Eddie Howe

[Mole]

9 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Not sure the limited choices for team selection excuse works for looking disjointed

 

Absoutely didn;t have to play that formation and personnel

The whole disjointed thing is one of my biggest concerns all season long and I've seen nothing to suggest it would change. Like I can talk about formations, style of play all day long but at the end of the day, the primary issue is we haven't looked cohesive as a team.

 

 

Edited May 24 by Mole

[Nedders]

4 minutes ago, Rod said:

Complete nonsense. We were NOT humbled by Barcelona. The score totally flattered them. We more than matched them for about 160 minutes ( over two legs).

Asking the owners to sack Eddie shows what a complete prick you are. Sorry I'm back, but this type of nonsense infuriates me. Even though your spelling and grammar were excellent, you are a fan we do not want!

 

You are aware of what the score was, yes? It did not flatter them, in the end we were embarrassed with a horrid aggregate score reflecting the gulf between the sides. Nothing was more apparent than the small tactical tweak Flick made in the second game, with Howe clueless in response. It's really difficult to understand what I've written that is 'nonsense' unless you're one of the Howe-first, Newcastle United-second crowd? I'll be honest, I really struggle with fans who put sentiment to Howe above the needs of the club and similarly would question anyone's judgement in not seeing that we're at the end of the road.

 

I can't ask the owners, weirdly enough they're not looking for my opinion - which is all this is, by the way, just my opinion. I think what I struggle with is when these 'real fans' get behind the 'team the tries' ideology, they seem weirdly forgiving about two season of failure out of five, don't put any emphasis on the £250m spent and seem to forget that 'team the tries' meant constantly aspiring for more. 12th, insipid football, a crap squad and Wissa as a number 9 is all very Mike Ashley, I'm afraid.

[Tiotes Witch Doctor]

Aye we were dead unlucky with that 7-2, was certainly a close one. Went down to the wire.

[Weezertron]

Not a great season from Howe. A season of odd team selections, lack of ideas. Weak mentality through the team. His own worst enemy at times. 
 

Hopefully he bounces back. 

[KaKa]

2 minutes ago, 500bhp said:

The really frustrating thing is that there's a ready made replacement available now. PL proven, can cope with top stars being sold, happy to go with youth (including foreign youth) and is available now for free. 

 

This is what makes things so uncomfortable.

 

I would love to see Howe figure it out and turn things around, but Iraola being available is a potentially big opportunity. He does seem better suited to how the club needs to operate going forward as you've mentioned.

 

No guarantees on how anything would work out for sure, but at this point I'm just as uncertain about Howe getting things back on track. Will just have to accept and go with whatever decision is made and hope for the best I guess.

[dcmk]

28 minutes ago, Weezertron said:

Hopefully you’ll change your profile pic for the new season. Please.

[JoeyBartoon]

Loyalty is his weakness, forever trying to shoehorn Dan Burn in, which creates a disjointed team. 

[Sandrotastico]

Always had a feeling this would end in a major slump. In my opinion, a lot of what Howe built relied on momentum, a strong leadership core, and a style of football that overwhelmed teams through intensity, physicality, and sheer work rate.

 

That formula only works when everyone is fully bought in and physically capable of sustaining it. Once a few of those key characters start to fade - whether it’s Pope, Trippier, Joelinton, Murphy, Dan Burn, or Gordon mentally checking out or legs beginning to go - the momentum becomes impossible to maintain, especially in a champions league season.

 

What’s made it worse, along with some utter shocking signings, is the reluctance to evolve. Crowbarring certain players into the starting XI at the expense of talent, combined with an unwillingness to drop favourites or adapt tactically, has left the wheels truly coming off. Honestly, I think we’ve gone past the point where this group can repair itself.

 

Hope I'm wrong, but today showed little to provide confidence.

[AngelofTheFourth]

34 minutes ago, OpenC said:

 

Are we top six like? 

 

 

A lot of us seem to think that we're top six and part of the established elite now.  We've only been top six twice in a decade and I'm sure I don't need to extend the chart to the left for people to realise that it's a bit of an outlier position for us

 

Most Top 6 finishes in the Prem: 

Man U - 31

Arsenal - 30

Liverpool- 28

Chelsea - 27

Man City - 17

Spurs - 16

Villa - 12

Us - 10

Leeds and Everton - 7

 

Us and Villa are Closing the gap on Spurs. 

 

 

[CallumG6]

Reckon he’s burnt out and absolutely exhausted. Probably best for both sides to part ways.
 

He gets a well earned break, we get a new manager for the next stage in the project.

 

Feels like the end of the road, and if it is, we absolutely cannot fuck up the replacement.

 

[Geordie Magpie]

Howe will always go down as a club legend for what he's done but think it's time for change, new manager, new ideas and their new signings as things have went stale and a massive rebuild is needed. I get the mitigating factors as to why this season has played out like it has, losing star striker, Wissa getting crocked, fair few new signings not delivering but to lose 25 points from winning positions is not acceptable and shows there is a mentality issue. We only a while ago were such a high pressing energetic side and most of this season we have looked lazy. He had all season to figure it out and simply couldn't.

 

Majority of the season its been the same story, get a goal, sit back, fuck it up. Players getting played out of position often and today we must of went through about 3 different formations, most of the game our players had no clue where they were meant to be. Does Eddie have the balls to get rid of his favourites like Murphy and Burn or if he stays will he keep shoehorning them into the team? 

 

Complaining about the amount of games we are having and the players need a rest and plays a strong 11 against Qarabag when we are 6-1 up, then when we have a two week international break and are back to a game a week we go and lose 3 in a row.

 

And for people saying oh we played so many games etc, Villa won the Europa League and finished 4th.

 

All season played the same 433, had a striker playing in midfield, same like for like subs on the 70th minute, only tried to change things up with 3 or so games left which was far too late.

[AngelofTheFourth]

8 minutes ago, Nedders said:

 

You are aware of what the score was, yes? It did not flatter them, in the end we were embarrassed with a horrid aggregate score reflecting the gulf between the sides. Nothing was more apparent than the small tactical tweak Flick made in the second game, with Howe clueless in response. It's really difficult to understand what I've written that is 'nonsense' unless you're one of the Howe-first, Newcastle United-second crowd? I'll be honest, I really struggle with fans who put sentiment to Howe above the needs of the club and similarly would question anyone's judgement in not seeing that we're at the end of the road.

 

I can't ask the owners, weirdly enough they're not looking for my opinion - which is all this is, by the way, just my opinion. I think what I struggle with is when these 'real fans' get behind the 'team the tries' ideology, they seem weirdly forgiving about two season of failure out of five, don't put any emphasis on the £250m spent and seem to forget that 'team the tries' meant constantly aspiring for more. 12th, insipid football, a crap squad and Wissa as a number 9 is all very Mike Ashley, I'm afraid.

 

The worse thing about the barca game was that they got knocked out by athletico in the next round. If they were the eventual winners than fairs but the collapse was actually insane.

[Stifler]

9 minutes ago, Tiotes Witch Doctor said:

Talking about not being mentally ready for the game but doesn't seem to know why or how to elaborate on that, bloke is absolutely finished man.

After we went out of the Champions League we had 8 games left, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Arsenal, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Fulham.

After the Sunderland game we had a week between games, we had a 3 break between Sunderland and Crystal Palace. We won 2 of those games, 1 of them was against a team who got relegated.

 

He can’t get them up for games anymore. All season we have had an issue where against the big boys our players turned up, against the lesser opposition we have folded. He’s done fuck all to change that, I don’t even think he recognises it.

[Alberto2005]

Feels like beating Brighton and West Ham pretty much saved his job.

[Rafalove]

Still Eddie in, but it’s been poor from him. 
we’ve been very predictable from a tactical perspective and he hasn’t really fixed the issues.

 

 

I’ll judge him by the players we bring in the summer and the start of next season.

 

 

Edited May 24 by Rafalove

[Stifler]

3 minutes ago, Geordie Magpie said:

Howe will always go down as a club legend for what he's done but think it's time for change, new manager, new ideas and their new signings as things have went stale and a massive rebuild is needed. I get the mitigating factors as to why this season has played out like it has, losing star striker, Wissa getting crocked, fair few new signings not delivering but to lose 25 points from winning positions is not acceptable and shows there is a mentality issue. We only a while ago were such a high pressing energetic side and most of this season we have looked lazy. He had all season to figure it out and simply couldn't.

 

Majority of the season its been the same story, get a goal, sit back, fuck it up. Players getting played out of position often and today we must of went through about 3 different formations, most of the game our players had no clue where they were meant to be. Does Eddie have the balls to get rid of his favourites like Murphy and Burn or if he stays will he keep shoehorning them into the team? 

 

Complaining about the amount of games we are having and the players need a rest and plays a strong 11 against Qarabag when we are 6-1 up, then when we have a two week international break and are back to a game a week we go and lose 3 in a row.

 

And for people saying oh we played so many games etc, Villa won the Europa League and finished 4th.

 

All season played the same 433, had a striker playing in midfield, same like for like subs on the 70th minute, only tried to change things up with 3 or so games left which was far too late.

This here. It’s not just a 1 off either, last season they got to the Quarter finals of the Champions League and only lost out to qualifying for it again over us by a controversial decision. The season before they got to the semi’s of the Conference League but qualified for the Champions League.

 

To top it off, they have had to sell a big player every summer.

[jackflap]

Given his record it's easy to argue that Howe deserves to be given another year but I honestly think the club should operate without sentiment and make a bold decision. No player has enhanced their reputation this season barring Hall and Osula and both feel almost by accident. It looks like the messaging isn't getting through to the players. We're also controlling the ball in games like today yet carrying little or no threat, like the team is doing thinks for the sake of it without any clear purpose why, this suggests things have gone stale. 

 

A massive rebuild is needed this season requiring someone to act boldly and without sentiment, 2 words I'd use to describe Howe's tenure is consistency and loyalty. We're at a fragile growth stage too where I'd fear a missed season could set us back several. 

 

Most seasons I'd be in agreement with sticking with Howe as there's plenty of evidence around that changing things for the sake of it isn't a winning recipe but the fact that both Glasnevin and Iraola look to be available changes the math for me. 

 

 

Edited May 24 by jackflap

[Kilcline]

29 minutes ago, Rod said:

Complete nonsense. We were NOT humbled by Barcelona. The score totally flattered them. We more than matched them for about 160 minutes ( over two legs).

Asking the owners to sack Eddie shows what a complete prick you are. Sorry I'm back, but this type of nonsense infuriates me. Even though your spelling and grammar were excellent, you are a fan we do not want!

Welcome back! 

 

cc @Fak

[Sandrotastico]

Iraola available is a no brainer and a kickstart that we seem to need right now. Feels like the perfect time to build fresh.

 

 

Edited May 24 by Sandrotastico

[Drewboy74]

When we went down to one game a week, I was expecting a better response than what we've had. Today was not acceptable at all. However, in Howe I trust, but thank fuck the seasons over.

[Mole]

Even though your spelling and grammar were excellent  That absolutely killed me.

[El Prontonise]

8 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

Still Eddie in, but it’s been poor from him. 
we’ve been very predictable from a tactical perspective and he hasn’t really fixed the issues.

 

 

I’ll judge him by the players we bring in the summer and the start of next season.

 

 

 

 

My feelings, I think he has a number of questions to answer after this season.

[Optimistic Nut]

1 minute ago, Drewboy74 said:

When we went down to one game a week, I was expecting a better response than what we've had. Today was not acceptable at all. However, in Howe I trust, but thank fuck the seasons over.

 

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt with momentum being gone after Barca and the derby. Absolutely no excuses for us not being in and around the top 6 by October next season. 

 

 

Edited May 24 by Optimistic Nut

[Fak]

3 minutes ago, Kilcline said:

Welcome back! 

 

cc @Fak

 

[Fak]

34 minutes ago, Rod said:

Complete nonsense. We were NOT humbled by Barcelona. The score totally flattered them. We more than matched them for about 160 minutes ( over two legs).

Asking the owners to sack Eddie shows what a complete prick you are. Sorry I'm back, but this type of nonsense infuriates me. Even though your spelling and grammar were excellent, you are a fan we do not want!

 

Welcome back brother