Eddie Howe

[Away Toon]

West Ham are the example to look at. Up at the top fighting for a 6-8 finish with a much deeper squad that we have and then European football and a relegation battle.

[80]

2 minutes ago, Away Toon said:

West Ham are the example to look at. Up at the top fighting for a 6-8 finish with a much deeper squad that we have and then European football and a relegation battle.

Fairer. But I believe we're now a better run club.

[Cort]

32 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

 

Absolutely not - we are among the top teams for all sorts of different stats, while that was so obviously a fluke which this bloke alludes to: 

I mean from memory, how many games did we actually dominate that year? West Brom away, Stoke home? Some good results in there away at Stoke and at home to Man Utd and Liverpool, but come on, it's not like we had some long term progressive style of play.

[The College Dropout]

It’s not a criticism or due to limitations of Howe. He’s a much better manager than Pardew obviously. But the quality of player and manager in the league is also much higher now.
 

It’s the limitations of the current squad without proper reinforcements for a European campaign. 
 

Our first choice back 4/5 haven’t missed a single game all season. All now we have injuries/suspensions to 3 starters and look threadbare.  This will be a bigger issue with European football of any kind next season if we take it seriously. We aren’t beating teams due to quality. It’s intensity, teamwork, spirit and a solid defensive structure. A few injuries to that back line, fatigued legs, heads drop - these lot could struggle.  

[The College Dropout]

I don’t get it. I’m thought we all agreed this squad is over achieving?

 

added stress of european football and some bad luck and this squad could easily be 13th next season 

 

We’ll need reinforcements in numbers imo to stay in the top 7/8 + compete properly in Europe and cups.  

[The Prophet]

We'll definetly need a few in if we qualify for Europe.

[Mikky]

7 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

We'll definetly need a few in if we qualify for Europe.

You would assume that we would be parting ways with Lascelles - Lewis - Ritchie - Fraser - (Shelvey) with each of these being replaced - maybe not in a like for like manner but more so from a headcount - CB - LB - 4 - Maddison - CF, even with this we are probs 1 short still - possibly another midfielder 

 

Dummett and Manquillo will be consigned to natural wastage 

[Kanji]

Dropout, the squad has over achieved in its current position of 4th. But we’re not there on sheer luck or lack of quality like you seem to refer a few posts above. To suggest that is incredibly offensive to the work and skills our team has displayed on the pitch. We’ve had tremendous amounts of quality to be where we are, we didn’t just graft to it. The quality to execute the plan is the essence of where we are. The lack of quality and depth since the World Cup has been the reason we’ve not picked up points. 
 

we need serious investment this summer if we are to play in Europe and the multiple domestic comps. I won’t argue with that. Serious investment is multiple starters (mid, attack) and multiple squad players capable of starting across the pitch. 

[robbo_11]

5 minutes ago, Mikky said:

You would assume that we would be parting ways with Lascelles - Lewis - Ritchie - Fraser - (Shelvey) with each of these being replaced - maybe not in a like for like manner but more so from a headcount - CB - LB - 4 - Maddison - CF, even with this we are probs 1 short still - possibly another midfielder 

 

Dummett and Manquillo will be consigned to natural wastage 

 

I think this summer will see quite a few changes with Ritchie, Gillespie and Dummett all going due to contracts expiring. You then will see offers being listened to for Fraser, Lascelles and Lewis too. With the staff we have at the club now always planning for the future, fairly sure they've already said they have planned this window, we will see some potential contract extensions and maybe a few surprises. The following are out of contract in 2024:

- Schar

- Wilson

- Krafth

- Manquillo

- Almiron

- Burn

 

Eddie will have some decisions to make as he seems to like his leadership group, but the majority of these players will be moving on most likely in the next 18 months. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

He does have some options returning now and big calls to make. We likely keep the 4-3-3 as the primary shape but, cup final aside perhaps, we shouldn't be going back to Joelinton on the wing. We need to keep building up attacking relationships for our most talented attackers and finding a team balance.

 

Options in-game to freshen up the 4-3-3 or go to a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2.

[The College Dropout]

57 minutes ago, Kanji said:

Dropout, the squad has over achieved in its current position of 4th. But we’re not there on sheer luck or lack of quality like you seem to refer a few posts above. To suggest that is incredibly offensive to the work and skills our team has displayed on the pitch. We’ve had tremendous amounts of quality to be where we are, we didn’t just graft to it. The quality to execute the plan is the essence of where we are. The lack of quality and depth since the World Cup has been the reason we’ve not picked up points. 
 

we need serious investment this summer if we are to play in Europe and the multiple domestic comps. I won’t argue with that. Serious investment is multiple starters (mid, attack) and multiple squad players capable of starting across the pitch. 

You’ve put words in my mouth then agreed with my actual points.  I hope you understand that. 

[TheGuv]

Managed the game very well when we went down to 10 men. It was great to see us still trying to attack with 2 up top, it’s just a shame we couldn’t sneak a goal. 
 

However, still really confused why we didn’t start a cup tied Gordon. Also find it a wee bit worrying that Liverpool are the first side to comfortably work out a way to confuse our back 4 - and it was simply long balls and splitting the defence. Very old school and very simple, yet it worked. It’ll be very interesting to see how Eddie will look to change things up (if at all) moving forward. 

[buzz]

1 minute ago, TheGuv said:

Managed the game very well when we went down to 10 men. It was great to see us still trying to attack with 2 up top, it’s just a shame we couldn’t sneak a goal. 
 

However, still really confused why we didn’t start a cup tied Gordon. Also find it a wee bit worrying that Liverpool are the first side to comfortably work out a way to confuse our back 4 - and it was simply long balls and splitting the defence. Very old school and very simple, yet it worked. It’ll be very interesting to see how Eddie will look to change things up (if at all) moving forward. 

 

If our pressing up field isn't spot on then the long ball over the top is always going to be a big risk given how slow the entire backline is. 

[BoSelecta]

I’m sure they’re well aware we’ll need major recruitment if we’re in Europe, that’ll be part of the reason why they didn’t want to overspend on players this Jan. We need every penny of our FFP budget 

[Bondedcrown]

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

Ashleys gone! research who we've brought in to take the club forward

 

[MrRaspberryJam]

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

 

[maze]

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Btw unless we invest in some numbers in the summer. We may be on to a Pardew like 16th season next year. 

I think we will invest, but we are utter shit in depth. Absolute garbage. I think the clearest evidence was the Sheff Wed match. 

AS 've said in oher threads, still very disappointed with the January window. Think it'll come back to bite us this season.

Brilliant business re-couping £19m for Wood - by all means. But letting him and Shelvey leave, from a performance pov, might turn out to be a huge, huge mistake imo.

Rather have Wood and Shelvey in the 25-man squad than Krafth and Gillespie.

[Away Toon]

If Eddie is half the manager most people believe than he will have learnt from yesterday how much we need to protect our slow back 4, and watching Man Utd today he'll also know what they are going to try and do in the final. 

[toon25]

3 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

 I’d like to see these tactics with a proper squad. I think a fall off was always inevitable with our lack of options and quality. Too much of the team picks itself. I’d like to see what he would do with Burn if he had legitimate alternatives. 
 

At the start of this season I thought this squads ceiling is 7/8

I think EH has done miracles to have us where we are with the squad at his disposal. We stagnated for years so he's got some catching up to do before, I suppose, he can even think about plan B. I've every confidence that'll come in time.

 

What I love about him is he hasn't bitcjes and moaned and thrown toys out of the pram - ala Gerrard or that angry dwarf at Southampton. He's encouraged, trained, and generally sought to inspire the shower of shite (as they were before he arrived) with confidence. Beyond that, he's inspired us, as fans. He's been a massive part of getting our club back and for that alone he's a legend.

 

I'm gutted about the result yesterday - fucking hate those twats - but the reality facing us is that we simply don't have the numbers and/or quality to keep up sustained pressure on the CL spots all season. Frustrating as fuck, but we are where we are as a result of the consistent neglect this club and squad had for over a decade prior to wor Eddie coming through the door.

[toon25]

22 minutes ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

He's having a laugh saying that.

[The College Dropout]

I wish he put more public pressure on the board to make moves in January.  
 

Managers that don’t play those public games get left short in the transfer window. I think Klopp has been a victim of that.  He ends up sounding crazy defending Liverpools transfer policy. 

[toon25]

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

I wish he put more public pressure on the board to make moves in January.  
 

Managers that don’t play those public games get left short in the transfer window. I think Klopp has been a victim of that.  He ends up sounding crazy defending Liverpools transfer policy. 

To be fair, that could come later, but the board are still only just over a year into sorting out an utter shell of a club they took on.

[MrRaspberryJam]

31 minutes ago, toon25 said:

He's having a laugh saying that.

 

Howes not even a permanent member of staff. 

[Optimistic Nut]

16 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

I wish he put more public pressure on the board to make moves in January.  
 

Managers that don’t play those public games get left short in the transfer window. I think Klopp has been a victim of that.  He ends up sounding crazy defending Liverpools transfer policy. 

 

Fortunately Howe probably isn't as short-termistic as some of our fans and will know the players will arrive. We're never going to have the perfect squad, particularly when he arrived the likes of Hendrick, Clark, Hayden and Gayle were in his 25. 94/95 we got shot of Cole and went half a season with Paul Kitson as the only real out-and-out centre-forward. Short term it was probably the difference between 4th or 5th and getting into Europe, and us eventually ending up 6th and out of Europe. Look what happened that summer though.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2023 by Optimistic Nut

[Oregon_Geordie]

I still love this man! I hope he comes back on Sunday a legend! We talk about Sir Bobby and how he was a gent, we're lucky to have this guy. It's still just over a year since he rocked up and fell into a steaming turd. Now we're off to a final.