Eddie Howe

[r0cafella]

11 minutes ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

It's crazy to me (as a pessimistic person by nature) how many people are putting a negative spin on Eddie being given a proper DoF to work to rebuild the first team across an entire summer after what happened last summer.

Probably because his tactics, and game management have also been under par this season  

[Deuce]

It’s important that PIF make a firm and early decision to stick or twist, so I’m glad it seems they’ve chosen to come out early and back Eddie.
 

We are in need of a pretty substantial squad refresh regardless. I’m encouraged by the quality of transfer rumor so far - it seems like Wilson is up and running and letting Nickson do his thing. Would love to bring in a handful of promising young players to build out the squad and hopefully pull the trigger on a few purples, depending on outgoings.

 

Gonna be an interesting summer. We simply can’t afford a repeat of last year.

 

 

Edited April 21 by Deuce

[St1pe]

59 minutes ago, Deuce said:

I really despise this “get in line” sentiment.

Pretty straight forward situation in my opinion. Club aren’t going to get rid. You either get behind a manager who’s saved us from relegation, two Champions League campaigns and a cup win in 4 years or try and hound him out. 
 

Don’t think anyone is saying the football hasn’t been shit, results haven’t been awful and Howe doesn’t take blame. But he’s being backed by the ownership to turn it around so for me deserves full support from fan base to at least try. 

[Ilovetoon8788]

I'm OK with Howe staying. Provided he gets little say on transfers. 

[Deuce]

2 minutes ago, St1pe said:

Pretty straight forward situation in my opinion. Club aren’t going to get rid. You either get behind a manager who’s saved us from relegation, two Champions League campaigns and a cup win in 4 years or try and hound him out. 
 

Don’t think anyone is saying the football hasn’t been shit, results haven’t been awful and Howe doesn’t take blame. But he’s being backed by the ownership to turn it around so for me deserves full support from fan base to at least try. 

I’d say there is quite a substantial middle ground between those poles, actually.

[Kid Icarus]

It's not even necessarily having the say that's the issue, it's who he is and isn't able to get. By all accounts I think we'd agree that a lot of his first choices in the summer were very good choices.

 

Everyone will have their view on what was and wasn't realistic out of those choices, and we've paid the price as we went further down the list - but the evidence is there that with a CEO and DoF in place to do what they're there to do (and which the stand in recruitment team in the summer were so often incapable of doing) those first choices are potentially more realistic.

 

Ideally, if/when those choices are missed again, you have the safety net of having a DoF with a proper strategy that means instead of compromising on quality and suitability but still paying top dollar, you're pivoting to unearthing gems that are a lower financial risk.

 

 

Edited April 21 by Kid Icarus

[500bhp]

2 hours ago, St1pe said:

Needs the fan base rounding behind him in my opinion then. 

 

Looks like we'll have to send Nixon scouting at the 2026 Commonwealth Games for athletes, rather than the 2026 World Cup for technical footballers! <joke 😀>. 

[Wallsendmag]

5 hours ago, Rich said:

Think a lot of us on here are quite protective of the 'We don't demand a team that wins' banner and messaging, because it originated from here, was taken around the country by posters from here, and seemed to strike a chord with fans outside of this bubble (and the media) at the time and for many years beyond.

 

There's no denying that it gets tiresome seeing it trotted out as a rebuttal to people complaining about things these days; however, as things have moved on quite significantly in the last decade or more.

 

We got what we wanted, and we still have what we wanted, but we're never going to have perfection, which is what it seems some people desire. As long as the club is 'trying', I can give them the benefit, though like many I'd like to see certain things moving faster, changing, etc.

 

I'm not after "perfection" at all but I also think that 21 defeats (and counting) in a season is too far away from perfection for my liking. The manner of these defeats, especially some of the more recent ones, are further cause for concern. As is the amount of money we spunked away last summer on utter garbage.

[Yorkie]

19 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

It's not even necessarily having the say that's the issue, it's who he is and isn't able to get. By all accounts I think we'd agree that a lot of his first choices in the summer were very good choices.

 

Everyone will have their view on what was and wasn't realistic out of those choices, and we've paid the price as we went further down the list - but the evidence is there that with a CEO and DoF in place to do what they're there to do (and which the stand in recruitment team in the summer were so often incapable of doing) those first choices are potentially more realistic.

 

Ideally, if/when those choices are missed again, you have the safety net of having a DoF with a proper strategy that means instead of compromising on quality and suitability but still paying top dollar, you're pivoting to unearthing gems that are a lower financial risk.

 

 

 

 

At the very least we've probably got Trafford and goodness knows how many extra points that gets us. It wouldn't take that many to make a difference to the whole perception.

[JT24]

26 minutes ago, Ilovetoon8788 said:

I'm OK with Howe staying. Provided he gets little say on transfers. 

This thinking always makes me laugh. If you don’t trust the manager with transfers, what’s the point?

[nufcjmc]

2 minutes ago, JT24 said:

This thinking always makes me laugh. If you don’t trust the manager with transfers, what’s the point?

I understand your point but to be fair Howe after the summer should realise he cant do it all and has enough on his plate juggling first team coaching/match prep/ squad management/youth integration (try not to laugh). 

 

I think most would accept Howe telling the board/sporting director what he wants qualities wise and what attributes and in what positions they need to be in someone else does the heavy lifting and he gets a vote in the final say or the final yes or no. 

 

That missing element of someone else prepping a list and identifying the targets (I think I have said previously we dont know if the summer was a new list following mitchell going an existing list or a put together list with not as much thought or prep following multiple rejections). 

 

If Howe can accept and work with that then we should be stronger for it, as others have mentioned him integrating younger players his fixed want/need/desire for 4-3-3 no number 10 no true DM if that persists do we get the upturn in fortunes next season we want. 

[Geordie Ahmed]

34 minutes ago, Ilovetoon8788 said:

I'm OK with Howe staying. Provided he gets little say on transfers. 

 

He absolutely should have a say in transfers, all managers/coaches should but it should be like it was prior to last summer

 

People go on about last summer as if it was 1) something Howe created and 2) something that has been the norm

 

And that simply isn't the case

[AyeDubbleYoo]

1 hour ago, Dr.Spaceman said:

It's crazy to me (as a pessimistic person by nature) how many people are putting a negative spin on Eddie being given a proper DoF to work to rebuild the first team across an entire summer after what happened last summer.

Yeah exactly. My view is he’s had one bad summer but one where the right setup wasn’t in place to help us do well. 

[The Prophet]

If the rest of the season is an audition to be part of the rebuild, no harm in giving Woltamade and Wissa more minutes until May, granted its probably Osula'a shirt to lose at the moment (an issue in itself).

[mayubeproud]

Regardless of how good or bad EH is, I think he isn't a good fit for us anymore, at least for the moment. Few, if any, of our players seem to trust, or full engaged in EH's tactics. Unless you do a complete rebuild, e.g. selling 15-20 players and buying the same number of players to replace them, which is completely impossible, I just can't give any logical explanation how his ideas would work. The only pragmatic approach is to get someone else asap.

[Elliottman]

1 minute ago, mayubeproud said:

Regardless of how good or bad EH is, I think he isn't a good fit for us anymore, at least for the moment. Few, if any, of our players seem to trust, or full engaged in EH's tactics. Unless you do a complete rebuild, e.g. selling 15-20 players and buying the same number of players to replace them, which is completely impossible, I just can't give any logical explanation how his ideas would work. The only pragmatic approach is to get someone else asap.

 

Please expand on this inside knowledge. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I don’t think the players have given up on the manager, it’s end of season territory with not much to play for and a couple want out. But I don’t have any sense he’s lost the dressing room or anything like that. 

[TRon]

2 minutes ago, Elliottman said:

 

Please expand on this inside knowledge. 

 

Not bothering to track runners from midfield is a bit of a give away. 

[NUFC91]

4 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don’t think the players have given up on the manager, it’s end of season territory with not much to play for and a couple want out. But I don’t have any sense he’s lost the dressing room or anything like that. 

 

There was a lot to play for...local pride in a derby and qualifying for Europe.

 

I think the biggest worry for me is just no reaction to that derby defeat, to me that was one of the most important games of the season, win that and I think the momentum builds.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21 by NUFC91

[Chicken Dancer]

Be interesting to see if they stick if we end the season with 8 defeats on the spin, which would also be 7 out of 8 at home (I think). It's as unlikely as it is likely imo, could genuinely see it happening.

 

I've said all along I personally believe it's time for change, whilst understanding that the realistic option is that he's more than earned another shot at it. 

 

I do think the entire thing is completely stale and if next season starts slowly and we're performing like we have for 95% of this season, it will turn nasty for him - I've no doubt about that. Above all, that's always been my biggest fear when I've watched us lose and play shit week after week. He should have always been able to call it a day when he himself decided and it should never have been possible to turn nasty. But the truth is, it's bubbling now at St James'. Once you lose the home crowd it would take a hell of a lot to turn that back round. 

 

Tepid displays and defeats against Brighton + West Ham would really be pushing it I reckon. 

 

 

Edited April 21 by Chicken Dancer

[Holmesy]

1 hour ago, TheEntertainer said:

The problem with that is, he's also turned that same brilliant team back into shite so it's not a certainty that we just get the good next year. 

There’s also an elephant in the room with regards to getting back into Europe.

[Elliottman]

9 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

Not bothering to track runners from midfield is a bit of a give away. 

 

No its not at all. What about tiredness, laziness, switching off now there's nothing to play for, one eye on the World Cup. Stacks of reasons. 

[Wandy]

14 minutes ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

I don’t think the players have given up on the manager, it’s end of season territory with not much to play for and a couple want out. But I don’t have any sense he’s lost the dressing room or anything like that. 

 

With seven games to play CL qualification was still a possibility and EL incredibly achievable. The fact that they have downed tools with that at stake speaks volumes.

[TheEntertainer]

Hard to say it's because they've given up on Howe but they clearly haven't been at the races for one reason or another so he's definitely not getting the best from them currently. 

[Wandy]

The problem is that it's pretty clear a large section of the support have now turned. Doesn't matter what the numbers are, the support is now divided in a way Howe has not experienced here. History shows NUFC never do well when there is such a split in the fanbase.