Eddie Howe

[Coffee_Johnny]

42 minutes ago, Gawalls said:

You’re right with it being the wrong thread so this will be my last (just so good getting months of frustration out lol), the tech debt is spot on - we now have full sprints dedicated to tech debt now and we never had to before, we also now can’t do a pull request without 80% code coverage where even AI has told me I have around 40% coverage but everything is covered - it’s just such a bad form of measurement.

 Reading this exchange convinced me I must be more hung over than I thought…. .

[junkhead]

There are strong suspicions that Mitchell was exactly what he looked like - a bullshitter that does nothing. 

 

Think Eddie avoids dealing with insincere people.. so a month of agents and dodgy emissaries bullshitting him on the phone isn't ideal..

 

He needs help but we all knew that last year.

[J7]

We’re probably not in the position PIF wanted us to be in. I suspect the plan was more to have a Sporting Director or DoF as the main man ultimately in control of transfers and hiring the manager with some kind continuity regardless of who that was.

 

The problem we had was that Bruce was so bad he needed to be replaced immediately, and the Howe was so successful, it gave him a lot of power before Ashworth or and DoF came in. Now, I don’t think any decent DoF is going to have the control they’d want as most of the power is with Howe because he’s done so well. Mitchell was probably always doomed to fail after the Howe power play last summer, but the unfortunate consequence is seemingly all power is with the manager and there’s no overall strategy. PIF should have got a grip of it a long time ago, regardless of how unpopular it would have been with the face base. Given both Ashworth and Mitchell have failed, maybe there’s part of them just not as enthused as before.

[OoOGazOoO]

I was just wondering how much input, control, etc... Andy Howe and Nickson have regarding the recruitment process in relation to Eddie, and how this is working within the myriad of changes we have had with Ashworth, Mitchell, etc...

 

I know very little about behind the scenes at the club, but I think it's pretty apparent that something isn't really working when it comes to recruitment, agreeing deals, and I am just wondering what the blockers and stumbling blocks are.

[Gawalls]

7 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

 Reading this exchange convinced me I must be more hung over than I thought…. .

My whole job is one big hang over these days, I used to be a van driver as a teenager and loved that, fill the van up and drive round Catterick , Northallerton etc delivering car parts to small garages - I loved that job.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by Gawalls

[Gawalls]

3 minutes ago, J7 said:

We’re probably not in the position PIF wanted us to be in. I suspect the plan was more to have a Sporting Director or DoF as the main man ultimately in control of transfers and hiring the manager with some kind continuity regardless of who that was.

 

The problem we had was that Bruce was so bad he needed to be replaced immediately, and the Howe was so successful, it gave him a lot of power before Ashworth or and DoF came in. Now, I don’t think any decent DoF is going to have the control they’d want as most of the power is with Howe because he’s done so well. Mitchell was probably always doomed to fail after the Howe power play last summer, but the unfortunate consequence is seemingly all power is with the manager and there’s no overall strategy. PIF should have got a grip of it a long time ago, regardless of how unpopular it would have been with the face base. Given both Ashworth and Mitchell have failed, maybe there’s part of them just not as enthused as before.

I think there’s probably a lot of truth in that.

[gbandit]

Give it another thirty years and literally everyone will be harking back to better times in terms of work, sports, quality of life, apart from the 0.000001%

[Nucasol]

5 minutes ago, J7 said:

We’re probably not in the position PIF wanted us to be in. I suspect the plan was more to have a Sporting Director or DoF as the main man ultimately in control of transfers and hiring the manager with some kind continuity regardless of who that was.

 

The problem we had was that Bruce was so bad he needed to be replaced immediately, and the Howe was so successful, it gave him a lot of power before Ashworth or and DoF came in. Now, I don’t think any decent DoF is going to have the control they’d want as most of the power is with Howe because he’s done so well. Mitchell was probably always doomed to fail after the Howe power play last summer, but the unfortunate consequence is seemingly all power is with the manager and there’s no overall strategy. PIF should have got a grip of it a long time ago, regardless of how unpopular it would have been with the face base. Given both Ashworth and Mitchell have failed, maybe there’s part of them just not as enthused as before.

I imagine they had a Qatar / Abu Dhabi style vision which promptly had the shutters pulled down on it by the Premier League’s cartel-like behaviour, rapidly bulldozing their illegal rules through. Our big hope is Man City giving them a second bloody nose with APT2 and/or the 115.

[SUPERTOON]

28 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Reading between the lines Mitchell ended up with very little influence and that's actually why he ended up leaving.

 

Makes zero sense everything was fantastic but he left because Eales was leaving. 

Aye, especially when Eales is still there, and no sign of him actually going. 

[TheBrownBottle]

10 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

I imagine they had a Qatar / Abu Dhabi style vision which promptly had the shutters pulled down on it by the Premier League’s cartel-like behaviour, rapidly bulldozing their illegal rules through. Our big hope is Man City giving them a second bloody nose with APT2 and/or the 115.

I’ve never had that impression, and the complete lack of action where they are not hamstrung by PSR adds weight to that

 

We’re nearly four years in - where is the club’s executive board?  No communication and a lack of structure at the club.  

[r0cafella]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

Aye, especially when Eales is still there, and no sign of him actually going. 

Seems like eales will be gone soon #wait. 

 

It just not logical that Mitchell is leaving because of Eales though, I mean people are welcome to believe the party line if they choose go but I'll pass on that one. 

[Cf]

With the benefit of hindsight it was probably better for both parties if Ashworth said no to Man Utd. 

[duo]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Aye, especially when Eales is still there, and no sign of him actually going. 

Since the original announcement there have been no further communication.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by duo

[duo]

1 minute ago, Cf said:

With the benefit of hindsight it was probably better for both parties if Ashworth said no to Man Utd. 

And Amanda stayed - she got things done.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by duo

[PauloGeordio]

[KaKa]

4 minutes ago, PauloGeordio said:

 

Must have been reading the forum with that last bit 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2025 by KaKa

[Gawalls]

Don’t care whose fault it is -plenty of time left but if the window closes and we have nobody else in so we’re essentially weaker up front and in mid then we deserve whatever we get next year. Last few windows I’ve been patient stating FFP but always thinking this summer is the year funds get freed on top of that finally winning a trophy and getting CL so our reputation was good when the season ended. Now feels like we’ve missed that opportunity.

[PauloGeordio]

7 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

Must have been reading the forum with that last bit 

 

 

 

Should reassure folk 

[Yorkie]

I'd be very surprised if we didn't sign more players. The issue here is the inability to get our top targets, not any target. Elanga (already seemingly forgotten about) notwithstanding.

 

Clearly last summer we took the view that we'd rather sign no one than sign the wrong one, but we'd be cutting out nose off to spite our face by applying that mantra this time. The squad is far, far too small to survive a European campaign.

 

A few dopamine hits are just around the corner I'm sure.

[PauloGeordio]

Just now, Yorkie said:

I'd be very surprised if we didn't sign more players. The issue here is the inability to get our top targets, not any target. Elanga (already seemingly forgotten about) notwithstanding.

 

Clearly last summer we took the view that we'd rather sign no one than sign the wrong one, but we'd be cutting out nose off to spite our face by applying that mantra this time. The squad is far, far too small to survive a European campaign.

 

A few dopamine hits are just around the corner I'm sure.

Gonna hit hard after this weekend 

[Gawalls]

2 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

I'd be very surprised if we didn't sign more players. The issue here is the inability to get our top targets, not any target. Elanga (already seemingly forgotten about) notwithstanding.

 

Clearly last summer we took the view that we'd rather sign no one than sign the wrong one, but we'd be cutting out nose off to spite our face by applying that mantra this time. The squad is far, far too small to survive a European campaign.

 

A few dopamine hits are just around the corner I'm sure.

Problem is now inflated prices as teams know we’re more desperate. Hope you’re right though and we do sign more.

[gbandit]

I’m not that devastated at losing out on PL targets. I think that was to be expected really, what I’m concerned about is why we’re not pivoting at this point to cheaper, less established options on the continent. Nickson will have scouted some quality options there, why aren’t we prioritising buying there where we’ll get cheaper prices and less competition on average?

[Yorkie]

Just now, Gawalls said:

Problem is now inflated prices as teams know we’re more desperate. Hope you’re right though and we do sign more.

 

Our refusal to be held to ransom will hopefully do us a favour here.

 

It'll get easier trade the longer the window goes on, too. Not ideal - we wanted them early - but what's crucial is that we get them at some point.

[gbandit]

4 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

Our refusal to be held to ransom will hopefully do us a favour here.

 

It'll get easier trade the longer the window goes on, too. Not ideal - we wanted them early - but what's crucial is that we get them at some point.

Not convinced it’ll get easier to trade in all honesty. If teams can’t get replacements in then they become extremely difficult to deal with. We really need to get a lot of business done between now and mid-august I’d say 

[Elliottman]

10 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

I'd be very surprised if we didn't sign more players. The issue here is the inability to get our top targets, not any target. Elanga (already seemingly forgotten about) notwithstanding.

 

Clearly last summer we took the view that we'd rather sign no one than sign the wrong one, but we'd be cutting out nose off to spite our face by applying that mantra this time. The squad is far, far too small to survive a European campaign.

 

A few dopamine hits are just around the corner I'm sure.

We absolutely have too, the squad just isn’t big enough to cope. Whatever happens I’m certain we’ll have at least another 3 or 4 in.