Eddie Howe

[Whitley mag]

6 hours ago, Dr Venkman said:

What is this Ramsey nonsense man?

45 million for a Villa squad player who doesn’t start ahead of Joe Willock? It’s not necessarily a dig at the lad but it was shit business.

 

We’ve had one player Thiaw who has raised the level of first team, on a spend of over 200 million.

This window will come back to haunt Howe and the club. 

 

[The Butcher]

6 hours ago, Yorkie said:

 

 never seen the pitch at any level higher than the academy but aye chuck him in at the Velodrome.

 

Almost as daft as the suggestion that we should remove our in-form, goal-scoring winner from his current position.

Marseille gave that 17-year old his debut last night. 

 

It's not dangerous to give young lads a chance at the big stage. It's just football.

 

 

 

 

[andycap]

7 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

45 million for a Villa squad player who doesn’t start ahead of Joe Willock? It’s not necessarily a dig at the lad but it was shit business.

 

We’ve had one player Thiaw who has raised the level of first team, on a spend of over 200 million.

This window will come back to haunt Howe and the club. 

 

You seem to put the price up on every post lad. 😂 It'll be the 100mil villa reserve next. 

[Steve Charlton]

Sure i read the Fa blocked someone (Osula or Barnes?)from goin to Villa because they saw it as a swap deal/ Psr stroke with Ramsay coming here 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2025 by Steve Charlton

[Tsunami]

What do we do at HT? I’ve now lost count of the amount of games we start the 2nd half like we’ve had a 15 minute nap. 
 

It has to change, it is hugely damaging.

[Theregulars]

Who’s that team we call United

who’s that team we all abhor

They play in black and white

we love to call them shite 

Our support’s conditionaaaaal

[Sibierski]

8 hours ago, Doctor Zaius said:

Thought we set up fine tonight. Questions need to be asked why we cannot keep the ball though. There's so much incoherence to our play. So disjointed. We've got players who can play and who should be able to dictate yet we constantly lose the ball. Thats fine if we can counter press, but we don't seem to be very good at that away from home and teams cut us apart. 

How we started was brave and it worked with success, going man for man. But as soon as Marseille adjusted during the half and started to find space, we sat off and that was the theme throughout.

 

Just seems far too often now that our approach outside of a press is to sit deep and be pragmatic. That type of football 100% has a short shelf life and players lose buy-in over time. We’ve seen it so often at other clubs and we won’t be any different.

 

We need to get better at wanting the ball and having periods of dull possession and moving the opposition around, probing to push them back. Sitting deep doesn’t utilise Tino / Thaiw recovery pace either.

 

Really hope he finds something working this weekend away. 

[KingArthur]

8 minutes ago, Sibierski said:

How we started was brave and it worked with success, going man for man. But as soon as Marseille adjusted during the half and started to find space, we sat off and that was the theme throughout.

 

Just seems far too often now that our approach outside of a press is to sit deep and be pragmatic. That type of football 100% has a short shelf life and players lose buy-in over time. We’ve seen it so often at other clubs and we won’t be any different.

 

We need to get better at wanting the ball and having periods of dull possession and moving the opposition around, probing to push them back. Sitting deep doesn’t utilise Tino / Thaiw recovery pace either.

 

Really hope he finds something working this weekend away. 

You cannot play man to man like that for a whole game with 2-3 games a week. Not with our squad. When we tired we dropped to very passive 5-4-1 and Gordon was again very useless counterattacking wise. He just isn't a centre forward and doesn't know how to play there. He cannot hold the ball, he doesn't run to channels to present outlet. It is very similar instructions that Isak had before: stay central and reseve energy. I cannot understand any other way it was that passive. 

 

And then when we had a chance to counter, passing was a huge problem. Barnes was again decent, but there is pretty much no point to use Murphy without Woltemade. Or attacking Fb behind him. 

Our 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 is always 5-4-1. Our centrebacks don't step up with the ball and drag opposition midfield out of their position. Burn certainly doesn't do that, Botman is too slow even though he can pass. Schär is pretty much the only one who could that, and Thiaw, but he needs to stay back because of the pace anyway.  Three CBs just don't seem to work for Howe. It is ultradefensive everytime and our attacking players are not good enough to be a threat from the counter 50 metres from opponent's goal.

[OpenC]

25 minutes ago, Theregulars said:

Who’s that team we call United

who’s that team we all abhor

They play in black and white

we love to call them shite 

Our support’s conditionaaaaal

 

Very good

[Optimistic Nut]

Definitely his biggest test coming up. So far he's backing the players who've probably over-achieved the last 2-3 years in the hope they keep it going. Issue is these players are getting older and it's hard to maintain. He bought a fair bit of fresh blood in the summer but other than Thiaw & Woltemade (Woltemade forced on him pretty much due to no alternatives), it's pretty much the same. 

 

Said it last night, I'd get a run of games with the likes of Elanga & Ramsey in the side. Give them a chance to find their feet and some form here. I'm sure when we spent the money in the summer on them, Howe wasn't planning on them being bit-part players come December. 

[r0cafella]

4 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

Definitely his biggest test coming up. So far he's backing the players who've probably over-achieved the last 2-3 years in the hope they keep it going. Issue is these players are getting older and it's hard to maintain. He bought a fair bit of fresh blood in the summer but other than Thiaw & Woltemade (Woltemade forced on him pretty much due to no alternatives), it's pretty much the same. 

 

Said it last night, I'd get a run of games with the likes of Elanga & Ramsey in the side. Give them a chance to find their feet and some form here. I'm sure when we spent the money in the summer on them, Howe wasn't planning on them being bit-part players come December. 

He has to fix the away form by hook or by crook. Doesn't even matter how it's done but we can't continue being Jekyll and Hyde we need consistency. 

 

Feels like everything hinges on keeping Hall and Tino fit. 

[gbandit]

I repeat that I think our tactics were spot on yesterday and we played well largely. Had excellent defensive shape for a lot of the game and created a lot of opportunities. If we’d been able to play our strongest team we win. We’d likely have won without Pope’s error 

[r0cafella]

1 minute ago, gbandit said:

I repeat that I think our tactics were spot on yesterday and we played well largely. Had excellent defensive shape for a lot of the game and created a lot of opportunities. If we’d been able to play our strongest team we win. We’d likely have won without Pope’s error 

Granted I was watching the game on my phone on my commute but I don't think we played well. We were ok though nothing truly terrible. Can't say for certain we would have won without popes error either. They created plenty of chances. We go low block yet still give up many chances it's odd. 

[TheBrownBottle]

3 minutes ago, gbandit said:

I repeat that I think our tactics were spot on yesterday and we played well largely. Had excellent defensive shape for a lot of the game and created a lot of opportunities. If we’d been able to play our strongest team we win. We’d likely have won without Pope’s error 

 

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

Granted I was watching the game on my phone on my commute but I don't think we played well. We were ok though nothing truly terrible. Can't say for certain we would have won without popes error either. They created plenty of chances. We go low block yet still give up many chances it's odd. 

It didn’t look like that to me either - we lost control of the game for the last 20 mins of the first half and a goal looked inevitable.  Marseille aren’t any great shakes, either - but once again away from home the same old, same old. 

[gbandit]

1 minute ago, r0cafella said:

Granted I was watching the game on my phone on my commute but I don't think we played well. We were ok though nothing truly terrible. Can't say for certain we would have won without popes error either. They created plenty of chances. We go low block yet still give up many chances it's odd. 

They created plenty of chances as they’re a good side but we created just as many if not more. Gordon should have scored at least one. Willock and Elanga should have probably scored as well. If we’d had an elite finisher like Aubameyang we win that game easily. He’s the difference

[El Prontonise]

5 minutes ago, gbandit said:

I repeat that I think our tactics were spot on yesterday and we played well largely. Had excellent defensive shape for a lot of the game and created a lot of opportunities. If we’d been able to play our strongest team we win. We’d likely have won without Pope’s error 

 

I can't agree with that, they were cutting through us so easily for a good proportion of the game.  Attacking wise I do agree we looked good but not as a team defensively, our defenders were exposed too much.

[Kid Icarus]

2 hours ago, Whitley mag said:

45 million for a Villa squad player who doesn’t start ahead of Joe Willock? It’s not necessarily a dig at the lad but it was shit business.

 

We’ve had one player Thiaw who has raised the level of first team, on a spend of over 200 million.

This window will come back to haunt Howe and the club. 

 

What's your opinion on Lewis Hall now vs not long after we signed him? Ramsey's been here 3 months.

 

 

Edited November 26, 2025 by Kid Icarus

[r0cafella]

Just now, gbandit said:

They created plenty of chances as they’re a good side but we created just as many if not more. Gordon should have scored at least one. Willock and Elanga should have probably scored as well. If we’d had an elite finisher like Aubameyang we win that game easily. He’s the difference

They'd be a lower midtable side in the PL imo. They are nothing special at all. Don't get me wrong intimidating atmosphere and all that but I don't look at many of the players they have and say id want them. 

 

I think ultimately we followed a familiar pattern. Looked good very sparse flashes and the rest of the time went from acceptable to catastrophic. 

 

PEA is what 36? If he's the answer to our problems we are absolutely fucked. 

[gbandit]

Just now, El Prontonise said:

 

I can't agree with that, they were cutting through us so easily for a good proportion of the game.  Attacking wise I do agree we looked good but not as a team defensively, our defenders were exposed too much.

I think given our tactical approach that was always going to happen. We were just undone by Aubameyang being so clinical and our players not being as clinical. We cut through them as much if not more than they did us in my opinion. When we weren’t breaking quickly on counter attacks then I think our defensive shape was very good. It was just because of us committing players into attacks that we were stretched at the back but ultimately I think the approach and tactics were good

[gbandit]

2 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

They'd be a lower midtable side in the PL imo. They are nothing special at all. Don't get me wrong intimidating atmosphere and all that but I don't look at many of the players they have and say id want them. 

 

I think ultimately we followed a familiar pattern. Looked good very sparse flashes and the rest of the time went from acceptable to catastrophic. 

 

PEA is what 36? If he's the answer to our problems we are absolutely fucked. 

I’m not saying we sign PEA, I’m saying he’s still at his age a better striker than most in world football. How many players put his two chances away? The rapist is clearly a very good player, as was Bakola 

[r0cafella]

1 minute ago, gbandit said:

I’m not saying we sign PEA, I’m saying he’s still at his age a better striker than most in world football. How many players put his two chances away? The rapist is clearly a very good player, as was Bakola 

First was obviously gift wrapped and her second, we handle without issue with a defender who can actually move. I love Fabi but I'm sorry his mobility is absolutely embarrassing at this stage. 

 

God some of the stuff I witness from us is inexplicable given what we've spent. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, r0cafella said:

First was obviously gift wrapped and her second, we handle without issue with a defender who can actually move. I love Fabi but I'm sorry his mobility is absolutely embarrassing at this stage. 

 

God some of the stuff I witness from us is inexplicable given what we've spent. 

Yep, the second was 100% the defender allowing PEA to get across

[TRon]

Try using your squad Eddie. We are a third of the way through the season now, surely the likes of Ramsey, Miley and Elanga should be up to speed by now. 

[SUPERTOON]

57 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

First was obviously gift wrapped and her second, we handle without issue with a defender who can actually move. I love Fabi but I'm sorry his mobility is absolutely embarrassing at this stage. 

 

God some of the stuff I witness from us is inexplicable given what we've spent. 

We have spent an absolute fortune and hardly addressed a single weakness in our starting line up.

[Yorkie]

Sorry should we have bought more than one absolutely class CB?