Eddie Howe

[wormy]

Just now, The Prophet said:

I'd happily wager he isn't under any pressure at all.

 

In the Amazon documentary, they even record a board meeting where it's pointed out the average finishing position following a first time stint in Europe is 8th.

 

7th-8th is about par, 6th would have been an overachievement considering the circumstances.

 

But we're owned by Saudis and they're ruthless and all our players will immediately want to leave etc etc

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

Can’t absolve him completely. Maxi gone so we could spend nearly £40m on Harvey Barnes to sit on the bench behind Jacob Murphy? There’s time for it to change but that’s a shitshow.

 

I can accept this gripe as well. That decision wasn't great. So many signings have been though, so hard to be too upset.

 

My thing is just play them both, especially when the alternatives are Almiron and Murphy, especially at this stage with a few huge games remaining.

 

Even bringing on Almiron well before Barnes wasn't great.

 

It's unfortunate really, but these issues will clear up as the squad improves. I really cannot wait to see what he can do with a more well rounded squad without having to use some of the players we've had to quite so often.

 

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Love Howe and I'm almost never critical of him

 

Whilst those that slate him for picking Longstaff clearly aren't thinking straight, it's a forced situation due to injuries 

 

The goalkeeper situation I am critical of. If Pope is fit enough for the bench then he could easily be called upon a minute into the game so starting him was the sensible choice

 

I can understand being cautious if you have a competent number 2 but Dubravka isn't that, he's shite. 

 

Aside from that he's coached a game we should have won, at 1-1 we had a 3 v 1 but made a mess of it. 

 

Howe will be fine and next season assuming we don't get brutalised with injuries again will be better too.

[FLUMPO235]

The season of injuries/ban we have had, being 11 points off 4th is an unbelievable achievement. 
 

Finishing top 6 next season is going to be extremely competitive. 

[Mattoon]

Next season will be interesting, Howe does need to show his ruthless side though and bin off as much of the Ashley dregs as he can including some of the fringe players that have had a lot of game time this season.

 

Next season we'll have Man Utd in transition and a lot of how they adapt will be down to what manager they manage to get in.

 

Liverpool also in transition and I think we'll see some of their old guard leave along with their manager.

 

Aston Villa have got a tough season ahead of them with the extra pressure of the CL, the extra games and unless they make some changes to the way they play I think they'll have it tough in the league too.

 

Chelsea look to have found some form, although it doesn't look like it's going good with Poch, they'd be daft to let him leave or force him out, but something isn't right there.

 

There's a good opportunity to be in the mix for 3rd down, but we absolutely, categorically have to get the summer window spot on and that includes losing some deadweight and some of Howes favourites.

[Ronaldo]

41 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Barnes has the same number of goals as ASM this season despite missing most of it and not playing in a pub league

Why did we spent £40m on him to be behind Murphy and Almiron in the pecking order then? Jury is out but it looks like a lazy signing.

[The College Dropout]

Agree on Barnes. It didn’t make sense considering we didn’t sign a RW. It didn’t make sense when Barnes and Gordon didn’t start together while both were fit. And it doesn’t make sense now it looks like Barnes is Gordon’s backup. 
 

We need to address problem positions. I

[janpawel]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Agree on Barnes. It didn’t make sense considering we didn’t sign a RW. It didn’t make sense when Barnes and Gordon didn’t start together while both were fit. And it doesn’t make sense now it looks like Barnes is Gordon’s backup. 
 

We need to address problem positions. I

Aye, it was odd at the time and hindsight has only proven that 

 

Gordon is so good on the left, deffo strange to buy a 40m back up for him. Just hope we get a quality RW this summer 

[Kid Icarus]

Barnes's goal record would suggest that providing we can get that out of him when he's fully up and running, he'll be worth every penny. 

[r0cafella]

5 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Barnes's goal record would suggest that providing we can get that out of him when he's fully up and running, he'll be worth every penny. 

Can’t get the ball out to him when he’s warming the bench mind. 
 

I feel for Howe because us being cute in the last transfer window is one of the reasons why we’ve suffered this much. 

[Hank Marvin]

Sometimes it's hard to be a fan...

 

 

 

[Pata]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

Agree on Barnes. It didn’t make sense considering we didn’t sign a RW. It didn’t make sense when Barnes and Gordon didn’t start together while both were fit. And it doesn’t make sense now it looks like Barnes is Gordon’s backup. 
 

We need to address problem positions. I

 

I think they saw Gordon as a 50/50 LW/RW in the summer. Problem is that he's been so good at left this season that moving him to the other side is simply out of question. I'm certain the hole at RW gets solved this summer, could even be a new purple and Minted in the squad while Almiron and Murphy both get moved on.

[Nobody]

2 hours ago, Ronaldo said:

Why did we spent £40m on him to be behind Murphy and Almiron in the pecking order then? Jury is out but it looks like a lazy signing.

We probably didn't expect him to be injured for most of the season like 

[r0cafella]

39 minutes ago, Nobody said:

We probably didn't expect him to be injured for most of the season like 

Absolutely, but he’s fit now and has been fit for a few weeks now. 

[Zero]

We don’t have funds. Stop the “we need to be ruthless” nonsense. We won’t spend much this summer and very likely we would have the same squad for next season. The only difference is we don’t have ECL and we can play our best 11 more frequently.

[Whitley mag]

Don’t see why it’s so unreasonable to think Howe would be under pressure if we missed out on Europe and had another disappointing season next year.
 

A few on here go way over the top after he beats Burnley and Sheff Utd, the truth lies somewhere in between and though overall he’s got a lot of credit in the bank, next season with Tonali and new signings on board there will be targets set internally by PIF, that unless there is serious mitigation such as Isak being crocked all season he will need to hit.

 

The recent interview with Neville clearly confirms he has veto over transfers, so this summer is on him and he needs to get it right.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 16 by Whitley mag

[The College Dropout]

5 hours ago, Pata said:

 

I think they saw Gordon as a 50/50 LW/RW in the summer. Problem is that he's been so good at left this season that moving him to the other side is simply out of question. I'm certain the hole at RW gets solved this summer, could even be a new purple and Minted in the squad while Almiron and Murphy both get moved on.

He’s started maybe 2 games at RW. There’s no proof he was considered a viable RW option.  
 

The evidence suggests Barnes is a like for like replacement for ASM who Howe used primarily as a LW. 

 

Barnes has been good when playing. 

[Newcastle Fan]

There was very little reason to not start Pope and Joelinton yesterday considering the importance of the game and the fact that they've been on the bench for the previous two, its really annoying as Europa would've been a good finish but now it seems like its either Confrence league or no Europe at all.

[Lush Vlad]

Yeah. It is easy to say in hindsight. But the last transfer window has not been great. 
 

Tonali barely played.
Tino has had niggly injuries and not fully trusted to get minutes even when he was playing brilliant football.
Hall has taken an age to get a game. But is now looking decent, at least. 
Barnes has spent months injured and as others have said. Looks like he’s the backup LW option. Desperately need some quality in the final third and he can’t buy a start. 
 

Plenty said last season we needed a RW option that could perhaps cover up top if needed. Yet we’ve had Miggy and Murphy there. With Wilson missing half the season (again). 

[Displayname]

8 hours ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

You know you’ve lost when you refer to someone as a sheep like incels and conspirituality nuts regularly do.

Not going to go in to whatever discussion you guys have here, but sheep is a perfectly valid description of some people. 

 

There are those who simply doesnt deviate from what their group or leader says. Look at the maga people for instance, im sure you would agree. 

 

I am not saying it applies here, but it sure as shit isnt exclusive to the Trump cult.

[LiquidAK]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

He’s started maybe 2 games at RW. There’s no proof he was considered a viable RW option.  
 

The evidence suggests Barnes is a like for like replacement for ASM who Howe used primarily as a LW. 

 

Barnes has been good when playing. 

I think the thinking at the start of the season was likely that Gordon and Barnes would rotate for the LW spot, with Gordon able to pick up minutes on the RW as well as needed, with Miggy & Murphy primarily rotating for that spot. Barnes' injury and Gordon having such a good season has changed that, but the signing was generally quite a logical one at the time. I still think it will come good as well next season in a similar setup, but hopefully with a better RW as the main starter that side.

[KaKa]

30 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Don’t see why it’s so unreasonable to think Howe would be under pressure if we missed out on Europe and had another disappointing season next year.
 

A few on here go way over the top after he beats Burnley and Sheff Utd, the truth lies somewhere in between and though overall he’s got a lot of credit in the bank, next season with Tonali and new signings on board there will be targets set internally by PIF, that unless there is serious mitigation such as Isak being crocked all season he will need to hit.

 

The recent interview with Neville clearly confirms he has veto over transfers, so this summer is on him and he needs to get it right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the outset of your comment you have already got the premise of the whole discussion wrong, which is typical.

 

You've added on if he has a poor season next season, which was never what we were talking about.

 

Regarding his transfers they have mostly been excellent, and with another summer to continue to build the squad and with Tonali also coming back in, and the right wing finally getting addressed, I'm betting on Howe making all the nagging naysayers look impossibly dumb.

 

I'm really really looking forward to it.

[Mikky]

It’s massively important we finish 7th now and hope Man Ciry can do us a favour so we have some form of football.

 

Then in the summer regroup and take a collective view of where we are and what we need to challenge for at least the top 6 next season 

 

We have lost 11 out of 18 away games - that’s unacceptable in my view - yes you can point at injuries, but tactically we’ve been ordinary and at times been a soft touch 

[SUPERTOON]

We came back after Howe’s first pre season with a completely different style of play. I’m confident after this upcoming one we will come back again a better side and sort out the away issues. 

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, Mikky said:

 

We have lost 11 out of 18 away games - that’s unacceptable in my view - yes you can point at injuries, but tactically we’ve been ordinary and at times been a soft touch 

 

It's unacceptable in your view because of your arrogance.

 

You think we have a right to get a result in these games just because we came 4th last season.

 

This isn't a video game. You can keep dismissing the injury situation all you want, but at the end of the day, most of this season we've ended up playing Bruno in midfield (the most impactful part of the pitch) with some combination from Longstaff, Anderson and Miley.

 

And you really think this is no big deal and 'tactics' can simply sort this out, so we can go to these away games and just beat these teams, because it's just that easy, and everyone else is doing it.

 

It's this kind of thinking that means I cannot take you guys that 'keep it real' seriously.