Eddie Howe

[Curva Sud Milano]

1 hour ago, Kimbo said:

I’m not sure how you think Isak should’ve been handled, unless you think we should’ve put our foot down and said no. He went on strike before anyone had even bid for him, and we accepted the second bid.

 

 

I think the club knew for a long time that Isaak would leave, they had months to find a replacement. I don't think Wissa was the natural replacement for Isaak (he has now become, maybe), and I think Wolt was the only viable option (the transfer window was closing) but not with the characteristics Howe wanted.

[Fak]

2 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I think the club knew for a long time that Isaak would leave, they had months to find a replacement. I don't think Wissa was the natural replacement for Isaak (he has now become, maybe), and I think Wolt was the only viable option (the transfer window was closing) but not with the characteristics Howe wanted.

 

The club hoped they could fend off Liverpools interest and convince Isak to stay. Whilst they did this they worked on finding replacements for Isak incase he did leave.

 

Some of the strikers we went for (Ekitike, Sesko, Delap) all knocked us back before we got Woltemade and Wissa.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2025 by Fak

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Why are we saying Woltemade doesn’t have characteristics Howe wants? Where did this come from? 

[Curva Sud Milano]

1 minute ago, Fak said:

 

The club hoped they could fend off Liverpools interest and convince Isak to stay. Whilst they did this they worked on finding replacements for Isak incase he did leave.

 

Some of the strikers we went for (Ekitike, Sesko, Delap) all knocked us back before we got Woltemade and Wissa.

 

 

 

 

I don't know... when a player wants to leave there's very little you can do. Players and agents have too much power in modern football.

[Fak]

Just now, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I don't know... when a player wants to leave there's very little you can do. Players and agents have too much power in modern football.

 

Yeah which is why they worked on finding replacements. Most of who rejected us.

[Curva Sud Milano]

4 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Why are we saying Woltemade doesn’t have characteristics Howe wants? Where did this come from? 

 

Who do you think is the natural replacement for Isaak? Wissa or Wolt?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

3 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

Who do you think is the natural replacement for Isaak? Wissa or Wolt?

 

Well they both have strengths, I don't think we need to pick one as a direct replacement for Isak. 

 

Wissa is proven in the PL, versatile, experienced, can play up front or wide. Woltemade is more unusual, technical, gives us a bit of technique and link-up play that we didn't have before. 

 

There's just no reason to believe that Howe doesn't like Woltemade's attributes. In fact quite the opposite since we spent loads of money to buy him. And he's already linking well with teammates and scoring goals. 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2025 by AyeDubbleYoo

[Fak]

2 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

Who do you think is the natural replacement for Isaak? Wissa or Wolt?

 

Wissa is the short to mid-term successor given he's already PL proven. Wolt will be the long term successor. 

[Curva Sud Milano]

6 minutes ago, Fak said:

 

Yeah which is why they worked on finding replacements. Most of who rejected us.

 

They worked on finding replacements.... in july.

[Fak]

2 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

They worked on finding replacements.... in july.

 

Chelsea signed Liam Delap (who rejected us) at the start of June. 

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Do people still think we only start working on signings when they appear on Romano's twitter?

[Curva Sud Milano]

10 minutes ago, Fak said:

 

Wissa is the short to mid-term successor given he's already PL proven. Wolt will be the long term successor. 

 

I think the club's intention was to sign a strong 9 (a pure 9) and pair him with Wissa, who could also replace him in a 4-3-3. With Wolt, you've signed an excellent player who has the qualities of a 10 rather than a 9.

[Lish007]

7 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I think the club's intention was to sign a strong 9 (a pure 9) and pair him with Wissa, who could also replace him in a 4-3-3. With Wolt, you've signed an excellent player who has the qualities of a 10 rather than a 9.

 

Do you follow us quite religiously?

 

Howe would not have OK'd Wolt if he didn't want him. Even with Isak, our weak link was in final 3rd and between the lines. We had a great striker but against a low block, we were gash. 

 

Howe is trying to improve this by probably evolving his play and tactics like Howe likes to do. Unfortunately, the missing piece in the puzzle is Wissa. So Wolt HAS to play the 9 at the moment because we dont have an alternative. 

 

Once Wissa is back, I think eventually we should see some evolution in play ala Isak + Wilson. But Wolt is HAPPIER playing that position than Isak is. 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2025 by Lish007

[gbandit]

There is no successor to Isak. He’s not a player you just replace like for like. Woltemade is closer to him than Wissa but neither is particularly similar 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

6 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I think the club's intention was to sign a strong 9 (a pure 9) and pair him with Wissa, who could also replace him in a 4-3-3. With Wolt, you've signed an excellent player who has the qualities of a 10 rather than a 9.

But this is just not how we see it. Woltemade is an unusual striker but he will play as a striker and that’s what he has been signed as. People drove me mad arguing about this already, he is a striker. 

[Curva Sud Milano]

3 minutes ago, Lish007 said:

 

Do you follow us quite religiously?

 

Howe would not have OK'd Wolt if he didn't want him. Even with Isak, our weak link was in final 3rd and between the lines. We had a great striker but against a low block, we were gash. 

 

Howe is trying to link this by probably evolving his play and tactics like Howe likes to do. Unfortunately, the missing puzzle in the piece is Wissa. So Wolt HAS to play the 9 at the moment because we dont have an alternative. 

 

Once Wissa is back, I think eventually we should see some evolution in play ala Isak + Wilson. But Wolt is HAPPIER playing that position than Isak is. 

 

Given that Wolt is a great player, no doubt about that, I think Howe would have accepted any striker on the last available transfer window.

[Curva Sud Milano]

2 minutes ago, gbandit said:

There is no successor to Isak. He’s not a player you just replace like for like. Woltemade is closer to him than Wissa but neither is particularly similar 

 

I'm not sure about this at all. Wolt is the exact opposite of Isaak, in my opinion.

[Kimbo]

36 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I think the club knew for a long time that Isaak would leave, they had months to find a replacement. I don't think Wissa was the natural replacement for Isaak (he has now become, maybe), and I think Wolt was the only viable option (the transfer window was closing) but not with the characteristics Howe wanted.

We were trying to sign strikers all summer tbf. We were going for Joao Pedro in June, who in hindsight I believe would’ve been an a Isak replacement, rather than a Callum Wilson replacement. We had a bad run of luck when it came to our striker bids, but you can’t say we weren’t trying. Also, we didn’t receive an acceptable Isak bid until late in August, which didn’t help matters.

[SEMTEX]

Do people call Harry Kane a number 10? IDK what the craic is with everyone trying to define him, but so far for me he's played like a pretty standard ball playing target man, more old-school striker. Dropping deep to hold the ball up to start the attack and then getting in the box when needed. My only criticism of him so far is that he needs lessons from Gordon & Bruno on when to go to ground, because he's not going to get given anything until he starts diving after getting shoved in the back. Needs to wisen up.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, SEMTEX said:

Do people call Harry Kane a number 10? IDK what the craic is with everyone trying to define him, but so far for me he's played like a pretty standard ball playing target man, more old-school striker. Dropping deep to hold the ball up to start the attack and then getting in the box when needed. My only criticism of him so far is that he needs lessons from Gordon & Bruno on when to go to ground, because he's not going to get given anything until he starts diving after getting shoved in the back. Needs to wisen up.

 

I have no idea, it drives me mad. True Faith syndrome of trying to be contrary for the sake of sounding intelligent. 

[gbandit]

6 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I'm not sure about this at all. Wolt is the exact opposite of Isaak, in my opinion.

We’ll have to disagree. Wissa is a natural goal poacher with amazing movement in the 20 yard area. 
 

Woltemade is amazing at holding up the ball and laying it off, as well as being extremely gifted at dribbling. He drops deep for link up play but centrally
 

Isak was an outstanding dribbler who would drop deep to link play and would go wide left to cut in. He couldn’t hold the ball up well as a target man. He was poor in the air.  
 

They’re all just very different players but the strongest quality of Isak is his close control dribbling and bullet shot. Woltemade’s strongest quality’s are his feet and his vision. Wissa’s are his movement and natural finishing 

[Curva Sud Milano]

3 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

I have no idea, it drives me mad. True Faith syndrome of trying to be contrary for the sake of sounding intelligent. 

 

Jesus Christ....you really hate me, huh?

[The College Dropout]

4 hours ago, SteV said:

Only because Wilson was injured.

 

Once he was back and they were both fit (admittedly that was often intermittently) it took Isak a good while to establish himself as unquestionable first choice.

Because Wilson was on fire?

[The College Dropout]

I do agree that Wolt is a massively different profile to Wilson & Isak.

 

A big part of Howe team is verticality, direct play. Wolt doesn't want to play on the shoulder, he wants to drop. Isak could drop but he  was the spearhead of the attack running in behind. I think Etikite can lnk but he looks a threat in behind and being put rhough between CB and fullback.

 

Wolt changes the team dynamic a lot. I think Wissa could fit into the existing 433 better with. the personnel we have.

[TRon]

15 minutes ago, Curva Sud Milano said:

 

I'm not sure about this at all. Wolt is the exact opposite of Isaak, in my opinion.

 

 

Wissa was the direct Isak replacement, he is quite similar in that he has pace and can get in behind the defenders. Woltemade was to give us an additional option if we needed a more traditional target man.