Eddie Howe

[OpenC]

Just now, Dr.Spaceman said:

 

Was it not just a case of "Well if Newcastle are interested they must be good" knowing that they could blow us out the water in terms of transfer fee and wages offered. We need to be smarter and start making more friends, doing more in the shadows.

 

I feel like some of it was maybe more snide than that but aye, that counts as part of working against us from all angles  

[Spartan]

33 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

The point is that we don’t know Howe persuaded them to get rid of him. That’s made up. 

Not made up at all, you're not going to get rid of a director of football at a stage when he is most required. The countless reports on how they clashed, and the fact he left after a meeting immediately after the season had finished. Hey you think different that's entirely up to you

[r0cafella]

6 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

You don't believe the stuff about his refusal to honour Isak's promised new contract or his reported dealings with Burnley then?

I don't believe anything which comes from rats but that's just me. 

 

He wanted to go and got his wish. And as we saw he would have done anything to achieve that objective. Also it's often missed he was offered his contract... Turned it down. 

[Kid Icarus]

Just now, r0cafella said:

I don't believe anything which comes from rats but that's just me. 

 

He wanted to go and got his wish. And as we saw he would have done anything to achieve that objective. Also it's often missed he was offered his contract... Turned it down. 

 

It also came from the NE journos tbf. Likewise the stuff about him pissing off Burnley, along with all of the other stuff we've heard about the way he went on behind the scenes, and the stuff we saw him do first-hand. 

 

I appreciate that it's in the club's interests to scapegoat Mitchell now, but the amount of smoke around him even when he was here never mind since he's left is pretty overwhelming imo.

[r0cafella]

11 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

 

Leaving us in a neutral position would have been leaving that January or whenever, giving us time to replace him. 

 

We went into that window off the back of 3 barren windows, it was hugely important we had a fully functioning transfer team even before the Isak stuff (which he helped cause). 

 

Wider point is it was a messy, cobbled together setup which anyone could see was far from ideal. 

I think this is reasonable, neutral may have been a tad generous to the gobshit but I think his absence has been over stated. Especially those assertions (not yours btw) that he should have stayed and just signed players he didn't approve of (defeating the object or his job). 

[Holmesy]

3 minutes ago, OpenC said:

 

I feel like some of it was maybe more snide than that but aye, that counts as part of working against us from all angles  

It definitely felt that way but if you look at the majority of players we missed out on, they're regular starters for their new clubs with the exceptions of Delap and Trafford. At the time it felt like a coordinated attack on our transfer business but looking at the situation now, with a neutral head on, I think we just had a pool of talented players that were highly coveted by more attractive clubs and we didn't have the skill or experience in our transfer team to punch above our weight. That window highlighted a glaring gap in our transfer policy whereby the pool of players we targeted was far too shallow. We'd clearly scouted our top targets for a long time, which ended up being completely wasted effort - whether that was on Eddie, Mitchell, Nickson, who knows (i'm sure everyone has their different opinions) but it was a harsh reality check.

[r0cafella]

Just now, Kid Icarus said:

 

It also came from the NE journos tbf. Likewise the stuff about him pissing off Burnley, along with all of the other stuff we've heard about the way he went on behind the scenes, and the stuff we saw him do first-hand. 

 

I appreciate that it's in the club's interests to scapegoat Mitchell now, but the amount of smoke around him even when he was here never mind since he's left is pretty overwhelming imo.

Yeah I'm aware but again I couldn't careless because a rat is a rat and a journalist will always seek clicks. He still had 3 years left on his contract to be fair. When my old boss promised me a promotion before they left and it wasn't forthcoming I didn't take out on my new boss but then again I'm not a football and I'm an adult  

 

Re Trafford, the deal obviously wasn't right for either party mind. Let's not pretend it was his personality which prevented a deal when the numbers obviously weren't right. I'm sure him being a prick didn't help but stopped the deal as in wouldn't sell to us because Mitchell? Not buying it. From what we know we ended up making a deal with them only for a bigger club to come in and take him. Plus it's James Trafford, I really couldn't muster much of a fuck about a keeper so skilled city replaced him in the same window  

[Kid Icarus]

5 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Yeah I'm aware but again I couldn't careless because a rat is a rat and a journalist will always seek clicks. He still had 3 years left on his contract to be fair. When my old boss promised me a promotion before they left and it wasn't forthcoming I didn't take out on my new boss but then again I'm not a football and I'm an adult  

 

Re Trafford, the deal obviously wasn't right for either party mind. Let's not pretend it was his personality which prevented a deal when the numbers obviously weren't right. I'm sure him being a prick didn't help but stopped the deal as in wouldn't sell to us because Mitchell? Not buying it. From what we know we ended up making a deal with them only for a bigger club to come in and take him. Plus it's James Trafford, I really couldn't muster much of a fuck about a keeper so skilled city replaced him in the same window  

 

All that's fine if that's your view, but if we're talking about Mitchell and whether his actions left us in a better, worse, or neutral position, I'd say it's pretty clearly worse, regardless.

 

 

Edited March 2 by Kid Icarus

[Yorkie]

Wondering if there's any room in the smouldering aftermath of the weekend to remind ourselves of the toll on the squad atm...

[TRon]

23 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

I don't believe anything which comes from rats but that's just me. 

 

He wanted to go and got his wish. And as we saw he would have done anything to achieve that objective. Also it's often missed he was offered his contract... Turned it down. 

 

I agree with this. I think we might see this repeated this summer with players fishing for new clubs, and I expect we'll sell one or two if they make it clear they want to go. 

 

Mitchell being a cunt is a seperate issue, but being a nice guy isn't going to persuade players to accept half the wages they can get elsewhere. 

[Kid Icarus]

If the reports are true about Mitchell's dealings with Burnley, it can't be a separate issue. Your DoF being a cunt that pisses off their own club, its staff, its players, other clubs and agents is obviously going to have some impact. 

 

 

Edited March 2 by Kid Icarus

[Mattoon]

The mistake was hiring Mitchell in the first place, everything there after is moot, had he stayed we may have struggled to sign even the players we got if he has a habit of rubbing people up the wrong way. Him being in place at all was the issue, stay or go I think we would have had major issues in the summer.

[Robster]

58 minutes ago, Yorkie said:

Wondering if there's any room in the smouldering aftermath of the weekend to remind ourselves of the toll on the squad atm...

Just Man United, Man City, Barcelona and Chelsea in the next 13 days.

Easy Peasy. What are we moaning about.

[obrienobrien]

3 minutes ago, Robster said:

Just Man United, Man City, Barcelona and Chelsea in the next 13 days.

Easy Peasy. What are we moaning about.

 

better than playing Grimsby.. Swindon .. etc etc 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

We really have to stick together and endure the next couple of weeks like, could get extremely grim. 

[Yorkie]

2 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

We really have to stick together and endure the next couple of weeks like, could get extremely grim. 

 

Absolutely. Really, really hope everyone can hold their nerve because, assuming we get knocked out of both cups, we've got the international break and then eight league games - each of them a week apart - to save our season. Even if we finish outside of the European places (which is my prediction at this point), just finishing the season with a bit of momentum, and refound optimism, could be crucial going into the summer. 

[Robster]

16 minutes ago, obrienobrien said:

 

better than playing Grimsby.. Swindon .. etc etc 

It's not so much about the quality of the opposition, but the amount of energy being taken out of the players, playing so many games in such a short space of time.

In saying that though, playing so many against so many very good teams, takes more out of the players mentally as much as physically.

[The Prophet]

A summer of minimal turbulence would do us so much good.

 

We've had the summer of 24/25, where due to poor executive decision making, the squad was completely unsettled by a late firesale. This set the tone as a much loved board member was by all accounts forced out. Further, following a very long and very public pursuit, the man responsible failed to secure his preferred Sporting Director, instead turning to his mate, with disastrous consequences.

 

Not that I need to recap, but summer 25/26 began with our Sporting Director walking out days before the transfer market opened. With no CEO, Howe who was just recovering from a serious illness, effectively became de-facto Sporting Director, with two glorified scouts and two board directors for company. It was a mess, as target after target was taken from our grasp by clubs with more status and wealth. This was before our main goal threat and one of our best players decided to chuck a granade into our summer plans, going on strike to force a move.

 

It's been an absolute fucking mess for two years now and it's always been left with Howe to pick up the pieces. He deserves so much better.

[TRon]

1 hour ago, Kid Icarus said:

If the reports are true about Mitchell's dealings with Burnley, it can't be a separate issue. Your DoF being a cunt that pisses off their own club, its staff, its players, other clubs and agents is obviously going to have some impact. 

 

 

 

 

 

We still won't be able to persuade players to stay if they are getting offered twice as much somewhere else. 

[nufcjmc]

4 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

A summer of minimal turbulence would do us so much good.

 

We've had the summer of 24/25, where due to poor executive decision making, the squad was completely unsettled by a late firesale. This set the tone as a much loved board member was by all accounts forced out. Further, following a very long and very public pursuit, the man responsible failed to secure his preferred Sporting Director, instead turning to his mate, with disastrous consequences.

 

Not that I need to recap, but summer 25/26 began with our Sporting Director walking out days before the transfer market opened. With no CEO, Howe who was just recovering from a serious illness, effectively became de-facto Sporting Director, with two glorified scouts and two board directors for company. It was a mess, as target after target was taken from our grasp by clubs with more status and wealth. This was before our main goal threat and one of our best players decided to chuck a granade into our summer plans, going on strike to force a move.

 

It's been an absolute fucking mess for two years now and it's always been left with Howe to pick up the pieces. He deserves so much better.

 

Unfortunately the club isn't going to get much respite this summer regardless (hopefully this time it wont all fall onto the managers shoulders). 

 

This summer we need to "fix what we broke" squad wise and also manage to move on players we don't want to keep and try and keep a hold of players we want to.

 

Both of which we havent had a great track record on so easier said than done. 

 

will anyone come in for willock 

will vlach get his cut price move to Sevilla

will tonali stay 

will tino stay 

will anyone else be poached should we get no Europe next season 

 

Do we plan ahead this summer for the squad all getting another year older players such as Murphy/BDB to an extent Joelinton

 

I know we all mainly agree that we cant rip it up and start again in a single window but one of our biggest issues in kicking the can down the road on player decisions can leave you sometimes with too much to do in one go. While that can be a choice (worth more to us to keep than the fee you would get and the difference it would be to go into the market and buy a replacement) it does feel like a reset is coming partly by need as the league campaign hasn't been good enough and partly the older players cant stay forever. 

 

[KennyUtd]

43 minutes ago, obrienobrien said:

 

better than playing Grimsby.. Swindon .. etc etc 

Nah, we'd definitely get a couple of draws from those games.

[The Prophet]

12 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

 

Unfortunately the club isn't going to get much respite this summer regardless (hopefully this time it wont all fall onto the managers shoulders). 

 

This summer we need to "fix what we broke" squad wise and also manage to move on players we don't want to keep and try and keep a hold of players we want to.

 

Both of which we havent had a great track record on so easier said than done. 

 

will anyone come in for willock 

will vlach get his cut price move to Sevilla

will tonali stay 

will tino stay 

will anyone else be poached should we get no Europe next season 

 

Do we plan ahead this summer for the squad all getting another year older players such as Murphy/BDB to an extent Joelinton

 

I know we all mainly agree that we cant rip it up and start again in a single window but one of our biggest issues in kicking the can down the road on player decisions can leave you sometimes with too much to do in one go. While that can be a choice (worth more to us to keep than the fee you would get and the difference it would be to go into the market and buy a replacement) it does feel like a reset is coming partly by need as the league campaign hasn't been good enough and partly the older players cant stay forever. 

 

 

That sounds like a regular summer to be fair.

 

I don't know enough about Ross Wilson to comment on how good his oversight is in terms of transfers. I'd say over the last three to four years, our transfer record has been pretty good, but we've had four or five different eras within that.

 

At the moment at least, it looks like we're going to miss out on Europe. While that weakens our hand with the likes of Tino and Tonali, it will mean that less incomings will be required.

 

I'd be suprised if we're not looking at a fairly routine four in, four out kind of summer.

[lovejoy]

4 hours ago, r0cafella said:

With Trafford I see that, obviously it's a player we chased for far too long. I've got no issues with passing on Trafford personally mind I don't think goal keepers are a position a club with our ambitions should be developing. With JP we moved early and it was said he has no interest and wanted to play for a london club so that was always a none starter. (He's also not that good  ) 

I like him, I think he’d have been very good for us. A much better instant fit than what we signed anyway.

 

i can’t remember the journalist at the time (Jacob steinberg maybe? John Percy??) said we’d agreed with Brighton and he was keen but we messed about and Chelsea came in.

 

could be wrong, of course.

[nufcjmc]

23 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

That sounds like a regular summer to be fair.

 

I don't know enough about Ross Wilson to comment on how good his oversight is in terms of transfers. I'd say over the last three to four years, our transfer record has been pretty good, but we've had four or five different eras within that.

 

At the moment at least, it looks like we're going to miss out on Europe. While that weakens our hand with the likes of Tino and Tonali, it will mean that less incomings will be required.

 

I'd be suprised if we're not looking at a fairly routine four in, four out kind of summer.

 

I think it will come down to the manner in which players go, the timing in which we do our business and the quality of signing we end up making, none of us want to see protracted stand offs on bidding for new players or trying to hold onto players who want to go like we did in the summer alot of which was covered better by others who point to lack of a senior level member to take this on. 

 

Players "wanting to go" and us getting the best deal for us while reinvesting the money "should be" business as usual but as you know following the rats antics its not that simple and depends when in the window and have we done a list of players we would bring in should that happen or not. 

 

Agree on the point about if we don't get Europe the squad doesn't in theory need to be as big should we find ourselves in one but the issue still remains if we "do less" this summer and keep the old players and renew some others and kick the can down the road come the summer of 27/28 we will have another set of out of contract players to replace along with any we want to go and any who we want to go eventually you need to back yourself to replace unless our academy can finally start to plug some of the gaps in our squad.

 

• If Trips doesn't stay we need competition for both sides of full back. 
• Pope has a year come the summer and Ramsey shouldn't be kept for the fee needed so that mean we need a 1st choice goal keeper but really we need 2 (a youth prospect) as the others are basically never going to play. 
• If we keep Tonali and its only Willock that goes that's a midfielder needed (assume we stick to 3 in the middle if we don't that money/squad place could go to a dedicated DM or a no.10 for instance) 
• Our strikers arent working but it may be that only Osula attracts any attention so again thats a striker or similar to willock does it go on a more versatile player who can cover the front 3 or a no.10. 
• If Schar doesnt stay thats RCB needed. 

so yes I think we need 4 or 5 just to "stand still" by that I dont mean don't improve the squad just in terms of bodies. 

 

If you were ruthless though you could start adding more players to that list you would let go should you get offers on. 

 

 

 

Edited March 2 by nufcjmc

[TRon]

8 minutes ago, lovejoy said:

I like him, I think he’d have been very good for us. A much better instant fit than what we signed anyway.

 

i can’t remember the journalist at the time (Jacob steinberg maybe? John Percy??) said we’d agreed with Brighton and he was keen but we messed about and Chelsea came in.

 

could be wrong, of course.

 

 

I think we were probably assuming the deal was there to be done and then Man City played their hand and we were left helpless. Maybe it could have been tied up earlier if we had thought they were going to step in but we got caught by surprise.

 

He does look a good keeper though, I think Howe definitely has an eye for a player.