Eddie Howe

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 hour ago, TheBrownBottle said:

If Howe had a quarter of a billion-worth of players he didn’t want thrust on him in the summer he should have walked, in fact I’d have lost a lot of respect for him if he didn’t.  
 

it’s a ridiculous notion. 

 

As always we want to put black and white lens on the transfer business which is actually a complex negotiation and discussion process. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

 

That's funny because everytime Tonali gets hauled off and Bruno drops in there, there is a clear improvement. Please pay closer attention.

 

TBF that's the reverse of what happened initially, where the team transformed once Tonali dropped into the 6

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

As always we want to put black and white lens on the transfer business which is actually a complex negotiation and discussion process. 

The original suggestion was that Howe had players thrust upon him.  We didn’t even have the executive staff above Howe to make this complex at all - if he didn’t want to sign them, who did?  There was no CEO and no DoF.  This was the first window since Jan ‘22 which was a Howe window.  That Jan ‘22 window was one of the best in the club’s history - Summer ‘25 may well go down as one of the worst.  

[KaKa]

7 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

TBF that's the reverse of what happened initially, where the team transformed once Tonali dropped into the 6

 

You guys are still stuck on last season, just like the manager is presumably.

 

We are now over halfway into a new season of this dysfunctional midfield.

 

The original change last season was made to improve the teams ability to recover defensively in transition, not because Bruno was not initiating our play well.

 

At this point Tonali is hampering the teams ability to build up play or have any kind of control or momentum that any defensive upside is completely pointless. 

 

Still this midfield keeps getting wheeled out as it is, and inviting pressure on the team. No problem. We'll end up outside of the European places, in a season that was wide open for Newcastle to take advantage of.

 

 

Edited January 26 by KaKa

[r0cafella]

10 minutes ago, Smal said:

I don’t think we’re that far from things clicking. We defend very well imo, up front is our biggest issue. It took several months to coach Isak to score tap ins so I’m still hopeful we can get Wissa there.

Really? We still look hopeless again sides that sit in imo. 

 

Plus we are running out of time for it to click. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'm not stuck on anything, I'm just saying there is a reason that Tonali was moved back and it was a positive change for the team. 

 

Do we not need his recovery defensively now?

[KaKa]

8 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I'm not stuck on anything, I'm just saying there is a reason that Tonali was moved back and it was a positive change for the team. 

 

Do we not need his recovery defensively now?

 

Did you read my post?

 

I'm pretty certain I addressed what you are now asking me here?

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 minute ago, KaKa said:

 

Did you read my post?

 

I'm pretty certain I addressed what you are now asking me here?

 

Yeah but I don't see why defensive upside is pointless. His recovery ability is stopping attacks every game which could result in opposition chances. 

 

I don't mind trying something new, I just don't like to pretend that there's no logic to what we're doing now. 

 

 

Edited January 26 by AyeDubbleYoo

[TRon]

1 minute ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

Yeah but I don't see why defensive upside is pointless. His recovery ability is stopping attacks every game which could result in opposition chances. 

 

I don't mind trying something new, I just don't like to pretend that there's no logic to what we're doing now. 

 

 

 

 

It's a legitimate concern, especially when Bruno's defensive recovery is so weak. Tonali has been poor with the ball this season, but he is still making a lot of important contributions tracking back. In most games anyway. 

[KingArthur]

23 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

That's funny because everytime Tonali gets hauled off and Bruno drops in there, there is a clear improvement. Please pay closer attention.

Naah, it doesn't. If you think our problem yesterday was DM, you are not paying attention. Bruno dropping there means we are attacking more. So it changes the whole dynamic. Villa would have run through there 5-10 times on the counter with Bruno as a DM

[TheBrownBottle]

22 minutes ago, Smal said:

I don’t think we’re that far from things clicking. We defend very well imo, up front is our biggest issue. It took several months to coach Isak to score tap ins so I’m still hopeful we can get Wissa there.

I don’t remember this at all.  Isak scored two in his first three games (including one at Anfield - and another which should have stood).  Then he was injured for a couple of months, then he scored on his first game back vs Fulham.  He went on a run of scoring seven in six before a dry patch the last couple of months of the season.  There was no ‘several months’ to get him to do it.  

[Lush Vlad]

17 minutes ago, Smal said:

I don’t think we’re that far from things clicking. We defend very well imo, up front is our biggest issue. It took several months to coach Isak to score tap ins so I’m still hopeful we can get Wissa there.

I’m a long way from HOWE OUT. But at the same time, I don’t think we’re close to getting it right and it’s becoming more of a concern as the season goes on. 
 

Unless teams play into our hands and want an open end to end game. We look toothless and devoid of ideas going forward. It is so predictable and clunky. All very slow and not looking particularly well thought out. If a lot of fans are calling these repetitive issues out. What are analysts at professional clubs doing? 
 

We are pretty good defensively, but at the same time, in some of these end to end games. We are dreadfully exposed at the back. Putting too much pressure on them in man to man situations or overloads. Plus the huge space in front of our back 4 is often still there.
 

Even if the defence has often looked solid. The midfield 3 and front 3 have looked disjointed for a lot of the season. 
 

On paper, our upcoming fixture list is horrendous. But at the same time, a lot of those games should be played in a way that will suit us. 
 

I’m hoping we might start to get a clearer picture of where we’re at after the Man U game. In terms of performance levels and expectations for the remainder of the season. At the moment, I don’t really know what to make of it all. More questions than answers. 
 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Wissa doesn't need to be coached to score tap ins FFS. We need to have more consistent and better patterns of attacking play which result in those chances. 

[KaKa]

2 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

 

Yeah but I don't see why defensive upside is pointless. His recovery ability is stopping attacks every game which could result in opposition chances. 

 

I don't mind trying something new, I just don't like to pretend that there's no logic to what we're doing now. 

 

 

 

 

The team is so bad at getting the ball up the pitch through midfield that it just  gets put under constant pressure anyway, and is conceding goals anyway as a result.

 

But sure I guess. Keep playing him there to defend against transitions.

[TheBrownBottle]

Bruno offers more going forward than Tonali - and Tonali is a holding midfielder by trade.  Why would we weaken ourselves by playing two players in positions which lessens what both offer?  Just seems daft to me.  Which is why Howe stopped doing it. 

[TRon]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I don’t remember this at all.  Isak scored two in his first three games (including one at Anfield - and another which should have stood).  Then he was injured for a couple of months, then he scored on his first game back vs Fulham.  He went on a run of scoring seven in six before a dry patch the last couple of months of the season.  There was no ‘several months’ to get him to do it.  

 

 

Was going to post the exact same thing when I read it. Isak showed fantastic finishing ability literally from his first game. I do find it funny when people try to make out that Howe taught him how to score goals. If he made him a better player it would have been by getting him to press as part of a team effort. Even that might already been part of his game but I am willing to give Howe credit for it. 

[KaKa]

2 minutes ago, KingArthur said:

Naah, it doesn't. If you think our problem yesterday was DM, you are not paying attention. Bruno dropping there means we are attacking more. So it changes the whole dynamic. Villa would have run through there 5-10 times on the counter with Bruno as a DM

 

Villa ran through the team anyway.

 

On top of that we were unconvincing going forward and hardly generated anything convincing thanks to how ineffective the midfield was.

 

It's okay though. We'll all just keep watching this happen every week.

[Lush Vlad]

Just now, TRon said:

 

 

Was going to post the exact same thing when I read it. Isak showed fantastic finishing ability literally from his first game. I do find it funny when people try to make out that Howe taught him how to score goals. If he made him a better player it would have been by getting him to press as part of a team effort. Even that might already been part of his game but I am willing to give Howe credit for it. 

In the original poster’s defence. I didn’t read it like that at all. It was more about making those runs for the tap in that he was referencing. Not the ability to score worldy finishes out of nothing  

 

Which he definitely did improve on. There was even a bit with Shearer about his touches and shots not being close enough to goal and he needs to be attacking the 6 yard box. He then started scoring so many identical goals making that run and getting on the end of a low cross from Murphy or maybe a high ball from the other side. All close in on goal. 
 

We seem to still be flashing the ball across the face of goal. But we never have a striker attacking it or the other wide man at the back stick following in. Also known as the Raheem Sterling for City. 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

In the original poster’s defence. I didn’t read it like that at all. It was more about making those runs for the tap in that he was referencing. Not the ability to score worldy finishes out of nothing  

 

Which he definitely did improve on. There was even a bit with Shearer about his touches and shots not being close enough to goal and he needs to be attacking the 6 yard box. He then started scoring so many identical goals making that run and getting on the end of a low cross from Murphy or maybe a high ball from the other side. All close in on goal. 
 

We seem to still be flashing the ball across the face of goal. But we never have a striker attacking it or the other wide man at the back stick following in. Also known as the Raheem Sterling for City. 

Several of Isak’s early goals came from inside the six yard box, and others from not much further out.  There weren’t many ‘worldies’ that first season. 

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Lush Vlad said:

In the original poster’s defence. I didn’t read it like that at all. It was more about making those runs for the tap in that he was referencing. Not the ability to score worldy finishes out of nothing  

 

Which he definitely did improve on. There was even a bit with Shearer about his touches and shots not being close enough to goal and he needs to be attacking the 6 yard box. He then started scoring so many identical goals making that run and getting on the end of a low cross from Murphy or maybe a high ball from the other side. All close in on goal. 
 

We seem to still be flashing the ball across the face of goal. But we never have a striker attacking it or the other wide man at the back stick following in. Also known as the Raheem Sterling for City. 

 

 

The two he scored against Liverpool on his debut were hardly worldies though. He was put through and he finished clinically one on one. I don't really recall him playing that much in his first season as he was alternating with Wilson so not really sure I would make a judgement that he wasn't there for the tap-ins. We just might not have seen him doing it early on because he was adapting to how we play. 

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, TRon said:

 

 

The two he scored against Liverpool on his debut were hardly worldies though. He was put through and he finished clinically one on one. I don't really recall him playing that much in his first season as he was alternating with Wilson so not really sure I would make a judgement that he wasn't there for the tap-ins. We just might not have seen him doing it early on because he was adapting to how we play. 

His next three (non-pen) goals after the Liverpool game were from inside the six yard box

[The College Dropout]

37 minutes ago, Smal said:

I don’t think we’re that far from things clicking. We defend very well imo, up front is our biggest issue. It took several months to coach Isak to score tap ins so I’m still hopeful we can get Wissa there.

I really don't think it's coachable. It's not coaching that has someone scoring 50 goals in 2 seasons.

 

When it is coaching - it's usually pretty straightforward. Carlo said to DCL - forget running the flanks. Make sure you are in the 6-yard box when the ball is played in, 1-2 touch finishes, that's it and DCL moved up a couple levels.

Wissa has also shown he can finish and score big chances at Brentford. But perhaps he needs to learn his team mates more.

[KaKa]

5 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Bruno offers more going forward than Tonali - and Tonali is a holding midfielder by trade.  Why would we weaken ourselves by playing two players in positions which lessens what both offer?  Just seems daft to me.  Which is why Howe stopped doing it. 

 

It's clearly working so well.

 

Also, are you saying that when Bruno played deeper he didn't influence games going forward? Clearly not the case right?

 

Also Tonali mostly played in a pair at Milan, while for Italy he plays as an 8.

 

The current setup is not working. Are we just going to really leave it like this because Tonali makes a few recovery tackles each game, while we keep conceding goals and failing to get a hold off any kind of control of games in midfield?!!!

[AyeDubbleYoo]

You don't need to be a nob about it

[TheBrownBottle]

5 minutes ago, KaKa said:

 

It's clearly working so well.

 

Also, are you saying that when Bruno played deeper he didn't influence games going forward? Clearly not the case right?

 

Also Tonali mostly played in a pair at Milan, while for Italy he plays as an 8.

 

The current setup is not working. Are we just going to really leave it like this because Tonali makes a few recovery tackles each game, while we keep conceding goals and failing to get a hold off any kind of control of games in midfield?!!!

I never said we should leave things as they are, that’s all a wee bit strawman.  I’m suggesting that something which Howe tried for quite some time which didn’t work then is unlikely to present a solution to our current issues.  I don’t think Tonali would make a particularly good ‘8’ - he didn’t look much cop when Howe played him there. 
 

edit: I also didn’t think Bruno looked particularly good playing deeper. 

 

 

Edited January 26 by TheBrownBottle