Eddie Howe

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, Sima said:

The squad is laughably imbalanced mind.

 

Arguably Howe’s greatest success story’s best position is LCM and what do we do? Buy an Italian international midfielder who’s best position is LCM.

 

Is Tonali known to be best at LCM in a 4-3-3?

 

I'm not sure Gordon was considered only a LW either, before he signed. 

 

Agreed we have some issues but we did need to buy an entire new first-team squad and we would always be complaining about weaknesses somewhere at this point in the rebuild. Unless we'd just made 11 perfect signings in perfect sequence. 

[The College Dropout]

5 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don't see how anyone can be sick of Tonali playing anywhere, he's had nowhere near enough games in any position. 

Thought he looked really good more central in the last 2 games. Better than he’s ever looked at RCM. I didn’t think he would.  He looks lost out there at RCM

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by The College Dropout

[ExiledGeordie]

2 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

 

Ot's not a one off though, that exact type of performance has been quite frequent. That second half though was terrible in terms of game management. Just was a case of switching layers to different positions to see if something would come off

Agreed mate which I’ve said in other posts. He can’t currently find a way to open teams up and shows no signs of having a clue what to do. His subs today were a concern too. I wouldn’t be that surprised if this is his last season with us particularly if we dont get Europe. 

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by ExiledGeordie

[Sima]

You’re only going to get anywhere near the best out of Tonali if you drop Joelinton.

 

That’s the price.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, Sima said:

You’re only going to get anywhere near the best out of Tonali if you drop Joelinton.

 

That’s the price.

 

How would you set it up?

[Sima]

1 minute ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

Is Tonali known to be best at LCM in a 4-3-3?

 

I'm not sure Gordon was considered only a LW either, before he signed. 

 

Agreed we have some issues but we did need to buy an entire new first-team squad and we would always be complaining about weaknesses somewhere at this point in the rebuild. Unless we'd just made 11 perfect signings in perfect sequence. 

All of the data that I saw banded about at the time of his signing pointed to a sharp drop-off in performances at RCM compared to LCM.

[KaKa]

4 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Tino Tonali + whoever at RW - I don’t want to see it. Put Bruno there - he can at least find an interesting pass or switch play quickly. 

 

I agree.

 

My point was that even if you play Tonali there in that team we started with today, you could never convince me Longstaff would be better.

 

Feel like I've been saying forever we need to push Bruno further up, as he's best at threading through balls to our forward players.

 

The number of times we pass up playing Isak in when it is clearly on. Longstaff, Tino and Barnes were blatantly guilty of it tonight alone.

 

The team can be so frustrating to watch. I feel like we could be right there at times, but just won't put the pieces in place.

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by KaKa

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, Sima said:

All of the data that I saw banded about at the time of his signing pointed to a sharp drop-off in performances at RCM compared to LCM.

 

Hmm OK, I can't remember that or be bothered to look it up, so I accept. 

 

Strange there's so much difference between two basically identical positions mind. 

[Nine]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Even not fully convinced of this yet as we haven't played him there in that team we started with today.

 

Can we at least see him in that side whether at CM or RCM?!

 

It's ridiculous.

To put it simply - it’s slightly concerning that we havnt found a way to integrate a player of Tonalis ability into this side yet, especially when Longstaff is getting starts.

 

And that’s not a dig at Longstaff.

[Sima]

Just now, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

How would you set it up?

Sadly it has to be Bruno, Tonali, Longstaff as even Willock is a LCM.

 

The squad is full of 8s and only one that looks fully comfortable on the right hand side.

[The College Dropout]

I thought Tonali played in a double pivot. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Just now, Sima said:

Sadly it has to be Bruno, Tonali, Longstaff as even Willock is a LCM.

 

The squad is full of 8s and only one that looks fully comfortable on the right hand side.

 

I do think ultimately we need a third midfielder to partner Bruno and Toni because Willock is too untidy and Joelinton isn't technical enough. But it does depend on what style of team we're trying to build.

[ExiledGeordie]

It’s a concern that he still doesn’t seem to know where to play Tonali. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, Nine said:

To put it simply - it’s slightly concerning that we havnt found a way to integrate a player of Tonalis ability into this side yet, especially when Longstaff is getting starts.

 

And that’s not a dig at Longstaff.

Agreed. I think a lot of what made that first side great was organic to the group. Joe and Joe.  Joe and Isak. Bruno and Longstaff. Bruno Longstaff Almiron into Trippier. 
 

Few of the newer players have great partnerships or combos.  

[Ronaldo]

Why can’t he figure this stuff out after 18 months? A top level manager doesn’t take this long to figure out how Sandro Tonali can give more to the team than Sean Longstaff.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Agreed. I think a lot of what made that first side great was organic to the group. Joe and Joe.  Joe and Isak. Bruno and Longstaff. Bruno Longstaff Almiron into Trippier.

 

If you're saying Howe didn't engineer this then you're just being wilfully ignorant.

 

He gets no credit for when we have great combinations but gets all the stick when they look worse?

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by AyeDubbleYoo

[TRon]

10 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

 

Ot's not a one off though, that exact type of performance has been quite frequent. That second half though was terrible in terms of game management. Just was a case of switching layers to different positions to see if something would come off

 

 

Yep. This is exactly the sort of games we were seeing previously which saw us drop to 12th in the table. Lots of disjointed attacking play, lose the ball and then be left wide open for the counter. It looked like we had put it behind us with the return of Willock and Longstaff to give us some balance, but we were back to the same chasing shadows as prior to the Chelsea cup win. What makes it worse, we had what looked a really strong bench, but every change seemed to make us worse.

[TheBrownBottle]

16 minutes ago, Sima said:

You’re only going to get anywhere near the best out of Tonali if you drop Joelinton.

 

That’s the price.

Joelinton is dire at LCM, and Tonali isn’t one.  Willock starts there any time he’s fit for me me. 

[The College Dropout]

5 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

If you're saying Howe didn't engineer this then you're just being wilfully ignorant.

 

He gets no credit for when we have great combinations but gets all the stick when they look worse?

 

 

 

It’s his team - he gets credit for all the good and all the bad.  
 

But I think it might partially explain why we’ve found it difficult to evolve the team with more talented players that can’t function to the same level. In ability alone Howe shouldn’t think we start with Longstaff Joelinton and Willock.  But they fit the system and have the best relationships.  

[Heron]

I don't know if I'm missing something.

 

Do people think the 11 best players should always play?

 

Or the 1 best team - cause presently we dont have both...

 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Heron

[Kid Icarus]

Just now, Heron said:

I don't know if I'm missing something.

 

Do people think the 11 best players should always play?

 

Or the 1 best team?

I'm thinking the same thing.

 

Eg were Liverpool fans clamouring for Thiago or someone else more naturally talented to start over Henderson?

[The College Dropout]

3 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

I'm thinking the same thing.

 

Eg were Liverpool fans clamouring for Thiago or someone else more naturally talented to start over Henderson?

Thiago was signed to give them more control and creativity in midfield. And when fit, he started regularly. And this is Thiago replacing PL and CL winners.  
 

If Tonali is as good as we are led to believe. The coach should find a system where he’s not behind all 3 of Longstaff Willock and Joelinton

[Heron]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Thiago was signed to give them more control and creativity in midfield. And when fit, he started regularly. And this is Thiago replacing PL and CL winners.  
 

If Tonali is as good as we are led to believe. The coach should find a system where he’s not behind all 3 of Longstaff Willock and Joelinton

The coach should find a winning combination, primarily.

[Bimpy474]

Our spread midfield 3, let West Ham narrow 3 kill us. AnD then going 4-4-2 didn't improve it as we were still outnumbered in the middle.

 

Eddie needs to change the system to suit how a games going sometimes. Once West Ham got into the game, we never looked like dominating possession again, bar the start of the second half.

 

[Heron]

The changes just did not help us tonight and at 1 down they took more foothold in a game where we looked like we'd certainly equalise. They got their changes right tactically and grabbed a second and saw out the game well.

 

You win some, you lose some tactically.

 

Thought our issue first half was more around individual performances and in the second half resulted in desperation tactically/with subs.

 

Not a good showing overall.

 

Glad they received the support they did at the end of the game though.