Eddie Howe

[Jonas]

3 hours ago, Holmesy said:

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 

 

 

 

I didn't say everyone to be fair just that some folks expecations are Man City levels of straight trajectory because I've read it.

You don't just get beat off the teams that are above you. Keegan's team got deservedly beaten off Luton too and only scraped a draw at home. Either side of that we were well beaten at Wimbledon.

We won 13 straight league games under Keegan and got beat at home off Grimsby to end it. Its not too relevant but it is football.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Jonas

[Interpolic]

17 minutes ago, Collage said:

Full backs, mainly (Trips and Burn)

It’s also about substitutions, he tends to make late ones. For me it’s just natural to think that we’ve suffered due to the amount of games, playing the way we do. 

 

Full backs - Burn broke his back ffs and Trippier hasn't been injured, so that can't be put down as a contributing factor with a straight face. Subs fine you have your preferences, but absolutely nothing Howe has done could have been foreseen to lead to double digit serious injuries. Maybe a handful, which could have been managed. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, Interpolic said:

 

Man City was much changed without needing to use Ritchie, he did start at Old Trafford, and he was on for nearly a half at Stamford Bridge. The latter was a quarter final which most agreed was a priority. 

Played Pope, Schar, Almiron, Gordon and Bruno. 
The only purples to sit it out entirely were Trippier and Botman. 

[TheBrownBottle]

33 minutes ago, Jonas said:

A lot of people say we lost the title in 1996 because Gillespie got injured for a few month and they're probably not wrong given it would only have took a few more points that we'd likely have gotten just off his presence/balance alone. Howe's been without ten Gillespies and some are condemning him.

Completely different era in fairness.  KK doesn’t sell Ruel Fox the previous summer if he’s allowed more than a three man bench with one sub.  No-one thought of squad rotation in 1995 other than Ferguson, who first started doing it in the League Cup the year before.

[TheBrownBottle]

11 minutes ago, Memphis said:

I would be interested to read the inevitable report that will be commissioned about the relationship between our style of play/training and the injury level. I support Howe completely in the way he leads and the way he represents the club, he seems like a genuinely good person. I also think his style may be leading to our injuries and his loyalty to middling players may be exaggerating our depth issues. 

 

It's far more complex than a lot of our fans care to admit. But you can hold both of those opinions - that he's a good man and a good manager, and that his style may be problematic for us - at the same time.

100%.  That’s where I am with this.  

[Interpolic]

5 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Played Pope, Schar, Almiron, Gordon and Bruno. 
The only purples to sit it out entirely were Trippier and Botman. 

 

Which game are you on about? Because if it's Chelsea it's completely irrelevant to the discussion we're having, that Howe can be accused of causing the injury crisis due to lack of rotation earlier in the season. If it's Man City you're wrong, if it's Man Utd Ritchie played. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Howe has said himself that he doesn’t like changing a team which won the game before.  Then Benitez is the other end of the scale, and never saw a team he couldn’t change the week after.

 

I think Howe’s too smart not to have learned from this experience.  I don’t think he’ll go down the Benitez path, but I think once we have the majority of players back we’ll start seeing starting players shuffled around a bit more week by week

[The College Dropout]

10 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

 

Which game are you on about? Because if it's Chelsea it's completely irrelevant to the discussion we're having, that Howe can be accused of causing the injury crisis due to lack of rotation earlier in the season. If it's Man City you're wrong, if it's Man Utd Ritchie played. 

I’m not wrong. They all played Man City.  Not all started but they played. 
 

Man City with a squad more prepared to challenge on 4 fronts didn’t play Rodri, Haaland, Ederson. 

[Orphanage]

51 minutes ago, Jonas said:

A lot of people say we lost the title in 1996 because Gillespie got injured for a few month and they're probably not wrong given it would only have took a few more points that we'd likely have gotten just off his presence/balance alone. Howe's been without ten Gillespies and some are condemning him.

Shoulda replaced him with Huckerby 

[Jonas]

22 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Completely different era in fairness.  KK doesn’t sell Ruel Fox the previous summer if he’s allowed more than a three man bench with one sub.  No-one thought of squad rotation in 1995 other than Ferguson, who first started doing it in the League Cup the year before.

That's fair enough mate, I should have stated that but felt there's a point in there somewhere about seemingly little things make a bigger difference than some give credit for. For a team like that to get derailed by one injury etc. etc.

Fucking hell though, you forget some things and if we kept Ruel were home and dry. Sellars even. Sods law we sell both and Gillespie gets crocked. KK really had nothing like the blank cheque book some imagine.

KK was tinkering too to be fair by then - Guppy's and Brayson's only games were in the LC. Man City in 94 (Mike Jeffrey etc) was needs must tbf. Ferguson started at Brighton in 92, giving the devil his due, they won the league for the first time in 20odd years that season, may have made all the difference.

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Jonas

[Jonas]

1 minute ago, Orphanage said:

Shoulda replaced him with Huckerby 

Good shout. He looked the dogs bollocks against Chelsea when he came on I thought. Raw but I was very impressed. No surprise he had a good career.

Down the left side iirc too.

 

 

[Interpolic]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

I’m not wrong. They all played Man City.  Not all started but they played. 
 

Man City with a squad more prepared to challenge on 4 fronts didn’t play Rodri, Haaland, Ederson. 

 

Sheffield United, 24th September 

 

Pope
Trippier
Schar
Botman
Burn
S.Longstaff
Guimaraes
Anderson
Almiron
Wilson
Barnes 

 

Man City, 27th September

 

Pope
Livramento
Lascelles
Dummett
Targett
L.Miley
Tonali
Hall
J.Murphy
Isak
Joelinton

 

I've highlighted in bold the players that started the 2 games consecutively. Won't take you long to count them. It's a goalkeeper as well. 

 

If you're complaining about the subs that Howe made in that game then sorry to say but you really don't know ball. 

 

They murdered us first half, Howe made the subs, changed the impetus, we looked a different team and progressed against the best team in the country. All the while making sure nobody played 2 consecutive 90 minutes and plenty of key players got 45+ minutes rest. 

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Jonas said:

That's fair enough mate, I should have stated that but felt there's a point in there somewhere about seemingly little things make a bigger difference than some give credit for. For a team like that to get derailed by one injury etc. etc.

Fucking hell though, you forget some things and if we kept Ruel were home and dry. Sellars even. Sods law we sell both and Gillespie gets crocked. KK really had nothing like the blank cheque book some imagine.

KK was tinkering too to be fair by then - Guppy's and Brayson's only games were in the LC. Man City in 94 (Mike Jeffrey etc) was needs must tbf. Ferguson started at Brighton in 92, giving the devil his due.

Yeah, when KK left the whole ‘chequebook manager’ shite was ongoing, but he brought in £20m in sales as well as £60m in signings (and the squad he left was definitely worth more than £40m).

 

It was nearly impossible to cover for all positions back then - and the intensity of play reflected it.  I do think that Gillespie’s injury bollocksed our season that year - we were never the same again.

 

Funnily enough, I do think some of the criticism that could be levelled at KK could be levelled at Howe - Keegan wouldn’t drop Lee or Beardsley even when they were completely out of form, even though the likes of Watson and Huckerby were able to come in for a game or two.

 

Howe and KK are very similar in that I always want to hear them talk.  Robson and Benitez are the only other NUFC managers where I can say that.  Howe isn’t super charismatic, but he’s likeable and level-headed. 

[Interpolic]

Tbh one of the main things I remember about earlier this season was loads moaning when Murphy or Wilson started. Nice easy argument to crowbar in now we're suffering though. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, Interpolic said:

 

Sheffield United, 24th September 

 

Pope
Trippier
Schar
Botman
Burn
S.Longstaff
Guimaraes
Anderson
Almiron
Wilson
Barnes 

 

Man City, 27th September

 

Pope
Livramento
Lascelles
Dummett
Targett
L.Miley
Tonali
Hall
J.Murphy
Isak
Joelinton

 

I've highlighted in bold the players that started the 2 games consecutively. Won't take you long to count them. It's a goalkeeper as well. 

 

If you're complaining about the subs that Howe made in that game then sorry to say but you really don't know ball. 

 

They murdered us first half, Howe made the subs, changed the impetus, we looked a different team and progressed against the best team in the country. All the while making sure nobody played 2 consecutive 90 minutes and plenty of key players got 45+ minutes rest. 

Fatigue is cumulative. We weren’t going to rest Bruno in December if we were in the league cup and not in the CL or league. We shouldn’t have played him in that game at all.  Like I’ve said - City have a much stronger squad and completely rested their spine that they will need in big matches - Ederson, Dias, Rodri, Haaland. With the exception of Trippier all of our key spine players got minutes. 
 

Sheffield United we were 6-0 after 60 minutes. Trippier and co. played 80 minutes. 
 

They seem small but three things all add up in fatigue. 
 

Sime of the injuries have been freak injuries. But Howe’s tactical approach and lack of rotation has been a contributor to the injuries and lack of sharpness.  

[The Prophet]

3 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Fatigue is cumulative. We weren’t going to rest Bruno in December if we were in the league cup and not in the CL or league. We shouldn’t have played him in that game at all.  Like I’ve said - City have a much stronger squad and completely rested their spine that they will need in big matches - Ederson, Dias, Rodri, Haaland. With the exception of Trippier all of our key spine players got minutes. 
 

Sheffield United we were 6-0 after 60 minutes. Trippier and co. played 80 minutes. 
 

They seem small but three things all add up in fatigue. 
 

Sime of the injuries have been freak injuries. But Howe’s tactical approach and lack of rotation has been a contributor to the injuries and lack of sharpness.  

 

Don't necessarily disagree with the bit in bold, but it's all very easy to say with the benefit of hindsight.

 

We don't pick up the freak injuries and we're not in this mess.

[Kid Icarus]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

As in… playing what he thinks is his strongest team again and again?

On a game by game basis, ie horses for courses.

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

 

Don't necessarily disagree with the bit in bold, but it's all very easy to say with the benefit of hindsight.

 

We don't pick up the freak injuries and we're not in this mess.

If we don’t have the freak injuries, we barely see Livramento. That’s not right. 

[Interpolic]

7 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Fatigue is cumulative. We weren’t going to rest Bruno in December if we were in the league cup and not in the CL or league. We shouldn’t have played him in that game at all.  Like I’ve said - City have a much stronger squad and completely rested their spine that they will need in big matches - Ederson, Dias, Rodri, Haaland. With the exception of Trippier all of our key spine players got minutes. 
 

Sheffield United we were 6-0 after 60 minutes. Trippier and co. played 80 minutes. 
 

They seem small but three things all add up in fatigue. 
 

Sime of the injuries have been freak injuries. But Howe’s tactical approach and lack of rotation has been a contributor to the injuries and lack of sharpness.  

 

He made 10 changes for that league cup game. In an ideal world we'd have been 4 up at half time and not needed to play any of our big hitters. But we needed to make those changes to win the game, simple as that. 

 

The changes weren't crazy either - Bruno played 45 minutes, as did Gordon. Miggy played half an hour. Schar came on in injury time so can only assume you were being disingenuous or hoping I wouldn't look it up. If you are wanting to prove a point about Howe's squad management then I think this game is about the worst one you could have picked. 

[dcmk]

13 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Fatigue is cumulative. We weren’t going to rest Bruno in December if we were in the league cup and not in the CL or league. We shouldn’t have played him in that game at all.  Like I’ve said - City have a much stronger squad and completely rested their spine that they will need in big matches - Ederson, Dias, Rodri, Haaland. With the exception of Trippier all of our key spine players got minutes. 
 

Sheffield United we were 6-0 after 60 minutes. Trippier and co. played 80 minutes. 
 

They seem small but three things all add up in fatigue. 
 

Sime of the injuries have been freak injuries. But Howe’s tactical approach and lack of rotation has been a contributor to the injuries and lack of sharpness.  

 

You're using hindsight from a match we have won, to say a player shouldn't have played a half of football.  Him not starting Bruno suggests he was conscious of minutes.

 

If we had lost and Bruno wasn't selected or didn't play, I can imagine a lot of folk on here would be criticising Eddie about not taking the competition seriously.

 

He saw a way to win the match and went for it and won, it's bizarre to criticise when he wanted to be positive and win.

 

No one could possibly have predicted how the injury situation would develop. 

 

 

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by dcmk

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, Interpolic said:

 

He made 10 changes for that league cup game. In an ideal world we'd have been 4 up at half time and not needed to play any of our big hitters. But we needed to make those changes to win the game, simple as that. 

 

The changes weren't crazy either - Bruno played 45 minutes, as did Gordon. Miggy played half an hour. Schar came on in injury time so can only assume you were being disingenuous or hoping I wouldn't look it up. If you are wanting to prove a point about Howe's squad management then I think this game is about the worst one you could have picked. 

I thought Howe’s management of that LC game was masterful tbh.  He rotated, could see that there were issues, changed at HT and we looked like a different side second half.  Perfect.

 

Rotation doesn’t mean changing the entire XI for me, though.  It means swapping out one or two players game by game.  I still think we’ll see Howe doing that from now on - the man learns from his mistakes. 

[The College Dropout]

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

On a game by game basis, ie horses for courses.

In the league and CL, 7 of 11 always start. The other 4 slots do get rotated. 3 of those slots have picked up long term injuries and suspensions and the 4th has 2 seemingly injury prone players.  That’s not Howe’s fault aye.  
 

The other 7, Howe could do more to keep them fresh and fit. Also including not bringing them back too earlier. 

4 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

 

He made 10 changes for that league cup game. In an ideal world we'd have been 4 up at half time and not needed to play any of our big hitters. But we needed to make those changes to win the game, simple as that. 

 

The changes weren't crazy either - Bruno played 45 minutes, as did Gordon. Miggy played half an hour. Schar came on in injury time so can only assume you were being disingenuous or hoping I wouldn't look it up. If you are wanting to prove a point about Howe's squad management then I think this game is about the worst one you could have picked. 

For the 3rd time. Man City actually lost the game but didn’t bring on their star striker.  I can only deduce that Pep prioritised Haaland’s long term sharpness and fitness over the immediate result.  Howe has routinely prioritised the immediate fixture over long term sharpness and fitness. Bruno and Gordon didn’t need those minutes. 
 

Bruno doesn’t even have a natural understudy in the squad. He was always found to get flogged at some point. 

[The Prophet]

To be fair, Haaland's back up is Alvarez.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Knowing Howe, we will go on a class run very soon. Even today, I thought we played some absolutely lush football in that first 30 minutes - when we nail that coordinated one-touch passing, it's easily the best stuff I've seen us produce in my lifetime.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing us closer to full tilt again in the coming weeks, hopefully with some extra hungry players back and a couple of additions too.

 

We usually get shite all at Anfield so it's all about putting in a really good, unified performance for me. Something to build on going into the next run of games.

[Interpolic]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

For the 3rd time.

 

No need. Fuck off. 

 

We made those changes as it was necessary to win the tie. The alternative was throwing it. You're focusing on minutiae in one game where Howe got everything right. Laters.