Eddie Howe

[Checko]

7th or above is a perfectly reasonable target to aim for, we're about 7th/8th for squad cost and wages so that's roughly where you'd expect us to finish up. It's where we finished last year despite a ridiculous injury crisis and crazy cup draws. Plus with the 4th best goal difference (thank you Sheffield United).

 

I wouldn't subscribe to the 'if we don't achieve the expected 7th you must be sacked' attitude though. There's a lot of randomness in football. Over the course of a season you could easily get 4 points more or less than your performances deserve. That's an 8 point swing, which was the difference between 8th and fourth last year.

 

And sometimes you just have a bad year. Happened to Klopp the year we finished fourth. Happening to Pep this year. Doesn't mean the manager's not good suddenly.

 

So yeah, you definitely look at league placing, but also other factors: overall performances, has the manager improved players, team unity etc.

 

Because ultimately it's not about what the manager's just done, it's about what you think they will do in the future, and last year's results is obviously part of that evaluation, but only part.

[Matt1892]

3 hours ago, Interpolic said:

 

How many of Liverpool's squad were bought for fees of <£5m vs our squad? 

 

Because that's your youth products, free transfers on big wages, and young bargains picked up due to elite scouting networks. The sort of activity you benefit from when you haven't been run into the ground for 14 years by a spiteful owner.

 

This is squad space that accounts for very little purchase value. And this is context that everyone who watches football knows about and would apply when looking at that table. 

 

Ours will also be top-heavy because we weren't able to do stuff like buy a player like Salah to dominate the league for a decade for 35 million quid. Our record signing at that time was still Michael Owen. 

 

 

 

At least you are attempting to argue the right point now, although this isn’t about us vs Liverpool who are likely to win the league, it is about why you think us finishing 7th is an unrealistic expectation, when we have the 7th most valuable squad, 7th biggest income and from the stats TCD posted the 7th highest wage bill.

 

You can add to that no European football to distract us.

 

Howe has been backed with an unbelievable amount of money, and was given the benefit of the doubt last season for what was seen as a blip down to being in Europe and the worst injuries of any team in the league, but he now has to deliver.

[LionOfGosforth]

15 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

At least you are attempting to argue the right point now, although this isn’t about us vs Liverpool who are likely to win the league, it is about why you think us finishing 7th is an unrealistic expectation, when we have the 7th most valuable squad, 7th biggest income and from the stats TCD posted the 7th highest wage bill.

 

You can add to that no European football to distract us.

 

Howe has been backed with an unbelievable amount of money, and was given the benefit of the doubt last season for what was seen as a blip down to being in Europe and the worst injuries of any team in the league, but he now has to deliver.

 

Aye, not really understanding this point at all. Missing Europe by a c*** hair with all the context you've applied to that means he has to be given the benefit of the doubt? Why? Last season had it's frustrations, some weird games like conceding 4 at home to Luton for example, but I still enjoyed it a fair bit and thought with the extreme circumstances, we over-achieved and scored a shit ton of goals. Didn't see the need for any benefit of the doubt at all.

 

This season is different, much more bumpy and inconsistent but I feel it's getting better and i'm optimistic for the remainder personally.

[Interpolic]

18 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

At least you are attempting to argue the right point now, although this isn’t about us vs Liverpool who are likely to win the league, it is about why you think us finishing 7th is an unrealistic expectation, when we have the 7th most valuable squad, 7th biggest income and from the stats TCD posted the 7th highest wage bill.

 

You can add to that no European football to distract us.

 

Howe has been backed with an unbelievable amount of money, and was given the benefit of the doubt last season for what was seen as a blip down to being in Europe and the worst injuries of any team in the league, but he now has to deliver.

 

Has to deliver what, 7th like he did last year under ridiculously trying circumstances? 

 

I didn't say 7th was unrealistic, I said sacking Howe for finishing a place or 2 below that would be completely unreasonable. 

 

It's marginal whether us or Villa have spent the most so to say us finishing 8th warrants that outcome is mental. Villa are another one who have had the benefit of huge pure-profit windfalls from their academy btw, unlike us. 

 

How long have you been supporting us? Do you realise how incredibly entitled you sound? 

[Interpolic]

Just to sum up my feelings on this as it has been going on for days and I'm finding the opposing argument quite depressing...

 

Howe or any future NUFC manager should only be expected to qualify for Europe (to the extent they'll lose their job if they don't) when they are operating consistently with a European budget. 

 

And for now that's not the case. 

[Rod]

1 hour ago, Matt1892 said:

At least you are attempting to argue the right point now, although this isn’t about us vs Liverpool who are likely to win the league, it is about why you think us finishing 7th is an unrealistic expectation, when we have the 7th most valuable squad, 7th biggest income and from the stats TCD posted the 7th highest wage bill.

 

You can add to that no European football to distract us.

 

Howe has been backed with an unbelievable amount of money, and was given the benefit of the doubt last season for what was seen as a blip down to being in Europe and the worst injuries of any team in the league, but he now has to deliver.

Where do you think Man Utd will finish?  Using your algorithm they should be top three .... no?

[PauloGeordio]

 

[Rod]

6 minutes ago, PauloGeordio said:

 

I love you Eddie.

[PauloGeordio]

5 minutes ago, Rod said:

I love you Eddie.

He's a top banana. We are so lucky to have him.