Eddie Howe

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, madras said:

Do you think that happens tonight with fit players ? 

They’ve had six days rest.  We’re not short of that many starters - Pope (which has less meaning when Dubravka was MOTM), Trippier and Tonali are the only players missing who I’d say would be first choice.

 

Obviously, the lack of options from the bench means that we tire quicker as the game wears on.  But that starting XI wasn’t exactly a million miles from our first choice XI. 

[LiquidAK]

3 minutes ago, Dokko said:

 

It's taken to get to 7 losses out of 8 for some to accept Howe can be criticised. It's too late now. Signs were there and we're now fully in the soup. That's what some have issue with. They've been fully dismissed and are still being called mental for being right to have had concerns. I couldn't even say going into the Xmas period this was a 'test' without being jumped on. A fucking test. Turned into a lot more than that, didnt it?

 

I've never changed my tune. A loss to sunderland is unacceptable. Everything else before and after I couldn't care less. Happy to write this season off and learn lessons across the board. He needs to be willing to learn though, and nothing I've seen in the last month screams flexibility, tactical knowledge, squad management or innovation. It's like another manager is inside of him. All of what we've loved about him has gone on vacation. He's even digging out players. Wtf? This is not him. I don't know what else to say really. Unfortunately you can't rest a manager. 

This is the bit I continue to disagree with you on. It's just not that bad. We massively overachieved last season, we're underachieving this season but for fairly clear reasons. You can and will be disagreed with when people disagree with you mate. I don't know where this sense of vindication has come from when the issues that have led us here are still present.

 

 

Edited January 1 by LiquidAK
"this" to "last"

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

 

Fair enough the Bournemouth game we had injuries, but the team we had out was more than good enough to do a job against them like. The only other team they had beaten to that point was Burnley. 

 

The other games (Milan, Brighton, Wolves) are subjective, but we were backs to the wall in two of them and the wolves game turned on its head when their best player went off, before that we were under the cosh too. 

 

The point is, Shef United aside we have obviously been unconvincing away from home. We have 5 points on the road and have conceded 20+ goals, it's not some outlandish statement and not all of this can be attributed to the injury crisis given that the home form hasn't mirrored it. 

We were awful against Wolves. For about 30 minutes Wolves looked like Liverpool of today against us. 

[The Prophet]

Anyone staying "Howe can't be criticised" isn't coming into the argument in good faith like. He can be, but it's up for debate.

[ElDiablo]

Where's the pragmatism of last year gone?

[simonsays]

1 minute ago, Wandy said:

 

Shut up you moron. 

Pot, meet kettle

[Yorkie]

1 minute ago, Wandy said:

 

Shut up you moron. 

 

Sorry to hear that some of the finest people to have adorned the badge in my lifetime have ruined your night, like. String em up, the gutless wanks.

[SUPERTOON]

After the amount of games we have had and the injuries and fatigue etc, 6 days is nowhere near enough to recover btw. Obviously that isn’t the only reason we are struggling mind.

[Hanshithispantz]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

(1) made a proper attempt to keep our players fit and fresh. Use the entire squad just for that purpose. Even if it meant playing Matt Ritchie and co. two or three games straight to give key players much needed rest. 

This is the major criticism that I completely get, and it lines up with what @WillDanceForChocolate has said previously I think, basically that he struggles to change things.

 

To anybody wanting to put pressure on though, it's madness. Things will get back to normal eventually, we're not going to get relegated, push for the top4 again next year.

[Smal]

5 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

    no we weren't. 

We… really were though? Honestly it’s remarkable we didn’t concede 7+ goals, there was no point in the game where we looked in control defensively, and we really didn’t offer any consistent threat at the other end of the pitch either.

 

We defended atrociously and were really, really poor when we did have the ball for more or less the whole game. 

[Mountain]

I blame the players, we need better. Be another 2 years minimum.

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

If not for last season, most on here would have turned on him. Losing 6 out of 7 is awful. Roy Hodgson is under pressure at Palace for similar. 

I agree, it is a point that missed.  Last season has raised expectations, but it’s also bought Howe credit and time.  I also doubt that the same patience would exist for a similar run if last season was just ok.

 

Howe though did have last season, proving that he can do it - so I’m happy for him to get that time. 

[Thumbheed]

If you're playing against a team who press as well as Liverpool you need to be both extra sharp on the ball and have lots of movements off it which takes energy and effort. If your energy levels are down then you just won't get through those types of games, which we're finding out now.

 

We can all agree our midfield had a poor game and have been poor for a while - great - so who comes to replace those who aren't performing at the right level? It was the hallmark of Howe's selctions last year and something referenced numerous times by players such as Willock and Longstaff - you had to keep performing otherwise you'd be swiftly replaced. 

 

We just do not have that option and haven't had that option for a while. For the past 2 months if you've played poorly, you're still likely to get 90 mins. No manager and team can operate at a high level with that kind of handicap. Ridiculous to assume otherwise. 

 

 

Edited January 1 by Thumbheed

[Ronaldo]

2 minutes ago, Dava1892 said:

Isak (only got to look at his body language tonight, yes he scored but couldn’t be arsed to move to close down)

What do the radgies have against Isak? It’s bloody weird and definitely a thing at the game too. Do you prefer Wilson’s manly tattoos or what?

[Menace]

I can't see how anyone watched that and thought "aye not bad"

 

We were poor, and even with a penalty save I genuinely think the score flattered us.

 

It will be interesting what Howe does next few weeks, some of our most reliable players are starting to look a bit jaded lately also. 

 

 

Edited January 1 by Menace

[Wandy]

2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Sorry to hear that some of the finest people to have adorned the badge in my lifetime have ruined your night, like. String em up, the gutless wanks.

 

Ironically, of the two of us, it's you who is the one being over-emotional. Quite the achievement that. 

[Displayname]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

If not for last season, most on here would have turned on him. Losing 6 out of 7 is awful. Roy Hodgson is under pressure at Palace for similar. 

Yeah, without his previous achievements here before this season I would have wanted him gone now.

 

But the negatives from this season is nothing compared to what he has done for us past season(s).

 

[CallumG6]

As grim as this period is, Howe has to stay until the summer regardless of the result against that lot on Saturday. 
 

Write this season off and then the owners have a decision to make, but for this season at least it’s a non-starter even entertaining the idea of sacking him. 
 

Few new faces this month and we could be going into February with some optimism.

 

Big win on Saturday could reignite our season. 

[bobbydazzla]

Is it feasible that Liverpool’s xG was so high that it could have left the atmosphere ?

 

[dcmk]

Some really short memories. Embarrassing some of the stuff that continues to be said here.

[Yorkie]

Just now, Smal said:

We… really were though? Honestly it’s remarkable we didn’t concede 7+ goals, there was no point in the game where we looked in control defensively, and we really didn’t offer any consistent threat at the other end of the pitch either.

 

We defended atrociously and were really, really poor when we did have the ball for more or less the whole game. 

 

I'm not gonna defend the performance to the hilt, we didn't play well and deserved to lose. I just said "we weren't that bad," particularly in the circumstances. We knocked it about well in spells and, psychologically, just about, kept ourselves in the game until that late decision. The two goals were nice and Dubravka (whose performance counts as 'us/we') was obviously brilliant. I thought Joelinton was absolutely superb in the first half too.

[Hanshithispantz]

7 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

1) Other than Sheffield United, when has he had the opportunity to do this and not taken it?

We could have utilised Ritchie and Dummett more like, Hall too although Howe obviously will have lefitimate reasons for not. Give Gordon/Trippier etc a proper rest.

 

The problem is we still would have been shite and the narrative would have been that we lost because he played Ritchie and Dummett.

 

 

Edited January 1 by Hanshithispantz

[Yorkie]

1 minute ago, Wandy said:

 

Ironically, of the two of us, it's you who is the one being over-emotional. Quite the achievement that. 

 

Heh, you're the one throwing around abuse. Whatever, we're on very different pages. Happy New Year and fuck Klopp.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, The Prophet said:

 

1) Other than Sheffield United, when has he had the opportunity to do this and not taken it?

2) With Tonali banned, Willock, Longstaff and Joelinton in and out of the side due to injury, along with general fatigue in thr ranks. I'm not really sure how a midfield four helps.

(1) at any point really. Rafa Benitez would not have had Trippier, Burn, Schar, Bruno, Gordon etc. play all those minutes. He would’ve played anyone else. I don’t accept that he’s had no choice but to burn out our best players.

 

(2) it doesn’t take £500m worth of players to stop having a massive gap between defence and midfield game after game. 
 

I don’t think any other manager in the top 6 gets us to the CL last season. I have not forgotten that. But I don’t think no other manager in the top 6 does as poorly away from home this season or manages fitness so badly from the start of the season. 

[Kid Icarus]

Can one of the must-criticise-Howe posters watch Anthony Gordon's recovery run for Liverpool's 3rd and explain to me why that's happening?

 

Could it be poor tactics, lack of effort from just one of the many players everyone should know by now works their arse off? Laziness?

 

Or could it be the one smacking everyone in the face, that he like loads of them, are fucking knackered? Or is that too obvious therefore you have to ignore it and look at anything else?

 

 

Edited January 1 by Kid Icarus