Eddie Howe

[Shearergol]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

My own view is he won’t ever have us finish higher in the league than he did last season. That’s more on FFP than on him though.

My own view is you’re right. I don’t think any manager will.

[duo]

16 minutes ago, midds said:

Feels like a huge regression this season and we're almost back to where we finished up in 2022. The hard work, progress and momentum built up in 22/23 has largely unravelled since October and we're now a shadow of the side we were 12 months ago. Everything that side had, all the qualities and dna has just dissolved away and we're left with that heap of shit tonight. I know, i know, injuries have played their part but there's more too it than that. We don't even play the game like we did a year ago, we're nicer, more open, looser, less organised, sloppier and passive. We're predictable, a yard shot on pace and don't snap into tackles any longer. We went from the side everyone feared to the team everyone wants next on the fixture list and putting it all on injuries is weapons-grade horseshit. We've gone backwards in a major way and it's undeniable  

We are very predictable and Eddie has to take the blame for that. Tactically we have not evolved.  Injuries have impacted us though there is no denying that. We REALLY miss Joelinton, and the likes of Botman aren't at the levels they were last season.  

 

 

Edited March 11 by duo

[LiquidAK]

2 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

The club should be speaking with agents to see if a suitable replacement is interested in joining, if the right person can be found then bring them in as soon as possible.

 

I like Howe as a person but he doesn’t have the ability to turn this season around.

You happy to come back to this at the end of the season? I bet he does.

[Sandro Tonali]

3 minutes ago, Amir_9 said:

 

Perfectly good mentality to have if we were still under our previous ownership and had a Pardew style 5th place finish last year or something

 

In this reality kind of need to be a bit more balanced by now. Nobody has said he hasn't taken us to incredible heights but there are perfectly rational reasons why anyone can have doubts about certain aspects about him yet still want him to succeed.

Grass is always greener though right?

[500bhp]

3 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

We have shipped 34 goals in the last 14 games. You aren’t going to win many games of football when you need to score 3 to win. 

The warning signs have been there since the start of the season. Brighton took us apart and our game management against Liverpool was shocking. We were so lucky to not concede at Milan. 

 

With hindsight our early season home form papered over a lot of deficiencies. 

[nemtizz]

Not his fault Tonali is an addict but the obvious glaring issue is our mid, even with everyone fit. Cannot rely solely on Jo for us to not look like feeble, slow weaklings. 


Perfect summer transfer window is a necessity to fix this mess. 

[Big Geordie]

The season is in danger of fizzling out and whilst I'm no bedwetter, I can see them looking to replace Eddie in the summer, if it does. Sure we've had bad luck with injuries and cup draws, but something doesn't seem right tonight. For the defence to go from water-tight last season, to looking so porous this season - it's not good enough.

[aussiemag]

1 minute ago, Sandro Tonali said:

He's not infallible but he is the best manager we have had in a long, long time. It may not have gone to plan this season and doesn't align with the glory hunters who didn't realise last season was a freak and expect us to win every game at a canter but he puts his everything into everyday and we have a bright future because of him

I don’t think anyone in this thread want Howe to fail. I’d love to see him turn this around and challenge near the top again. But there are valid concerns and questions being asked. Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea 2 years ago and now can’t hold onto a job. Times change. 

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, Sandro Tonali said:

He's not infallible but he is the best manager we have had in a long, long time. It may not have gone to plan this season and doesn't align with the glory hunters who didn't realise last season was a freak and expect us to win every game at a canter but he puts his everything into everyday and we have a bright future because of him

I honestly believe that if our current placing was the result of consistent performances throughout the season, there would be fewer grumbles.  The problem is that we’ve been in relegation form for the last third of the season - and the green shoots of recovery weren’t there today.  

[mighty__mag]

Definitely not having a meltdown like so many already have, I totally get some of the points made mind.

 

My only slightly growing concern is the same one I've used before, Howe is reactive in subs, not proactive.

The loyalty shown towards certain players is a mild concern, but if he feels absolutely forced due to lack of experience on the bench then I can sort of understand, but with a fully fit side Longstaff should never see the first team again.

 

[The Prophet]

Agreed with Craig Hope, in that it was peculiar that we deviated from the game plan that worked so well v Wolves.

 

 

Edited March 11 by The Prophet

[Shearergol]

Just now, aussiemag said:

I don’t think anyone in this thread want Howe to fail. I’d love to see him turn this around and challenge near the top again. But there are valid concerns and questions being asked. Thomas Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea 2 years ago and now can’t hold onto a job. Times change. 

I could give you names of posters who wanted him to fail from day one 

[Conjo]

Crazy talk in here. Good night.

[RS]

Forum Alert

[Mikky]

Just now, mighty__mag said:

Definitely not having a meltdown like so many already have, I totally get some of the points made mind.

 

My only slightly growing concern is the same one I've used before, Howe is reactive in subs, not proactive.

The loyalty shown towards certain players is a mild concern, but if he feels absolutely forced due to lack of experience on the bench then I can sort of understand, but with a fully fit side Longstaff should never see the first team again.

 

Needs to grow a pair and drop some of these donkeys 

[Yorkie]

Tonight is easily the most annoyed I've been this season, but it doesn't change anything about my view of the manager. We cannot gain any momentum whatsoever and that is primarily because we cannot name a squad that doesn't feature absolutely major absences. For all we were shite tonight; all you have to do is stick Pope in and we probably come away with something. 

[Kid Icarus]

As far as I'm concerned tonight and AC Milan at home are the matches this season where I put the performance and result mainly down to the approach rather than the circumstances or the quality of the opposition.

[Matt1892]

4 minutes ago, LiquidAK said:

You happy to come back to this at the end of the season? I bet he does.

Absolutely and I hope I’m wrong; however, I can’t remember the last time we put a run of decent performances together to think that he can change our fortunes on the pitch.

 

 

[Holmesy]

One thing that cannot be denied is whatever they’re doing to coach the defence isn’t working at all. We know Burn is shit and costs us goals but the rest of the defenders, individually, have proven themselves to be excellent. So what the fuck are they working on in training?
 

[TRon]

Feels like the players aren't 100% buying into what he's doing this season. The high press probably leaves them feeling exposed, but we don't really know any other way of playing at this point. I don't think it's Howe's fault as when we are on it works great. But when we are missing key players, the ones who are on the pitch look devoid of belief.

[Stifler]

When essentially your entire midfield has been taken out by injury and you are suffering the effects, you have to start being wise elsewhere in the squad. Having Burn play with sub-par performances, when you have 2/3 players available is no good. It doesn’t matter if you think those players are not quite ready, when the guy you are staring over them repeatedly has shown not to be up for it.

 

The little things like not acknowledging Schar going into the number 10 position and leaving a major hole at the back has never been addressed. Neither has the fact that so many of our players try to take on players on situations where they are crowded out and have players available to pass too, and they still think they can be the hero.

 

There are lots of little problems that everyone can see that just results in massive problems. There is only so much you can put down to injuries, and fixture fatigue.

There has been quite a few games this season where we have looked beaten as soon as we have kicked off, and players have dropped their heads.

Even in games where we have actually been in an alright position, we have let our heads drop, Everton, and Chelsea in the cup are big examples.

 

There is other examples of where we have just been absolutely fucking stupid, the AC Milan game at home was the biggest example. 1-1, and we throw the whole defence forward, knowing that if we don’t score, Milan will, and we’ll go out. We should have been more careful, and honestly, we should have been happy to be prepared to drop into the Europa League.

 

I always thought that with Bournemouth he was naive, he could win a game 3-0, or lose one 3-0, and there would often be very little in between.

Now I’m starting to think it’s bordering on arrogant, and that he’s just a little too happy to risk a heavy defeat for a good win.

We are not Bournemouth, our target didn’t start out with staying in the Football League, and are just happy to just be on a whirlwind journey that none of us could dream on.

Our target is to challenge, we need to be more consistent. Can Howe really deliver?

As much as last season, and the half a season before that was fantastic, I’m starting to wonder.

 

 

Edited March 11 by Stifler

[LiquidAK]

Just now, Matt1892 said:

Absolutely and I hope I’m wrong; however, I can’t remember the last time we put a run of decent performances together to think that he can change our fortunes on the pitch.

 

 

We had a wobble last season around the cup final and turned that around. The start of his reign was shit for months and everyone said he wasn't up to it but he turned it around. I think there are mitigating factors to why this has been so bad for as long as it has, but he's absolutely shown he can turn a bad streak around imo.

 

It's fair to doubt that or to have worries obviously, I just think it'll work out in the long run with him, he's got previous for leading us on runs 

[Sempiternal]

Football is pretty simple in some ways, win the midfield and you usually win. Our midfield is bypassed by one pass. You can’t rely on pressing to mitigate that. 

[HaydnNUFC]

Tonight was crap. Wrong approach and too many abysmal performances. I'm still behind Howe, he has the rest of the season for me. I won't start asking serious questions of Howe unless we have the clear out or overhaul we need in the summer but still look as lifting at the start of next season as we have done tonight and a few times this season.

 

IMO though I think us doubling down on the style of play from last season has backfired. The plan in the summer window, I think, was to pad out the squad with almost having 2 XIs that we could run into the ground with playing with the same intensity week in week out rather than sign a different sort of player attacker or midfielder that we didn't have which could help us play and win matches in different ways. Alas, when the going gets tough with injuries we can't/won't change or adapt the style and with tiredness and varying levels of ability of lesser players replacing injured ones, the style becomes nowhere near as intense or jointed as it was last season. Therefore it makes Howe look quite naive, as the same issues in matches keep on happening again and again and nothing changes. 

 

 

Edited March 11 by HaydnNUFC

[Sandro Tonali]

17 minutes ago, Nate said:

Appreciate it’s not entirely negative but the fact we’re now averaging more goals (for and against) per game than all but one side in Premier League history feels particularly damning. A complete loss of control.

Never complained when it was our legend KK with the try to score more than you concede philosophy though?