Eddie Howe

[Heron]

8 minutes ago, wfmk2 said:

Making Bruno captain isn't proving to be a managerial masterstroke. 

Agreed.

[Heron]

8 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

I don’t think any of the signings as individuals are bad players.

 

What I question is the positions and type of players he’s targeted, I also think playing it safe in the market is for clubs who have wriggle room with PSR, we haven’t got the income yet to pay premium prices for PL proven players in every position.

 

I think backing him in the summer with Guehi and Elanga would have compounded the previous summers bad window, yes we need a CB but not at 60 million and Elanga is another speed merchant with little end product.

 

 

 

 

Fair, but I refer to my point (in discussion with KaKa and Haydn about Mitchell's remark and positioning in this latest window).

[HaydnNUFC]

6 minutes ago, Heron said:

Not saying you have mate. But plenty others have. Hindsight is a wonderful thing with Tonali. Plenty of folk have and are still saying he should start every game and also not be subbed - bur why if he doesn't work as intended. Perhaps signing Guehi or having a fit Botman allows our midfield 3 to operate in the way Howe intends?

 

I get that we should be looking further afield for signings, of course we should. But a director of football coming in and saying that the transfer policy isn't fit for purpose surely negates all scouting profiles and intended targets with a complete recision required of what he sees as "fit for purpose" and re-establishing the profile he intends players to fit. That doesn't happen overnight, surely.

 

£70m was too much for Guehi, I think as well, but NUFC were backed into a corner in essence through failings beyond Howes control.

 

I can accept the midfield/tactics not being changed up enough, but for me people are going entirely overboard on Howe now.

 

Perhaps, we won't know until Botman comes back. But I don't see how Botman (and by extension, Guehi) changes much given Botman didn't when he came back from January-March this year.

 

And aye but I think that further supports the view that;

 

- Mitchell should be given the keys recruitment wise 

- Our recruitment literally wasn't fit for purpose prior

 

I agree with both of those fwiw.

 

I'm not particularly sure on what those things beyond Howe's control were, mind. We had the PSR issues sorted at the end of June. We were hopelessly bidding for Guehi over his value at the end of August.

 

And that's fine, it's a difference of opinion Heza. I personally just don't have much faith of stuff improving as things stand. And honesty I sincerely hope to god I'm wrong.

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by HaydnNUFC

[Heron]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

I don't think these are valid reasons at all.

 

Howe seems very rigid and particular over who is signed, and maintains there are only a few players that will improve us. This is slowing our progress. We have also spent more than we should have previously on individual players, given our financial situation. These are the reasons our recruitment has not been up to scratch.

 

If you go back and read up on when we signed the likes of Botman and Bruno, you will see that Steve Nickson had followed both for a while and was quite involved in those decisions. For whatever reason as time has gone on and Howe has settled in further, we are not leaning on Nickson's knowledge of targets outside of the Premier League anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You literally cannot say for certain at all though that this is Eddie Howes doing though and therefore it is purely speculative and how do you quantify "too much" for players?

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by Heron

[KaKa]

Just now, Heron said:

You literally cannot say for certain at all though that this is Eddie Howes doing though and therefore it is purely speculative.

 

Yeah, sure. Okay.

[Heron]

6 minutes ago, Tonalis Bookie said:

no he wouldn’t have played him 

He's starting him in the last what...4 league games?

[NWMag]

Not bothering to read too much today, plenty of shite being spouted on Twitter (as expected) but Howe is not to blame for poor decision making by multiple players. 
 

he’s also not exempt from criticism, his subs and persistence with the 433 need questioning, but would isak have passed to joelinton for example if we had a different manager? 

[midds]

I also think he could do with mixing things up now and again, his approach to games seems to be constant 'same again lads?' It's the same players in the same formation regardless of opposition or competition. Familiarity is one thing, being too stubborn to consider changing anything is quite another. A good manager should be flexible to tweak things and I don't see enough/any of hat from Howe these days. It's 4-3-3 which often slips into 4-5-1 out of possession, several times today it was Isak central, 10 yards behind him a flat 5, 10 yards behind them a flat back 4. It was static, rigid, very linear and often bypassed. The Arsenal team/formation half an hour later was chalk and cheese, it was much more isometric with players occupying a space and this was both in and out of possession. These are all footballing issues and they're squarely on Howe

[Heron]

7 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Perhaps, we won't know until Botman comes back. But I don't see how Botman (and by extension, Guehi) changes much given Botman didn't when he came back from January-March this year.

 

And aye but I think that further supports the view that;

 

- Mitchell should be given the keys recruitment wise 

- Our recruitment literally wasn't fit for purpose prior

 

I agree with both of those fwiw.

 

I'm not particularly sure on what those things beyond Howe's control were, mind. We had the PSR issues sorted at the end of June. We were hopelessly bidding for Guehi over his value at the end of August.

 

And that's fine, it's a difference of opinion Heza. I personally just don't have much faith of stuff improving as things stand. And honesty I sincerely hope to god I'm wrong.

 

 

 

Changes to Staveley, Ghodoussi and Mitchell's arrival are all beyond his control and seemingly the PSR and FFP stuff. All very much over his head it seems.

 

Mitchell making the remarks made at the time made suggests disruption to the "plan" re. Recruitment for almost the whole window and so this window was always likely to fail.

 

If Mitchell was in charge of recruitment upon his arrival. Why are folk attributing Guehi and Elanga to Howe?

 

Agreed (on differing opinions :thup:) - I don't happen to agree with your two bullet points but at least can see your reasoning.

 

 

Edited 15 hours ago by Heron

[TheBrownBottle]

21 minutes ago, Heron said:

Do you think with Tonali available we'd have finished higher last season or perhaps got through the CL group?

Based on what I’ve seen so far, I’m not at all sure we would have.  I’m yet to see our midfield look much cope with Tonali in there. 

[Heron]

6 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Yeah, sure. Okay.

 

Nicely debated...

[Jaqen]

The season we finished 4th we really benefitted from that setup with a back 3 in attack with Trippier  really high up on the right and the two Joes alternating on that left side. It caused sides all sorts of problems. 

 

Obviously we can't play that exact same way with the players we are starting with at the moment. But it is a bit disappointing that we haven't found any alternative inventive ways to set the side up and have basically turned into a bog standard 433 system. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stifler]

2 minutes ago, Heron said:

I get that we should be looking further afield for signings, of course we should. But a director of football coming in and saying that the transfer policy isn't fit for purpose surely negates all scouting profiles and intended targets with a complete recision required of what he sees as "fit for purpose" and re-establishing the profile he intends players to fit. That doesn't happen overnight, surely.

I’m not sure I fully agree.

 

Just because Mitchell said the transfer policy wasn’t up to scratch, it doesn’t mean that our overall targets, and lists weren’t up to scratch.

It just means that we shouldn’t be putting our eggs in a £60m-£70m basket for Guéhi, we probably shouldn’t spend £50m on Tonali when on the list we have options who are not as known, don’t have that English, and elite European club tax.

 

I think it also means that when we buy the likes of Osula, we can’t just be happy with us going into November, with both Isak, and Wilson out, and him only getting a game in the cup games.

 

The transfer policy probably does need to change, we absolutely now need to be bringing in 2 signings a season who can get into the first team pretty quickly. Having 1 signing per season who can do that is no good. As I have said, because we missed out on Guéhi this summer, we’ll likely go into next summer needing possibly 2 CB’s, a CM/CDM, a RW, and a FW/ST. That is without the possibility of selling the likes of Bruno, Isak, or anyone else.

[Lush Vlad]

Still not very good at building play from the back. Which has been a bit of a feature under Howe. Still think his subs feel a bit pre-planned. 
 

Thought we played in snatches today. Some awful individual errors, decisions and maybe some bigger picture stuff that isn’t ideal. But everyone thought we’d get pumped. Yet we were still in it right up to the last. 

 

Is he perfect, no. Does he still have my backing and do I think he is the best man for the job?! 100%. 
 

[KaKa]

3 minutes ago, Heron said:

 

Nicely debated...

 

There's really no point saying anything further.

 

It's just one excuse after another coming back.

 

The people running the club will know for certain what has been going on behind closed doors, and so we'll all just wait and see what happens.

[Heron]

4 minutes ago, Stifler said:

I’m not sure I fully agree.

 

Just because Mitchell said the transfer policy wasn’t up to scratch, it doesn’t mean that our overall targets, and lists weren’t up to scratch.

It just means that we shouldn’t be putting our eggs in a £60m-£70m basket for Guéhi, we probably shouldn’t spend £50m on Tonali when on the list we have options who are not as known, don’t have that English, and elite European club tax.

 

I think it also means that when we buy the likes of Osula, we can’t just be happy with us going into November, with both Isak, and Wilson out, and him only getting a game in the cup games.

 

The transfer policy probably does need to change, we absolutely now need to be bringing in 2 signings a season who can get into the first team pretty quickly. Having 1 signing per season who can do that is no good. As I have said, because we missed out on Guéhi this summer, we’ll likely go into next summer needing possibly 2 CB’s, a CM/CDM, a RW, and a FW/ST. That is without the possibility of selling the likes of Bruno, Isak, or anyone else.

I see your points on the remainder of the post but with regards to the bit in bold - this is when Mitchell was here and presumably 'directing' recruitment, no?

 

Yet folk are now attributing that to Howe because it adds weight to kicking the fella whilst the chips are down at present. At least it feels (to me).

[Danh1]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

 

There's really no point saying anything further.

 

It's just one excuse after another coming back.

 

The people running the club will know for certain what has been going on behind closed doors, and so we'll all just wait and see what happens.

Aye, that’s it.

 

If Howe (as I believe, from reports) has been a barrier to bringing in players over the summer, he won’t be here much longer if that continues. 
 

Would also be interested to know how big a part he’s played in the likes of Almiron and Wilson still being here. The transfer strategy, incoming and outgoing, has been shit. Mitchell is right. 

[Heron]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

 

There's really no point saying anything further.

 

It's just one excuse after another coming back.

 

The people running the club will know for certain what has been going on behind closed doors, and so we'll all just wait and see what happens.

It's not excuses though is it. It's no more an excuse than anything you're saying. You seemingly claiming to know all the inner workings of our transfer policy and behind closed doors comms is purely speculative as is anyone's.

 

If you read any of my posts in here from today, you'll see I will attribute blame to Howe where I feel it is due. Some of the other blame is just that...speculative.

[Sibierski]

Struggle to play out from back as it’s often like this…

 

————Schar——-Burn——-Hall

 

 

———————Bruno——————-

 

Tino—RW—Tonali——Joelinton——-Barnes

 

——-Isak———-

 

Just one guy on his own who’s marked, then big gaps forward. It’s never a triangle, or 5-10 yard pass options close. It’s often something that needs fizzing in.

 

When we do hook up some close passes, we look good as the equaliser came from it. But just see it so few and far.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

11 minutes ago, Heron said:

 

Nicely debated...

 

He's the pits. Put him on ignore.

[Heron]

3 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

He's the pits. Put him on ignore.

[KaKa]

4 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

He's the pits. Put him on ignore.

 

Hope you do the same too.

 

Please put me on ignore as well, thanks.

[Heron]

Just now, KaKa said:

 

Hope you do the same too.

 

Please put me on ignore as well, thanks.

Pardon?

 

You want me to put you on ignore?

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

2 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Hope you do the same too.

 

Please put me on ignore as well, thanks.

 

Don't worry. Your opinion is worthless so I have no reason to read what you say. It's a happy place, more people should follow suit. 

[KaKa]

1 minute ago, Heron said:

Pardon?

 

You want me to put you on ignore?

 

Yes please.

 

Both you and your friend that recommended it.

 

Thanks.