Yorkie Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Tonight is easily the most annoyed I've been this season, but it doesn't change anything about my view of the manager. We cannot gain any momentum whatsoever and that is primarily because we cannot name a squad that doesn't feature absolutely major absences. For all we were shite tonight; all you have to do is stick Pope in and we probably come away with something. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Icarus Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 As far as I'm concerned tonight and AC Milan at home are the matches this season where I put the performance and result mainly down to the approach rather than the circumstances or the quality of the opposition. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt1892 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 4 minutes ago, LiquidAK said: You happy to come back to this at the end of the season? I bet he does. Absolutely and I hope I’m wrong; however, I can’t remember the last time we put a run of decent performances together to think that he can change our fortunes on the pitch. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmesy Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 One thing that cannot be denied is whatever they’re doing to coach the defence isn’t working at all. We know Burn is shit and costs us goals but the rest of the defenders, individually, have proven themselves to be excellent. So what the fuck are they working on in training? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRon Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Feels like the players aren't 100% buying into what he's doing this season. The high press probably leaves them feeling exposed, but we don't really know any other way of playing at this point. I don't think it's Howe's fault as when we are on it works great. But when we are missing key players, the ones who are on the pitch look devoid of belief. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stifler Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) When essentially your entire midfield has been taken out by injury and you are suffering the effects, you have to start being wise elsewhere in the squad. Having Burn play with sub-par performances, when you have 2/3 players available is no good. It doesn’t matter if you think those players are not quite ready, when the guy you are staring over them repeatedly has shown not to be up for it. The little things like not acknowledging Schar going into the number 10 position and leaving a major hole at the back has never been addressed. Neither has the fact that so many of our players try to take on players on situations where they are crowded out and have players available to pass too, and they still think they can be the hero. There are lots of little problems that everyone can see that just results in massive problems. There is only so much you can put down to injuries, and fixture fatigue. There has been quite a few games this season where we have looked beaten as soon as we have kicked off, and players have dropped their heads. Even in games where we have actually been in an alright position, we have let our heads drop, Everton, and Chelsea in the cup are big examples. There is other examples of where we have just been absolutely fucking stupid, the AC Milan game at home was the biggest example. 1-1, and we throw the whole defence forward, knowing that if we don’t score, Milan will, and we’ll go out. We should have been more careful, and honestly, we should have been happy to be prepared to drop into the Europa League. I always thought that with Bournemouth he was naive, he could win a game 3-0, or lose one 3-0, and there would often be very little in between. Now I’m starting to think it’s bordering on arrogant, and that he’s just a little too happy to risk a heavy defeat for a good win. We are not Bournemouth, our target didn’t start out with staying in the Football League, and are just happy to just be on a whirlwind journey that none of us could dream on. Our target is to challenge, we need to be more consistent. Can Howe really deliver? As much as last season, and the half a season before that was fantastic, I’m starting to wonder. Edited March 11 by Stifler Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiquidAK Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just now, Matt1892 said: Absolutely and I hope I’m wrong; however, I can’t remember the last time we put a run of decent performances together to think that he can change our fortunes on the pitch. We had a wobble last season around the cup final and turned that around. The start of his reign was shit for months and everyone said he wasn't up to it but he turned it around. I think there are mitigating factors to why this has been so bad for as long as it has, but he's absolutely shown he can turn a bad streak around imo. It's fair to doubt that or to have worries obviously, I just think it'll work out in the long run with him, he's got previous for leading us on runs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sempiternal Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Football is pretty simple in some ways, win the midfield and you usually win. Our midfield is bypassed by one pass. You can’t rely on pressing to mitigate that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnNUFC Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) Tonight was crap. Wrong approach and too many abysmal performances. I'm still behind Howe, he has the rest of the season for me. I won't start asking serious questions of Howe unless we have the clear out or overhaul we need in the summer but still look as lifting at the start of next season as we have done tonight and a few times this season. IMO though I think us doubling down on the style of play from last season has backfired. The plan in the summer window, I think, was to pad out the squad with almost having 2 XIs that we could run into the ground with playing with the same intensity week in week out rather than sign a different sort of player attacker or midfielder that we didn't have which could help us play and win matches in different ways. Alas, when the going gets tough with injuries we can't/won't change or adapt the style and with tiredness and varying levels of ability of lesser players replacing injured ones, the style becomes nowhere near as intense or jointed as it was last season. Therefore it makes Howe look quite naive, as the same issues in matches keep on happening again and again and nothing changes. Edited March 11 by HaydnNUFC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Tonali Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 17 minutes ago, Nate said: Appreciate it’s not entirely negative but the fact we’re now averaging more goals (for and against) per game than all but one side in Premier League history feels particularly damning. A complete loss of control. Never complained when it was our legend KK with the try to score more than you concede philosophy though? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBottle Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 1 minute ago, Holmesy said: One thing that cannot be denied is whatever they’re doing to coach the defence isn’t working at all. We know Burn is shit and costs us goals but the rest of the defenders, individually, have proven themselves to be excellent. So what the fuck are they working on in training? I’m not convinced that BDB is shit, mind. Pope’s absence is a massive factor in how the back line is performing; Botman’s clear non-recovery from injury is another. That does leave the question about what we’re doing about it, though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Tonali Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just now, Sandro Tonali said: Never complained when it was our legend KK with the try to score more than you concede philosophy though? Think of the shite we have had to endure for years and years and now this stat gets thrown about Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest reefatoon Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just now, Sandro Tonali said: Think of the shite we have had to endure for years and years and now this stat gets thrown about You forgot to change your username there. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Will we still be able to attract our top targets in the summer with a mid table finish? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandro Tonali Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just now, reefatoon said: You forgot to change your username there. Should have bet on there being some ungrateful, glory seeking clems on here tonight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prophet Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 5 minutes ago, Holmesy said: One thing that cannot be denied is whatever they’re doing to coach the defence isn’t working at all. We know Burn is shit and costs us goals but the rest of the defenders, individually, have proven themselves to be excellent. So what the fuck are they working on in training? Personally think the midfield is more of an issue than the defence. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBottle Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 1 minute ago, Dan said: Will we still be able to attract our top targets in the summer with a mid table finish? Nee idea. We got Bruno, Botman and Isak in as a mid table or relegation threatened club. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronson333 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 2 minutes ago, Sandro Tonali said: Think of the shite we have had to endure for years and years and now this stat gets thrown about Omg bye bye 😃😃😃 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt1892 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 2 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said: I’m not convinced that BDB is shit, mind. Pope’s absence is a massive factor in how the back line is performing; Botman’s clear non-recovery from injury is another. That does leave the question about what we’re doing about it, though. I find it hard to believe that Howe has seen Dubs in training and never realised that he wouldn’t suit our style of play. It is baffling that it has taken a run in the team to highlight this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffee_Johnny Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 48 minutes ago, Stifler said: Him being defensively niece with Bournemouth was my main worry with him when he first arrived. Last season things obviously changed, but this season has just reversed all that. Is this more scandalous Howe nepotism in the back room staff? 😉 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnNUFC Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 2 minutes ago, Dan said: Will we still be able to attract our top targets in the summer with a mid table finish? It's holding onto Isak and Bruno I'm more worried about if, say, an Arsenal come sniffing about. Especially Isak. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUPERTOON Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 I do hope we really attack the summer window and try and get some early positive business done. Will help build momentum leading into the new season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBottle Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 Just now, Matt1892 said: I find it hard to believe that Howe has seen Dubs in training and never realised that he wouldn’t suit our style of play. It is baffling that it has taken a run in the team to highlight this. Yeah, I’m scratching my head about it as well. Howe has a reputation for being meticulous; you’d think that there would be a change to account for Dubravka in nets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Prophet Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 2 minutes ago, Dan said: Will we still be able to attract our top targets in the summer with a mid table finish? We signed Trippier and Bruno when we were 19th in looking like relegation candidates. We the signed Botman and Isak after an 11th place finish. Why not? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Zaius Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 (edited) He'll be here next season, but anything other than a blitzkrieg of a start and he'll be in big trouble. For the first time I'm having doubts about whether we'll see a return to the immense pressing, solidly defensive unit we seen last season. We look so far off that, particularly away from home that it's becoming more difficult to envisage a return to it. The most glaringly obvious issue is that it's so easy to bypass that midfield. Teams just seem to play through us and smash us on the break again and again. How often do players find space in between the lines? Can he sort it? Does he bring in a defensive midfielder? We don't make up for a lack of intensity by being good enough on the ball, or controlling games either. It's cliche to say theres no plan B, but we only seem to sort of play one way, and if we're not at it we're poor, as has been the case in too many occasions this season. I don't want him gone, but I am starting to wonder whether he'll turn it round. Edited March 11 by Doctor Zaius Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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