Eddie Howe

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

I tell you what, there’s one upside of yesterday's result. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to decide who to whack on the ignore list ?

[ponsaelius]

4 hours ago, Sibierski said:

I think id much rather go on a multiple year journey with Howe, even if its a slow progression, to get towards top end, then to change manager every 18 months to get the boost up there.

 

The trophies and high would just feel a lot better, then it would with some guy who’s been there 12 months and likely sacked 6 months later.

 

Was fortunate enough to be in the Atalanta end for their win on Wednesday. They've had 8 years of building with the same manager. From a provincial yo-yo club, to Europa League, then to Champions League. Had to re-build the team over and over. Lost three Coppa Italia finals along the way. They dropped back to 8th two years ago but rebuilt again and back into Europe. Finally got the reward lifting their first trophy in 61 years. 

 

I'm all on for us having a similar journey. Obviously we have significantly greater financial backing, but with the restrictions and competition we have the gap that needs to be closed is basically similar. I personally don't think we get there by chopping and changing managers. We don't have the room for error to do that yet. We need continuity and building season to season.

 

If Howe had finished 7th last year and say 4th or 5th this year it wouldn't even be a question as we'd be on a linear progression. The fact he got a cup final and CL in his first season was a ludicrous overachievement that he's now paying for due to the fact we weren't ready to sustain it and have dropped back slightly.

 

If we struggle next season and finish outside of top 6 then I'd certainly revisit this perspective. But for now there isn't even a question that he deserves 100% support and backing from all fans.

 

 

Edited May 26 by ponsaelius

[madras]

1 hour ago, George Bailey said:

I would say they are a club that wins things. Something we have consistently failed to do for decades.

For some reason clubs like Man Utd just seem to have a winning mentality in their dna. Built over years with different squads and different managers.

That puts them in a strong position to constantly revamp, invest and keep on winning things. So whether it’s unpalatable or not, for me they aren’t in decline but have had some dormant seasons - but dormant seasons in which they have lifted multiple trophies! 
Something we can still only dream of…sadly. 

 

Chelsea developed that winning knack for a period and of course so have Man City, we can but just need to flipping win anything to get us started. That’s why I am gutted at not getting European football next season- I think we would have had an excellent chance of winning that competition.

 

 

 

 

They've constantly had one of the best squads in the country, that's a big help. I dont get this winning is a knack or a habit, if so Man Utd would still be winning titles.

[maze]

1 hour ago, Cronky said:

 

Winning silverware is very difficult now. Even the cups are being dominated by the big six. The two minor European trophies are probably the easiest, because the best teams aren't involved. 

 

I think Howe will continue to exceed all realistic expectations, but winning something will depend on good recruitment and that bit of luck. He shouldn't be measured on trophies alone.

Good post. But I have to ask; My impression is that the new owners came in with the ambition to win silverware within 5 years. Judging by your last paragraph I don’t get the feeling this will happen within 5 years or even the next decade. 

[ExiledGeordie]

Need to be backed better in the transfer window this summer.

[huss9]

Just now, ExiledGeordie said:

Need to be backed better in the transfer window this summer.

going to struggle clearing some of the deadwood unless we try giving them away

[ExiledGeordie]

6 minutes ago, huss9 said:

going to struggle clearing some of the deadwood unless we try giving them away

 

 

Edited May 26 by ExiledGeordie

[ExiledGeordie]

Just now, ExiledGeordie said:

 

 

 

FFS was meant to comment that at least a few contracts are running out this summer at least. 

[Chris_R]

47 minutes ago, ExiledGeordie said:

Need to be backed better in the transfer window this summer.

So you want us to breach FFP?

[Fezzle]

1 hour ago, Ghandis Flip-Flop said:

I tell you what, there’s one upside of yesterday's result. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to decide who to whack on the ignore list ?

Reassuring that over half this discussion is hidden mind, shame quoting brings them up anyway though 

[ExiledGeordie]

10 minutes ago, Chris_R said:

So you want us to breach FFP?

Definitely ?

[Cf]

GK (Pope or new)

 

Livramento

Botman

New CB

Hall

 

Joelinton

Bruno

Tonali

 

Gordon

Isak

New RW

 

Give us a clean run in terms of injuries and that team should be around the top 4 next season I think as a minimum expectation. Especially as the other teams have Europe to deal with and changes in terms of managers. 

[HalloNUFC]

Engagement farming from some blueticks in coming days would be unbearable.

I expect lots of baiting from them.

Hopefully most fan would dealt with them with maturity without sending their BP in overdrive 

[Jonas]

3 hours ago, arnonel said:

Entitled because you expect it after 2.5 seasons. 

1 - we avoided relegation (over delivered)

2- we achieved champs league (over delivered)

3 - we got 7th with worst injury crisis. Above Man U. Most goals scored. Mental cup draws. (Over delivered or at a stretch, par)

 

But yeah. He should have delivered a trophy

Its also just ignoring how cups work. Its a bit of a pet-hate when people say they fancy a team to win a cup or a manager should deliver one.  And if this team gets Man City away in the 3rd round?

 

[Gawalls]

1 hour ago, maze said:

Good post. But I have to ask; My impression is that the new owners came in with the ambition to win silverware within 5 years. Judging by your last paragraph I don’t get the feeling this will happen within 5 years or even the next decade. 

It may not happen - the house always wins -  it’s now all about London and the north west, this doesn’t mean that now more than ever I fucking love my club once again and apart from one or two moments last year I embarrassed myself even by over reacting I feel they have done amazingly well.

[Matt1892]

3 hours ago, Ginola14 said:

I wonder if Villa fans are saying similar about Emery 

 

did nowt in the domestic cups probably won't get a better chance at a trophy than they had in this season's ECL

I doubt it as they have just qualified for the Champions League, the same way nobody was saying it about Howe last summer.

[The Prophet]

 

[Gawalls]

4 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

This is why I lose my shit living down in Leicester when people say to me things like “shouldn’t you be doing better with the money you’ve spent” to which I always say something like “now work out how much in comparison we’ve spent over the last 15 or so years - we’re merely playing catch up right now”

[Matt1892]

Nothing wrong with going in to the season having an ambition of 4th or thinking it is achievable, we did it the year before last and only finished 8 points off last years despite the worst injury record in the league and a tough CL group.

[Gawalls]

1 minute ago, Matt1892 said:

Nothing wrong with going in to the season having an ambition of 4th or thinking it is achievable, we did it the year before last and only finished 8 points off last years despite the worst injury record in the league and a tough CL group.

The tweet says ambition is fine but to expect it isn’t 

[Matt1892]

Just now, Gawalls said:

The tweet says ambition is fine but to expect it isn’t 

If you can demonstrate that something is achievable for 2 seasons in a row, there isn’t anything wrong with expecting to be challenging for it in the third season.

 

Obvious caveats in that with injuries etc.

[Checko]

15 minutes ago, Gawalls said:

This is why I lose my shit living down in Leicester when people say to me things like “shouldn’t you be doing better with the money you’ve spent” to which I always say something like “now work out how much in comparison we’ve spent over the last 15 or so years - we’re merely playing catch up right now”

Yeah, also people like to focus only on net transfer spend, but wages are another big factor and we're only in 9th on that list apparently, spending about 76% as much as Villa and Spurs, around half what Arsenal does and about 44% of the Manchester clubs:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13363469/20-Premier-League-clubs-ranked-wage-bills-agree-explore-introducing-salary-cap-2025-26-season.html

 

Or for people who don't want to use a daily fail link below has the same table:

 

https://www.sportbible.com/football/premier-league/premier-league-salary-cap-man-utd-city-wage-813480-20240429

[maze]

By which you could argue the restrains (FFP, caps, fair punishment for breaking said rule etc. ) should apply more to the so-called top-six rather than the rest tbh. 
 

I’m afraid in the long run going on like now will hurt the rep. of football rather than strengthen it. 
 

Football is more about business than sport these days, but the rules are preventning anyone from competing with the elite. 
 

And I think that the tweet, and the reponse to that, highlights this very real and serious problem. 

[Gawalls]

Just now, Matt1892 said:

If you can demonstrate that something is achievable for 2 seasons in a row, there isn’t anything wrong with expecting to be challenging for it in the third season.

 

Obvious caveats in that with injuries etc.

We haven’t achieved it this year though, if as you say that’s because of injury then all we’ve proved is our squad isn’t there yet which is exactly the tweets point.

[Gawalls]

4 minutes ago, Checko said:

Yeah, also people like to focus only on net transfer spend, but wages are another big factor and we're only in 9th on that list apparently, spending about 76% as much as Villa and Spurs, around half what Arsenal does and about 44% of the Manchester clubs:

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13363469/20-Premier-League-clubs-ranked-wage-bills-agree-explore-introducing-salary-cap-2025-26-season.html

 

Or for people who don't want to use a daily fail link below has the same table:

 

https://www.sportbible.com/football/premier-league/premier-league-salary-cap-man-utd-city-wage-813480-20240429

Plus other competitions are rigged in favour of big teams - didn’t Man U get a lot more CL money this year than us because of ‘history’