Eddie Howe

[Dr.Spaceman]

1 hour ago, timeEd32 said:

 

Not necessarily tomorrow, but we have to find a way to rest Bruno. In terms of our season going off the rails, we ain't seen nothing yet if we were to lose him for any period of time.

 

Cunt's got Christmas day off, right? He can wait for that break in January too.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Dr.Spaceman

[WideopenMag]

2 minutes ago, Thumbheed said:

 

We'll win them in the future.

 

We need to get the finances and prestige to get to that point though.

 

I'm sure people said the same under Keegans reign and again under Robson perhaps. We don't need to get the finances or prestige at all ? we're literally a few games from a trophy, could have easily won a trophy last year.

[Jagten]

28 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

Winning a trophy would be a more important than finishing top four though, 55 years, not a single trophy. 

Whilst winning stuff is everything, it's fairly easy to construct an argument that in our new position - one where, in the next decade, we could win it all -  this is not as correct as it was with Ashley (especially for the League Cup). The question is what would you sacrifice to increase the expected prob of winning the League or Champions League in the next decade? (Because qualification this year is a non-trivial delta). We didn't use to have this problem, but we do now. 

[McDog]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

I'm sure people said the same under Keegans reign and again under Robson perhaps. We don't need to get the finances or prestige at all ? we're literally a few games from a trophy, could have easily won a trophy last year.

 

 

We all know how important the League Cup is in the hierarchy of football. Not all that high. Look, I completely understand your position, you want silverware, I get it. Get the foundation built to create a team that always challenges in every competition.

[Dancing Brave]

2 hours ago, WideopenMag said:

This, quater finals of a cup and now approaching 55 years without a trophy. Can't believe anyone would suggest otherwise.

100% agree with that.

[Paullow]

A poll on here would actually be very interesting, I suspect it would be rather split. I'd personally rather rest players tomorrow than on Saturday.

 

[WideopenMag]

1 minute ago, Paullow said:

A poll on here would actually be very interesting, I suspect it would be rather split. I'd personally rather rest players tomorrow than on Saturday.

 

Mental.

[jackyboy]

The owners are here to make a profit and we'll earn a lot more from a CL place than winning the Carrebo cup. We look to win every game

[gbandit]

I’d go full strength tomorrow, weaker at the weekend. The turnaround time is awful for this game but it’s the same for Chelsea. No idea what squad they’ll put out, it’ll be close to their first team I reckon 

[timeEd32]

I feel pretty confident people will be more upset if we lose at Luton than if we lose tomorrow. Dropping league points seems to result in the biggest meltdowns.

[Paullow]

Tottenham have only won 2 League Cups since the start of the Premier League era, they will have won nothing at all for over 16 years come February, so if you're a bit under 25 and support them you'll not have seen your team win a trophy in your time, or at least remember it, so if I was a 23 year old Spurs fan and had been into football for 14/15 years, I'd much rather my team had their fortunes in that time with world class players, big signings, Champions League finals, European football pretty much every year, winning far more matches than you lose, strong media presence, always on TV, portrayed as a 'big club', than someone like a Swansea or even Wigan with their one FA Cup in amongst season upon season of dross. 

 

Of course winning competitions are important, and I'm sure Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Swansea, Wigan etc. had amazing nights when they had their one big moment, but you know for us it will still be like 'only 1 trophy in 50 odd years' or whatever, and 'Mickey Mouse', so I'd rather get our house in order, and fully establish ourselves as a top 6 club, ensure we have as much finances as possible to really build a platform, get our squad up to scratch, get rid of the deadwood easier, bring in loads of kids you don't need register in your squad etc. so that in a few years we're in a position to be realistically challenging for 4 trophies every season.

 

They're not mutually exclusive of course, but winning the League Cup and finishing something like 9th or 10th wouldn't be a great season for the club, and assuming the top 5 do get CL, the European (competition) reward for even finishing 6th would be greater than the European reward for winning the EFL Cup.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by Paullow

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, Paullow said:

Tottenham have only won 2 League Cups since the start of the Premier League era, they will have nothing at all for over 16 years come February, so if you're a bit under 25 and support them you'll not have seen your team win a trophy in your time, or at least remember it, so if I was a 23 year old Spurs fan and had been into football for 14/15 years, I'd much rather my team had their fortunes in that time with world class players, big signings, Champions League finals, European football pretty much every year, winning far more matches than you lose, strong media presence, always on TV, portrayed as a 'big club', than someone like a Swansea or even Wigan with their one FA Cup in amongst season upon season of dross. 

 

Of course winning competitions are important, and I'm sure Middlesbrough, Portsmouth, Swansea, Wigan etc. had amazing nights when they had their one big moment, but you know for us it will still be like 'only 1 trophy in 50 odd years' or whatever, and 'Mickey Mouse', so I'd rather get our house in order, and fully establish ourselves as a top 6 club, ensure we have as much finances as possible to really established a platform, get our squad up to scratch, get rid of the deadwood easier, bring in loads of kids you don't need register in your squad etc. so that in a few years we're in a position to be realistically challenging for 4 trophies every season.

 

They're not mutually exclusive of course, but winning the League Cup and finishing something like 9th or 10th wouldn't be a great season for the club, and assuming the top 5 do get CL, the European (competition) reward for even finishing 6th would be greater than the European reward for winning the EFL Cup.

It's a couple of games man ffs we aren't going to implode because we go for a cup run. The negativity is off the charts on here. When we were battling relegation we played weakened teams in the cup because staying up was more important now its more important to get top 6 ?. Complete nonsense. Top 10 and a trophy would be absolutely brilliant for the club, fans and city.

 

 

Edited December 18, 2023 by WideopenMag

[Paullow]

1 minute ago, WideopenMag said:

It's a couple of games man ffs we aren't going to implode because we go for a cup run. The negativity is off the charts on here. When we were battling relegation we played weakened teams in the cup because staying up was more important now its more important to get top 6 ?. Complete nonsense. Top 10 and a trophy would be absolutely brilliant for the club, fans and city.

 

 

 

It's not even negativity, I'm as optimistic about my clubs future as I have been for years, as will be the case for most people on here, but it's OK to disagree about how important you view certain things, and you certainly like making your views clear in your short time on the board .

[McDog]

22 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

Mental.

 

 

To be honest have you always valued the League Cup as hyper important? Again, I do understand you want silverware to a cabinet that is quite empty. I just think it's shortsighted but I totally understand that my perspective likely differs from yours so fair play.

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, McDog said:

 

 

To be honest have you always valued the League Cup as hyper important? Again, I do understand you want silverware to a cabinet that is quite empty. I just think it's shortsighted but I totally understand that my perspective likely differs from yours so fair play.

Always, dont see the point in being a football fan or even existing as a club if you dont try and win somthing. Our trophy drought is ridiculous for a club of our size with some of the teams we've had man. Got to dare to dream, haven't you? This cup is very winnable. It would be massive for our fan base and our team. Imagine Bruno and Joelinton etc celebrating with a trophy man ? the feel good factor would elevate us up a level.

Tbh amother factor is really wanting to win a trophy and share the experience with my dad, we joke it probably won't happen before he dies. Every year that goes on it seems less and less likely. 

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

They barely played much  before we were out of the relegation zone iirc. Trippier had the absolutely important goal, but keep in mind that we got him for pennies.

 

Fact is that he had us out of the relegation zone with only Dan Burn and Chris Wood being the new guys who played regularly. 
 

We were in such a bad state that relegation was expected by most on here even toward the end of January. I think people are starting to use a slight amount of revisionist history to underplay Howe’s achievement. 

 

Keep in mind - he only joins because of the takeover. Ditto Bruno G and his 5 goals.

 

The January window wasn't perfect and we missed out on a lot of our top targets. But you spend £130m on a PL squad with at least  2-3 PL quality players already there. You should stay up.

 

He did v. well to have us 11th. But to finish 18th or below - considering the investment in January - would be a gigantic failure of QPR/Chelsea proportions.

[Tsunami]

The League Cup has been devalued in the last 10-15 years because of TV and money. You never used to see weakened sides.

 

We need to start winning things as opposed to qualifying for things. There’s a huge difference, last February showed that. We lost a final more or less on belief. 

[gbandit]

Just now, Tsunami said:

The League Cup has been devalued in the last 10-15 years because of TV and money. You never used to see weakened sides.

 

We need to start winning things as opposed to qualifying for things. There’s a huge difference, last February showed that. We lost a final more or less on belief. 

Arsenal always put out kids in the early 00s but I can’t remember what the other top teams did 

[cubaricho]

6 minutes ago, Tsunami said:

The League Cup has been devalued in the last 10-15 years because of TV and money. You never used to see weakened sides.

 

We need to start winning things as opposed to qualifying for things. There’s a huge difference, last February showed that. We lost a final more or less on belief. 

Calling it something different every few years devalued the hell out of it, which obviously is tied to the money part of that equation. 

[McDog]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Always, dont see the point in being a football fan or even existing as a club if you dont try and win somthing. Our trophy drought is ridiculous for a club of our size with some of the teams we've had man. Got to dare to dream, haven't you? This cup is very winnable. It would be massive for our fan base and our team. Imagine Bruno and Joelinton etc celebrating with a trophy man ? the feel good factor would elevate us up a level.

Tbh amother factor is really wanting to win a trophy and share the experience with my dad, we joke it probably won't happen before he dies. Every year that goes on it seems less and less likely. 

 

 

That I totally get, like I said my perspective and yours are likely different. Hell, doing well in the league and winning a trophy are not mutually exclusive. Beat Chelsea tomorrow. 

[Checko]

I'm sure you used to see weakened sides, at least in the early rounds. As you get closer to the final or against tougher opponents teams get stronger.

 

While of course there's good arguments for resting players, and I think Howe will rest a few, is there an argument going strong could actually help in the league:

 

1.  Do we want that mentality of thinking 'oh this competition's not that important we can put that on the backburner.'

Winning is a habit, and you want to try and keep the habit going.

 

2. Momentum - we've had a bit of a bad run, been knocked out of Europe. League's tough this year, many injuries. But we just got a win and that makes things feel a bit better. If we were to go and get a win at Chelsea, suddenly it's 2 wins in a row and we've got a cup semi-final to look forward to. Season's looking exciting again (thinking for the players as well here).

 

If we get beat then it's knocked out of Europe, won against 10 man Fulham, then knocked out of the league cup straight after, having doing so well in it so far. It would be a bit deflating.

 

& for all you can think about whether the League Cup isn't that important relatively, if we were to beat Man C, Man U, Chelsea and (probably) Liverpool to win it... even with some weakened teams along the way, it wouldn't feel like a small prize won.

 

Ultimately, I bet fatigue is a lot easier to manage when you're winning.

[McDog]

@Checko - your point #2 makes sense to me. I'd be all for going for everything normally but this injury crisis is nuts. Anyway, as someone pointed out earlier, it is completely out of our hands. Eddie will pick who Eddie will pick. I have the day off tomorrow so will be watching the Mags beat those blue bastards.

[The Prophet]

Definetly seeing a lot more of this kind of filth this season. We're improving in possession.

[54]

Just now, The Prophet said:

Definetly seeing a lot more of this kind of filth this season. We're improving in possession.

It still shits me up every time it happens too

[timeEd32]

Aside from the obvious reasons it'd be nice to win a trophy, I'd love the security it would presumably give Eddie. It'd be nice to not be reading or talking about his job with every dip in form.