Eddie Howe

[Whitley mag]

Praise due tonight got the Burn, Miley and Elanga selections spot on. I’m not Elanga’s biggest fan but he needs more starts to get some confidence building.

 

Thought we kept the ball much better tonight and some quality deliveries into the box.

[Lucky]

2 hours ago, Pata said:

Quiet night for @Lucky and @Tonalis Bookie. Enjoy everyone!

Gave praise in the match thread. He got the team selection spot on tonight. We were far more direct and the passing was much improved aside from that 20 min spell. Much better than even the City game.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

24 minutes ago, Lucky said:

Gave praise in the match thread. He got the team selection spot on tonight. We were far more direct and the passing was much improved aside from that 20 min spell. Much better than even the City game.

 

The other thing I thought he got right was bringing on Ramsey and Willock out wide to give them some minutes in the legs rather than the obvious one of Murphy and Gordon.

 

If I'm being picky id have brought Gordon on 5-10 mins earlier for Nick

[aussiemag]

Playing Livramento and Hall at full back completely transforms us. We need to sign full back depth as early as January. We can’t be relying on Burn and Trippier anymore. 

[Kid Icarus]

 

 

 

[TRC]

Interesting to see how we rotate the next 3 games. We need Tonali, Joelinton, Bruno, Hall, Livra, Murphy fresh for the mackems. So I think each of them need a game off between now and then.

[Dr Venkman]

On 12/11/2025 at 03:19, Lucky said:

If things don’t massively improve I can see us only getting another 3-5 points before the end of 2025. We have a tough run of games after the break. Burnley at home is the only one I’m looking at thinking we have a chance there.

 

Maybe Wissa will change the dynamic completely but I just think, where is the service going to come from if the rest of the side doesn’t transform.

 

If we don’t sort it out this could be a likely set of results.

 

City (h) - L: WRONG, W (+3)

Everton (a) - L: WRONG, W (+3)

Spurs (h) - D

Burnley (h) - W

Mackems (a) - D

Chelsea (h) - L

Man Utd (a) - L

Burnley (a) - L

Overall point differential (how wrong): +6

I know @Pata already alluded to this, and @gbandit just referenced it in another thread. I did think about it post Man City.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2025 by Dr Venkman

[Lucky]

12 minutes ago, Dr Venkman said:

I know @Pata already alluded to this, and @gbandit just referenced it in another thread. I did think about it post Man City.

Already commented on this.

 

City was a free hit essentially, it was the away form that the issue has been. I didn’t go overboard whatsoever after Marseille midweek, like plenty of others did. Am more than happy to be wrong in terms of predicting results when we play like that. Still only our first away win and it’s basically December so let’s see if it can become consistent now.

 

We’ve somehow found energy in our play though. EH trusting the larger squad will be key to this.

 

Be nearly tempted to rest Bruno against Spurs if it means we can keep that energy going.

[tgarve]

1 hour ago, Lucky said:

Already commented on this.

 

City was a free hit essentially, it was the away form that the issue has been. I didn’t go overboard whatsoever after Marseille midweek, like plenty of others did. Am more than happy to be wrong in terms of predicting results when we play like that. Still only our first away win and it’s basically December so let’s see if it can become consistent now.

 

We’ve somehow found energy in our play though. EH trusting the larger squad will be key to this.

 

Be nearly tempted to rest Bruno against Spurs if it means we can keep that energy going.

WRONG

[macphisto]

4 hours ago, aussiemag said:

Playing Livramento and Hall at full back completely transforms us. We need to sign full back depth as early as January. We can’t be relying on Burn and Trippier anymore. 

Be interesting to see who comes. Who would want to compete with one of those two for a place in the team? That's not to say we shouldn't try but it's difficult to think of the profile of player we should target. 

[Lucky]

55 minutes ago, tgarve said:

WRONG

U ok hun?

[oldtype]

53 minutes ago, macphisto said:

Be interesting to see who comes. Who would want to compete with one of those two for a place in the team? That's not to say we shouldn't try but it's difficult to think of the profile of player we should target. 

Young players who’ll be looking to play themselves into the first team in a few years. Signing Livramento and Hall again is essentially what we should aim for.

 

Failing that, an older backup who has maybe a season or two of competent football left to give and doesn’t mind being second choice for a CL team.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2025 by oldtype

[frankpingel]

Definitely the younger profile option otherwise Targett/Krafth fit the competent level and we're steering away from them. 

[macphisto]

1 hour ago, oldtype said:

Young players who’ll be looking to play themselves into the first team in a few years. Signing Livramento and Hall again is essentially what we should aim for.

 

Failing that, an older backup who has maybe a season or two of competent football left to give and doesn’t mind being second choice for a CL team.

 

 

 

That's the thing with Livramento and Hall, it won't be a few years before a  young fullback comes into the team. Livramento could easily see his pathway into the 1st team, given Trippier's age, but that's not the case now. It's a good problem to have but just not sure how you solve  having good back-up options. 

[Lush Vlad]

I know we lost on Tuesday. Well, we beat ourselves with that shit 5 minutes, really. But I’ve liked the way he has used the squad the last 3 games. 
 

I know we’ve had injuries. But considering how much deeper our squad is now. I don’t think we were actually rotating all that well. 
 

It was like a few players were getting the odd cameo at best. Others weren’t really getting a chance to play themselves into form or the team. Then some were just getting a game regardless. Despite their performance levels. 
 

Been a stop/start season and a few false dawns already. But it feels like the squad is in a much better place now. I think you’d struggle to name our strongest XI and you have options for different types of games. The team has sort of picked itself for a lot of Howe’s time here. 

[aussiemag]

4 minutes ago, macphisto said:

That's the thing with Livramento and Hall, it won't be a few years before a  young fullback comes into the team. Livramento could easily see his pathway into the 1st team, given Trippier's age, but that's not the case now. It's a good problem to have but just not sure how you solve  having good back-up options. 

 

Theres has to be a technically gifted, athletic fullback on the continent that is happy to rotate in for European and Premier League games. Hall and Livramento cant play every game in a season. They need competition. 

[Rich]

On 12/11/2025 at 03:19, Lucky said:

If things don’t massively improve I can see us only getting another 3-5 points before the end of 2025. We have a tough run of games after the break. Burnley at home is the only one I’m looking at thinking we have a chance there.

 

Maybe Wissa will change the dynamic completely but I just think, where is the service going to come from if the rest of the side doesn’t transform.

 

If we don’t sort it out this could be a likely set of results.

 

City (h) - L

Everton (a) - L

Spurs (h) - D

Burnley (h) - W

Mackems (a) - D

Chelsea (h) - L

Man Utd (a) - L

Burnley (a) - L

 

[Nucasol]

Just now, Rich said:

Un-Lucky

[Rich]

Quite impressive to be so arrogant and so wrong so quickly.

[Funtime Frankie]

1 hour ago, aussiemag said:

 

Theres has to be a technically gifted, athletic fullback on the continent that is happy to rotate in for European and Premier League games. Hall and Livramento cant play every game in a season. They need competition. 

Two players that fit the bill would be Seys at Club Brugge who can play both positions or someone we were linked with 2 seasons ago in Fresnada 

[Keegans Export]

Rotation spot on, Ramsdale over Pope, Burn at CB, getting runners supporting and going beyond Woltemade. 

 

We desperately need cover at FB in January. It's so fundamental to how he wants us to play, especially away from home and we can't keep flogging Tino and Hall. Willock's upturn in form means CM can go down the priority list.

[Displayname]

Being part of a rotation trio with Tino and Hall surely wouldn't be that awful. 

[Displayname]

1 minute ago, Keegans Export said:

Rotation spot on, Ramsdale over Pope, Burn at CB, getting runners supporting and going beyond Woltemade. 

 

We desperately need cover at FB in January. It's so fundamental to how he wants us to play, especially away from home and we can't keep flogging Tino and Hall. Willock's upturn in form means CM can go down the priority list.

Miley def deserves a mention aswell

[tgarve]

4 hours ago, Lucky said:

U ok hun?

No 🤣

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, aussiemag said:

 

Theres has to be a technically gifted, athletic fullback on the continent that is happy to rotate in for European and Premier League games. Hall and Livramento cant play every game in a season. They need competition. 

Squads are moving beyond ‘rotation’.  You need a legit 18-20 man team of starters and only a few rotation options.