Eddie Howe

[TRon]

1 hour ago, r0cafella said:

 

Isn't cowardly a bit much? Wasn't it more of a case of sit deep to conserve energy and hit them on the break ? Again I don't like this plan against the Mackems but I do see the logic. 

 

 

What I don't understand is this: in games we've struggled badly, it's usually because our technically weak players have struggled to play the ball out when teams press high and cut off the time and space to find a team mate.

 

Why didn't we do that to them considering they were also struggling to hold the ball, even when we weren't pressing them hard? They gave the ball away a few times predominantly because they are poor footballers. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Because of the physical demands I guess. 

[UncleBingo]

48 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

Yes I do since I didn't miss a home game in 45 years from 73, when I got my first season ticket with the opening of the East stand and went to about two thirds of the away games in that time also

 

 

 

Surely if you had been going that long, you would know that this is literally the best period in our recent history......and be aware of the damage that was caused the last time we pulled the trigger on a manager who had been superb for us?

 

I'm not saying that there aren't issues that need to be addressed, but fuck me, get a grip.

 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by UncleBingo

[arnonel]

Don't worry lads, we are 1 win away from every player being the best in the world again 

[et tu brute]

14 minutes ago, UncleBingo said:

Surely if you had been going that long, you would know that this is literally the best period in our recent history......and be aware of the damage that was caused the last time we pulled the trigger on a manager who had been superb for us?

 

I'm not saying that there aren't issues that need to be addressed, but fuck me, get a grip.

 

 

 

 

I see massive issues it's just not just Sunday. What happened in the past is history. If managers kept jobs based on previously winning a trophy, then managers would be in jobs for evermore. Top clubs do not rest on sentiment, they require taking the next step up each time.
 

It was the correct decision to replace the previous manager you mention, the massive mistake was the manager that was then brought in. We have a new five year plan based on achieving top level European football every season. Are the owners going to allow their plan to go up in smoke before the plan has even went into it's first year? - maybe they will only time will tell. You're telling me to get a grip and yet you say you will walk away if Howe does go. I think that is a bit condescending to be fair - the team is the only thing that matters as a club. 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by et tu brute

[LiquidAK]

No Clue Brute having another corker of a morning I see 

[et tu brute]

2 minutes ago, LiquidAK said:

No Clue Brute having another corker of a morning I see 

Come on brains of Britain what am I saying is wrong then?, give me your massive footballing expertise instead of being a sheep 

[Matt1892]

1 hour ago, dcmk said:

Even if we lose both those fixtures.

 

I would like to think he will have the January window to fix some of the issues in the squad.

 

 

I am not sure we will be in for an immediate first team player in January, more young squad players to develop.

[LiquidAK]

1 minute ago, et tu brute said:

Come on brains of Britain what am I saying is wrong then?, give me your massive footballing expertise instead of being a sheep 

I've already posted my view in this thread like.

 

Performances have been shit all season, but it's not yet translated into damage in terms of league position or cup progression. We're still in touching distance of the European spaces, we're on course for a CL playoff and come tomorrow night could be in another semi final.

 

You don't shit your kegs and sack the man who won a trophy (this year mind you, the way you go on like it was 3 seasons ago) without giving him time to right the ship.

 

tl;dr: you're a reactionary with the emotional resilience of a paper towel. Hold your fucking nerve you absolute penis.

[Andy]

2 hours ago, r0cafella said:

I'm sure his answer was nuanced, at least I hope so

 

Called Bruno a soft snowflake cunt in the quotes I saw

[andycap]

I'm on the fence with eddie at the minute like so haven't voted. 

I hope I'm wrong but he seems to be struggling with more than one game a week and away from home performances are basically defend and hope for a point. 

We've went from a team that always looked threatening home or away to a none creative newly promoted type of team with no quality it seems.  

[UncleBingo]

8 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

I see massive issues it's just not just Sunday. What happened in the past is history. If managers kept jobs based on previously winning a trophy, then managers would be in jobs for evermore. Top clubs do not rest on sentiment, they require taking the next step up each time.
 

It was the correct decision to replace the previous manager you mention, the massive mistake was the manager that was then brought in. We have a new five year plan based on achieving top level European football every season. Are the owners going to allow their plan to go up in smoke before the plan has even went into it's first year? - maybe they will only time will tell. You're telling me to get a grip and yet you say you will walk away if Howe does go. I think that is a bit condescending to be fair - the team is the only thing that matters as a club. 

 

 

 

If I do walk away, it would be because of the number of fickle and entitled fans who make up our 'fanbase' nowadays. I remember when our support was second to none.

The amount of people who go to the match just to whinge and piss really turns me off to be honest. I much prefer the crowds in non league.

[et tu brute]

14 minutes ago, LiquidAK said:

I've already posted my view in this thread like.

 

Performances have been shit all season, but it's not yet translated into damage in terms of league position or cup progression. We're still in touching distance of the European spaces, we're on course for a CL playoff and come tomorrow night could be in another semi final.

 

You don't shit your kegs and sack the man who won a trophy (this year mind you, the way you go on like it was 3 seasons ago) without giving him time to right the ship.

 

tl;dr: you're a reactionary with the emotional resilience of a paper towel. Hold your fucking nerve you absolute penis.

That's better at least have some substance to your insult . Top clubs don't rest on sentiment, especially when they have a plan going forward, totally reliant on season performance. I don't agree with you, but at the end of the day doesn't matter your opinions or mine, it's the owners whose opinion and decision matters. Nothing would make me happier for us to turn the corner and achieve their objectives let's be clear on that. I just don't see it. 

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by et tu brute

[et tu brute]

5 minutes ago, UncleBingo said:

If I do walk away, it would be because of the number of fickle and entitled fans who make up our 'fanbase' nowadays. I remember when our support was second to none.

The amount of people who go to the match just to whinge and piss really turns me off to be honest. I much prefer the crowds in non league.

You do that then nothing stopping you to be fair.

[The College Dropout]

There’s nothing to suggest we are a top club without Eddie imo.   Our success was built on Staveley, Howe and Ashworth.  The squad that won the league cup and finished 5th is the same one they built together.  
 

 

Thats one of the biggest reasons I’m so pro Eddie.  If we get our act together off the pitch and around the club and in the transfer market and Eddie underperforms - he can go fine.  
 

But the leadership of this club haven’t done anything in terms of day to day leadership. Not got the stadium or training ground confirmed. Not signed a player. Not renewed  key contract. Some of you want them to find a replacement for Eddie Howe? Kin hell

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by The College Dropout

[Coffee_Johnny]

45 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

If you act like a coward I will call it out and Sunday and today's press conference were cowardly in my opinion. Doesn't mean I don't want him not to lead the team to every victory he can mind. NUFC as a team is the be all and end all for me. As I said before, managers, players and owners come and go 

Fair do’s. I’ve just listened to the press conference. He said he agreed with 90% of the first part of what Bruno had said (disagreed with the, literal interpretation, of the ‘we were a mess’ comment which seems accurate, as in we were if anything probably too structured) and 100% of the second part of what Bruno said. Re the embarrassment and need to put it right. Howe was hurting on Sunday and verging on squirming today. Nothing ‘spineless’ (grasping to not use your c word) about either for me.
He said, in effect, they set up the team in a very similar way as they did against Everton and, for whatever reason, the players didn’t execute the plan/perform as they can. 
All the pain and blame-seeking will drift into the mists of time if we have a great second half of the season (particularly if  it includes giving the Makems a wake up call in March). 

[GEFAFWISP]

3 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Fair do’s. I’ve just listened to the press conference. He said he agreed with 90% of the first part of what Bruno had said (disagreed with the, literal interpretation, of the ‘we were a mess’ comment which seems accurate, as in we were if anything probably too structured) and 100% of the second part of what Bruno said. Re the embarrassment and need to put it right. Howe was hurting on Sunday and verging on squirming today. Nothing ‘spineless’ (grasping to not use your c word) about either for me.
He said, in effect, they set up the team in a very similar way as they did against Everton and, for whatever reason, the players didn’t execute the plan/perform as they can. 
All the pain and blame-seeking will drift into the mists of time if we have a great second half of the season (particularly if  it includes giving the Makems a wake up call in March). 

Coward.

[Andy]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

 

He said that we can't do it every game due to the schedule and need to protect certain players.

 

And he's right, but the games we choose to do it in are often the wrong ones. Pressing like mad against Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and City isn't much good if we just lay down arms against our local rivals. It suggests the priorities are wrong to an extent if we only play with intensity against the big sides, rather than against the sides whose intensity we need to match, or the sides we should be looking to blow away. 

 

I also think our squad is in a position now where we should be able to cope with the demands better than we could two years ago, and if it isn't, then we've failed to prepare adequately. 

[Andy84]

37 minutes ago, arnonel said:

Don't worry lads, we are 1 win away from every player being the best in the world again 

This is essentially it 

[Holmesy]

10 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

There’s nothing to suggest we are a top club without Eddie imo.   Our success was built on Staveley, Howe and Ashworth.  The squad that won the league cup and finished 5th is the same one they built together.  
 

 

Thats one of the biggest reasons I’m so pro Eddie.  If we get our act together off the pitch and around the club and in the transfer market and Eddie underperforms - he can go fine.  
 

But the leadership of this club haven’t done anything in terms of day to day leadership. Not got the stadium or training ground confirmed. Not signed a player. Not renewed  key contract. Some of you want them to find a replacement for Eddie Howe? Kin hell

 

 

 

This is a solid point tbf. I've been on the fence about Eddie for a while - definitely leaning towards the stay side but there have been some niggles along the way that have grown into full blown concerns. But our consistent lack of transfer window preparation, backroom upheavals and lack of progress on certain fronts doesn't scream stability and competence. I genuinely believe there are upgrades out there but would our board have the nous to identify one and the skills & credentials to bring one in?

[TRon]

3 minutes ago, Andy said:

 

And he's right, but the games we choose to do it in are often the wrong ones. Pressing like mad against Liverpool, Arsenal, Barcelona and City isn't much good if we just lay down arms against our local rivals. It suggests the priorities are wrong to an extent if we only play with intensity against the big sides, rather than against the sides whose intensity we need to match, or the sides we should be looking to blow away. 

 

I also think our squad is in a position now where we should be able to cope with the demands better than we could two years ago, and if it isn't, then we've failed to prepare adequately. 

 

 

Especially given the technical deficiencies of sides like Sunderland who will give you the ball if you don't give them time on it. It was a passive performance from the start, and we didn't change it up once it was clear it wasn't working. It's not like they looked a good side, so we really just played into their hands. Dropped down to their level, then they beat us on experience. 

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Holmesy said:

This is a solid point tbf. I've been on the fence about Eddie for a while - definitely leaning towards the stay side but there have been some niggles along the way that have grown into full blown concerns. But our consistent lack of transfer window preparation, backroom upheavals and lack of progress on certain fronts doesn't scream stability and competence. I genuinely believe there are upgrades out there but would our board have the nous to identify one and the skills & credentials to bring one in?

 

 

Well you could always leave Eddie and his nephew to be in charge of the winter window again. 

[LiquidAK]

13 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

That's better at least have some substance to your insult . Top clubs don't rest on sentiment, especially when they have a plan going forward, totally reliant on season performance. I don't agree with you, but at the end of the day doesn't matter your opinions or mine, it's the owners whose opinion and decision matters. Nothing would make me happier for us to turn the corner and achieve their objectives let's be clear on that. I just don't see it. 

 

 

 

I don't agree that "top clubs" make decisions that short-termist. It's not resting on sentiment, it's having an understanding that it can take time to find solutions. It's not giving Howe time because he deserves it, it's reflecting on his achievements and abilities and giving him a fair chance to right what's going wrong.

 

I know certain people can only get hard when they think about how ruthless Daddy Saudi is, but they've thankfully been much more level-headed when taking decisions so far, such as not panicking during our last dodgy patch (remind me again how the following season then went?)

[mayubeproud]

Could be an unpopular opinion, but I think a huge part (certainly not all) of Eddie's credit is due to his brilliant first 24 months, where he saved us from relegation, guided us to CL and the first cup final in decades, won 4-1 against PSG, improved a number of players and transformed our playing style.

 

But that period of brilliance seem to be due to his tactics that worked initially but proved to be unsustainable in the long term. The way we play now is nowhere similar to that 24 months. Emotionally, that 24 months will always be remembered; but rationally, I think those 24 months is completely irrelevant if we evaluate Eddie's performance now.

 

Since Nov/Dec 2023, we've been very inconsistent. If someone asks me to describe our style of play today, or what are we good at, frankly, I don't have an answer. We don't press very effectively. We don't keep possession very effectively. We don't defend very effectively. It seems that everyone is a bit clueless about what could be done so that we could win games consistently.

 

Although we won our first trophy in decades and qualified for CL again last season, there's always a feeling that we're quite shaky for most of that season. To be fair, I have to give credit to Eddie because he did deliver the results in the most crucial games. But rationally, I'm always quite cautious about being optimistic because we never seem to have a formula that makes us winning games after games. The problem continues through this season.

 

Looking forward, I don't think I am smart enough to give any solutions to solve the problems though, otherwise I will be the one earning millions every year. But I think I can see there's a rather big problem that Eddie is struggling to solve for 24 months and point it out, and something needs to be transformed (I don't suggest sacking Eddie is the right answer, it could also be doing something that helps Eddie to solve the problems).

 

 

Edited December 16, 2025 by mayubeproud

[The Prophet]