Eddie Howe

[Coffee_Johnny]

14 minutes ago, Elma said:

I love the League Cup stats and the fact we have a positive Champions League GD with only a 25% win percentage.

Yep, a loss in the final and a QF defeat on pens (to Chelsea, after a very late equaliser from them if I recall correctly). 

[Lucky]

2 hours ago, Dr Venkman said:

Where’s @Lucky?

Didn’t see the game yesterday so only have the highlights to go by. Looks like we should have had more goals but I was reading the match thread in the second half and it seemed like we were playing badly up until the last few minutes?
 

My opinion about our form hasn’t changed. If we’re in a position squad wise to be competing up at the top of the table, we cannot be just happy to write off a 1/4 of our season because the manager always starts slowly.

 

Don't think that’s unreasonable. I’m not calling for him to be sacked and never was. But he needs to do something different that gives us consistency from the off.

 

Even with the squad we have now, it always seems like we have to work so much harder than other teams to pick up wins, especially in the PL.

[STM]

13 minutes ago, Lucky said:

Didn’t see the game yesterday so only have the highlights to go by. Looks like we should have had more goals but I was reading the match thread in the second half and it seemed like we were playing badly up until the last few minutes?
 

My opinion about our form hasn’t changed. If we’re in a position squad wise to be competing up at the top of the table, we cannot be just happy to write off a 1/4 of our season because the manager always starts slowly.

 

Don't think that’s unreasonable. I’m not calling for him to be sacked and never was. But he needs to do something different that gives us consistency from the off.

 

Even with the squad we have now, it always seems like we have to work so much harder than other teams to pick up wins, especially in the PL.

 

Im sorry like but that is just utter rubbish. 

 

Liverpool are in crisis

Chelsea got beat off sunderland at home

Man Utd have been in crisis for 10 years

Everyone was questioning Arteta until two weeks ago

Spurs havent had the start everyone thought in Franks first season and got beat at home last week.

 

We arent immune from having to fight to win games. What has changed is the expectation of fans to not only win but perform to a certain level.

 

Id argue our summer window didnt raise the ceiling but actually raised the floor. So whilst we havent been at our free flowing best, there are signs that we are more solid and robust and have options to win games from the bench.

 

We are in a really good place IMO. We havent played consistently well in attack yet, but i also think weve seen as bad as we are going to get, which hasnt been terrible.

 

Theres a long way to go this season and i think we will steadily go up through the gears and whilst we are, other sides will start dropping away because its tough and they dont have the squads or experiance.

 

Also, this is super important, weve got two outstanding fullbacks and probably our most likely goal contributor out. Yes we will pick up more injuries, but i doubt they will hurt as much as what the current bunch are because we are strong in most other areas.

 

We close a 3 point gap and we are back within touching distance of CL places again. We will get there.

[Ed Vinegar]

We've had exactly the same start this season as we had last season. 12 points from 9 games in both. I think Howe has had to deal with more disruption this time round so it's an improvement really. Once we build a winning run, which we know we're capable of, all this wobbly chat will look daft.

[STM]

29 minutes ago, Ed Vinegar said:

We've had exactly the same start this season as we had last season. 12 points from 9 games in both. I think Howe has had to deal with more disruption this time round so it's an improvement really. Once we build a winning run, which we know we're capable of, all this wobbly chat will look daft.

We are also navigating a CL campaign and if we get through against Spurs, it wont look shabby.

[janpawel]

I remember us after 15 games last season being WDL 5-5-5 

 

Currently we are 3-3-3. I reckon we'll get more than 8 points in the next 6 games, bettering last season (not factoring in teams played tbf)

 

Then we have Hall/Tino/Wissa to come back, think we'll be in a good place and go on a Howe-run

[Elliottman]

2 minutes ago, janpawel said:

I remember us after 15 games last season being WDL 5-5-5 

 

Currently we are 3-3-3. I reckon we'll get more than 8 points in the next 6 games, bettering last season (not factoring in teams played tbf)

 

Then we have Hall/Tino/Wissa to come back, think we'll be in a good place and go on a Howe-run

Sounds like he will add to the squad in January too which will give us something different for the second half of the season. Yet to see the impact of Wissa and Ramsay too. We’re looking good. 

[Mahoneys Tache]

Wissa to go on a scoring run in the last half of the season when he clicks with GBD to push us into the top five. 

[Abacus]

Slightly different note, only just caught up with MOTD and caught his interview there with a walloping hangover.

 

Always magnificent, never slow to praise the opposition, never blames anyone else if it doesn't work. Note perfect. 

 

Fulham at home was exactly the sort of game people expect us to win, but we didn't last season and if we can grind these out AND compete in Europe the guy is nothing short of a magician.

[buzza]

Honestly, we were without  Up and running strikers for the first few games, concussions and red cards for some of our key players, add a few injuries in there and you can see why we are 4-6 points off where we should be.

I still think we need to change to includes a n°10 for the mid table teams and below, we are awful at breaking down low block teams.

Perhaps wolte in that role when Wissa gets fit?

 

 

Edited October 26, 2025 by buzza

[Cf]

56 minutes ago, STM said:

 

Im sorry like but that is just utter rubbish. 

 

Liverpool are in crisis

Chelsea got beat off sunderland at home

Man Utd have been in crisis for 10 years

Everyone was questioning Arteta until two weeks ago

Spurs havent had the start everyone thought in Franks first season and got beat at home last week.

 

We arent immune from having to fight to win games. What has changed is the expectation of fans to not only win but perform to a certain level.

 

Id argue our summer window didnt raise the ceiling but actually raised the floor. So whilst we havent been at our free flowing best, there are signs that we are more solid and robust and have options to win games from the bench.

 

We are in a really good place IMO. We havent played consistently well in attack yet, but i also think weve seen as bad as we are going to get, which hasnt been terrible.

 

Theres a long way to go this season and i think we will steadily go up through the gears and whilst we are, other sides will start dropping away because its tough and they dont have the squads or experiance.

 

Also, this is super important, weve got two outstanding fullbacks and probably our most likely goal contributor out. Yes we will pick up more injuries, but i doubt they will hurt as much as what the current bunch are because we are strong in most other areas.

 

We close a 3 point gap and we are back within touching distance of CL places again. We will get there.

 

To add to this you point out Liverpool, Chelsea, etc, struggling. 

 

I think people are generally underestimating the strength of the league. Arsenal, especially defensively, feel on a different level to everyone else but beyond that anyone is capable of beating anyone. 

 

English teams are at a point where they can outspend anyone but the very top teams on the continent. With the exception of one or two i'd suspect most PL teams would be favourites to make the last 16 of the CL. 

 

Even the game yesterday. Fulham were simply just so much better than Benfica. The intensity was so much higher. Benfica was a training match in comparison. 

[Conjo]

1 hour ago, Lucky said:

Didn’t see the game yesterday so only have the highlights to go by. Looks like we should have had more goals but I was reading the match thread in the second half and it seemed like we were playing badly up until the last few minutes?
 

My opinion about our form hasn’t changed. If we’re in a position squad wise to be competing up at the top of the table, we cannot be just happy to write off a 1/4 of our season because the manager always starts slowly.

 

Don't think that’s unreasonable. I’m not calling for him to be sacked and never was. But he needs to do something different that gives us consistency from the off.

 

Even with the squad we have now, it always seems like we have to work so much harder than other teams to pick up wins, especially in the PL.

 

forming any sort of opinion on how we played based on the match thread on here... You're new I see. You'll learn

[Lucky]

The PL overall is definitely stronger than most European sides now, definitely in terms of fitness and physicality, maybe just a handful of the stacked sides (usual culprits) who just have that technical sorcery to overcome it.

 

Technically we’re ok but plenty of room to improve and I’d say in terms of fitness and physicality we’re not quite as intense as some of our PL rivals at the moment which is why we struggle at times.

 

That’s not all on Howe but he does have a say in who we bring in etc, I’d just like to see us control games more so we don’t have to expend so much more energy than opponents to win games because that fatigue is what’s causing the dips, occasional injuries and certainly some players finding it hard to find good form.

 

I’ve no doubt we will go on a run and be in or around the top 4, or at least top 6.. my point which is what it always has been is that we’ll never have a proper pop at the league with so many “off days”. I haven’t seen Howe try to address this yet.

[Dr Venkman]

1 minute ago, Lucky said:

The PL overall is definitely stronger than most European sides now, definitely in terms of fitness and physicality, maybe just a handful of the stacked sides (usual culprits) who just have that technical sorcery to overcome it.

 

Technically we’re ok but plenty of room to improve and I’d say in terms of fitness and physicality we’re not quite as intense as some of our PL rivals at the moment which is why we struggle at times.

 

That’s not all on Howe but he does have a say in who we bring in etc, I’d just like to see us control games more so we don’t have to expend so much more energy than opponents to win games because that fatigue is what’s causing the dips, occasional injuries and certainly some players finding it hard to find good form.

 

I’ve no doubt we will go on a run and be in or around the top 4, or at least top 6.. my point which is what it always has been is that we’ll never have a proper pop at the league with so many “off days”. I haven’t seen Howe try to address this yet.

So the issue is we haven’t challenged to win the premier league yet? 

[Joe1984]

1 minute ago, Dr Venkman said:

So the issue is we haven’t challenged to win the premier league yet? 

Seriously this!

 

How long do we have to wait Saudis?

 

Get your shit together... 

 

Yes, sarcasm! 🤣

[Lucky]

2 minutes ago, Dr Venkman said:

So the issue is we haven’t challenged to win the premier league yet? 

No the issue is that we will never challenge at the top of the league if we continue having that inconsistency year after year. 

[LiquidAK]

27 minutes ago, Conjo said:

 

forming any sort of opinion on how we played based on the match thread on here... You're new I see. You'll learn

[Abacus]

18 minutes ago, Lucky said:

No the issue is that we will never challenge at the top of the league if we continue having that inconsistency year after year. 

 

I think that's fair for a title challenge. 

 

I do think it's less fair when we've had such turmoil with strikers and trying to adapt a whole new system around the talents we've got.

 

I don't much feel that's down to Eddie at all or PIF. Think they've done what they can within the rules.

 

Personally top 5 for me and a crack at one of the other competitions with all that disruption would represent an outstanding season. Not sure what others are expecting/hoping for?

[Lucky]

14 minutes ago, Abacus said:

 

I think that's fair for a title challenge. 

 

I do think it's less fair when we've had such turmoil with strikers and trying to adapt a whole new system around the talents we've got.

 

I don't much feel that's down to Eddie at all or PIF. Think they've done what they can within the rules.

 

Personally top 5 for me and a crack at one of the other competitions with all that disruption would represent an outstanding season. Not sure what others are expecting/hoping for?

I’m in no way insinuating that we should have been challenging for the league this season, am just saying when we have a squad that’s capable of that, we cannot afford to just keep having these blips, but it’s not like we have a shit squad now, we don’t.

 

With some adjustments I think the players we have should be well able to control games more than we do. That’s down to the manager and the sooner we can do that, when we do start adding that extra quality in key positions, they’ll hit the ground running more so than a whole team having to adapt to a new way of playing.

 

I don’t know why this opinion is so divisive tbh

[LFEE]

2 minutes ago, Lucky said:

I’m in no way insinuating that we should have been challenging for the league this season, am just saying when we have a squad that’s capable of that, we cannot afford to just keep having these blips, but it’s not like we have a shit squad now, we don’t.

 

With some adjustments I think the players we have should be well able to control games more than we do. That’s down to the manager and the sooner we can do that, when we do start adding that extra quality in key positions, they’ll hit the ground running more so than a whole team having to adapt to a new way of playing.

 

I don’t know why this opinion is so divisive tbh

Because it lacks football sense I guess. Everyone has blips. Show me a team that doesn’t.

 

Would help the transfer window was closed before the season started mind.

[Abacus]

3 minutes ago, Lucky said:

I’m in no way insinuating that we should have been challenging for the league this season, am just saying when we have a squad that’s capable of that, we cannot afford to just keep having these blips, but it’s not like we have a shit squad now, we don’t.

 

With some adjustments I think the players we have should be well able to control games more than we do. That’s down to the manager and the sooner we can do that, when we do start adding that extra quality in key positions, they’ll hit the ground running more so than a whole team having to adapt to a new way of playing.

 

I don’t know why this opinion is so divisive tbh

 

It's not really a divisive opinion it's more that we're playing a different way by necessity and that will take time to click.

 

Really wasn't having a go btw, I think Fulham at home is exactly the kind of game we expect to win and then didn't previously. Found a way yesterday.

 

You can't change a whole team's pattern of play so fast, or to integrate what looks to be a hugely different talent in Nick or indeed Osula, and not expect a bumpy ride.

 

That was my only point. Might have read your post wrongly but I thought, maybe wrongly, that there was impatience with inconsistency when that's exactly what we are going to have.

[Vinny Green Balls]

1 hour ago, Conjo said:

 

forming any sort of opinion on how we played based on the match thread on here... You're new I see. You'll learn

more likely he'll contribute to the apocalyptic match threads.

[Lucky]

30 minutes ago, Abacus said:

 

It's not really a divisive opinion it's more that we're playing a different way by necessity and that will take time to click.

 

Really wasn't having a go btw, I think Fulham at home is exactly the kind of game we expect to win and then didn't previously. Found a way yesterday.

 

You can't change a whole team's pattern of play so fast, or to integrate what looks to be a hugely different talent in Nick or indeed Osula, and not expect a bumpy ride.

 

That was my only point. Might have read your post wrongly but I thought, maybe wrongly, that there was impatience with inconsistency when that's exactly what we are going to have.

To me, and maybe some of you will agree, the team is screaming out for a full on holding/defensive midfielder but it’s something the manager doesn’t seem interested in. 

[TRon]

57 minutes ago, Lucky said:

I’m in no way insinuating that we should have been challenging for the league this season, am just saying when we have a squad that’s capable of that, we cannot afford to just keep having these blips, but it’s not like we have a shit squad now, we don’t.

 

With some adjustments I think the players we have should be well able to control games more than we do. That’s down to the manager and the sooner we can do that, when we do start adding that extra quality in key positions, they’ll hit the ground running more so than a whole team having to adapt to a new way of playing.

 

I don’t know why this opinion is so divisive tbh

 

 

It's not necessarily. It also comes down to the quality of the players at your disposal. We can't buy the best ones, we usually have to wait until the cartel clubs have taken their choice and then pick up what's left. 

[Lucky]

Just now, TRon said:

 

 

It's not necessarily. It also comes down to the quality of the players at your disposal. We can't buy the best ones, we usually have to wait until the cartel clubs have taken their choice and then pick up what's left. 

I wouldn’t say that’s 100% true, we do have Bruno and Sandro in the team. How many of our rivals wouldn’t take either?