Eddie Howe

[Sir Joel Inton]

1 minute ago, Heron said:

Gordon is dropping into those positions because of his desire to work his way inside. He wants to cut in and score goals which frankly he is fucking shite at, at present, and has been for around a year. It's because he has a desire to play for him above playing for the team.

 

If that was true, which I do not believe it to be, why would Howe continually pick a player that ignores his tactical instructions and only plays for himself?

[Pilko]

1 minute ago, Yorkie said:

 

In what world did we 'sit and wait' for anyone, let alone Wissa (who we were putting bids in for well over a month before he actually signed, btw)? 

 

Said it a bunch of times but the turning point was Pedro. He was coming here in the middle of June and then Chelsea blew us out the water with the wages offer. With that one secured out whole transfer window looks completely different.

 

The Wissa thing rumbled on for ages without progress and other than some late panic bids for Strand Larsen, we didn't seem to have an alternative. We were briefed that they were Wilson replacements and the others we were linked with were the Isak replacement.

 

I also would think that everyone involved in the summer transfer business should have known that a deal isn't done until it's done. The naivety if we thought Pedro (and Trafford) were done deals until the bigger boys came along and gazumped us is not befitting of people who've been in football and around top level transfers for a while.

[Geordie Ahmed]

I've very much still supportive of Howe but is this 1 win in 23 away games stat actually legit? 

[Whitley mag]

Just now, Heron said:

Iska certainly contributed and significantly so...as did every player in that squad and every member of that dressing room.

They’re still contributing of course but look what’s happened with the main man missing. Does the League Cup or Champions League qualifications happen without him, on this seasons evidence the answer is no which is my point.

 

 

[enthusiast]

2 hours ago, oldtype said:

The idea that as a fanbase we’d spend decades salivating over even the slightest possibility of silverware, get to the top of the mountain WAY ahead of schedule, and then immediately turn on the man who made it happen because we don’t get European football this season?

i'm not saying eddie out or owt like that, but what mountain are we at the top of right now?

 

i enjoyed the league cup as much as any fucker, but in all the decades we've been an embarrassment cunts have been winning that cup practically by mistake. whatever about credit in the bank, is time going forwards or backwards? are we getting better or worse?

[La Parka]

4 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

It was a symbiotic relationship like. You only need to look at how we've struggled and he's completely capitulated to see that.

Smart KI. 

 

Totally true. Even my boy, Murphy be struggling out there.

[dcmk]

2 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

I've very much still supportive of Howe but is this 1 win in 23 away games stat actually legit? 

We won 8 out of 19 away games last season. Lost 7.

 

So sounds bullshit.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by dcmk

[Heron]

2 minutes ago, Sir Joel Inton said:

 

If that was true, which I do not believe it to be, why would Howe continually pick a player that ignores his tactical instructions and only plays for himself?

This is my criticism of Howe. I don't think he sees that. I think he sees Gordon as equal threat doing that as what Barnes is.

 

That is consistent with my criticisms of Howe too. I love him and I feel his wingers are letting him down but he is also not picking the best combination of wingers which for me is Barnes and Murphy. 

[Heron]

3 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

They’re still contributing of course but look what’s happened with the main man missing. Does the League Cup or Champions League qualifications happen without him, on this seasons evidence the answer is no which is my point.

 

 

That's not what was written.

 

You could apply the same to virtually any team in history - what successful side ever had a dud at CF...howay man.

 

Moving goalposts here.

[Erikse]

12 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

I've very much still supportive of Howe but is this 1 win in 23 away games stat actually legit? 

 

It's actually 2 in 15 if we go back to the Villa loss last season. Won some away games before that. Beat USG and Everton since that.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Erikse

[Yorkie]

10 minutes ago, Pilko said:

 

The Wissa thing rumbled on for ages without progress and other than some late panic bids for Strand Larsen, we didn't seem to have an alternative. We were briefed that they were Wilson replacements and the others we were linked with were the Isak replacement.

 

I also would think that everyone involved in the summer transfer business should have known that a deal isn't done until it's done. The naivety if we thought Pedro (and Trafford) were done deals until the bigger boys came along and gazumped us is not befitting of people who've been in football and around top level transfers for a while.

 

I swear you can't have been following the summer at all; I think we had a crack at just about every striker on the market. It was obviously a priority and we tried to sign one as early as possible but couldn't; first because PSR meant Delap, Pedro, Ekitike and Sesko all went elsewhere, and later because the Isak saga gave us absolutely zero leverage until the situation was resolved.

 

I'm not even sure what counterpoint you're making re Pedro; all I'm saying is, if we'd signed him, things would've been different.

 

Your initial take was that we waited forever to make a signing; that's just complete nonsense. Save for targeting much less coveted players, we were as proactive as we could possibly be when it came to signing a striker. 

[dcmk]

2 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

It's actually 2 in 15 if we go back to the Villa loss last season. Won some away games before that. Beat USG and Everton since that.

 

 

 

And before that Villa away loss we had won 5 out of 8 in the premier league.

 

If we were to include the cups can can include the 2-0 away at Arsenal in the LC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Erikse]

Just now, dcmk said:

And before that Villa away loss we had won 5 out of 8 in the premier league.

 

If we were to include the cups can can include the 2-0 away at Arsenal in the LC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I said in my post we won some away games before this run. Not sure what happened after that Villa 4-1 game.

[dcmk]

7 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

I swear you can't have been following the summer at all; I think we had a crack at just about every striker on the market. It was obviously a priority and we tried to sign one as early as possible but couldn't; first because PSR meant Delap, Pedro, Ekitike and Sesko all went elsewhere, and later because the Isak saga gave us absolutely zero leverage until the situation was resolved.

 

I'm not even sure what counterpoint you're making re Pedro; all I'm saying is, if we'd signed him, things would've been different.

 

Your initial take was that we waited forever to make a signing; that's just complete nonsense. Save for targeting much less coveted players, we were as proactive as we could possibly be when it came to signing a striker. 

It's maddening how many people actually believe the points you were responding to.

 

It's like they are on the wind up.

[HaydnNUFC]

9 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

 

I swear you can't have been following the summer at all; I think we had a crack at just about every striker on the market. It was obviously a priority and we tried to sign one as early as possible but couldn't; first because PSR meant Delap, Pedro, Ekitike and Sesko all went elsewhere, and later because the Isak saga gave us absolutely zero leverage until the situation was resolved.

 

I'm not even sure what counterpoint you're making re Pedro; all I'm saying is, if we'd signed him, things would've been different.

 

Your initial take was that we waited forever to make a signing; that's just complete nonsense. Save for targeting much less coveted players, we were as proactive as we could possibly be when it came to signing a striker. 

Howe wanted to keep Wilson for another year, mind. Despite it being about 2 years late with moving him on. A replacement for him was priority at the outset of the summer, before it all kicked off and even with the Isak drama factored in.

[The College Dropout]

33 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

I know this stat can be a bit flawed, but it's pretty wild to see us 4th and Villa 15th when it comes to xPts. We really need to be more efficient, which is another reason as to why I don't understand how Gordon is still starting over Barnes. We're also conceding from chances that we shouldn't be conceding from.

 

 

 

We’ve become a weak team defensively.  A soft touch.  Spursey.  

[Whitley mag]

14 minutes ago, Heron said:

That's not what was written.

 

You could apply the same to virtually any team in history - what successful side ever had a dud at CF...howay man.

 

Moving goalposts here.

Not moving any goal posts, stick by my point that the brilliance of Isak has maybe masked the fact that where just not that great of an attacking team under Howe.

Think the evidence of this season pretty much supports this.

[Kid Icarus]

Worth remembering that Isak started 17 times in our highest league position under Howe. Wilson was a brilliant striker for us.

 

 

Edited December 27, 2025 by Kid Icarus

[dcmk]

1 minute ago, Whitley mag said:

Not moving any goal posts, stick by my point that the brilliance of Isak has maybe masked the fact that where just not that great of an attacking team under Howe.

Think the evidence of this season pretty much supports this.

The team was built around Isak.

 

Everyone knew the runs Isak would make, we could counter with pace when we lost the ball and transition well.  Stretch teams etc.

 

The team with Big Nick has to be totally different.  He doesn't gamble or bust a gut to get on the end of things yet.  Hopefully the issues get resolved soon.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Woltemade made exactly the right moves for his previous 2 goals, he's obviously aware and working on it. 

[timeEd32]

2 hours ago, Donut said:

Yes.. how is this even a question? 

 

Ramsey... awful nothing player. Cost more than Bruno and helped a league rival with their finances.

Elanga... abysmal and expensive.

Wissa... Injured for the majority of his time here (no one to blame for this, but it still counts as a shite signing so far)

Thiaw... Very good. Looked ropey these past two games.

Ramsdale... Not good enough and has arguably cost us quite a bit of points.

Woltemade... Scores a lot of goals so a good signing so far. I do wonder if he will be found out by other teams.

 

Targett loaned out even though he looked decent in preseason = Miley having to play RB.

 

Overall id say its been pretty dire.

 

At least be fair. No one can say with a straight face that not having Targett in the squad was a mistake. 

 

You can complain about Wissa’s age and cost. His injury does not make him a shit signing.

 

Thiaw is a goddamn revelation and the type of cheaper continental signing this board has been dying for. No need to add “looked ropey these last two games.”

 

[Pilko]

4 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

Worth remembering that Isak started 17 times in our highest league position under Howe. Wilson was a brilliant striker for us.

 

 

 

 

He was, I've said it before but him getting virtually 1-in-2 in that stinking Bruce side doesn't get the credit it deserves. 

 

However, his final 12-15 appearances for us were someone who was completely and utterly off the pace and just not cut out for it anymore; a sad shadow of what he was. The loyalty Howe showed by wanting to retain that version of Wilson is as admirable as it is downright alarming.

[Whitley mag]

2 minutes ago, dcmk said:

The team was built around Isak.

 

Everyone knew the runs Isak would make, we could counter with pace when we lost the ball and transition well.  Stretch teams etc.

 

The team with Big Nick has to be totally different.  He doesn't gamble or bust a gut to get on the end of things yet.  Hopefully the issues get resolved soon.

Don’t disagree but the away performances in particular just don’t suggest lessons are being learnt quickly enough. 
 

I won’t deny he can attack the ball much better with balls across the box, but we are setting him up to fail with starting positions of wide men and lack

of runners beyond him.

 

 

[dcmk]

1 minute ago, Pilko said:

 

He was, I've said it before but him getting virtually 1-in-2 in that stinking Bruce side doesn't get the credit it deserves. 

 

However, his final 12-15 appearances for us were someone who was completely and utterly off the pace and just not cut out for it anymore; a sad shadow of what he was. The loyalty Howe showed by wanting to retain that version of Wilson is as admirable as it is downright alarming.

We were desperate. We had just Osula at one point.

 

He has 4 goals in 6 starts at the moment.  So isn't in bad shape.

[Sibierski]

The striker situation and Isak just completely ignores all the other issues.

 

He was giving a ready made CM in Ramsey, and our midfield by large anyway this season has looked disjointed. 
 

He was giving early his long term number one winger. Never once looked suited to the side, no plan for him, and is now clearly behind Murphy (and has been since September). 
 

Defence is mitigated with injuries, but going with Burn as back up LB was his call.