Eddie Howe

[Andy84]

He’s class and people never learn with him.  Things will look very different soon 

[Ellis H]

It’s not particularly pleasant but we’re only 5 points off 5th and I reckon we’re a lot closer, if not already there, if Wissa is fit. You can’t take 25 goals out of a team and expect the same results.

[nufc4eva]

I trust Howe completely, but I can't see what the plan is when we have the ball so much. Whatever we are trying isnt working and our creativity/counter/progression tends to break down through shit passing, lack of concentration, not being aware of our options, movement predictable. Even with Isak in this team I fail to see how results would be different, we aren't creating enough at all.

[Doctor Zaius]

20 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

He’s turned some difficult situations around but this one might be the most challenging. We don’t have a cheat code this season and are really going to have to function properly out wide and through the middle to pin teams back, keep it and create opportunities. My instinct is he wants to evolve our style of play but we didn’t make the acquisitions to do it.

 

Particularly, losing out on Mbuemo and settling on Elanga instead is a massive game changer.

 

I think he certainly wants us to have other options. We played 4-3-3 with much of the same lineup last season. Whilst it worked, we were sort of predictable, if still very hard to play against. 

 

He wants 5-3-2 in our locker. I'm just not sure we have the players to implement what he wants to do. Gordon centrally, Murphy in more central positions, a midfield that doesn't seem to click. 

[Ronaldo]

Just now, Doctor Zaius said:

 

I think he certainly wants us to have other options. We played 4-3-3 with much of the same lineup last season. Whilst it worked, we were sort of predictable, if still very hard to play against. 

 

He wants 5-3-2 in our locker. I'm just not sure we have the players to implement what he wants to do. Gordon centrally, Murphy in more central positions, a midfield that doesn't seem to click. 

Gordon doesn’t work away from the wing. I have to admit I think it’s madness to keep expecting otherwise.

[Smal]

14 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

Do we not give the opposition any credit? We couldn't lay a glove on de Jong and Pedri. Arsenal have a strengthened their midfield since we beat them

 

It's not as easy as to just flip a switch and dominate against Barcelona and Arsenal

 

I don't expect us to dominate them and I know they're good teams, but we're much better than we've shown against them imo.

[Solitude20]

Reckon the next tweak has to be putting Wissa out on the left wing when he’s back, with Gordon dropping in as the backup

[Andy84]

I do wonder about this 3/5 at the back thing.  Maybe there is a world where he isn’t confident of a back 4 in some games.  4-3-3 is where we are our best, I’d like him to go back to it 

[joeyt]

We didn't even start with 5 at the back

[KaKa]

41 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

My biggest criticism of Howe is it seems to take a dozen games for us to click since he's been here. When we do, we're fine, but that's going to prevent us from challenging the top 2 if it isn't sorted out. Give him more benefit of the doubt to some degree because we lost Isak. But this has been the trend every season bar the fluke results that finally caught up with us last (by December we were where we deserved at that point).

 

If Howe figures out quick starts to seasons, we'll be unstoppable under him.

 

The summers don't help. Key players tend to come in late on and it takes a while for the team to settle and adjust.

[Andy84]

1 minute ago, joeyt said:

We didn't even start with 5 at the back

It was a 3 though no? Centre backs seemed quite speed and Burn was coming right over having to deal with Saka when Tino should have been over there. 

[HawK]

1 minute ago, Andy84 said:

It was a 3 though no? Centre backs seemed quite speed and Burn was coming right over having to deal with Saka when Tino should have been over there. 

 

No it was a clear 4-3-3 and we got absolutely bummed down their right 

 

 

Edited September 28, 2025 by HawK

[joeyt]

1 minute ago, Andy84 said:

It was a 3 though no? Centre backs seemed quite speed and Burn was coming right over having to deal with Saka when Tino should have been over there. 

 

It was 4 at the back with Tino Thiaw Botman and Burn?

[JoeyBartoon]

Personally, I think our recruitment has been a bit of a disaster. Most of the signings (prior to Big Wolts) seem to have been made with the expectation that they’d fit into the system that brought us success recently.

 

The Isak situation has really hurt us, in my opinion. We never brought in a like-for-like style replacement , which has forced us to change our style of play — and it shows, because we look disjointed, and players not able to play to their strengths. Nothing against Woltemade, I actually rate him, but there’s no chance Howe had him in mind as a key signing months ago

 

 

Edited September 28, 2025 by JoeyBartoon

[Heron]

Howes substitutions were very much short term pain for long term gain I feel. If we'd have seen it out they'd have been fab. Nearly did as well tbf, Elanga running through before being rugby tackled and the responsible party not being reprimanded.

 

Woltemade needs protection and not running into the ground. Osula is not the desired replacement or intentioned but runs his socks off. Our defence was largely solid and Pope covered those that slipped through the ent excellently. 

 

If you sell your superstar striker and arguably best player on deadline day then it takes time to adjust. We've played Varcelona (and almost matched them) Arsenal (and almost matched them) and Liverpool with 10 men and almost matched them. Bournemouth away where a point isn't to be sniffed at and Leeds where yeah - I agree we should be winning. Performances are there where results aren't this season and last season was very much the opposite, but in time we will come good again. No doubt about it. Such is Eddie Howes capability.

[Vinny Green Balls]

3 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

The summers don't help. Key players tend to come in late on and it takes a while for the team to settle and adjust.

Point is that we haven’t gotten off to a fast start with him at the helm yet. We always come good though. But we always look knackered like it’s the end of the season at the beginning. When he does sort this out, he’ll likely have us regularly challenging the top 2. I think we’re closer than some give credit, and despite not quite having the squad. Howe is that good.

[midds]

4 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

It was 4 at the back with Tino Thiaw Botman and Burn?

I think the fact there's still some disagreement about how many players were in our back line suggests it was a bit of a mess and certainly didn't function as it was drawn up in the bootroom all week. Difficult to get the full picture without being in the ground but it looked like a throwback to the 4th season where Tripper (Tino this afternoon obviously) pushed up and Burn tucked in a little centrally. Burn relied on cover from Joelinton and Gordon to try and cope with Saka and it looked a bit of a horse's arse in all honesty. Eze could have killed us in the first half

[Wolfcastle]

21 minutes ago, Smal said:

 

I don't expect us to dominate them and I know they're good teams, but we're much better than we've shown against them imo.

Cant maintain that every game though. Controlled these to barely laying a glove on us in four games last season, were allowed a off day of over performing.

[Sibierski]

51 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

I find anyone saying that today is all on him absolutely risible tbh. Even Burn starting at LB did no harm. I think Saka got past him once; into any space at least.

 

 

They got down that side a few times first 20, and in general it contributed to the first half. 
 

We had some desperate blocks, a fortunate VAR that sided with us to stop a pen, wood work and a number of good Pope saves before we scored. Nothing in that first half pointed to “Tactics were spot on”.

[Sibierski]

18 minutes ago, Heron said:

We've played Varcelona (and almost matched them) Arsenal (and almost matched them) and Liverpool with 10 men and almost matched them. Bournemouth away where a point isn't to be sniffed at and Leeds where yeah - I agree we should be winning. Performances are there where results aren't this season and last season was very much the opposite, but in time we will come good again. No doubt about it. Such is Eddie Howes capability.

This is where I disagree with many who share this viewpoint. Our performances have been poor all season bar Liverpool and first 30 against Barcelona. Defensively we’ve been good for vast majority bar today, but attacking we’ve been nothing but a disgrace.
 

Just lost all idea of how to construct attacks, and the attack is what made us a successful team as it then helped us defensively. We’ve seemingly gone more pragmatic to become defensive, and it’s costing us in attack. Maybe that’s because Howe feels/knows Woltdemade can’t play long so 1-0 wins is our best bet right now, but it goes against everything we’ve done under Howe up to this season.

[HawK]

Flat 3 in the middle with a gulf between defence and midfield and also attack and midfield. 3 very isolated sections of the formation with no hope of build up play through any. It's long to the wings or bust.

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

We cede way too much space in central areas with this system tbh. Quite a few times Eze wasn’t picked up in the pocket.

[Likelylad]

Swear you could win silly money betting on when Howe decides to make subs. 60-65 mins without fail. 

[500bhp]

What was our formation today? I sit close to pitch side so can't see the patterns of play. I thought we went 5 at the back but my mate in L7 said it was 4-3-3 with Burn at LB. That can't be right.

 

Tino was in a lot of distress when he went off, looked bad. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

3 minutes ago, 500bhp said:

What was our formation today? I sit close to pitch side so can't see the patterns of play. I thought we went 5 at the back but my mate in L7 said it was 4-3-3 with Burn at LB. That can't be right.

 

Tino was in a lot of distress when he went off, looked bad. 

It was definitely 4-3-3 first half. As others have said, the fact it was hard to tell is telling in itself