Eddie Howe

[The Prophet]

2 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Yep.  It was only a ludicrous refereeing performance at OT which stopped them finishing ahead of us. 

 

Nah, they were absolutely bobbins that day. I had it on the other screen and they just didn't show up, same as us v Everton.

[Optimistic Nut]

9 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

I'm not all that interested in those possession figures. Mpre importantly they are 12 points ahead of us in a season where we are in the Champions League and they are in the Europa League.

 

Last season they were in the Champions League and we weren't in Europe at all and we finished level with them on 66 points. 

 

They manage the extra games better than we do. Whether that's down to them having a better squad or making better use of it is up for debate.

 

Aston Villa were 11th going into their Round of 16 games last year and had the benefit of getting Club Bruges rather than Barcelona. It wasn't until their fixtures cleared a bit that they kicked on.

[Mountain]

21 minutes ago, Ellis H said:

 

"Amazing, incredible, unbelievable. 

Three days after the semi-final of a European Cup competition and with a top four league place up for grabs, Newcastle are booed by a section of their own supporters and then handed a colossal vote of no confidence in the manager and players by a collective walkout at the final whistle."

 

From .com. 

 

"Hugo Viana and Laurent Robert were singled out for special treatment by the disgruntled fans - which Speed found particularly upsetting.

 

"I don't think I have ever experienced anything like that before," said Speed.

"We couldn't believe that everybody thought it was all over and that we're out of it now.

 

"As far as Hugo being booed onto the pitch, I have never known that happen. He's a 20-year-old from another country and a great lad.

"I felt awful for him because no-one should have to go through that. It was embarrassing - and unfair.

 

"Everybody has their agenda on Laurent but he's part of the team and if you are booing him you're booing us."

 

Like I said, some things never change. Embarrassing behaviour from embarrassing people. 

 

 

Nothing personal to you of course, but in my opinion I think we should collectively leave Speed in total peace, regardless of the context, just don't mention him etc (just my view).

 

I also think that poster who has him not even smiling as his long-term profile picture is disgusting.

[TheBrownBottle]

3 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

Nah, they were absolutely bobbins that day. I had it on the other screen and they just didn't show up, same as us v Everton.

Fair dos - I was watching us vs Everton, climbing the walls with anxiety and frustration.  Only saw the highlights of their game. 

[Ellis H]

10 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

From the same .com article:

 

’Thanks for trying Bobby, but it's defeated you, like all the rest. We've cheered you, we've supported you and now we just plain don't believe you anymore. And neither do the players. We got close, we've almost failed. Again.’

 

.com were (correctly) criticising the booing - they were not suggesting that Robson should stay on. 

 

Again, this isn't about whether he should have been sacked or not. It's about the treatment of him (and the players) by the fans. Booed off for only finishing 5th and only getting to the semi final of a European Cup was something that actually happened and there's a reason why it came to mind today.

[Wallsendmag]

3 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

Aston Villa were 11th going into their Round of 16 games last year and had the benefit of getting Club Bruges rather than Barcelona. It wasn't until their fixtures cleared a bit that they kicked on.

 

Well we've got a clear run now. 7 games with no interruptions. Hopefully we can kick on ourselves but we've given ourselves a load to do. 5 wins from 7 puts us on 57 points which would have been good enough for 9th place last season.

[Wolfcastle]

2 hours ago, Ellis H said:

 

"Amazing, incredible, unbelievable. 

Three days after the semi-final of a European Cup competition and with a top four league place up for grabs, Newcastle are booed by a section of their own supporters and then handed a colossal vote of no confidence in the manager and players by a collective walkout at the final whistle."

 

From .com. 

 

"Hugo Viana and Laurent Robert were singled out for special treatment by the disgruntled fans - which Speed found particularly upsetting.

 

"I don't think I have ever experienced anything like that before," said Speed.

"We couldn't believe that everybody thought it was all over and that we're out of it now.

 

"As far as Hugo being booed onto the pitch, I have never known that happen. He's a 20-year-old from another country and a great lad.

"I felt awful for him because no-one should have to go through that. It was embarrassing - and unfair.

 

"Everybody has their agenda on Laurent but he's part of the team and if you are booing him you're booing us."

 

Like I said, some things never change. Embarrassing behaviour from embarrassing people. 

Aye right, I've still got a membership card from the 90/91 season (our second lowest average attendance season) I'm that embarrassing a fan.  Probably scum as well as another person put it earlier because I didn't stay after the end of that Wolves game.  Like half the crowd I booed Vianna coming on but it was entirely a response to the people that booed Robert (a million times better player) going off before hand. Like 'you're booing him when this waste of space is the alternative'

 

Wolves were already relegated, we were shit against them, it cost us a place in the Champions League which given only one slot was available cost the club dearly,  the Marseilles game is being misrepresented as an achievement when we were demoted to that competition from being in the CL.

what's the appropriate response to that at the time or in hindsight? 

 

There was no hounding out of the manager as claimed and football fans are entitled to be pissed off at relatively bad seasons even if they're better than previous season years earlier or else why not just have toursits replace us all who'll clap and ask for selfies at the end of derby defeats and catastrophic results.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24 by Wolfcastle

[Chicken Dancer]

8 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

That ref decision was correct, but Emery's lauders always cherry pick that as the reason Villa didn't get CL, and not something like being 12th at the end of March. Let's see how Villa get on in 26/27, the idea they coped with it is a myth, they had to loan loads of players to stop their league season being the same as ours is looking.

Was it correct? Thought it was pretty universally accepted that it wasn’t correct. Either way, they finished level on points with us and played a hell of a lot more games. They utilised the loan market effectively is also correct and there was nowt stopping us doing the same. Who knows if we tried or not. 
 

They’ve proven they’re able to manage European football and do well in the league far better than us - I don’t think that’s in question. I also take into account the Europa and conference are a lot less taxing on the players. 
 

Yes, let’s see how they do in 26/27, it would be atrocious if they finished ahead of us when we will likely have free weeks throughout and they’ll be playing CL football. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Ellis H said:

 

Again, this isn't about whether he should have been sacked or not. It's about the treatment of him (and the players) by the fans. Booed off for only finishing 5th and only getting to the semi final of a European Cup was something that actually happened and there's a reason why it came to mind today.

Fair enough - and I absolutely don’t agree with booing.  I don’t see how it helps, and it’s pantomime / opera shite.  I didn’t stay behind for that Wolves game, and if I’d been there at the weekend I’d had just fucked off from the ground in silence.  

[Kid Icarus]

8 minutes ago, huss9 said:

yes.

so thats how they coped.

no one stopped us doing the same.

 

If we're talking about Howe and the implication is that Villa coped so we should too, it's worth pointing out that how they coped (if you want to call it that) wasn't because of Emery's skill or any secret trick, they just loaned players. We could have done as Villa did, but doing it or not doing it isn't a reflection on Emery or Howe's ability either way.

[Optimistic Nut]

1 minute ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

Well we've got a clear run now. 7 games with no interruptions. Hopefully we can kick on ourselves but we've given ourselves a load to do. 5 wins from 7 puts us on 57 points which would have been good enough for 9th place last season.

 

They also gambled just to try to get back in the CL with their loans in January but ultimately failed. We could have done similar but would have been a gamble. Not sure that's on Howe though, doubt he'd knock back the chance to add if he could 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Wolfcastle said:

 

There was no hounding out of the manager as claimed (Dalgish and Gullit weren;t even hounded out so its ridiculous to accept) and football fans are entitled to be pissed off at relatively bad seasons or else why not just have toursits replace us all who'll clap and ask for selfies at the end of derby defeats and catastrophic results.

 

 

There definitely wasn’t - it was a narrative created later by the press (and on Wearside), because ‘deluded Geordies’ is one of their favourite stereotypes.  Usually also fanned by managers turned pundits like Gullit and Souness to cover for their own failures.  

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Fair dos - I was watching us vs Everton, climbing the walls with anxiety and frustration.  Only saw the highlights of their game. 

 

Same, it was excruciating

 

Although it didn't come close to the last five minutes of the cup final, we never make it easy for ourselves.

[Wallsendmag]

Just now, Ellis H said:

 

Again, this isn't about whether he should have been sacked or not. It's about the treatment of him (and the players) by the fans. Booed off for only finishing 5th and only getting to the semi final of a European Cup was something that actually happened and there's a reason why it came to mind today.

 

The crowd that day reacted to an absolutely pathetic display against an already relegated Wolves team. They were booed off at FT and only a few thousand stayed back for the lap of honour. That was as bad as the treatment got. Let's not pretend people were chanting for him to be sacked or had banners to that effect. He was never booed personally. His team were booed off in that particular match. It was nothing to do with finishing 5th either. We still had 2 games left to play after that and could still have finished 4th if we'd won them both (didn't win either).

[Sir Joel Inton]

15 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

 Yeah, but he didnt meet any of those 5 points, did he.

Are we being had or what? Oakie?

 

I really shouldn’t have to get this basic, but what Arsenal needed then and we need right now are not going to necessarily be the same 5 points. I’d assumed that was fairly obvious to all.

 

17 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

He's literally asked for a CV  

 

No. The assertion was that a manager needed a better CV (in terms of honours and league finishes) than Howe to entertain the idea of replacing him. I was pointing out that is not necessarily the case. 

 

 

Edited March 23 by Sir Joel Inton

[Sir Joel Inton]

7 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

They also gambled just to try to get back in the CL with their loans in January but ultimately failed. We could have done similar but would have been a gamble. Not sure that's on Howe though, doubt he'd knock back the chance to add if he could 

 

Why could we not make loan signings or any signings in the January window just gone?

[Ellis H]

9 minutes ago, Wolfcastle said:

Aye right, I've still got a membership card from the 90/91 season (our second lowest average attendance season) I'm that embarrassing a fan.  Probably scum as well as another person put it earlier because I didn't stay after the end of that Wolves game with 30,000 other people. 

Desparate stuff. And you're calling other people embarrassing ffs.

 

Wolves were already relegated, we were shit against them, it cost us a place in the Champions League which given only one slot was available cost the club dearly,  the Marseilles game is being misrepresented as an achievement when we were demoted to that competition - we were playing Barcelona (a lot better than we did OM) for CL QF a year earlier.

what's the appropriate response to that at the time or in hindsight? 

 

There was no hounding out of the manager as claimed (Dalgish and Gullit weren;t even hounded out so its ridiculous to accept) and football fans are entitled to be pissed off at relatively bad seasons or else why not just have toursits replace us all who'll clap and ask for selfies at the end of derby defeats and catastrophic results.

 

 

 

I was there as well so no need to thrown the superfan card around. Robson was clearly hurt and disappointed by the actions of the fans that day which is enough for me. We'll never be happy and nothing will ever be good enough. 

 

 

[Sir Joel Inton]

9 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

If we're talking about Howe and the implication is that Villa coped so we should too, it's worth pointing out that how they coped (if you want to call it that) wasn't because of Emery's skill or any secret trick, they just loaned players. We could have done as Villa did, but doing it or not doing it isn't a reflection on Emery or Howe's ability either way.

 

Remarkably wrong to suggest Emery coped well in a league and CL campaign because Villa “just loaned players”. 

[Kid Icarus]

9 minutes ago, Chicken Dancer said:

Was it correct? Thought it was pretty universally accepted that it wasn’t correct. Either way, they finished level on points with us and played a hell of a lot more games. They utilised the loan market effectively is also correct and there was nowt stopping us doing the same. Who knows if we tried or not. 
 

They’ve proven they’re able to manage European football and do well in the league far better than us - I don’t think that’s in question. I also take into account the Europa and conference are a lot less taxing on the players. 
 

Yes, let’s see how they do in 26/27, it would be atrocious if they finished ahead of us when we will likely have free weeks throughout and they’ll be playing CL football. 

It was, Rogers stood on the 'keeper's hand but people talk about that match like it was a 0-0 parking the bus by Man United.

 

Villa didn't play well, didn't deserve to win, rightly went down to 10 men and lost 2-0 to the worst Man United team in our lifetimes who hadn't won at home since February, and had nothing to play for. Villa only needed 1 point in the end, or better goal difference than us, which they were nowhere near.

 

Ironically Howe, the manager who did get us there on GD, would never ever be afforded the luxury of having that situation be described as "unlucky" by those who think our current situation is unacceptable and attributable to him.

 

The loan market is available to us as it was Villa, but not using it isn't a criticism of Howe just as using it isn't a compliment to give Emery.

[TK-421]

1 minute ago, Sir Joel Inton said:

 

Why could we not make loan signings or any signings in the January window just gone?

 

"Would impact what we can do in the summer transfer window" I think it was.

 

Loan signings... theres been a couple of different reasons given...

"Teams dont want to do us favours"

"You dont get the same commitment from loan players"

[Kid Icarus]

2 minutes ago, Sir Joel Inton said:

 

Remarkably wrong to suggest Emery coped well in a league and CL campaign because Villa “just loaned players”. 

If we're 12th at the end of March have we coped well in the league then aye?

 

 

Edited March 23 by Kid Icarus

[Ellis H]

5 minutes ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

The crowd that day reacted to an absolutely pathetic display against an already relegated Wolves team. They were booed off at FT and only a few thousand stayed back for the lap of honour. That was as bad as the treatment got. Let's not pretend people were chanting for him to be sacked or had banners to that effect. He was never booed personally. His team were booed off in that particular match. It was nothing to do with finishing 5th either. We still had 2 games left to play after that and could still have finished 4th if we'd won them both (didn't win either).

 

Read the .com match report if you think the reaction had nothing to do with Robson. Plenty of "I was saying boo-urns" energy here.

[Sir Joel Inton]

Just now, Kid Icarus said:

If we're 12th at the end of March have we coped well then aye?

 

If we finish 6th on GD at the end of the season, aye. A season doesn’t end in March and squad management goes up to the final day.

[Andy]

A lot of strong opinions in here today and valid points in both directions. In my opinion, the situation sits somewhere between the two extremes. 

 

Is Eddie capable of turning our form around? Of course he is, he's done it before as we all know. 

 

Is it guaranteed that he will? Of course it's not. Managers go stale at clubs, it happens, and it's happened to him before as we all know. 

 

Whether this season is his fault, the mess of last summer, the fixtures, the players, whatever else, is all subjective and depends on how you choose to look at it. In all honesty though, it's a bit of everything. The entire club has been a mess this season and that includes Howe, his system, and some of his in-game management and decisions. 

 

The reaction after the international break will be crucial for me and will determine how I think we should proceed long term. We have players returning from injury, time on the training ground, and a kind fixture list, we'll learn a lot in these games about whether he's still able to get a tune out of these players, whether he's been "found out", and whether he can tweak his tactical approach to be effective over 90 minutes again. 

 

He needs to end the season strongly. If he can't galvanize the players after the results this week then that would be concerning to me heading into what I think will be another difficult summer. 

[Wallsendmag]

Just now, Ellis H said:

 

Read the .com match report if you think the reaction had nothing to do with Robson. Plenty of "I was saying boo-urns" energy here.

 

Don't need to mate. I attended every single home game that season, league and cup, and around 75% of aways. Team got booed off at the end and most people didn't stay for the Lap of Honour. Tbf if they'd stayed on the pitch rather than going back to the dressing room for 10 mins before coming back out more would probably have hung back.