Eddie Howe

[Geogaddi]

2 minutes ago, Magpie Mover said:

I'm sure there will be some reactionary posts in here including those suggesting that Eddie should be sacked, this is not one of them.

 

I have always thought that we were a poorly coached team under Eddie in that we pass poorly, aren't comfortable in possession, have no discernable patterns of play, cant break down the low block etc. We aren't Manchester City. We have been for periods a very physical athletic team who have been able to over power opponents when everyone was at the top of their game and physically fit and we had Isak to make the difference. 

 

We have recruited physical athletic players with limited technical ability, Elanga, Gordon, Ramsey among many others.

 

Either the players can't play this way anymore or dont want to. It doesn't leave Eddie with lots of options because the players we have bought haven't shown they have the ability to play a different way and so far haven't been asked to.

 

We do have technically good players, Ramsdale, Hall, Thiaw, Schaar, Tonali, Bruno, Barnes and Wolt, but we dont ask them to keep the ball and often don't play to their strengths. 

 

Not sure what the conclusion is or the answer, but we currently look bad enough to get relegated so something has to change.

I think a big part of it is that other teams are way more physical now and able to match us , a couple years ago we could bully teams but them teams are able to match us now physically .

[Boey_Jarton]

I seem to remember Howe being under a reasonable amount of pressure before we beat Ruud Van Nistlerooy's truly terrible Leicester team at home last season. 

[Kid Icarus]

11 minutes ago, Lucky said:

He bought the players he wants, he trains the team, decides the tactics, picks the team and makes (or doesn’t make) the subs.

 

Why is it mental to come to that conclusion?

 

Because there's much, much more to our situation than that that shouldn't need to be brought up.

[TheInfiniteOdyssey]

We’re desperate for more guile in this team. A player to get on the ball and offer creative output instead of just physical attributes. 

[TRon]

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

The awful away form is rightly being criticised as it’s been bad for a while. However, we haven’t performed well at home for quite some time as well in the league, despite picking up some wins.

 

 

Yep, the times we've played our best football is outside the PL when we get to player weaker teams. Maybe the injured players coming back will turn things around though. 

[geordie_b]

1 minute ago, J7 said:

This is nonsense. It’s nothing to do with effort; it’s tactical decisions, player selection and in game management. The credit in the bank is starting to run low. 

Was with you 100% until the last sentence. He has at least till the end of the season before the credit gets even close to low

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

We’re desperate for more guile in this team. A player to get on the ball and offer creative output instead of just physical attributes. 

We are, but it’s not going to be something we target under Howe imo. We prefer athletes to footballers. 

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, Geogaddi said:

I think a big part of it is that other teams are way more physical now and able to match us , a couple years ago we could bully teams but them teams are able to match us now physically .

We don’t even try to anymore tbh.

[J7]

Just now, geordie_b said:

Was with you 100% until the last sentence. He has at least till the end of the season before the credit gets even close to low

I’m not sure the owners will give him that long and if things don’t improve, the Sunderland game could be a big one for the fan base. We need to see some kind of improvement soon. Fulham wasn’t that much better than what we’ve seen the last couple of weeks either.

[Vinny Green Balls]

10 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

What has Chelsea got to do with us and how we are run. Come back when you have a sensible comment to make.

The point is that they've been pretty patient with his poor spells so far and it's paid off, which is more than I can say for a few of you relentlessly miserable clowns.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2025 by Vinny Green Balls

[Doctor Zaius]

12 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

The entire season and the start of next for me. 
 

He largely constructed this mess of a squad. He needs help to reshape it and go again. 

 

I think that's fanciful if this form continues tbh. We can't be in a relegation battle.

[TRon]

5 minutes ago, Magpie Mover said:

I'm sure there will be some reactionary posts in here including those suggesting that Eddie should be sacked, this is not one of them.

 

I have always thought that we were a poorly coached team under Eddie in that we pass poorly, aren't comfortable in possession, have no discernable patterns of play, cant break down the low block etc. We aren't Manchester City. We have been for periods a very physical athletic team who have been able to over power opponents when everyone was at the top of their game and physically fit and we had Isak to make the difference. 

 

We have recruited physical athletic players with limited technical ability, Elanga, Gordon, Ramsey among many others.

 

Either the players can't play this way anymore or dont want to. It doesn't leave Eddie with lots of options because the players we have bought haven't shown they have the ability to play a different way and so far haven't been asked to.

 

We do have technically good players, Ramsdale, Hall, Thiaw, Schaar, Tonali, Bruno, Barnes and Wolt, but we dont ask them to keep the ball and often don't play to their strengths. 

 

Not sure what the conclusion is or the answer, but we currently look bad enough to get relegated so something has to change.

 

 

I sort of agree with this. We are trying to play a certain way when the players are no longer capable of doing it. Intensity was our identity, but it's everyone's identity in the PL now. Other teams are beating us at our own game, and usually end up playing the better football like what happened against West Ham. 

[Menace]

It took Iraola about 2 seasons before it started firing for him at Bournemouth, would a new manager even get that much time?

 

I don't think a new manager is the answer at all, it'll just be a conveyor belt of "we need a rebuild" - these are his players, he will work it out. My problem is that he doesn't seem to learn from some of his flaws that he's been doing year on year.

[HaydnNUFC]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

We are, but it’s not going to be something we target under Howe imo. We prefer athletes to footballers. 

I agree and it’s been a dreadful part of our transfer policy this summer. But I do now wonder why we went after Maddison in summer 2022. Madness in the difference in profile of player to what we’ve went for.

 

 

Edited November 9, 2025 by HaydnNUFC

[Jewel]

40 minutes ago, pubteam said:

After this summer Howe needs to have absolutely no involvement in our recruitment. The amount of money we have tied up in sub par players is a huge concern.

This is my main issue. I have no doubt whatsoever it was Eddie who pushed for the likes of Elanga, Wissa and Ramsey. So much money wasted, especially as we are restricted by PSR as it is.

 

A lot of us on here raised eyebrows when we were first linked with these players, but were told to shut up and trust Eddie.

[Disco]

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

[TRon]

Just now, Menace said:

It took Iraola about 2 seasons before it started firing for him at Bournemouth, would a new manager even get that much time?

 

I don't think a new manager is the answer at all, it'll just be a conveyor belt of "we need a rebuild" - these are his players, he will work it out. My problem is that he doesn't seem to learn from some of his flaws that he's been doing year on year.

 

 

We definitely don't need a new manager, it's not easy to get the really top ones. We are lucky to have picked one of the best around. 

[Vinny Green Balls]

4 minutes ago, Boey_Jarton said:

I seem to remember Howe being under a reasonable amount of pressure before we beat Ruud Van Nistlerooy's truly terrible Leicester team at home last season. 

The same culprts are plagiarising their own posts form a year ago. I swear we should have a hall of shame, so they can't pretend that they didn't say some of the shit they've said.

[HaydnNUFC]

1 minute ago, Disco said:

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

This also crossed my mind, though if we wanted to play at a slower pace we needed to sign technical players with quality on the ball to help us retain possession and create. We went after the opposite, continue to start the opposite whilst trying to do it at a slower pace. Absolute madness.

[SUPERTOON]

3 minutes ago, Disco said:

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

Makes the players we targeted even more strange if so.

[Vinny Green Balls]

Just now, TRon said:

 

 

We definitely don't need a new manager, it's not easy to get the really top ones. We are lucky to have picked one of the best around. 

absolutely. He's made some seriously head scratching decisions over his time here, but it would be virtually impossible to replace him not only for his management, but as an ambassador for the club. At least at the moment. Suggestions I hear are also of the Iraola variety, the latest trendy up and coming manager. I mean a few were calling for considering Graham Potter in the first season. 

[nemtizz]

Trippier and Burn naturally make us slow as shit. Woltemade, too. In comparison to Isak anyway.

 

Our quickest player also happens to be our worst.

[nufc123]

5 minutes ago, Disco said:

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

Good point. Said the same, we look so slow at times.

[Kid Icarus]

5 minutes ago, Disco said:

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

Yeah, I've thought that, particularly after we go 1 up. Wouldn't mind if it was a case of us blitzing teams to go 2 up then did it like we used to, but we're so slow and ponderous. Easily outmuscled and literally the worst in the league for winning 50/50s, which is mental considering.

[madras]

4 minutes ago, Disco said:

One thing I’ve thought all season is that we’re deliberately playing at a slower pace on and off the ball to stop the injuries mounting up and when they need to step it up a bit they’ve lost the ability to do that unless it’s a mad game like Liverpool.

Our attacking play all season has been like that due to not having a proper 9. It'll come.