Eddie Howe

[Sufi]

If I couldn’t see the table and just purely judging based on people’s reactions on here… I would assume we are 16th and in danger of relegation. 
 

Calm the fuck down pls 

[TheBrownBottle]

There’s 12 games left of the PL season - I don’t think Howe’s in danger this season personally, but if the bottom-half form of the previous 12 games continues for the rest of the season he’d need a bloody good start next year otherwise then he’ll come under pressure is my guess - from the board, support and media.  Opposition sides have sussed us a bit - hopefully a big overhaul in the summer on the playing side and the tactics side awaits.  

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, Joe1984 said:

So how is Howe supposed to reach this Elite level, if he isn't given the time required to build a squad capable of competing on said level?

Winning trophies, challenging for league titles and competing in the latter stages of the CL. 
 

Same as everyone else. 

[ryanegg]

As many have said, his reluctance for a change of tactic/personnel (although limited on the personnel front) is the greatest concern. It’s seriously annoying, but we need to start next season with him imo unless we finish somewhere daft like 14TH. If that happens it would really show the players have lost confidence in him.

 

Our fixture list from now isn’t that bad at all. If we get our act together we could salvage this season to a certain extent. 

[cubaricho]

It’ll be interesting to see if they give him the squad overhaul this summer or to someone else. 
 

I hope it’s Eddie. I’d love to see us playing front foot ball again with a squad of higher quality than we had before and that he’s the man to make those calls. 

[Joe1984]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Winning trophies, challenging for league titles and competing in the latter stages of the CL. 
 

Same as everyone else. 

He's come close to some of those things. Would have been in the CL still if not for a screw job. Knocked out of the cup by a Trippier brain fart too.

[r0cafella]

10 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

There’s 12 games left of the PL season - I don’t think Howe’s in danger this season personally, but if the bottom-half form of the previous 12 games continues for the rest of the season he’d need a bloody good start next year otherwise then he’ll come under pressure is my guess - from the board, support and media.  Opposition sides have sussed us a bit - hopefully a big overhaul in the summer on the playing side and the tactics side awaits.  

Next season we have to reset either we continue to back him fully or we get rid in the summer. 
 

Let’s not dither and half back him to get rid in November. I think we need to take a step back, fully back him in the summer and set the targets and let him see our next season. If he doesn’t achieve we make a change next summer. 

[timeEd32]

16 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Eales in January publicly stated qualifying for Europe was a realistic aim for the rest of the season (and it still is). Should we fall short - we would have failed the mid season target from the CEO. What happens from there - I do not know. Could blame it all on Dan. I thought it was interesting Eales did that interview and not Dan.  Could blame it on Eddie. Who knows.  

It was an interview in tandem with the release of our financial accounts. Makes perfect sense it was the CEO. 
 

My impression is the only person in the building who may be a bigger fan of Eddie than Eales is Staveley. There’s only one place a change in manager this summer would be coming from. 

[Menace]

Most of the signings that have been bought in, have been bought in cause they play into Howe's system. What is the point of sacking him when all these players have been bought specifically to fit his system?

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Menace said:

Most of the signings that have been bought in, have been bought in cause they play into Howe's system. What is the point of sacking him when all these players have been bought specifically to fit his system?

That’s often the danger of one man having too much power re transfers.  And signing players hasn’t been a block on sacking managers at any time in the past at any club.  Results determine whether or not a manager stays on. 

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Menace said:

Most of the signings that have been bought in, have been bought in cause they play into Howe's system. What is the point of sacking him when all these players have been bought specifically to fit his system?

I agree with this. We’ve double downed on Howeball.  Any pivot away will need an overhaul of the squad. 

[Yorkie]

I still don't really see any fundamental flaws in his managerial ability that warrants him any serious flak. No compelling evidence whatsoever to suggest we haven't got one of the best managers in the league, who we'd do incredibly well to improve upon. 

 

Results have been very mixed recently but I just can't look beyond the duff hand he's had with squad availability, with all the direct and indirect impacts that's had. From the massive direct impacts of the drop-off in goalkeeper quality, to the indirect impact of confidence being lost.

 

I think it's fair to conclude that there's a method in existence which results in a better return than 19 goals conceded in seven games, but I can't believe that last season's GC column was a fluke - or even the spell in Autumn when were conceding 0.5 per game. 

[Joe1984]

11 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Winning trophies, challenging for league titles and competing in the latter stages of the CL. 
 

Same as everyone else. 

Steve Mclaren has won the Dutch league and a League Cup with Middlesborough.

 

Do you rate him better than Howe?

[ponsaelius]

Said it at the time but I honestly feel we'll look back on last season (+ PSG at home as a kind of epilogue) as the apogee of this entire ownership era. Such amazing momentum and positive feeling around the club, a manager squeezing everything out of his resources, squad full of likeable hardworking players and local lads punching well above their weight. Home and away atmospheres were both consistently fun. Basically a perfect storm before everything changes forever.

 

It's already gone very sour with the raised expectations this year and changing fan dynamics. Fans actively turning on the manager who led success, the same players who punched well above their weight last year being absolutely slaughtered now. The ticketing situation has also been a clear sign of what's to come. I don't even completely disagree with a lot of what's been said, I'm liable to it myself, but it's just more than a bit sad tbh. 

 

The club is going to get there eventually and be the successful club people want it to be, but with FFP its going to be a really long slog and by the end of it things will be unrecognisable. There's going to be raised ticket prices, fundamental changes to the matchday experience, sacrificial sales of key players, years more of imperfect players in the lineup and also many more painful transitional results like today. I do think all need to take a step back at times and come to terms with this reality. I've found the entire atmosphere surrounding this season a bit miserable tbh and found myself pulling away because of it 

[TheBrownBottle]

3 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Next season we have to reset either we continue to back him fully or we get rid in the summer. 
 

Let’s not dither and half back him to get rid in November. I think we need to take a step back, fully back him in the summer and set the targets and let him see our next season. If he doesn’t achieve we make a change next summer. 

Not sure, I still think that depends.  If the club are sat lower mid-table in November I’d be surprised if the trigger isn’t about to be pulled.  It would be three years into the ‘five year’ or ‘ten year’ plan and we wouldn’t be that much further ahead than we were when the takeover occurred - and the club doesn’t grow any further from mid-table.  I know plenty would give Howe much, much longer - but the FFP restrictions would mean that the club surely couldn’t, it would be gambling at that point.  I honestly don’t see how revenue increases much if that’s the situation next season - and tbh, I’ve seen a few on here talking about it ‘not mattering’ if we finish bottom half this season.  Every PL placing is worth c.£2.5m - I wonder if the board share this view, as we’re likely already close to the FFP limit.  A bottom half finish could see us up for a points docking. 

[huss9]

1 minute ago, ponsaelius said:

Said it at the time but I honestly feel we'll look back on last season (+ PSG at home as a kind of epilogue) as the apogee of this entire ownership era. Such amazing momentum and positive feeling around the club, a manager squeezing everything out of his resources, squad full of likeable hardworking players and local lads punching well above their weight. Home and away atmospheres were both consistently fun. Basically a perfect storm before everything changes forever.

 

It's already gone very sour with the raised expectations this year and changing fan dynamics. Fans actively turning on the manager who led success, the same players who punched well above their weight last year being absolutely slaughtered now. The ticketing situation has also been a clear sign of what's to come. I don't even completely disagree with a lot of what's been said, I'm liable to it myself, but it's just more than a bit sad tbh. 

 

The club is going to get there eventually and be the successful club people want it to be, but with FFP its going to be a really long slog and by the end of it things will be unrecognisable. There's going to be raised ticket prices, fundamental changes to the matchday experience, sacrificial sales of key players, years more of imperfect players in the lineup and also many more painful transitional results like today. I do think all need to take a step back at times and come to terms with this reality. I've found the entire atmosphere surrounding this season a bit miserable tbh and found myself pulling away because of it 

dont think the footballing gods of the premier league will ever let us.

[Vinny Green Balls]

19 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Yeh a blip to fall from the CL To maybe the Conference League. You don’t spend £60m on a midfielder and £70m on fullbacks to not compete in Europe the following year at all.  
 

He ended with the goal of qualifying for Europe in 23/24. Therefore falling short would be considered a failure. 

I am sure that they are considering the extenuating circumstances (Tonali, injuries) as well. And they may well weigh exceeding expectations in 22/23 against falling short of them this season. As they expressed concerns about the CL year last year, it’s likely a much safer bet to assume that they will give him some games next season if we finish 10th.
 

Once again, I think you might be confusing your expectations  with what their’s may be. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, huss9 said:

dont think the footballing gods of the premier league will ever let us.

They definitely won’t - the idea that we’ll be able to slowly transition isn’t going to happen.  We’re close to the practical income limits of what can be achieved by a club of our size without some serious overachievement on the pitch or a radical change (ie a great big new stadium).  The adidas deal is a five year deal; the shirt sponsorship is sorted; there’s a few other avenues to explore but ultimately our income is roughly half Spurs’s income.  

[r0cafella]

10 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Not sure, I still think that depends.  If the club are sat lower mid-table in November I’d be surprised if the trigger isn’t about to be pulled.  It would be three years into the ‘five year’ or ‘ten year’ plan and we wouldn’t be that much further ahead than we were when the takeover occurred - and the club doesn’t grow any further from mid-table.  I know plenty would give Howe much, much longer - but the FFP restrictions would mean that the club surely couldn’t, it would be gambling at that point.  I honestly don’t see how revenue increases much if that’s the situation next season - and tbh, I’ve seen a few on here talking about it ‘not mattering’ if we finish bottom half this season.  Every PL placing is worth c.£2.5m - I wonder if the board share this view, as we’re likely already close to the FFP limit.  A bottom half finish could see us up for a points docking. 

And it would be a mistake, in concerned by what’s taking place to be frank. With Ashworth walking off in really concerned by any succession planning. Eddie clearly has a very clear way of how he wants to play and you either back him all the way or you let him go. 
 

One of the biggest issues with FFP Is you simply can’t make wholesale changes to playing style, you need that continuity which is why a sporting director who is place and in control of all these appointments must be there for the long haul. 
 

This season has really shown the weakness of some of our squad and in order to plug those gaps we need a lot of investment. 
 

Also the ownership have to shoulder responsibility by raising expectations and being SLOW. 

 

NO new training ground updates for how long?

No updates regarding expanding the stadium /building a new one. 
Poor commercial performance (no stadium sponsor, no training ground sponsor, no training kit sponsor) 

 

we knew FFP was an issue but we’ve done very little to mitigate it, I know what the stated aims are (not sure I believe them) but I don’t know how they intend to achieve them. 

 

As fans all we can hope is all parties have learnt a lot this season and we to again next season with some lessons in our belt are a bit more savvy. 

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

 

Also the ownership have to shoulder responsibility by raising expectations and being SLOW. 

 

NO new training ground updates for how long?

No updates regarding expanding the stadium /building a new one. 
Poor commercial performance (no stadium sponsor, no training ground sponsor, no training kit sponsor) 

 

we knew FFP was an issue but we’ve done very little to mitigate it, I know what the stated aims are (not sure I believe them) but I don’t know how they intend to achieve them. 

 

As fans all we can hope is all parties have learnt a lot this season and we to again next season with some lessons in our belt are a bit more savvy. 

I’m with you 100% on this.  The credit they’ve been given for the lowest-hanging of fruit is amazing.  I think plenty got excited because it looks impressive to talk about increases in commercials from a % point of view, rather than the obvious that we’re now on a par with Everton.

 

I don’t see how they get close to their stated aims either - and I’m also not sure I completely buy them anymore.  I don’t see how we get to Staveley’s boasts under the present circumstances - they look like an albatross around the neck at the moment.  I really thought that they’d have dynamic plans coming out of their jacksies - the takeover took a year and a half to go through, for starters - but it’s all very, very quiet.  At present, it looks like a paint job with slightly higher than would be expected sponsorships for a reasonably competently run NUFC.  I know we’ve made a Faustian pact in terms of who the ultimate owners are; but Faustus also didn’t get what Mephistopheles was selling him …

[mighty__mag]

Eddie was fairly honest in his post match presser, I could see he wasn't happy, he didn't really hide from any of the questions, also when asked about the positives, he went on to mention Joe Willock and Isak getting minutes were the only real positives. For me it seemed like the players have let him down, a total lethargic first half, he mentioned they'd worked on defending set pieces all week, only for everyone to forget when it matters. 

 

Actually felt sorry for him, trusting he will have put together a strategy, that many could not put into action.

 

 

[Conjo]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

I agree with this. We’ve double downed on Howeball.  Any pivot away will need an overhaul of the squad. 

 

When do you think we doubled down on Howeball? All our major signings bar Gordon are someone I'd not typically class as a high intensity/pressing type of player.

[TheBrownBottle]

24 minutes ago, mighty__mag said:

Eddie was fairly honest in his post match presser, I could see he wasn't happy, he didn't really hide from any of the questions, also when asked about the positives, he went on to mention Joe Willock and Isak getting minutes were the only real positives. For me it seemed like the players have let him down, a total lethargic first half, he mentioned they'd worked on defending set pieces all week, only for everyone to forget when it matters. 

 

Actually felt sorry for him, trusting he will have put together a strategy, that many could not put into action.

 

 

He’d be right to be angry - they did let him down.  It’s players, not fans, who get managers the sack, ultimately.  

[80]

3 hours ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

Dude, you have zero concept of human psychology. I was just in a co-director situation for a film  and it was an utter disaster. And given the egos of most directors, very few would ever even agree to it for obvious reasons. Obviously different that your suggestion of rotation, but good luck on getting anyone to buy into that 

 

it’s a complete non starter because you will never get two elite managers agreeing to that. For you to stick with it is just utterly daft. And I assume that you Are better than such a daft suggestion. 
 

 

 

 

 

I agree it's weird and unworkable, but in fairness to @Dr Jinx, people had very similar reactions to the idea of directors of football sitting above/alongside managers 30 years ago, and now they're de rigueur among the thinking classes.

[80]

Regarding the match... It was shit but I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Which seems ironic given the time I'm writing this at.

 

It went pretty much as expected. To me this isn't the match to get upset with Howe over. Hopefully we can start to turn ourselves around against teams where we aren't so comprehensively outgunned.

 

I do wonder if there's just a mismatch between the psychology of our players and Eddie's belief in attempting to dominate and win every single match. That it works when they're aligned, but when the players simply don't believe it themselves, our entire gameplan just dissolves because they don't have any instructions that don't involve being first to every 50/50.

 

Oh, and re: Longstaff, hopefully talk about him being a future captain of ours is put to bed in concrete boots. It's not in his make-up.