Eddie Howe

[The Prophet]

2 minutes ago, BShearer said:

can we really afford to keep spending big if we not making CL 2 of next 3 times?

 

 

 

Depends on commercial revenue and player sales.

[Aiston]

22 minutes ago, Gallowgate Toon said:

Been let down by our attackers in recent away games as well. Not even a sniff of a half chance being converted. We're definitely not playing amazing going forward or owt but creating enough to at least do better than that pitiful output.

 

Across the last few league away games, we've amassed about 5xg and missed 8 'big chances' while only scoring 1. Compounded by lack of available rotation and we're leaking goals we can't afford to concede.

 

Don't think it helps our attackers though with zero creativity behind them, complete lack of assists from our midfield. Only so many times the hoof the ball forward to the winger will work, especially when Gordon and almiron cannot chase them down consistently now.

 

It's a whole team thing even with missed chances.

 

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Aiston

[HaydnNUFC]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Eh? it would be the most embarrassing result in our recent history.

 

Losing to Cambridge at home is/would be worse but I agree losing to the mackems would be rancid beyond belief. Lose-lose situation for us, its why I never wanted to play them ever again.

[Jaqen]

Clearly going backwards and failed every competition?  The squad was in great shape after the summer window we've just had an insane amount of bad luck with injuries (+our star signing being banned) and the most brutal draws in cups you could imagine, and still are one point of 6th at the halfway point. 

 

Hopefully Eddie gets us back on track and certain posters go back into hiding again. 

 

[Cf]

How many of our squad would get into the "elite" (forums favourite word recently) teams?

 

Botman. Injured all season. 

Bruno. 

Tonali? Suspended all season. 

Isak. Injured for half of it. 

 

That's about it?

 

Trippier, Gordon, Livramento might be decent squad options (though Tripper is on the way out and the latter two more long term prospects) but I don't think anyone else really gets near.

 

That's what he's had to work with despite the injuries and getting us into the CL. It's asking a lot from anyone. The obvious question is I think we'd mostly agree that Pep is at this point the better manager but how much better do we think he'd be doing?

[Paullow]

1 minute ago, WideopenMag said:

Eh? it would be the most embarrassing result in our recent history.

 

They are just 3/1 to win at William Hills, and we've lost to far worse teams than them in the past couple of years - Sheff Wed and Cambridge were both 3rd tier, the latter was at home and the strongest team we could put out. A top half Championship team winning at home to a PL team not in great form and a lot of injuries, whilst obviously shit from an emotional POV, it wouldn't even be that much of a shock. Sunderland are shorter odds than what Luton were today.

[Gawalls]

14 minutes ago, Vinny Green Balls said:

 didn't you just compare them?

Smart arse 

[Orphanage]

43 minutes ago, Pata said:

 

Who are the third strikers on Man City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham, Villa and Brighton?

Isaks injured half the time and Wilsons never had a full season yet ...

[The Prophet]

20 minutes ago, Jagten said:

This is obviously the macro argument, which I broadly agree with, but it obfuscates important context, which gets you to the middle. Analysis can, and should, run deeper. 

 

Our if interest, what's that important context being obfuscated?

[TRC]

Has zero plan B. 

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, TRC said:

Has zero plan B. 

 

We did switch system after 35 minutes mind.

[TheBrownBottle]

6 minutes ago, TRC said:

Has zero plan B. 

We’re playing a plan B away from home at the moment; but it isn’t working.  I suspect Howe will be whiteboarding away in the background - it won’t have gone unnoticed 

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

3 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

We’re playing a plan B away from home at the moment; but it isn’t working.  I suspect Howe will be whiteboarding away in the background - it won’t have gone unnoticed 

Won't of gone unnoticed we've won 1 game away from home all season ?

Not now Kato 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, RUHRLYASLEEVESUP said:

Won't of gone unnoticed we've won 1 game away from home all season ?

Not now Kato 

He’s a perceptive man, young grasshopper

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

He’s a perceptive man, young grasshopper

[Ben]

I'm 100% behind Howe, he's the man for us and I want to go where he is taking is. However he looked stressed to fuck today, daft panic sub before halftime showed his stress IMO.

 

Chill out Eddie calm down, belive in your principles and do what you do.

 

Don't panic.

[Jagten]

18 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

Our if interest, what's that important context being obfuscated?

It's not clear whether his tactical strategy is sustainable, and to what extent it has made us especially vulnerable to fatigue + injury. If our press doesn't work, we're liable to be comfortably beaten. It is not clear whether he can, or will try, to manifest an evolution. I think as his influence has grown our talent ID has become worse, and we have evidenced a doubling down on his approach here. 

 

With respect to the champions league, we were not great throughout (I suspect this is unpopular but whatever). We should have lost to Milan away, and, despite the unfortunate nature of our PSG draw, they smashed us. Our 4-1 reverse against them flattered us, with respect to quality and volume of chances created. We were probably the weakest member of the group over the games played. 
 

To be clear, I like Howe and many of our outcomes right now could not be any better 

 

 

 

Edited December 23, 2023 by Jagten

[WideopenMag]

33 minutes ago, Paullow said:

 

They are just 3/1 to win at William Hills, and we've lost to far worse teams than them in the past couple of years - Sheff Wed and Cambridge were both 3rd tier, the latter was at home and the strongest team we could put out. A top half Championship team winning at home to a PL team not in great form and a lot of injuries, whilst obviously shit from an emotional POV, it wouldn't even be that much of a shock. Sunderland are shorter odds than what Luton were today.

Doesn't make it less embarrassing for me. 

[WideopenMag]

1 minute ago, Ben said:

I'm 100% behind Howe, he's the man for us and I want to go where he is taking is. However he looked stressed to fuck today, daft panic sub before halftime showed his stress IMO.

 

Chill out Eddie calm down, belive in your principles and do what you do.

 

Don't panic.

This 100% behind him. If we have a full squad back and still see results and performances like this over a long period of time I'd be concerned. That's far from the case though. In Eddie we trust.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, Jagten said:

It's not clear whether his tactical strategy is sustainable, and to what extent it has made us especially vulnerable to fatigue + injury. If our press doesn't work, we're liable to be comfortably beaten. It is not clear whether he can, or will try, to manifest an evolution. I think as his influence has grown our talent ID has become worse, and we have evidenced a doubling down on his approach here. 

 

With respect to the champions league, we were not great throughout (I suspect this is unpopular but whatever). We should have lost to Milan away, and, despite the unfortunate nature of our PSG draw, they smashed us. Our 4-1 reverse against them flattered us, with respect to quality and volume of chances created. We were probably the weakest member of the group over the games played. 

We were always likely to be the weaker member of the CL group - I agree with your views of PSG & Milan away (I thought we absolutely dominated PSG at home, it wasn’t a fluke scoreline).  
 

I agree with the first half of your first paragraph, though not the second, as I think that would need time to see if he evolves.  I still think he can (and will), and that this is a transitional period we’re still in.  I’m more than happy to give Howe plenty of time to develop the squad and playing style - though I agree that high-press, high-intensity play has a ceiling (and we’re seeing it). 

[Gallowgate Toon]

We've not always played the same under Howe so it just simply isn't true that he can only play one way. We weren't a pressing machine in his first half season, we were much more counter-focused and were excellent at it.

[The College Dropout]

You can see how he got Bournemouth relegated. He’s great at motivating a core group of players to go out and execute his plan A.  With some injuries, bad luck, loss of momentum etc. he can go on a bad run and he doesn’t seem to do a whole lot to switch things up when things aren’t working well. He doesn’t mix things up for the sake of it which has its benefits and but also disadvantages. 
 

I’ve accepted we are in for pain until we play once a week and get players back.  We should still win most of our games at home but away, I’ve got no hope atm. 

[Yorkie]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

You can see how he got Bournemouth relegated. He’s great at motivating a core group of players to go out and execute his plan A.  With some injuries, bad luck, loss of momentum etc. he can go on a bad run and he doesn’t seem to do a whole lot to switch things up when things aren’t working well. He doesn’t mix things up for the sake of it which has its benefits and but also disadvantages. 
 

I’ve accepted we are in for pain until we play once a week and get players back.  We should still win most of our games at home but away, I’ve got no hope atm. 

 

That first sentence.  

 

A valid argument sullied by a blatantly incendiary and pejorative tone. So fucking tedious.

[LiquidAK]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

You can see how he got Bournemouth relegated. He’s great at motivating a core group of players to go out and execute his plan A.  With some injuries, bad luck, loss of momentum etc. he can go on a bad run and he doesn’t seem to do a whole lot to switch things up when things aren’t working well. He doesn’t mix things up for the sake of it which has its benefits and but also disadvantages. 
 

I’ve accepted we are in for pain until we play once a week and get players back.  We should still win most of our games at home but away, I’ve got no hope atm. 

 

Fucks sake. How about you can see how he kept Bournemouth in the league for so long after literally dragging them up the pyramid? 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

You can see how he got Bournemouth relegated. He’s great at motivating a core group of players to go out and execute his plan A.  With some injuries, bad luck, loss of momentum etc. he can go on a bad run and he doesn’t seem to do a whole lot to switch things up when things aren’t working well. He doesn’t mix things up for the sake of it which has its benefits and but also disadvantages. 
 

I’ve accepted we are in for pain until we play once a week and get players back.  We should still win most of our games at home but away, I’ve got no hope atm. 

I can also see how he took Bournemouth from ten points adrift at the foot of the entire Football League to being a PL club (albeit with a gap in the middle).