Eddie Howe

[Sempiternal]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Longstaff upgrade ?? complete utter nonsense. 

He’s not a DM

[Ikon]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Longstaff upgrade ?? complete utter nonsense. 

He is right though. 

[SUPERTOON]

1 minute ago, WideopenMag said:

Longstaff upgrade ?? complete utter nonsense. 

You calling Tonali a DM is nonsense 

[The Prophet]

This run of form has been in the post since November time, there's players who have been visibly running on fumes, not fully fit or playing through the pain barrier for weeks.

 

"Intensity is our identity" but our press is utterly shot to pieces, with a midfield and wingers who look out on their feet. The midfield trio are easy to play through, exposing the back four, whilst looking blunt in attack.

 

Could Howe change it up? We could play Dummett, Krafth and Hall, but that has a shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic kind of feel to it. It looks like we've tried (and failed) to be more passive and compact on the road, while changing shape at Luton had a marginal improvement.

 

I'm fairly certain we'll see an improvement when the fixture list eases and we can rest and rotate, but for me Howe shouldn't be under any pressure at all and has earned ample time to turn things around. 

[The Butcher]

Feels like he's been digging his own grave for a while.

 

Hope he can turn it around.

 

 

 

 

 

[The College Dropout]

I agree that the squad building has been weird.

 

Our best 2 wingers both prefer to play LW. 

 

Barnes I think was an opportunistic signing. But we didn't end up getting him for cheap. For similar money we could've got Kudus or Palmer to play off the right.

 

The money we've committed to Hall.. surely gets you a better LB than Burn for this season.

 

The Tonali transfer has been a nightmare. But it's the most logical.

[WideopenMag]

Just now, Sempiternal said:

He’s not a DM

"Sandro Tonali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsandro toˈnaːli]; born 8 May 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays mainly as a defensive-midfielder or central-midfield" 

 

Not in the makele role no but in a way a modern midfield works yes.

[nemtizz]

A DM that can't tackle, sick.

[madras]

1 minute ago, HaydnNUFC said:

Howe has more than enough credit in the bank to avoid serious talk about him losing his job. (even if there is any) What he did here not just last season but in 2021-22 when he kept us up should give him plenty of time to navigate this sticky patch. And it is a sticky patch; 6 defeats in 7, the only win in the last 7 being against 10 men, out of Europe altogether before Christmas and running on fumes.

 

The one thing that is troubling me however is there doesn’t seem to be a coherent tactical plan or pattern in our play defensively or offensively. I remember back in January 2022 when we just drew 1-1 at home to Watford and had 1 win in 21 games or something but I still was fully behind Howe even as the shadow of Benitez loomed. The reason for that is you could see clear improvements in individuals and clear tactical plans and patterns being implemented but the playing staff he had at his disposal then were simply just not good enough hence the constant individual howlers and lapses in concentration that cost us back then. Alas, we signed improvements in January and the team improved exponentially. I can’t see those patterns or improvements this time however. And I think this leads onto the next point.

 

To put it bluntly, imo the summer window was a failure. Really easy to say now with 20-20 hindsight but we did not sign the personnel required to improve the first XI; the way Howe tries to get us playing is intense, pressing football that baits the opposition into a game of chaos in which we can kill teams, even the top ones, on transitions. But that can’t be the way a team plays over 38 league games plus 6 European games on top of the already existing cup games due to the physical exertion it demands and the schedule that comes with it. Our pressing game papers/papered over the fact that many of our players do not possess great individual quality that is required for a top 6 side; players like Longstaff, Almiron, Burn. So when the team is tired, the level of quality seeps through and shows and it either gets you through gritty matches or costs you as seen today. The players we should have went for in the summer were players that possess similar levels of quality that Isak, Bruno and Botman have. Tonali potentially was/is one, but we have a large outlay on 2 young full backs that so far have only got game time because of injuries and despite performing better than the players they are replacing (certainly in Livramento’s case) they are dropped as soon as the injured players they replaced have returned. ~£40m on Barnes despite us needing a right sided wide man since imo even before the takeover. The sides around us improved their first choice XIs, we didn't.

 

I think the worse thing I can say from probably a selfish POV is I’m just not enjoying watching us this season. We’re incredibly easy to play through and hit on the break plus there’s no real pattern in our attacking play. I don’t think Howe has done himself favours these last few games but he absolutely deserves the time to see this sticky patch through. Time for him to earn his salt, and for the owners to give him and the team the help they need in the transfer market.

Do you think Barnes and Gordon were meant to battle for the one position ? Was Tonali merely meant to be a Longstaff upgrade ?

[gjohnson]

2 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

Howe has more than enough credit in the bank to avoid serious talk about him losing his job. (even if there is any) What he did here not just last season but in 2021-22 when he kept us up should give him plenty of time to navigate this sticky patch. And it is a sticky patch; 6 defeats in 7, the only win in the last 7 being against 10 men, out of Europe altogether before Christmas and running on fumes.

 

The one thing that is troubling me however is there doesn’t seem to be a coherent tactical plan or pattern in our play defensively or offensively. I remember back in January 2022 when we just drew 1-1 at home to Watford and had 1 win in 21 games or something but I still was fully behind Howe even as the shadow of Benitez loomed. The reason for that is you could see clear improvements in individuals and clear tactical plans and patterns being implemented but the playing staff he had at his disposal then were simply just not good enough hence the constant individual howlers and lapses in concentration that cost us back then. Alas, we signed improvements in January and the team improved exponentially. I can’t see those patterns or improvements this time however. And I think this leads onto the next point.

 

To put it bluntly, imo the summer window was a failure. Really easy to say now with 20-20 hindsight but we did not sign the personnel required to improve the first XI; the way Howe tries to get us playing is intense, pressing football that baits the opposition into a game of chaos in which we can kill teams, even the top ones, on transitions. But that can’t be the way a team plays over 38 league games plus 6 European games on top of the already existing cup games due to the physical exertion it demands and the schedule that comes with it. Our pressing game papers/papered over the fact that many of our players do not possess great individual quality that is required for a top 6 side; players like Longstaff, Almiron, Burn. So when the team is tired, the level of quality seeps through and shows and it either gets you through gritty matches or costs you as seen today. The players we should have went for in the summer were players that possess similar levels of quality that Isak, Bruno and Botman have. Tonali potentially was/is one, but we have a large outlay on 2 young full backs that so far have only got game time because of injuries and despite performing better than the players they are replacing (certainly in Livramento’s case) they are dropped as soon as the injured players they replaced have returned. ~£40m on Barnes despite us needing a right sided wide man since imo even before the takeover. The sides around us improved their first choice XIs, we didn't.

 

I think the worse thing I can say from probably a selfish POV is I’m just not enjoying watching us this season. We’re incredibly easy to play through and hit on the break plus there’s no real pattern in our attacking play. I don’t think Howe has done himself favours these last few games but he absolutely deserves the time to see this sticky patch through. Time for him to earn his salt, and for the owners to give him and the team the help they need in the transfer market.

Well from our perspective he has credit. Unfortunately from an owners point of view credit runs out a lot quicker than it builds. Like it or not 5 defeats in 6 will have questions started to be asked. The January window will show if PIF actually have the same faith as most of us

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don’t see what’s wrong about being a Longstaff upgrade, it’s exactly what we needed

[The Prophet]

It felt like the summer was just as much about squad planning to navigate the long season, as well as improving the first team.

 

As it's played out we've had a long term ban, a freak injury and a player who isn't perhaps as ready as we though, so we've only felt the benefit of Livramento.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by The Prophet

[WideopenMag]

1 minute ago, madras said:

Do you think Barnes and Gordon were meant to battle for the one position ? Was Tonali merely meant to be a Longstaff upgrade ?

This. They'd have been starting and if all fit no one would have been questioning Howe on these signings. Easy to slate him after injuries.

[WideopenMag]

Just now, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don’t see what’s wrong about being a Longstaff upgrade, it’s exactly what we needed

Insulting to a player of Tonalis quality tbh. Did you watch lonstaff today?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Insulting to a player of Tonalis quality tbh. Did you watch lonstaff today?

But the word upgrade means he’s better? 

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, madras said:

Do you think Barnes and Gordon were meant to battle for the one position ? Was Tonali merely meant to be a Longstaff upgrade ?

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Insulting to a player of Tonalis quality tbh. Did you watch lonstaff today?

How is it insulting to say we signed a better version of longstaff ?

[The College Dropout]

4 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

Howe has more than enough credit in the bank to avoid serious talk about him losing his job. (even if there is any) What he did here not just last season but in 2021-22 when he kept us up should give him plenty of time to navigate this sticky patch. And it is a sticky patch; 6 defeats in 7, the only win in the last 7 being against 10 men, out of Europe altogether before Christmas and running on fumes.

 

The one thing that is troubling me however is there doesn’t seem to be a coherent tactical plan or pattern in our play defensively or offensively. I remember back in January 2022 when we just drew 1-1 at home to Watford and had 1 win in 21 games or something but I still was fully behind Howe even as the shadow of Benitez loomed. The reason for that is you could see clear improvements in individuals and clear tactical plans and patterns being implemented but the playing staff he had at his disposal then were simply just not good enough hence the constant individual howlers and lapses in concentration that cost us back then. Alas, we signed improvements in January and the team improved exponentially. I can’t see those patterns or improvements this time however. And I think this leads onto the next point.

 

To put it bluntly, imo the summer window was a failure. Really easy to say now with 20-20 hindsight but we did not sign the personnel required to improve the first XI; the way Howe tries to get us playing is intense, pressing football that baits the opposition into a game of chaos in which we can kill teams, even the top ones, on transitions. But that can’t be the way a team plays over 38 league games plus 6 European games on top of the already existing cup games due to the physical exertion it demands and the schedule that comes with it. Our pressing game papers/papered over the fact that many of our players do not possess great individual quality that is required for a top 6 side; players like Longstaff, Almiron, Burn. So when the team is tired, the level of quality seeps through and shows and it either gets you through gritty matches or costs you as seen today. The players we should have went for in the summer were players that possess similar levels of quality that Isak, Bruno and Botman have. Tonali potentially was/is one, but we have a large outlay on 2 young full backs that so far have only got game time because of injuries and despite performing better than the players they are replacing (certainly in Livramento’s case) they are dropped as soon as the injured players they replaced have returned. ~£40m on Barnes despite us needing a right sided wide man since imo even before the takeover. The sides around us improved their first choice XIs, we didn't.

 

I think the worse thing I can say from probably a selfish POV is I’m just not enjoying watching us this season. We’re incredibly easy to play through and hit on the break plus there’s no real pattern in our attacking play. I don’t think Howe has done himself favours these last few games but he absolutely deserves the time to see this sticky patch through. Time for him to earn his salt, and for the owners to give him and the team the help they need in the transfer market.

We only signed 1 player to replace one of these this season and he's suspended. That's been a killer for us.

 

Livra was another opportunistic signing. He should've played way more before the injury crisis and that's a bad mark on Howe.

 

Sub-optimal squad building.

[Ikon]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

This. They'd have been starting and if all fit no one would have been questioning Howe on these signings. Easy to slate him after injuries.

Personally I struggle to see where the creativity/flair would come from with both of these starting? Said it a long way back before the injuries. Starting these two makes us slightly predictable. Especially against teams that sit slightly deeper. They could be very effective players in transitions mind.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

I think the plan was to do the Isak/Wilson job share with the option of moving one to RW if needed.

 

Genuinely.

[Jagten]

7 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

"Sandro Tonali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsandro toˈnaːli]; born 8 May 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays mainly as a defensive-midfielder or central-midfield" 

 

Not in the makele role no but in a way a modern midfield works yes.

Is this from Wikipedia? 

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

I think the plan was to do the Isak/Wilson job share with the option of moving one to RW if needed.

 

Genuinely.

Barnes replacing Maxi suggests you’re right.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Ikon said:

Personally I struggle to see where the creativity/flair would come from with both of these starting? Said it a long way back before the injuries. Starting these two makes us slightly predictable. Especially against teams that sit slightly deeper. They could be very effective players in transitions mind.

Aye you're relying on both of them being very sharp and clinical. Neither are creators. I think the primary plan was to jobshare.

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

It isn't out-of position man ffs Gordon can play Rw. Stick some are given howe after the fact is beyond a joke.

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

How is it insulting to say we signed a better version of longstaff ?

Because he isn't anywhere similar to him as a player, it isn't an upgrade at all it's a complete different role and player.