Eddie Howe

[The Butcher]

He just seems too sensible as a man to be this tactically stubborn.

 

It's a bit weird.

 

It will also be his downfall here unfortunately and it will also stop him from becoming a truly top class manager.

[Jonas]

1 minute ago, hakka said:

 

What Championship sides have 3 players like Botman, Bruno and Isak?

Two of those weren't here. One didn't start playing until late Feb

[Heron]

1 hour ago, Keggy_Keagal said:

 

We keep talking about a proper DM but there are players here that could do that job in the short term, especially in certain games. The system and the way Eddie wants us to play is without a DM. He wants the flat three. Anytime anyone criticizes some of Eddie's decisions it's always reduced back to PSR and the players available but he sets them out to play this way, these are his tactics, his coaching and his set plays and subs etc. I like Eddie I think he's done great things here and I would love him to be a success here but this past calendar year it's not really working as well as it did and that's worth analyzing and he's not blameless in that.  

Agreed. Don't think you can account for the whole last calender year though.

 

He is accountable for the start of this season to now for me, and that's only 9 games. Hence why in my eyes he absolutely deserves at the bare mininum the rest of the season. We are so close to clicking.

 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Heron

[Donut]

Harsh but fair comments today - I think he´s been undone by the early success and that stellar season we had. It seems like some of the players thought we would kick on and become a top 4 contender each year but the project just isn´t there quite yet as evidenced by our shambolic summer window.

He really needs to be less stubborn with this formation though. It doesn't work at all and except for the City game I think we have been largely shite every game. Where has the coolness of our players gone? Some of them look like Ciaran Clark out there. Clearly not wanting the ball

and releasing it way too early straight to opponents.

[Andy]

2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Definitely as concerned as I have been at any point in his tenure. I don't think he's been due masses of criticism up to now this season, particularly the two games prior to today where we dropped points almost exclusively because of finishing. But you'd have to be blinkered not to recognise that there are fundamental issues with our ability to collect points at the moment. We've been decent at best this season, and fleetingly so. Today was very fucking limp. 

 

Needs to shake things up because at the moment he's doing the same things and expecting different results. 

 

I think the big problem Eddie has is that he's never really been a big tactical manager. He's a motivator and he coaches teams to play with intensity. 

 

It seems like that motivation just isn't working this season, particularly away from home. There were signs of it fading last season too. We don't have a tactical setup to fall back on so we end up looking incoherent.  

[Karjala]

What's the next manager going to do with the fact he's only got about 7 top players in his squad, several that should have left seasons ago, and there's no money to spend? 

 

PSR are fucking us, as they are designed to.

[Heron]

1 minute ago, hakka said:

 

What Championship sides have 3 players like Botman, Bruno and Isak?

I was referring to when we were first kept up - we signed Burn, Trippier and Bruno IIRC that winter.

[Matt1892]

It depends on what sort of football Mitchell wants us to play long term, I would prefer a style similar to Liverpool and Brighton where they are dangerous on the quick counter but also have the ability to retain possession for long periods when waiting for those openings.

 

If you want the style of football we played in 22/23 season, then the obvious choice would be Iraola from Bournemouth, who has them playing a press and counter style similar to what we did, but he plays with a fluid 3 between the double pivot and the striker.

 

 

[Yorkie]

1 minute ago, Segun Oluwaniyi said:

Not sure it is his fault necessarily, the recruitment is a much bigger issue for a club with our ambitions imo, but I'd be stunned if he survives this season without massive improvement. The table is not inaccurate for this team at all, they perform and look like a mid table team. Like most sides of that pedigree, there are a few real high quality players and occasionally we flash ability to play at a higher level. However, we are completely incapable of imposing our style of play in matches, remain very inconsistent, and do not have the quality to replace from the bench or adjust when the top players are injured or not in form. 

 

The team is 12th and the next two matches are Arsenal at home and then a very tough away trip to the City Ground (Nuno's team are horrible to play against). There is every chance that the table looks very grim for this team in a fortnight. It is hard to know how the owner react in this situation as we haven't seen them deal with it before, but if we are 13th or 14th at the international break, it is a position that leads to managers getting sacked more often that not. 

 

I like Howe, but would not begrudge a change at this point. The team is just not hard to play against at this moment. 

 

Think that's all very fair. He'd be very unfortunate to lose his job after one genuinely ropey spell (we were in the mix all last season despite some bad days). But, as you say, if we tumble down the table then it gets harder and harder to address the matter in this day and age without making a big change.

[hakka]

Just now, Jonas said:

Two of those weren't here. One didn't start playing until late Feb

 

They were all here and why we got CL. Howe didn't qualify for CL with a Championship side is my point.

[HaydnNUFC]

4 minutes ago, Heron said:

Doesn't mean he won't.

 

But it's far more likely that he won't than he will. He's wedded to this 4-3-3 with a flat midfield and Bournemouth fans have said how stubborn he can be in this regard. Its one of our and his shortfalls.

[nufcjb]

Big question is now, will he get to stay till January and fix ths mess?

 

It ain't worth it for him to stick around hoping for a January shopping spree only to get into more shitshow with Mitchell.

[Heron]

Just now, HaydnNUFC said:

 

But it's far more likely that he won't than he will. He's wedded to this 4-3-3 with a flat midfield and Bournemouth fans have said how stubborn he can be in this regard. Its one of our and his shortfalls.

That's purely speculative for me like, sorry.

 

He could literally change it at any point.

[Guest]

More chance of him resigning over being sacked imo

[Danh1]

Just now, hakka said:

 

They were all here and why we got CL. Howe didn't qualify for CL with a Championship side is my point.

I don’t buy this poor Eddie spiel. 
 

HaydnNUFC posted earlier about Howe’s power move in the summer, holding the England job over the clubs head. That caused a lot of unrest at the club, which is likely the catalyst for the problems in the squad Howe mentioned the other day.

 

I want it to work out, there’ll be posts on here from me saying I think he’ll be the man to win us a trophy. Sadly I’ve lost that faith, he’s lost the plot. 

[toon25]

6 minutes ago, Segun Oluwaniyi said:

Not sure it is his fault necessarily, the recruitment is a much bigger issue for a club with our ambitions imo, but I would be stunned if he survives this season without massive improvement. The table is not inaccurate for this group at all, they perform and look like a mid table team. Like most sides of that pedigree, there are a few real high quality players and occasionally we flash ability to play at a higher level. However, we are completely incapable of imposing our style of play in matches, remain very inconsistent, and do not have the quality to replace from the bench or adjust when the top players are injured or not in form. 

 

The team is 12th and the next two matches are Arsenal at home and then a very tough away trip to the City Ground (Nuno's team are horrible to play against). There is every chance that the table looks very grim for this team in a fortnight. It is hard to know how the owners react in this situation as we haven't seen them deal with it before, but if we are 13th or 14th at the international break, it is a position that leads to managers getting sacked more often that not. 

 

I like Howe, but would not begrudge a change at this point. The team is just not hard to play against at this moment. I would prefer a manager that can restore defensive solidity if he is replaced. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spot on in many respects - in no small part a consequence of the cartel 6 and PSR shite

 

Frustrating to see no development in playing style this season, but Eddie shouldn't be going anywhere. 

 

 

Edited 20 hours ago by toon25

[Yorkie]

2 minutes ago, Andy said:

We don't have a tactical setup to fall back on so we end up looking incoherent.

 

Yep. That's easily what's got me most concerned today. There were no discernible patterns and players were often miles away from each other. Then you've got our attackers going rogue with their heads down, trying to play the hero. 

 

I can't really go after anyone who might say today that we don't look like a well coached team. Incoherent is the word. 

[Kid Icarus]

Probably goes without saying at this point, but still find the questioning of him mental tbh.

[Nine]

Not seen anyone else mention this but the consistent trend has always felt like if we don’t start fast then we never get started at all. I don’t think Howe is very fluid at adapting mid game or he is to stubborn to, we used to start well and score early goals but if neither of those happen we don’t seem to able to grow into a game.

 

I have sympathy for him, the summer was a giant mess and who really knows if he was the one trying to hold out for Guehi without any other options. Doesn’t make a lot of sense really. Started to feel like he’s become burnt out here, which a few of us feared would happen. Last season and summer was tough, he’s got credit in the bank but im just not seeing where it will get better away from home. 

[Robbo2]

1 minute ago, Jack27 said:

More chance of him resigning over being sacked imo

Nobody resigns any more really

[HaydnNUFC]

Just now, Heron said:

That's purely speculative for me like, sorry.

 

He could literally change it at any point.

 

As is thinking that he could do something he's never done and play with one, though.

 

He could do now and he isn't. But it means playing one of our CMs out of position because we haven't signed one.

[mighty__mag]

The three in midfield are all basically doing similar on the pitch, it's absolutely pointless. 

I don't feel like Bruno and Tonali are suited at all, sort of agree with @James saying look at the midfield that got us into Europe, Willock was in the form of his life prior to the injury he got late in that season. I think getting Trippier, Wilson, and Botman back will be huge, and improves the choices from the bench to affect games.

 

Still think Howe has this, but he needs all his players, the current options are limited, plus the loss of Gordon who would have been very useful today.

[Elliottman]

1 minute ago, Jack27 said:

More chance of him resigning over being sacked imo

Probably the most mental take of the day. Interested to hear why you think this would be the case? 

[Heron]

1 minute ago, Danh1 said:

I don’t buy this poor Eddie spiel. 
 

HaydnNUFC posted earlier about Howe’s power move in the summer, holding the England job over the clubs head. That caused a lot of unrest at the club, which is likely the catalyst for the problems in the squad Howe mentioned the other day.

 

I want it to work out, there’ll be posts on here from me saying I think he’ll be the man to win us a trophy. Sadly I’ve lost that faith, he’s lost the plot. 

Likewise, I don't buy any of that tbh.

[The Bonk]

9 minutes ago, Heron said:

It's absolutely fair to critique Howe by the way and he does need to change things up and find a solution, but the way some folk go on, on here is nothing short of ridiculous. You'd think he hadn't dragged a championship side to almost the top ten and then into the CL and a cup final...

Yeah, really want the guy to succeed. Deserves another window and some players actually playing to their ability. We look like we’ve regressed from previous seasons, which is why everyone is on him and he did so well previously it’s almost hindering any type of leeway for him.