrong was fucking unlucky not to tie the home leg 1-1.

- last year home games vs sky 6: great draw v city, meek against arsenal, great win against Manchester United, poor loss against Liverpool, good win vs Chelsea, destroyed spurs 

- this year first 2 big games: lost with poor performances.

 

The point I’m making is, on evidence, his record on big occasions isn’t great. I don’t think it’s as wild a take as you’re making it out to be. This is before we remember all the really disappointing performances last year when we couldn’t score. 
 

He is a very very good manager, I sense that he isn’t elite. I hope I’m wrong.

A draw at old Trafford, Stamford bridge, arsenal and a win at spurs is only ‘meh’ to you? We took four points from six from Man U, six from six from spurs. 

we’re still in very early days of this project and the fact that two out of the last three times we’ve played Liverpool we feel upset as we should have won, a team we haven’t beat since 2015 is signs of progress to me.

 

 When saying things like “I feel he might not be elite” - just be careful what you wish for.

[nufcnick]

We all knew we had the toughest start to the season of any team, and we all knew some wet the beds would start to whinge, we had 1 win in 7 at the start of last season and look how that turned out. On another day Allison doesn’t pull of a worldly and miggy doesn’t hit the post and we’re 3-0 up, some on here need to take a step back and take a breath. Does it hurt getting beat off the most obnoxious bunch of pricks the PL has ever seen, Fuck yeah it does, but it won’t always be this way. 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by nufcnick

[KaKa]

5 minutes ago, Andy said:

 

To be fair, the gameplan was working until they went down to 10 and were forced to sit back. It's not so much the calibre of opposition that was the problem, it was breaking down a low block - an issue carried over from last season.

 

Even if you take away their sucker-punch goals and the game had finished 1-0, it would've been evident that the issues with breaking teams down are still there. Howe needs to suss this out quickly, as there'll be plenty of teams that'll employee these tactics this season. 

 

Even early on I never really thought we looked that convincing trying to open them up.

 

I think against better teams that press well we struggle to play and we then also can struggle against teams that setup in a low block that have decent defenders.

 

I think dropping off some gives us more opportunities to create space in behind to attack, especially as we have a lot of dangerous transition players.

[NE27]

1 minute ago, nufcnick said:

Fuck yeah it does, but it won’t always be this way. 

 

You promise?

 

because it's starting to feel that way with liverpool

[Gawalls]

Just now, nufcnick said:

We all knew we had the toughest start to the season of any team, and we all knew some wet the beds would start to whinge, we had 1 win in 7 at the start of last season and look how that turned out. On another day Allison doesn’t pull of a worldly and miggy doesn’t hit the post and we’re 3-0 up, so on here need to take a step back and take a breath. Does it hurt getting beat off the most obnoxious bunch of pricks the PL has ever seen, Fuck yeah it does, but it won’t always be this way. 

Yeah I’m not one for conspiracy theories but do you not find it strange we got drawn against three of the four teams to beat us last season for first three games?

 

i know it levels out as everyone has to play everyone but I honestly thought when I saw the fixtures “there’s gonna be some serious over reactions here”

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I think it’s fair to wonder if there’s another step we need to take to get to the truly elite level.
 

I wouldn’t necessarily put it down to Howe alone, probably a combination of all the staff and players. 
 

But even if that is true it’s very understandable at this point in our progression. So far Howe has shown a remarkable ability to learn and improve. 

[The Prophet]

The game plan was fine. We came out second half, Gordon had TAA on toast and it looked like matter of time. Then around the hour mark we started to gas and Liverpool began to grow in confidence and see more of the ball. He tried to freshen it up, but he probably hooked Tonali too soon.

[FLUMPO235]

Jesus, on another site I’ve seen someone saying Howe is now under pressure to keep

his job. 
 

I hope bruno has had his social media locked.