Eddie Howe

[mighty__mag]

10 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

On present form we won’t finish in the top ten - though finishing outside it wouldn’t see me wanting him sacked.  I probably would if we were in that position this time next year, though. 

 

On present form we were undefeated in 5, the only two losses sandwiching were Man City the game before our recent undefeated run, and Arsenal currently stopping the run, Arsenal who sit currently top of the form chart, and were at home, and currently involved in a title race.

 

There's nothing to say we can't or won't put another run together, especially with players returning, I'm not putting my house on a top ten, but I'm confident we'll/Howe will achieve 10 or higher.

 

The fixtures appear to look kinder to us in this final quarter. 👍🏼

 

 

Edited February 25 by mighty__mag

[Coffee_Johnny]

1 hour ago, SUPERTOON said:

Is there anyone who wouldn’t give him the summer window and a go again next season ? He has definitely earned that right surely ?

Without any insider knowledge, I find myself confident that (internal bust ups aside) Eddie Howe will be our manager next season and until at least the first few games of 2025/26. Only information/history to back that is that is when we have parted company with our other ‘high performing’ managers, i.e. those with a bit of credit in the bank.  And he still has the second best PL record in terms of points per game. Above Robson and behind Keegan. 

[Nine]

It’s amusing that Howe has had us consistently over performing with the players we’ve had available since the injuries started to pile up, but it’s this expected result that seems to have broken some people. 
 

We convincingly lost to a side chasing the league who also happen to be in deadly form at the minute, yes our first half performance was slack but the midfielders we have available make it very difficult to compete against the team we faced last night. Did people really think swapping out Burn for Liv was going to fix the issues down the left hand side? The lack of physical ability in midfield is and has been the main issue, as much potential as Miley has he has been chucked in at the deep end because we have no other options and he’s physically not there right now. The midfield has been exploited by teams as of alot recently (especially the left side), but Burn has taken a lot of the flack for that because football fans.

Management have done a great job under this seasons very difficult circumstances, we are 8th and still in a cup competition. 

 

 

Edited February 25 by Nine

[El Prontonise]

The thing that worried me the most about yesterday was the attitude in that first half, no identity etc.

[madras]

47 minutes ago, Keegans Export said:

 

Before yesterday we had two league wins in eight games and taken just eight points in total. Borderline relegation numbers. Stats are fun.

 

Surely nobody can look at a run of results that includes a loss at Luton, losing at home to Forest and picking up two points from home games against Bournemouth and Luton and think "Yep, we're turning a corner now"?

Surely nobody can look at a run of results in isolation without viewing context, to go overboard but make a point I wonder how Man Utds results looked for a few months after the air crash ?

[RS]

30 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

He’s not our primary striker, nor should be treated like one given his unreliability and the fact with everyone fit we’re genuinely better without him.
 

Poor form is down to a number of things; Howe’s still a very good manager in my book but he doesn’t get a free pass. You saying with the injuries we currently have we’re nowhere near a top 10 side is absurd. I don’t think 37 points from 26 games is over-performing.

 

 

 

What do you think our poor form is down to then?

[catlover24]

6 minutes ago, madras said:

Surely nobody can look at a run of results in isolation without viewing context, to go overboard but make a point I wonder how Man Utds results looked for a few months after the air crash ?

You’re not fucking serious comparing a tragedy with far-reaching psychological effects to an injury crisis…

[madras]

3 minutes ago, catlover24 said:

You’re not fucking serious comparing a tragedy with far-reaching psychological effects to an injury crisis…

Did I say I would go overboard in making my point? It's hyperbole to get something over. The point was about looking at results alone without context aaaaaand I think I made it.

 

 

Edited February 25 by madras

[loki679]

47 minutes ago, mighty__mag said:

 

On present form we were undefeated in 5, the only two losses sandwiching were Man City the game before our recent undefeated run, and Arsenal currently stopping the run, Arsenal who sit currently top of the form chart, and were at home, and currently involved in a title race.

 

There's nothing to say we can't or won't put another run together, especially with players returning, I'm not putting my house on a top ten, but I'm confident we'll/Howe will achieve 10 or higher.

 

The fixtures appear to look kinder to us in this final quarter. 👍🏼

 

 

 

 

Again, completely missing the context of '5 games unbeaten'.   In those five games we had a cup tie with a lower division side and home fixtures with Luton and Bournemouth.

 

Are you really happy with two points from Bournemouth and Luton at home?

[Hanshithispantz]

22 minutes ago, loki679 said:

 

Again, completely missing the context of '5 games unbeaten'.   In those five games we had a cup tie with a lower division side and home fixtures with Luton and Bournemouth.

 

Are you really happy with two points from Bournemouth and Luton at home?

Because people are seriously talking about Howe losing his job, and some actively want it to happen. It's just a massive exaggeration how bad we've been.

 

In anycase Fulham aren't a lower league side. The Luton and Bournemouth draws weren't great but energetic teams obviously feel like they can step on us at the minute and are taking advantage.

 

 

Edited February 25 by Hanshithispantz

[Displayname]

Dont think there should be serious talk about Howe losing his job now(dont really think there is either other than a couple of posters).

Cant deny im having concerns about his versatility and ability to handle rotations of both players and systems though. We were pretty lucky last year being able to put out more or less the same team throughout the season. And only one game per week made it possible to have that intensive playstyle we seem to be lacking these last couple of months.

 

But these are just concerns for now, I certainly want to give him time to prove me wrong. He has more than earned that.

 

[loki679]

15 minutes ago, Hanshithispantz said:

Because people are seriously talking about Howe losing his job, and some actively want it to happen. It's just a massive exaggeration how bad we've been.

 

In anycase Fulham aren't a lower league side. The Luton and Bournemouth draws weren't great but energetic teams obviously feel like they can step on us at the minute and are taking advantage.

 

 

 

 

Still pretty crap results and saying '5 games unbeaten!' is disingenuous without context.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 hour ago, mighty__mag said:

 

On present form we were undefeated in 5, the only two losses sandwiching were Man City the game before our recent undefeated run, and Arsenal currently stopping the run, Arsenal who sit currently top of the form chart, and were at home, and currently involved in a title race.

 

There's nothing to say we can't or won't put another run together, especially with players returning, I'm not putting my house on a top ten, but I'm confident we'll/Howe will achieve 10 or higher.

 

The fixtures appear to look kinder to us in this final quarter. 👍🏼

 

 

 

There’s 12 games left.  Our form in the previous 12 was 17th best in the PL.  That run included Bournemouth H&A, Forest H, Luton H&A, Fulham H - they weren’t exactly ‘unkind’ fixtures. 

[Andy]

1 hour ago, Mikky said:

I think in the summer Howe needs to be ruthless with this squad - it’s obvious where we need to strengthen - CB - LB - CM - RW - CF, the likes of Targett, Hall, Longstaff, Almiron and Wilson need disposing of - the quality and depth in quality needs increasing

 

Agree with this, at least as far as FFP allows us. There needs to be no sentiment this summer. There are a lot of players kicking around who have "done a job" but are either past their past (Wilson, Ritchie, Dummett), or are younger but were never really all that consistently good to begin with and have reverted to type (Longstaff, Targett, Almiron, Murphy, maybe even Lascelles I'd include here too).

 

Maybe keep one or two around as squad players, but we shouldn't be seeing these players starting games next season unless it is dire circumstances. 

[Matt1892]

I don’t think anyone in here doesn’t want Howe to turn around our current form, whilst also calling it out for what at best is a period of inconsistency, which follows a period of being consistently poor due to a mixture of schedule and injuries.

[FLUMPO235]

Stuff

 

 

Edited February 25 by FLUMPO235

[Mattoon]

13 minutes ago, loki679 said:

 

Still pretty crap results and saying '5 games unbeaten!' is disingenuous without context.

 

But also saying 8 games without a win (not that I'm saying you have) is also disingenuous without context. 

 

As I said a few pages ago, we look shot of confidence and belief, we went into the game last night expecting to lose, like lambs to the slaughter. 

 

I still think it's rashly unfair to judge Howe in the midst of an apocalypse and he should be judged when he has all his players back next season plus new recruits. Let's see what he's learned from this season and how he tackles next.

[Ronaldo]

3 hours ago, Kid Icarus said:

 

Such a reductive argument.

 

From my understanding of every argument you've made about our 'keeper, midfield, and striker situation, because the club hasn't accounted for each weakness, it's a failure on the clubs part and the elephant in the room - that those weaknesses are exposed because of an unprecendented injury crisis that's hit all departments collectively - is in the end, making excuses. Would that be fair?

 

The club should have either got a 2nd choice sweeper keeper, a DM, and replaced a 1 in 2 striker instead of...? Or got them on top of our spend in the summer. 

 

It's all hypothetical but who's to say that if we'd accounted for those weaknesses, the weaknesses we did account for wouldn't have been exposed instead.

 

 

 

So what you’re trying to say is that my expectations are completely unrealistic given the general constraints in place for the club?

[Shadow Puppets]

1 hour ago, loki679 said:

 

Still pretty crap results and saying '5 games unbeaten!' is disingenuous without context.

As disingenuous as lambasting our form without the context of missing goalkeepers and first choice midfielders?

[Kanji]

I’ll sound like a broken record but I’d love to know how teams fare when they are missing their #1 GK and missing half a squad of starting players. I’m sure it’s not kind. And I’m sure those fans don’t have stupid and unrealistic expectations of their teams. 

[Conjo]

4 hours ago, STM said:

Just looked and it wasn't until Artetas 4th season at Arsenal that they even got into the CL, they finished 8th, 8th and then 5th. Look at them now.

 

Klopp finished 8th in his first season too.

 

People were baying for blood with the former, but I'm sure the "top managers don't make these mistakes" crew won't acknowledge this.

 

Also something absolutely fundamental to the above. Liverpool and Arsenal had/have way more in terms of funding and player draw... as well as an array of talent at their clubs to begin with... and two of the best youth sides in the world. I also doubt they had anywhere near the injury crisis we have had.

 

The season we are having is absolutely par for the course.

 

 

 

Amen. It's absolutely crazy to talk about Howe getting sacked. By all means critisize/discuss some of his decisions, but this is our guy.

 

The problem/difference for Howe is he did too well last season in a way  Arteta showed progression, while we have regressed this season (in terms of league position) which is optically worse. If Arteta got 4th in his first season, then 8th, I'm not sure he'd necessarily be at Arsenal today (and it would have been a mistake by Arsenal if they did let him go in that scenario).

[madras]

1 minute ago, Conjo said:

 

Amen. It's absolutely crazy to talk about Howe getting sacked. By all means critisize/discuss some of his decisions, but this is our guy.

 

The problem/difference for Howe is he did too well last season in a way  Arteta showed progression, while we have regressed this season (in terms of league position) which is optically worse. If Arteta got 4th in his first season, then 8th, I'm not sure he'd necessarily be at Arsenal today (and it would have been a mistake by Arsenal if they did let him go in that scenario).

Or a mistake to keep him if the person they brought in had won them the title ? Football sliding doors.

[gbandit]

16 minutes ago, Kanji said:

I’ll sound like a broken record but I’d love to know how teams fare when they are missing their #1 GK and missing half a squad of starting players. I’m sure it’s not kind. And I’m sure those fans don’t have stupid and unrealistic expectations of their teams. 

Agree on the first part. I think fans are idiots across the board really in football. I see all sorts of absurd takes from all teams’ fans

[Scoot]

4 hours ago, STM said:

Just looked and it wasn't until Artetas 4th season at Arsenal that they even got into the CL, they finished 8th, 8th and then 5th. Look at them now.

 

Klopp finished 8th in his first season too.

 

People were baying for blood with the former, but I'm sure the "top managers don't make these mistakes" crew won't acknowledge this.

 

Also something absolutely fundamental to the above. Liverpool and Arsenal had/have way more in terms of funding and player draw... as well as an array of talent at their clubs to begin with... and two of the best youth sides in the world. I also doubt they had anywhere near the injury crisis we have had.

 

The season we are having is absolutely par for the course.

 

 

 

This!

[Orphanage]

3 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Agree on the first part. I think fans are idiots across the board really in football. I see all sorts of absurd takes from all teams’ fans

Who made you judge and jury ?