Eddie Howe

[Sempiternal]

1 minute ago, Shearergol said:

 

Yeah but until he scores 4 every single game, from 2 chances, he'll never be elite. Init.

Genuinely can’t believe what I’m reading.  Do people think players like him grow on trees? Haaland must have skewed people’s perceptions to insane heights 

[Shearergol]

9 minutes ago, Sempiternal said:

Genuinely can’t believe what I’m reading.  Do people think players like him grow on trees? Haaland must have skewed people’s perceptions to insane heights 

 

Think people are just frustrated at the moment so taking it out on all of the players and staff. Nobody is safe.

[Sempiternal]

Just now, Shearergol said:

 

Think people are just frustrated at the moment so taking it out on all of the players and staff. Nobody is safe.

It’s just crazy to me. He’s 4 in 10

this season and that with him clearly being not fit for a couple of games.  Hes quality 

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Kanj said:

How often do we see a successful plan B from managers? 
 

Good question. I don't think managers have a real plan B. They just have variations on Plan A. Our variation on Plan A is just making subs.

[Kanj]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

Good question. I don't think managers have a real plan B. They just have variations on Plan A. Our variation on Plan A is just making subs.

Think that’s the same for nearly all managers; your plan a variation or plan b is brining in subs who offer something different to what started. It’s a different style player. Our subs have won us points this season many times. It just didn’t work at all Monday. 

[TRon]

1 hour ago, Erikse said:

 

We need to stop making it difficult for ourselves in the first half. I'm tired of watching us chase a comeback in most games.

 

I think we put too much faith in scoring goals by pushing aggressively. It looks great, but our goal scoring record this season doesn't suggest it's particularly effective. You can blame shit finishing, but after enough games, you just wonder if there is actually finishing ability in enough players to warrant such optimism.

[TRon]

37 minutes ago, Sempiternal said:

Isak a poor finisher?! That can not be a real statement . Just the 21 goals in 31 last season. Absolutely absurd thing to say 

 

 

Just fucking mental.

[Sempiternal]

I would really like to see a player signed who can see a difficult pass. And when it’s hectic get on the ball slow it down, and regain composure. 

[Kanj]

Isak just hasn’t been finishing the chances he usually does for us. Just a temporary thing imo. If this was last season he scores that chest volley. 

[54]

1 hour ago, OverThere said:

I said the ficker is never fit but we haven't tried to replace him. Big mistake. Both Isak and Gordon are poor finishers for bread and butter chances.

[Erikse]

10 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

I think we put too much faith in scoring goals by pushing aggressively. It looks great, but our goal scoring record this season doesn't suggest it's particularly effective. You can blame shit finishing, but after enough games, you just wonder if there is actually finishing ability in enough players to warrant such optimism.

 

I agree, I've noticed the same. We go for an early goal, and miss our chances. Leave ourselves exposed in the process, and the opponent scores theirs. Steve Bruce would call it "naive". (sorry, couldn't help myself)

 

Tbh we've also conceded a lot of big chances that the opponents have missed. So it's probably just a case of being more exposed when pushing for that lead.

 

 

Edited November 28, 2024 by Erikse

[TRon]

1 minute ago, Erikse said:

 

I agree, I've noticed the same. We go for an early goal, and miss our chances. Leave ourselves exposed in the process, and the opponent scores theirs.

 

 

There's some teams who seem to recognise our flaws and set up from the off to neutralise our threat...which isn't that much considering it's mostly down the left side and finding Isak. Stop Gordon/Barnes from cutting in, mark Isak out of the game and that's the defensive side wrapped up. Then if you get the ball you know there will be big gaps you can exploit on the counter.

[Erikse]

5 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

There's some teams who seem to recognise our flaws and set up from the off to neutralise our threat...which isn't that much considering it's mostly down the left side and finding Isak. Stop Gordon/Barnes from cutting in, mark Isak out of the game and that's the defensive side wrapped up. Then if you get the ball you know there will be big gaps you can exploit on the counter.

 

Miss the start of last season where both Gordon and Trippier was a huge threat offensively, one from each side..

 

 

Edited November 28, 2024 by Erikse

[TRon]

14 minutes ago, Erikse said:

 

Miss the start of last season where both Gordon and Trippier was a huge threat offensively, one from each side..

 

 

 

 

Even that puts too much onus on a full back for attacking options down the right. Then when Tripps gets caught up the pitch he gets slaughtered for goals conceded on his side. Also think we need more goals from the midfield. Longstaff chipped in with a few but it's not consistent, and Bruno is playing as a 6 so not going to get in those positions as much.

[Colos Short and Curlies]

1 hour ago, TRon said:

 

I think we put too much faith in scoring goals by pushing aggressively. It looks great, but our goal scoring record this season doesn't suggest it's particularly effective. You can blame shit finishing, but after enough games, you just wonder if there is actually finishing ability in enough players to warrant such optimism.

 

Finishing is a skill that can be taught, the difficult bit is the mental aspect where you can't replicate match conditions/pressure in training.

 

I do wonder if some of our attacking players struggle with how they are being asked to play/what they are asked to think about on the pitch and this does have an impact. Just look at how often a new manager goes right back to basics and all of a sudden a striker who couldn't hit a cows arse knocks in a half respectable return almost immediately.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Isak finished his offside goal brilliantly, the left foot half volley was much more difficult. 

[TRon]

25 minutes ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

 

Finishing is a skill that can be taught, the difficult bit is the mental aspect where you can't replicate match conditions/pressure in training.

 

I do wonder if some of our attacking players struggle with how they are being asked to play/what they are asked to think about on the pitch and this does have an impact. Just look at how often a new manager goes right back to basics and all of a sudden a striker who couldn't hit a cows arse knocks in a half respectable return almost immediately.

 

I don't think the problem is the finishing, yes we've missed a few recently but Isak is a very good finisher for the most part. I think we are struggling to create clear chances because the supply's not great from out wide. The left wingers are good at cutting in, but when that's blocked their delivery from wide is patchy. There is no right wing. There's no one other than Isak arriving in the box so the defenders all mark him.

[JEToon]

 

If West Ham and more so Brighton had a tactical plan it was quite crap for me regardless of how the game played out.

 

Brighton in particular had a plan of what? give them loads of chances, they will miss and we might score one. I wouldn’t be enamored with a manager of ours playing that kind of football, that is absurdly high risk.

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, Kanj said:

Think that’s the same for nearly all managers; your plan a variation or plan b is brining in subs who offer something different to what started. It’s a different style player. Our subs have won us points this season many times. It just didn’t work at all Monday. 

You could see more tactical variation. Sometimes Liverpool play with a single pivot in midfield, sometimes double.  Ours is nearly always single.  
 

Our Xg was double of West Ham’s. We should’ve scored and won.  Had we scored at any point between nil nil or 1-0 we probably win it.  
 

BUT an Xg of 1.64 at home, to a poor West Ham, and being behind for 80 minutes does still indicate a lack of creativity and belief. Both things can be true.  
 

The PSG handball is only possible because PSG kept the pressure for 90 minutes. The relentless pressure gifted them a lucky break.   We didn’t and never got our break.  

 

 

Edited November 28, 2024 by The College Dropout

[The College Dropout]

Also we are giving teams code that we will punch ourselves out at home.  It’s happened twice. 
 

That will give travelling sides some hope.   ‘Keep these goalless for 30 minutes and the whole stadium will lose belief.’

[mondonewc]

Just me that wishes there was a new thread such as "Sack or keep Eddie Howe"? Then those who want to discuss this to death after every goal we concede can do as they wish and the rest of us can avoid it and keep checking in this thread for all things Eddie Howe.

[TRon]

1 hour ago, JEToon said:

 

If West Ham and more so Brighton had a tactical plan it was quite crap for me regardless of how the game played out.

 

Brighton in particular had a plan of what? give them loads of chances, they will miss and we might score one. I wouldn’t be enamored with a manager of ours playing that kind of football, that is absurdly high risk.

 

It's hard for me to comment really because I wasn't able to watch the Brighton game, was only able to keep up with it via checking the score every so often, but we supposedly missed chance after chance, then they scored. Once that happened I sort of knew we weren't going to win.

 

The West Ham game, again couldn't watch the first half due to other commitments, but we were 1-0 down when I tuned in second half. Never felt like we were going to get a win, and we conceded again. To me they looked pretty much in control and we were just throwing stuff at them in desperation. For all the loads of chances we supposedly had, their keeper barely had to make a save.

 

There's days when you don't score and every team has them. But combined with giving away soft goals most games this season, it doesn't inspire confidence.

[JEToon]

5 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

It's hard for me to comment really because I wasn't able to watch the Brighton game

 

Could have stopped there really. 

[TRon]

3 minutes ago, JEToon said:

 

Could have stopped there really. 

 

I think you probably did.

[The College Dropout]

9 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

It's hard for me to comment really because I wasn't able to watch the Brighton game, was only able to keep up with it via checking the score every so often, but we supposedly missed chance after chance, then they scored. Once that happened I sort of knew we weren't going to win.

 

The West Ham game, again couldn't watch the first half due to other commitments, but we were 1-0 down when I tuned in second half. Never felt like we were going to get a win, and we conceded again. To me they looked pretty much in control and we were just throwing stuff at them in desperation. For all the loads of chances we supposedly had, their keeper barely had to make a save.

 

There's days when you don't score and every team has them. But combined with giving away soft goals most games this season, it doesn't inspire confidence.

We were good in the first half.  Unlucky to go in behind.  
 

Second half was shambolic in comparison.