Eddie Howe

[r0cafella]

4 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

I suppose I'm not exactly a neutral, but I see Howe getting top 6 with your squad as a good season. Your first eleven is strong, but the "big 6" sides have better strength in depth. 

 

I read a few posts recently that if Howe didn't get top 6 he should be sacked. Found it a bit mental to be honest. 

We need to be in Europe next season. 

[Froggy]

3 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

We need to be in Europe next season. 

 

So do Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Man United, Villa and Chelsea though. I'm sure Brighton will fancy it as well.

 

The league is deadly. 

[r0cafella]

1 minute ago, Froggy said:

 

So do Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Spurs, Man United, Villa and Chelsea though. I'm sure Brighton will fancy it as well.

 

The league is deadly. 

Oh yeah absolutely which is why we have to be at our best week in week out. Regression into stagnation isn’t something we can afford. 

[Ginola14]

top 6 would be a good season imo 

 

competition is fierce and I'm sure MU, Chelsea, Pool, AV, and Spurs fans will all be demanding CL qualification  

 

I wish fans in general would be more patient 

 

no doubt Howe needs to evolve our playing style, these things take time 

 

he deserves full season at the very least 

 

a trophy would make him a club legend - even if that means doing it the MU way last season after being largely terrible in the league 

[Kimbo]

Top 6 would be incredible given the way we’re playing, if we had 5 losses and were out of the league cup we could have no complaints.

 

This season is a huge test to see if he really is a top coach. The intense pressing style has gone and we can’t play a possession game. If he doesn’t fix one of those two problems then we’ll finish midtable and PIF will probably get a replacement IMO.

 

 

Edited September 23 by Kimbo

[The Butcher]

No Europe and I reckon Howe and a few of our purples will go.

 

Both might happen regardless mind.

[HaydnNUFC]

1 hour ago, Froggy said:

 

I suppose I'm not exactly a neutral, but I see Howe getting top 6 with your squad as a good season. Your first eleven is strong, but the "big 6" sides have better strength in depth. 

 

I read a few posts recently that if Howe didn't get top 6 he should be sacked. Found it a bit mental to be honest. 

 

Europe is a must. The club have stated that on the record in pre season. Think its been generally understated just how important this season is for us as well, this season dictates where this whole thing under PIF is going imo.

 

The transfer window didn't help things obviously, but the team we have are far, far better than they've shown so far this season and for 13 months on the road. That's down to the manager. 

 

 

Edited September 23 by HaydnNUFC

[nufc4eva]

I can't see us finishing above 7th/8th this season and that might mean big changes next season to bridge that gap and few bigger players leaving.

 

We look too vulnerable and not offering enough attacking threat. I really thought defence was the issue and still is a bit but our inability to play through teams like we had been doing is killing us. We look weak and feable going forward.

 

If we hadn't finished 4th we would probably be happy with a 7th place finish and build again.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

If we have a terrible season with a fully fit squad and a signing or two in Jan, then they can consider changing the manager. Until then it’s pointless thinking about it. 

[Froggy]

1 minute ago, HaydnNUFC said:

The transfer window didn't help things obviously, but the team we have are far, far better than they've shown so far this season and for 13 months on the road. That's down to the manager. 

 

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity.

 

Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don’t believe in picking specific league positions that would be acceptable TBH. We should be jduging if a manager is right for us and is working well, could work well in the future etc. I hope that is how the club is going to be run. 
 

Right now we just need to play well, if he can get that then I don’t see our finishing position being a problem. 

[Kimbo]

3 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity.

 

Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

If you finish midtable then you’re possibly going to lose Gordon, Isak, and Bruno, then you’re looking at a rebuilding project that will take another couple of seasons. So IMO the decision at the end of the season wouldn’t just be “do we give him another year”.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, Kimbo said:

If you finish midtable then you’re possibly going to lose Gordon, Isak, and Bruno, then you’re looking at a rebuilding project that will take another couple of seasons. So IMO the decision at the end of the season wouldn’t just be “do we give him another year”.

But that rebuilding project would have to happen anyway, no? Even with a new manager. 
 

So your argument would be sack quickly? 

[The College Dropout]

7th or 8th is par.  
 

Any better is a really good job. 
 

i don’t understand how the 7/8 most funded squad can expect to finish in Europe though.  But that seems to be the way. 
 

At some point we may need to take a step back. You can’t do that with a couple £60m signings though.  

[HaydnNUFC]

4 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity.

 

Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

 

It's the club themselves that have stated that they expect to be in Europe. And overall Europe is pivotal to holding onto our best players and convincing potential incomings that we do actually mean it when we say we're ambitious and want to be in the best competitions. 

 

And for me personally, I don't think it's unrealistic to expect better performances, or an improvement in them. As we've seen a continuation of a total lack of cohesion and tactical nous in away matches from last season two lacklustre home performances and it isn't good enough. The worst part for me is I can't see when or how it improves, which has me losing a lot of faith in the manager as I've said a couple times now.

[Kid Icarus]

It would be down to whoever's to blame for that shambles of a transfer window more than anything imo.

 

I don't think it's reasonable to say 'if you stand still you go backwards' on one hand, but then also say 'oh but if we do go backwards then that's on the Manager' on the other. 

[Froggy]

9 minutes ago, Kimbo said:

If you finish midtable then you’re possibly going to lose Gordon, Isak, and Bruno, then you’re looking at a rebuilding project that will take another couple of seasons. So IMO the decision at the end of the season wouldn’t just be “do we give him another year”.

 

You can't play every season with the worry that you will lose x and y if you don't have a good year IMO, otherwise the manager is always walking on eggshells. 

 

If Isak, Bruno and Gordon want to leave, it's £200m+ to spend on the squad. With the right people at the top like Ashworth Mitchell, you can do amazing things with that money. 

 

 

Edited September 23 by Froggy

[Kimbo]

7 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

But that rebuilding project would have to happen anyway, no? Even with a new manager. 
 

So your argument would be sack quickly? 

I’ve never argued we should sack Howe, I just think it’s a likely consequence if we finish midtable.
 

If we get European football we’re a lot more likely to keep our best players, so I don’t think a rebuilding job is inevitable whatever happens. 

 

 

Edited September 23 by Kimbo

[HaydnNUFC]

4 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

It would be down to whoever's to blame for that shambles of a transfer window more than anything imo.

 

I don't think it's reasonable to say 'if you stand still you go backwards' on one hand, but then also say 'oh but if we do go backwards then that's on the Manager' on the other. 

 

It is but I don't think Howe is totally blameless from that mess of a window either. It'll be the 3 of them collectively.

 

And I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an upturn in away showings and we've seen anything but. And nothing to suggest that its going to change.

[Erikse]

16 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity.

 

Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

 

Last season we were in group of death in the CL and got an injury crisis as a result. This had a massive impact on us, obviously. 7th would be disappointing with no Europe this season. We also have Tonali at our disposal now.

[Erikse]

12 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

7th or 8th is par.  
 

Any better is a really good job. 
 

i don’t understand how the 7/8 most funded squad can expect to finish in Europe though.  But that seems to be the way. 
 

At some point we may need to take a step back. You can’t do that with a couple £60m signings though.  

 

Every team which is more funded than us are playing way more games than us, atleast until christmas. You've said it yourself that this is a huge factor.

 

 

Edited September 23 by Erikse

[TRon]

8 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

It would be down to whoever's to blame for that shambles of a transfer window more than anything imo.

 

I don't think it's reasonable to say 'if you stand still you go backwards' on one hand, but then also say 'oh but if we do go backwards then that's on the Manager' on the other. 

 

Agree on that. Just not sure I share your opinion on who's to blame for it.

[Kimbo]

2 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

You can't play every season with the worry that'll lose x and y if you don't have a good year IMO, otherwise the manager is always walking on eggshells. 

 

If Isak, Bruno and Gordon want to leave, it's £200m+ to spend on the squad. With the right people at the top like Ashworth Mitchell, you can do amazing things with that money. 

Gordon is probably going to go anyway thanks to Ashworth’s dogshit contract negotiation skills.

I’m not saying Howe should be sacked, though if he fails to establish a coherent way of playing this season I’ll have questions about why. I’m thinking about what the owners mindset will be if we play poorly all season and end up with purples wanting out, and you have the possible issue between Howe and Mitchell on top of that. My guess is they would make changes.

[Kid Icarus]

5 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

It is but I don't think Howe is totally blameless from that mess of a window either. It'll be the 3 of them collectively.

 

And I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an upturn in away showings and we've seen anything but. And nothing to suggest that its going to change.

Don't think we have enough of our form overall or away form to go on to make any season-long judgements yet tbh, especially considering the results have been better despite the worse/same performances. 

 

 

Edited September 23 by Kid Icarus

[80]

23 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

I agree, but personally think Howe has banked at least another season after this, unless it's a total disaster. I've always been supportive of longevity.

 

Howe has basically been given the same team and told to finish higher? There's actually a debate that better players have been sold than signed. I think expectations are unrealistic to be honest.

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