Eddie Howe

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

7 minutes ago, 500bhp said:

In which case he is talking bollocks😁. We were not beaten today due to fatigue, we looked very fit all game. Burn was skinned all game from minute 2 and Almiron and others were crap. Every single team in the PL are well familiar with our 433 formation from last year. They have loads of employee (including AI?) who analyse our style of play and work out how to play against us. The Trippier, Longstaff, Almiron triangle does not work now, that was for last season.

 

Howe needs to find a Plan B and use that when appropriate. He's a very clever guy and will work it out. Just hope he gets the time to do that 👍

You ever heard of mental fatigue? I swear clearly there are a lot of people on here who don’t have to do a lot of thinking at work, given the way they go on in here. 
 

Has Trippier dropped a few clangers because he's ran too far, or is it more likely that he's having occasional brain farts due to being mentally exhausted? Factor in a bit of loss of confidence on top and is it any wonder we've seen a drop off.
 

People love to bump there gums but basically since the Dortmund home game we've played the front 6 who have been fit every week. Only the last 2 games have we had genuine options off the bench. 
 

I get the idea of having multiple ways of playing, but given our recent schedule I'm not sure they’ve had the time to work on that. I imagine they’ve probably been worried about breaking the fit players they have at their disposal too tbh.

[Jonas]

Its a lot easier to replace the Longstaff's , Almiron's and Dubravaka's of the world than Eddie Howe.

I feel its obvious we'd be better off sticking with the manager than a wedge of the players who will be replaced in time anyway, probably already would be were it not for various new rules. Nobody at the club has claimed were the finished article and were still transitioning from a shit team to a mainstay at the top.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Jonas

[midds]

It's also very noticeable that there's a complete lack of buzz or energy about the place any more. The whole squad looks so deflated and they all look shattered both mentally and physically, which is a worry as we're only halfway through the season. Those tough fixtures every few days have well and truly caught up with the players and they're playing like they're fucked, the tough game have taken so much out of them that the easier games are also being lost and we're several layers down the downward spiral now. Out of Europe, out of the League Cup whilst simultaneously falling out of contention in the League in the last 4 or 5 weeks too with 3 ridiculously tough League fixtures on the horizon. 

 

Howe needs to find something from somewhere soon. I sincerely want him to fix this but I think the patience of the owners is only so long 

[Decky]

5 minutes ago, Deuce said:

There are enough mitigating circumstances that I can’t imagine PIF would entertain sacking Howe this season. We’d have to be at risk of relegation, which isn’t going to happen…despite the results, we’re not a bottom half team.

Howe wouldn’t get anywhere near a relegation battle. We’re not a relegation scrap club now, any sniff of that and he’d be gone. Honestly a lot of us would be happy to give him another shot next season if he finished 9th or something but PIF would be furious that after getting Champions League football last season we’ve missed out on Europe completely this season and might think differently. We don’t know how they’d react to that.

[Menace]

The amount the chap has aged in 2 years is nuts, football management is definitely one of the most stressful jobs in the world you can tell. He'll work it out.

[Deuce]

Just now, Decky said:

but PIF would be furious that after getting Champions League football last season we’ve missed out on Europe completely this season and might think differently

Possibly, but I don’t get that sense. Everything they’ve done with respect to the club has been methodical…surely they can see we’ve been dealt a tough hand this season. 

[Decky]

1 minute ago, Deuce said:

Possibly, but I don’t get that sense. Everything they’ve done with respect to the club has been methodical…surely they can see we’ve been dealt a tough hand this season. 

Everything we’ve done so far has been positive though, we haven’t seen them react to a failure to the magnitude of a bad league position. 

[Miggys First Goal]

The top 4 finish last season came too early in the grand scheme of things, and I think it has ruined the expectations of some of our fanbase (probably people who latched on from the takeover and weren’t around or deeply invested during the Ashley era when things WERE shite) who probably expect it going forward now. If we’d stuck to the 10 year plan that Staveley spoke about and built up gradually, I doubt we’d even be discussing sacking Eddie now. 

[Miggys First Goal]

But then again, I wonder if Yassir has had his judgement clouded as well. In the documentary he’s all “we want to be number 1” and we’re clearly not number 1, or anywhere near being number 1 right now, so who knows what their decision making is going to be. They themselves might be disappointed at anything less than fourth. 

[astraguy]

1 hour ago, WideopenMag said:

Can't wait till Eddie wins his first trophy here 

[Jonas]

1 minute ago, Miggys First Goal said:

The top 4 finish last season came too early in the grand scheme of things, and I think it has ruined the expectations of some of our fanbase (probably people who latched on from the takeover and weren’t around or deeply invested during the Ashley era when things WERE shite) who probably expect it going forward now. If we’d stuck to the 10 year plan that Staveley spoke about and built up gradually, I doubt we’d even be discussing sacking Eddie now. 

Folk were debating whether ffp was even a thing until recently and expect us to follow in Man City's footsteps despite all the roadblocks and measures they've put in to prevent another Man City.  As if ffp and injuries are just excuses for not being in the top three when its clearly the manager.

[Holmesy]

8 minutes ago, Jonas said:

Folk were debating whether ffp was even a thing until recently and expect us to follow in Man City's footsteps despite all the roadblocks and measures they've put in to prevent another Man City.  As if ffp and injuries are just excuses for not being in the top three when it’s clearly the manager.

I don’t think anyone expects us to be Man City, but we don’t expect to get shat on by Forest at home and comfortably outplayed by Luton. The manager is rightly being criticised for certain things that are within his control 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Holmesy

[Decky]

16 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

The top 4 finish last season came too early in the grand scheme of things, and I think it has ruined the expectations of some of our fanbase (probably people who latched on from the takeover and weren’t around or deeply invested during the Ashley era when things WERE shite) who probably expect it going forward now. If we’d stuck to the 10 year plan that Staveley spoke about and built up gradually, I doubt we’d even be discussing sacking Eddie now. 

Problem is we’ve spent a lot of money to the point that the owners probably won’t be happy with just a top ten finish. After two years and hundreds of millions spent they probably want European football regularly going forward, even if it’s just Conference League. Eddie has to turn this round in the second half of the season and it’s not just recent form, the away form for the whole season needs sorting out.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Decky

[Deuce]

5 minutes ago, Jonas said:

Folk were debating whether ffp was even a thing until recently and expect us to follow in Man City's footsteps despite all the roadblocks and measures they've put in to prevent another Man City.  As if ffp and injuries are just excuses for not being in the top three when its clearly the manager.

And even then, it took four years for City to win the league and fifteen to win the CL!

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

16 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

The top 4 finish last season came too early in the grand scheme of things,

This 1000%, we got CL football probably 2 years and 4 windows too early. We are now victims of last season success, rather than actually still being relatively happy with sitting 7th or 8th in the league and able to actually compete in most matches.

 

We didn’t have a squad capable of properly competing on all fronts, in terms of both actual numbers and certainly on genuine quality too. Factor in a ridiculous run of injuries and the whole Tonali situation; is it really any wonder we're hitting a period of bad form?

 

I keep hearing lots of chat about how Howe needs to do x or y and that he might be getting replaced. If we do shift him on, it’ll be a few years down the line when he's got more quality to chose from and is still failing. Not due to our current situation when it’s basically the same 11 every game.
 

Honest question, what is another manager going to change in that situation in reality? Park the bus hoping for draws? If this form continues when everyone is back fit, then that’s a different conversation. But if what we've seen since he arrived is anything to go by, I feel that is unlikely. Even if we don’t quite hit the heights of last year again this season.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Ghandis Flip-Flop
Typing like an idiot on an iPad

[et tu brute]

1 hour ago, 500bhp said:

We have the richest owners of any football club in the world. (Acknowledging that FFP means we cannot spend the money) The Saudis do not do second place.

 

I hope he can turn this around in the second half of the season once we get back into the weekend to weekend games and injured players come back. But football is not fair and we do not know how our SA ownership will react. Will be an interesting next few months. 

This is my thoughts exactly. I just don't think the Saudis will allow for any goodwill or 'credit in the bank' as they are ruthless business people. We are already hindered by FFP, failure to qualify for Europe will impact on that again, especially when we have to quantify financial amounts of sponsorship. Reports are that we are being grouped within the 'elite' group of clubs for the Adidas product, not a good look with no European football to highlight this. A poor January and I'm not sure he stays in post. 

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

4 minutes ago, et tu brute said:

This is my thoughts exactly. I just don't think the Saudis will allow for any goodwill or 'credit in the bank' as they are ruthless business people. We are already hindered by FFP, failure to qualify for Europe will impact on that again, especially when we have to quantify financial amounts of sponsorship. Reports are that we are being grouped within the 'elite' group of clubs for the Adidas product, not a good look with no European football to highlight this. A poor January and I'm not sure he stays in post. 

Well they better roll up their sleeves and start knitting new players then. If they’re as data driven and methodical as has been suggested, then I suspect they’re probably less reactionary than many on this forum 

[Decky]

PIF are here two years and have spent hundreds of millions over four transfer windows. 8th should be worst case scenario now. I think we’ll easily finish top 8 and we’ll rally again after January and finish maybe top 6. 
 

Next season is the 4th season our owners are here and expectations are surely growing well beyond top 8. Especially after another two transfer windows. If Eddie can turn this round and get us top 6 imo he’ll prove he’s the man to take us on further. 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Decky

[et tu brute]

3 minutes ago, Ghandis Flip-Flop said:

Well they better roll up their sleeves and start knitting new players then. If they’re as data driven and methodical as has been suggested, then I suspect they’re probably less reactionary than many on this forum 

We will see

[500bhp]

27 minutes ago, Miggys First Goal said:

But then again, I wonder if Yassir has had his judgement clouded as well. In the documentary he’s all “we want to be number 1” and we’re clearly not number 1, or anywhere near being number 1 right now, so who knows what their decision making is going to be. They themselves might be disappointed at anything less than fourth. 

I cant speak for PIF obviously but they didnt buy NUFC to lose to Luton and at home to Forest. We've now entered the unknown phase. Do they allow the UK based owners to make the football decisions or are they more hands on? None of us can answer that. Only time will tell. 

 

I think we'll go on a run next year and climb the table when the injuries clear and we have no more midweek cup games. But who knows. 

[The Prophet]

59 minutes ago, 500bhp said:

In which case he is talking bollocks😁. We were not beaten today due to fatigue, we looked very fit all game. Burn was skinned all game from minute 2 and Almiron and others were crap. Every single team in the PL are well familiar with our 433 formation from last year. They have loads of employee (including AI?) who analyse our style of play and work out how to play against us. The Trippier, Longstaff, Almiron triangle does not work now, that was for last season.

 

Howe needs to find a Plan B and use that when appropriate. He's a very clever guy and will work it out. Just hope he gets the time to do that 👍

 

We absolutely were fatigued today like. The three man midfield looked sluggish and easy to play through, the wingers were ineffective and decision making was off all over the park.

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

Well do you think Dan Ashworth is whispering into their ears saying sack him? Or do you think anyone who is rational and dispassionate enough to look at the circumstances we find ourselves in, thinks there's a fair bit of mitigation to explain our current predicament. 
 

I mean you harp on about how successful they’ve been in investments etc, do you achieve that by being reactionary and trigger happy?

 

Genuine question, what has this ownership done that suggests they’re going to throw out our current blueprint at the first sign of adversity?

[TheBrownBottle]

I hadn’t looked at the table for some time, but did so today.  If Everton win their game in hand, then their league results for the first half of the season are the same as ours.

 

Of course, Everton didn’t have six European fixtures vs top sides, but still - that’s not good. 

[MrRaspberryJam]

3 minutes ago, Ghandis Flip-Flop said:

 

 

Genuine question, what has this ownership done that suggests they’re going to throw out our current blueprint at the first sign of adversity?

sacked Bruce after 1 game. 

[Gallowgate Toon]

Looks a mixture of fuming and knackered in his NUFCTV interview.