Eddie Howe

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, madras said:

Do you think Barnes and Gordon were meant to battle for the one position ? Was Tonali merely meant to be a Longstaff upgrade ?

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

Insulting to a player of Tonalis quality tbh. Did you watch lonstaff today?

How is it insulting to say we signed a better version of longstaff ?

[The College Dropout]

4 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

Howe has more than enough credit in the bank to avoid serious talk about him losing his job. (even if there is any) What he did here not just last season but in 2021-22 when he kept us up should give him plenty of time to navigate this sticky patch. And it is a sticky patch; 6 defeats in 7, the only win in the last 7 being against 10 men, out of Europe altogether before Christmas and running on fumes.

 

The one thing that is troubling me however is there doesn’t seem to be a coherent tactical plan or pattern in our play defensively or offensively. I remember back in January 2022 when we just drew 1-1 at home to Watford and had 1 win in 21 games or something but I still was fully behind Howe even as the shadow of Benitez loomed. The reason for that is you could see clear improvements in individuals and clear tactical plans and patterns being implemented but the playing staff he had at his disposal then were simply just not good enough hence the constant individual howlers and lapses in concentration that cost us back then. Alas, we signed improvements in January and the team improved exponentially. I can’t see those patterns or improvements this time however. And I think this leads onto the next point.

 

To put it bluntly, imo the summer window was a failure. Really easy to say now with 20-20 hindsight but we did not sign the personnel required to improve the first XI; the way Howe tries to get us playing is intense, pressing football that baits the opposition into a game of chaos in which we can kill teams, even the top ones, on transitions. But that can’t be the way a team plays over 38 league games plus 6 European games on top of the already existing cup games due to the physical exertion it demands and the schedule that comes with it. Our pressing game papers/papered over the fact that many of our players do not possess great individual quality that is required for a top 6 side; players like Longstaff, Almiron, Burn. So when the team is tired, the level of quality seeps through and shows and it either gets you through gritty matches or costs you as seen today. The players we should have went for in the summer were players that possess similar levels of quality that Isak, Bruno and Botman have. Tonali potentially was/is one, but we have a large outlay on 2 young full backs that so far have only got game time because of injuries and despite performing better than the players they are replacing (certainly in Livramento’s case) they are dropped as soon as the injured players they replaced have returned. ~£40m on Barnes despite us needing a right sided wide man since imo even before the takeover. The sides around us improved their first choice XIs, we didn't.

 

I think the worse thing I can say from probably a selfish POV is I’m just not enjoying watching us this season. We’re incredibly easy to play through and hit on the break plus there’s no real pattern in our attacking play. I don’t think Howe has done himself favours these last few games but he absolutely deserves the time to see this sticky patch through. Time for him to earn his salt, and for the owners to give him and the team the help they need in the transfer market.

We only signed 1 player to replace one of these this season and he's suspended. That's been a killer for us.

 

Livra was another opportunistic signing. He should've played way more before the injury crisis and that's a bad mark on Howe.

 

Sub-optimal squad building.

[Ikon]

Just now, WideopenMag said:

This. They'd have been starting and if all fit no one would have been questioning Howe on these signings. Easy to slate him after injuries.

Personally I struggle to see where the creativity/flair would come from with both of these starting? Said it a long way back before the injuries. Starting these two makes us slightly predictable. Especially against teams that sit slightly deeper. They could be very effective players in transitions mind.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, SUPERTOON said:

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

I think the plan was to do the Isak/Wilson job share with the option of moving one to RW if needed.

 

Genuinely.

[Jagten]

7 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

"Sandro Tonali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsandro toˈnaːli]; born 8 May 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays mainly as a defensive-midfielder or central-midfield" 

 

Not in the makele role no but in a way a modern midfield works yes.

Is this from Wikipedia? 

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

I think the plan was to do the Isak/Wilson job share with the option of moving one to RW if needed.

 

Genuinely.

Barnes replacing Maxi suggests you’re right.

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Ikon said:

Personally I struggle to see where the creativity/flair would come from with both of these starting? Said it a long way back before the injuries. Starting these two makes us slightly predictable. Especially against teams that sit slightly deeper. They could be very effective players in transitions mind.

Aye you're relying on both of them being very sharp and clinical. Neither are creators. I think the primary plan was to jobshare.

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

So we spent 80 million on two left wingers to then regularly play one out of position?

It isn't out-of position man ffs Gordon can play Rw. Stick some are given howe after the fact is beyond a joke.

[WideopenMag]

3 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

How is it insulting to say we signed a better version of longstaff ?

Because he isn't anywhere similar to him as a player, it isn't an upgrade at all it's a complete different role and player.

[The Butcher]

Hmm

[HaydnNUFC]

1 minute ago, madras said:

Do you think Barnes and Gordon were meant to battle for the one position ? Was Tonali merely meant to be a Longstaff upgrade ?

 

I do, yeah. Both Gordon and Barnes have played on the left the majority of the careers at their previous clubs and in the 7 matches Barnes has been available for he has only started with Gordon once and has only shared the pitch with him for 98 minutes out of 630.

 

I thought Tonali was a signing to take pressure off Bruno and rotate with him with the extra games that came with the CL.

 

6 minutes ago, gjohnson said:

Well from our perspective he has credit. Unfortunately from an owners point of view credit runs out a lot quicker than it builds. Like it or not 5 defeats in 6 will have questions started to be asked. The January window will show if PIF actually have the same faith as most of us

 

I'll have big qualms about them if they don't tbh.

[Ikon]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

Aye you're relying on both of them being very sharp and clinical. Neither are creators. I think the primary plan was to jobshare.

I think so too. That’s why I wasn’t fond of the Barnes signing with Gordon here already. Especially when the RW hasn’t been sorted out which should have been the prior for me over another leftie. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

Barnes replacing Maxi suggests you’re right.

Aye before the injury Barnes & Gorfon barely played together. If the plan was to start them both - we were hiding it!

 

It's a doubling down on Howe-ball.

 

Livra and Hall - I don't think were his signings. Hesitant to use both of them.

[OverThere]

10 more points to be safe then we can sack this season off.  Maybe once we are safe we can play hall, Miley, Livro, Anderson to get them minutes and start developing them for next season.

[RS]

1 minute ago, The Butcher said:

Hmm

He has proved this is absolutely not the case so far

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

It isn't out-of position man ffs Gordon can play Rw. Stick some are given howe after the fact is beyond a joke.

But he isn’t a RW despite him being able to fill in there. That’s the point, I’m saying we should have spent the money on a genuine RW. Fair enough if you don’t agree but I think we will continue to struggle until that position is upgraded.

[nemtizz]

1 minute ago, The Butcher said:

Hmm

 

Fair enough he hasn't had the option to drop anyone of recent, but this is cap. Big cap.

[Miggys First Goal]

3 minutes ago, The Butcher said:

Hmm

Burn starts next game. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

7 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

It felt like the summer was just as much about squad planning to navigate the long season, as well as improving the first team.

 

As it's played out we've had a long term plan, a freak injury and a player who isn't perhaps as ready as we though, so we've only felt the benefit of Livramento.

Said it at the time, there are different ways to improve your chances. You can either sign a couple of amazing players for the first team or increase the overall quality of the squad. 
 

TBH I think we did do a bit of both. With Tonali (and maybe Gordon) the clear upgrade and the others the bulking agents.

In reality I think neither approach would have worked with the amount of absentees we’ve had. 

[dcmk]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Aye before the injury Barnes & Gorfon barely played together. If the plan was to start them both - we were hiding it!

 

It's a doubling down on Howe-ball.

 

Livra and Hall - I don't think were his signings. Hesitant to use both of them.

Hall didn’t have a pre-season even for Chelsea.

 

Livra didn’t have much of one either.  You’re really reaching here, can only assume to fit a narrative which puts Howe in a bad light.

[Jackie Broon]

2 minutes ago, WideopenMag said:

This. They'd have been starting and if all fit no one would have been questioning Howe on these signings. Easy to slate him after injuries.

 

Maybe he was affected by the off the pitch stuff but there were a lot of questions about Tonali's performances before he was suspended.

 

There were also signs of similar issues with teams waltzing through our midfield with ease before we were beset with injuries and fatigue.

[WideopenMag]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

But he isn’t a RW despite him being able to fill in there. That’s the point, I’m saying we should have spent the money on a genuine RW. Fair enough if you don’t agree but I think we will continue to struggle until that position is upgraded.

I love Eddie Howe and honestly think he played the summer window well mate. If these players had have been fit and not suspended it would be a complete different story.

[Rod]

We MASSIVELY miss Willock.  MASSIVELY!

[catlover24]

5 minutes ago, The Butcher said:

Hmm

Translation: Same starting XI next game