Eddie Howe

[madras]

10 minutes ago, Sibierski said:

Trippier into midfield almost felt like a last option, I’m out of ideas so trying what others are doing, approach. Looked horrendous, and hopefully something we don’t see again as we don’t have the personnel to do that.

 

Think that and a 4-2-3-1 we tried earlier in season (can’t remember who against) have both been made during 2nd half’s and both been shocking. Certainly doesn’t feel like things players have trained on and it’s just on the fly change.

 

I keep flicking between what I want to see moving forward. Just what I do know for certain, the same approach as last season isn’t it. Even if it’s a subtle change, something needs changing because it’s clearly not working with teams more knowledgable to expose the weaknesses within it.

 

If we get back to making SJP a fortress again, the points tally for rest of season I have as a top aim of 28 out of 36. That would give 65 points which is a strong season IMO and on par for what would’ve been anticipated at start of season. 2 points from last 4 home games been so damaging though for our current position and means we have no choice but to hit that required form now. Having had 6 more points at this stage would’ve changed the narrative tenfold. 

Why ? It's something we've done a few times,never for a whole game but just for a spell, like last night.

 

Keep your eyes open, we alter things regularly in game, it's not 433 with the same people in the same positions doing the same thing all game.

[TRon]

3 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

 

No, we need to achieve a minimum of 7th because we have the 7th highest wage bill - doesn't matter if much of that wage bill has been out injured/suspended and the rest of them have been played to death.

 

Its a pathetic argument that ignores all context and nuance, which is unsurprising given who is posting it.

 

Aye, please drop this 7th highest wage bill nonsense, it was discredited yesterday and should have been left to die a death unless the poster is on the wind up.

[Erikse]

9 hours ago, Yorkie said:

 

We could sit here and pore over why the bad performances were bad and decide just how bad they were. But I'm asking,  why bring up Bruce? What's the connection?

 

The point is that some seem to judge current managerial performances based on likeability or past results. Bruce got a lot of stick for each bad performance, and rightfully so. Ofcourse Howe is a better manager, don't get me wrong, Bruce was really bad. But it seems like when we have a manager that we don't like we have to collectively hate him every time we lose, while when we have a manager that we like and/or who has had good results in the past, we have to make excuses for every single bad choice or performance. Why is there no in between?

 

 

Edited February 28 by Erikse

[The College Dropout]

5 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Aye, please drop this 7th highest wage bill nonsense, it was discredited yesterday and should have been left to die a death unless the poster is on the wind up.

Where has it been discredited?

 

Injuries and injury management are a part of football. That excuse doesn't remove accountability (and that is wider than Howe).

 

Our wage bill is £50m+ more than West Ham, Brighton and Wolves. That's the combined salary of Isak, Bruno, Botman, Trippier, Pope, Tonali and more. Finishing below all 3 (and Chelsea) would be a bad season. We finished 12th under Bruce.  I don't think that will happen though. I reckon we'll win 6 out of 8 or something by the end of the season.

 

[The College Dropout]

5 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

The point is that some seem to judge current managerial performances based on likeability or past results. Bruce got a lot of stick for each bad performance, and rightfully so. Ofcourse Howe is a better manager, don't get me wrong, Bruce was really bad. But it seems like when we have a manager that we don't like we have to collectively hate him every time we lose, while when we have a manager that we like and/or who has had good results in the past, we have to make excuses for every single bad choice or performance. Why is there no in between?

 

 

 

Agreed. That's how this forum is - someone is either the best thing in the world or the worst. No in-between.

 

 

I might come across as a major Howe critic but I'm not. I just don't see him as infallible and I think he's made several mistakes and decisions. As well as some great ones. I also think other decision-makers at the club got things wrong in the summer.

[Cf]

One thing to bear in mind is whilst we're starting to get players back they're not fully match fit and he's having to manage that. Essentially we're starting to see the rotation everyone has been asking for but it comes with its own issues in terms of a lack of stability in the team.

 

We've also got players coming back who haven't really played with each other before. That was quite evident yesterday with Miley and Barnes.

 

Both of these things should start to improve.

[Yorkie]

23 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

The point is that some seem to judge current managerial performances based on likeability or past results. Bruce got a lot of stick for each bad performance, and rightfully so. Ofcourse Howe is a better manager, don't get me wrong, Bruce was really bad. But it seems like when we have a manager that we don't like we have to collectively hate him every time we lose, while when we have a manager that we like and/or who has had good results in the past, we have to make excuses for every single bad choice or performance. Why is there no in between?

 

I think it's absolute nonsense saying there's no in-between. I think the majority take the view that he's doing an admirable job under difficult circumstances but isn't without errors (that being the very definition of 'in-between'), then a small minority taking the obscene view that the team is a disgrace and he needs sacking. I routinely defend Howe but I don't see it as making excuses at all. 

 

"You can't criticise Howe round 'ere fnar fnar" is being leveled at people calling out those chatting shit comparing him to Bruce and/or saying his time's up.

[Theregulars]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

It's not all on Eddie by the way. I think our recent transfer strategy has been dodgy.

It’s so difficult to tell though, surely? If they knew about Tonali in advance then I agree; but otherwise there’s a very reasonable case for signing Tonali, Barnes and Tino. Less of a case for Hall IMO and much less of a case for not signing a striker, but I still think on balance our strategy was logical.

[Theregulars]

1 hour ago, OverThere said:

Barnes signing was the one I thought was dodgy. We have Gordon, Anderson, Joelinton all who can play in that position. The money would have been better spent on a proper 6 or a young up and coming striker 

In your view - they might argue that making joelinton full time CM was a good idea because he seems to so specifically fit how we play. If Barnes stays fit and joelinton plays well there this year (both eminently possible), you’d say it’s a good buy. 
 

Way too early to tell re: Barnes, surely? He’s played like 5 matches? 

[Theregulars]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

For various reasons, three of our four summer recruits have barely played this season. The jury is very much out for me.

But how many reasons are within the club or manager’s control?! Hall transfer looks weird but even then maybe it’s genuinely one for the future. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'm still hopeful that Hall will come good, he has the ability. 

[Shearergol]

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Not after the Isak signing. 
 

you don’t sign a £60m striker to finish 11th.  We managed that the season before without one. 
 

We have the 7th highest wage bill in the league.  That should be our floor this season.  Especially when Chelsea are one of the clubs with a bigger wage bill.  

 

You keep saying this. We have the 9th highest according to some sources and 10th according to others. Where's your data from?

[Hanshithispantz]

People were absolutely desperate to call Gordon's transfer a flop, to the extent that even though he was showing flashes of quality last season, they were going out of their way to highlight how bad he was.

 

Barnes has absolutely no chance at the minute 

 

He's been injured all season and will likely need properly bedding into the squad, it's prime time to score a few points with disjointed performances. Turf toe has probably never caused such widespread jubilation before.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Barnes has generally been fine apart from last night. Nothing to see here.

[vicente_14]

Think we need a reset/reboot in the summer. I know we have had a crazy amount of injuries but for weeks we have looked sluggish, slow, very very slow, lacking athleticism, lacking aggression, the press is fading, the shithousing has vanished, and we just seem so pedestrian and predictable, and as a result, confidence seems to have drained, we either need a new tactical plan, or to be absolutely ruthless and move players on (potentially Trippier, Longstaff, Murphy, Wilson, Lascelles, Ritchie, Dummett, Targett) to facilitate 5/6 new signings and get some needed pace and energy into the side. Ideally some decent free transfers to pad out the incomings and 2/3 big signings, and realistically think we need a Left Back, a Central Defender, a Central Midfielder and a Striker at an absolute minimum.

I dont want to hide behind injuries as it's part of the game and all teams have them, but the absence of Pope and Joelinton is huge. Think Pope really commands and leads at that back and brings a calming influence to those in front of him, and Joelinton's high energy and aggression really set the tone for others to follow. I'd also add, Batman looks way short of full fitness, Isak for all his quality constantly looks like a man rushed back too soon (this highlights a poorly assembled squad, we need options and sadly Wilson seems forever broken), and Barnes needs time, think he will be a big player next season. 

All that being said, Eddie has taken us a long way in a short space of time, and hopefully takes us a long way further.

[The College Dropout]

38 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

It’s so difficult to tell though, surely? If they knew about Tonali in advance then I agree; but otherwise there’s a very reasonable case for signing Tonali, Barnes and Tino. Less of a case for Hall IMO and much less of a case for not signing a striker, but I still think on balance our strategy was logical.

Tonali - can argue all day about if they should've known. Spending so much money on one player is always a massive risk. 

Barnes - think we should've got a creative RW.  Still expect to be a good signing.

Tino - great signing on paper.. needed more buy-in from the manager IMO

Hall - well..

 

There's lots of ways the window could've gone. Could've tried spreading funds more. 

 

30 minutes ago, Shearergol said:

 

You keep saying this. We have the 9th highest according to some sources and 10th according to others. Where's your data from?

Mine is Kieran Maguire. Look him up on X. I've shared the precise post elsewhere on the board.

 

He uses clubs latest public financial accounts. Most haven't been released for 2023.

 

What's your source?

 

 

Edited February 28 by The College Dropout

[McCormick]

Tempted to quote that to piss off the admins but I don’t want a ban on my squeaky clean record.

[Matt1892]

The biggest issue at the moment is that there are no signs of turning it around, even after a good display or result we have not been able to build any momentum off the back of it, which is the big worry.

 

Maybe the international break after the Chelsea game will give us a chance to reset, we are stumbling along at the moment and we play like a bottom half Premier League team with no tactics or ideas.

 

If you think back to last season the patterns we put together down the right between Trippier, Bruno and Almiron that pulled the opposition all over the place, these are long gone and instead we play like Man Utd under Ten Hag now, where we appear to have no real game plan on how we are going to open up the opposition.

 

I don’t know what the answer is and I don’t want us to make any rash decision. However, if these inconsistent performances go on until the end of the season then a decision is going to have to be made, as we don’t want to be changing manager midway through the following season.

 

The whole issue with Ashworth resigning complicates the situation even more.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

He gets all of next season no matter what. Making any decision based on having no players available would be absolutely crazy. 

 

Another transfer window, another pre-season and another season is the absolute minimum. 

[gbandit]

I agree, certainly until well into the second half of next season. As frustrating as this season has been there are still very few issues you can square back to Eddie. The only thing that I remain completely baffled by is the lack of minutes for Tino. Almost everything else can be excused based on injuries and a depleted squad 

[mighty__mag]

 

I watched this last week, it was interesting from about 3:15 into the interview, listening to Souness, and then Pardew Echo about how the local media up here behave, the agenda they have, and how they choose to go with pessimism, and stir up situations. I know these two aren't exactly everyone's choices to listen to or even agree with, however, they both did the job, and they each can only say their honest view on situations theyve experienced with local press. I've watched Eddie Howe recently in press conferences and he equally receives this pathetic pessimistic approach from mainly the likes of Edwards, Hope, occasionally the others, only last night, Howe has to remind Luke Edwards, firstly by laughing at him, and then saying that's putting quite a negative spin on it.

 

 

From 4:53 Edwards, being Edwards.

 

Local press here are total pricks!

 

 

Edited February 28 by mighty__mag

[Anderson]

3 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

He gets all of next season no matter what.

Still massively behind him, but that’s mental. This season was always going to be a gimme for him in my mind, was always going to be too much too soon, but he needs to start next season strongly or he’ll be in trouble.

[The College Dropout]

6 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

The biggest issue at the moment is that there are no signs of turning it around, even after a good display or result we have not been able to build any momentum off the back of it, which is the big worry.

 

Maybe the international break after the Chelsea game will give us a chance to reset, we are stumbling along at the moment and we play like a bottom half Premier League team with no tactics or ideas.

 

If you think back to last season the patterns we put together down the right between Trippier, Bruno and Almiron that pulled the opposition all over the place, these are long gone and instead we play like Man Utd under Ten Hag now, where we appear to have no real game plan on how we are going to open up the opposition.

 

I don’t know what the answer is and I don’t want us to make any rash decision. However, if these inconsistent performances go on until the end of the season then a decision is going to have to be made, as we don’t want to be changing manager midway through the following season.

 

The whole issue with Ashworth resigning complicates the situation even more.

I think the players came up with that by themselves. I've heard Neville & Keane say they didn't practice those in training, the players learnt each others game and developed it themselves. Obviously Ferguson had a style he wanted to play but he wasn't instructive the way Guardiola or even a Rafa seems to have been. Think Howe might be similarish in that regard.

 

I look at Spurs or Brighton and I think their managers practice that a lot. When players are missing - the patterns are still v. similar (and both have had bad injuries). Ours is a bit more dependent on personnel. Give it Bruno, run forward.

[Dokko]

3 minutes ago, Anderson said:

Still massively behind him, but that’s mental. This season was always going to be a gimme for him in my mind, was always going to be too much too soon, but he needs to start next season strongly or he’ll be in trouble.

 

If we repeat this seasons performances and we're halfway through then he'll be rightly jettisoned, especially if we're highly active in the transfer market.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the PIF side are already putting pressure on to source options. 

[mouldy_uk]

If our injuries are under control and he’s fully backed in the summer window, then I’m pretty sure the pressure will be fully on for a Champions League slot next season. If we are off the pace early doors and there isn’t a good reason, then I can’t imagine the Saudi’s not being ruthless and looking for a new manager. 
 

I love the guy and cant think of a better person to have success with, however, like many, I have those niggling doubts whether  he really has what it takes to transform us into a consistent top of the table team.