Eddie Howe

[et tu brute]

1 minute ago, Theregulars said:

He needs us to stand by him. 
 

Trying to remain calm, my questions would be:

 

1. why did we buy a squad only not to use it?

2. Why can’t he see that burn at left back is always handing the opposition an advantage? It seems so strange as he’s so astute so I must be missing something. 
3. why can’t we pass the ball to our own team? 
4. where’s the intensity gone?

5. why are non-performing players never punished for their lack of form by being taken out of the side?

All those 5 points are true and is the reason why he is rightly so under pressure now. We're getting worse by the game and even in the games we have won, we were pretty poor. We are two points of the relegation places with a total 12 points out of a possible 33. That is not acceptable 

[Rafalove]

Just now, andycap said:

Can I ask a question what was so wrong with the summers recruitment? 

 

Elanga and Ramsey, imo. Wissa is unfortunate. I think in general we’re looking too much at a players physical attributes, and not enough on their footballing ability.

[bobbydazzla]

3 minutes ago, UncleBuzzcocks said:

Realistically, how many results like this does he have until he’s sacked?

[Kid Icarus]

2 minutes ago, Lucky said:

It’s absolutely mental but use your eyes and let go of the sentimentality.

 

He’d done an excellent job, but he’s fucked up this season.

 

Personally I’d much prefer to make a call and change something that’s not working rather than stick with it for long enough that my opinion starts to change of him.

To come to the conclusion that he's the thing that's not working is definitely a bit mental.

[andycap]

1 minute ago, Lucky said:

Elanga. Ramsey.

Again it's still early for these players to be written off. 

[Theregulars]

For what it’s worth I don’t think the team believes it can win without Isak. 

[Gawalls]

1 minute ago, andycap said:

Can I ask a question what was so wrong with the summers recruitment? 

 

We bought something like half a dozen players and have three positions We're struggling to fill at the moment with only three injuries. We struggled last season with teams on the low block and rather than a RM to unlock that we bought one with nothing but pace.

[mouldy_uk]

Just now, Rafalove said:

Elanga and Ramsey, imo. Wissa is unfortunate. I think in general we’re looking too much at a players physical attributes, and not enough on their footballing ability.

Agreed with Elanga, he’s quick but little else

 

Not sure about Ramsey, seems pretty average at everything

[Ronaldo]

We actually might be in the relegation zone after the next two games. 

[Menace]

3 minutes ago, El Prontonise said:

 

I fucking hate this generalisation that everyone who was getting annoyed at our performances etc is tagged under this banner.

 

On top of that "everyone wanted him sacked"

 

Literally who?

[Pilko]

Just now, Theregulars said:

For what it’s worth I don’t think the team believes it can win without Isak. 

 

They seem to believe it easy enough on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

[jack j]

6 minutes ago, Dyeyzzon said:

What if we do a Spurs - a cup and a deep run in Europe but 17th  

I'd be fucking delighted

 

We really need to give 4 2 3 1 a shot when wissa is back

 

Woltemade isnt a striker as long as I've got a hole in my arse

 

 

Edited November 9, 2025 by jack j

[LiquidAK]

3 minutes ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

how do you fit Wissa in? We need a goal scorer in the team.

 

for me it’s a 4-4-1-1 formation but it puts a lot of pressure on Bruno and Tonali.

 

the alternative is a genuine 3-5-1-1 with Hall and Tino giving width but then you lose Murph and Barnes

Fair point, I keep forgetting we have him  he's played on the wings before, so if we're persisting with the 4-3-3 I'd be rotating him between Barnes, Murphy and Woltemade (the latter especially must need a break)

[andycap]

Just now, Gawalls said:

We bought something like half a dozen players and have three positions We're struggling to fill at the moment with only three injuries. We struggled last season with teams on the low block and rather than a RM to unlock that we bought one with nothing but pace.

He got what he wanted. 

[The College Dropout]

1 minute ago, Lucky said:

It’s absolutely mental but use your eyes and let go of the sentimentality.

 

He’d done an excellent job, but he’s fucked up this season.

 

Personally I’d much prefer to make a call and change something that’s not working rather than stick with it for long enough that my opinion starts to change of him.

It’s not sentimentality. 
 

Yes we are shit. But this squad is such a Howe squad, he has to be stuck with. Another manager isn’t getting this lot in Europe anyway so we stick it out with him. Pivot the squad to a more generalised squad and if he doesn’t perform then next season, he can be sacked and replaced with a manager that can use the tools. 
 

This squad has 1 left back, 2 senior CMs, about 3 midfielders you can’t give a natural position.  Arguably 3 LW’s none of which are elite. 1 RW. 1 striker. 1 AM/SS.  Let Howe try and figure this out. 

[Ben]

Why can't he motivate the team away from home ? The whole side just loses energy when we jump on a bus and leave St James.

[Rafalove]

1 minute ago, mouldy_uk said:

Agreed with Elanga, he’s quick but little else

 

Not sure about Ramsey, seems pretty average at everything

 

 

We needed a midfielder with a bit imagination.

[Ronaldo]

4 minutes ago, Sean said:

We really don’t look like a team giving their all for the manager. Far too many putting in regular half assed shit displays.

I’m usually loathe to make this point because it’s a lazy one - not playing for the manager.

 

However, they’re clearly not. Multiple players have either got no faith / understanding in the system or they’re not bothered.

[madras]

12 minutes ago, andycap said:

Would you? 😂 

Given those choices....aye but it's close.

[et tu brute]

3 minutes ago, Geogaddi said:

He is allowed a free pass for at least one bad season after everything he has achieved here .

The owners won't think that and rightly so. They have already sacked the women's manager after a poor start. Nobody should be allowed a free pass for any bad season. If we are in the same position for much longer and playing at the same level, he won't even last the season. That is the just the way football is nowadays. A massive period coming up to Christmas. 

[Vinny Green Balls]

2 minutes ago, 54 said:

These last two away games have been terrible, no two ways about it, but in no uncertain terms should he be under any pressure, from the fans or the board, like at all, even if it was just for the simple fact that he won a trophy 6 months ago and the grace period that should allow him is longer than a single patchy run of form, in what is seeming like a transitional season in the terms of the way we play. He has more than enough enough credit in the bank, and he's allowed to make mistakes, all managers do from time to time, and even the mistakes today I can understand, Burn should have been subbed earlier, but he wasn't as Brentford had multiple set-piece opportunities and he clearly valued the physicality of Burn to help against that threat, I don't agree with it, but I can understand it. The only thing I don't understand is the subbing of Pope, but thats probably more on the medical team than Howe.

 

Its also still really early on in the campaign and we have won 7 of the last 11 in all comps, which isn't bad, especially in the cup games, we just need a couple of wins and we'll be back around the top 8 as its still super tight. I also personally hate the reactionary nature of hounding a manager after a small period of poor play. If he was the right man 2 months ago, he's the right man now, and I think people put too much stock on having to do well all the time, and that progress must be linear, you're allowed a bad year, especially if you've been a proven success, so personally would rather have a lower/ middling season, and keep Howe around, then sack him for some other rando like Ireola. We could finish 13th this season, and I still think he'll deserve a crack next. 

 Well said. If a few had their way, we'd have used up our subs by halftime every game. I'm convinced that some are just never going to take to him, as they do this every time we run into patchy form, and then pretend that they didn't do this shit.

 

Is our away form acceptable? Absolutely not. It's ben a disaster, and he is seemingly making the same mistakes. We had spells like this every year since his first season, although this is probably the worst yet. Last year was pretty close though. We already had 5 losses near this time.

 

TCD and 54 are talking sense. Criticism is certainly warranted, but to not give him the season is just absolutely absurd. Some of you spent way too much time on FM, and want to tear up the foundation every time we run into a bad patch. Fortunately the board probably have more sense than a few on here. They could've easily axed him after his poor start when they took over, but they stuck with him, and it's born fruit. Howe clearly needs to do better, but seriously, get a grip, man.

[Danh1]

I miss when we played with intensity, when we were shithouses, when we seemingly had a plan and it usually worked. This season we’ve not had any of that, it’s been the same formation, same players near enough and the same “go out and play” Bruce style tactics. Anyone could tell you today that Burn was a ticking time bomb, yet nothing done about it.

 

Same tactics every week, same outcome. Please fucking change something Howe, because it’s going to end in tears sadly. 

[et tu brute]

2 minutes ago, Rafalove said:

 

 

We needed a midfielder with a bit imagination.

I've said that for three seasons now. 

[Tsunami]

He’s got plenty of good will left however, some of the players aren’t putting the effort in for away league games and he has to make the seemingly obvious substitutions. 
 

He needs to get a bit ruthless and nasty. As much as anything the midfield isn't functioning away from home.

[The College Dropout]

7 minutes ago, andycap said:

Can I ask a question what was so wrong with the summers recruitment? 

 

Spent a lot of money on players with low ceilings, sometimes low floors and some bad profiles.  
 

You CMs argue Thiaw is a genuine upgrade on Schar - maaaybe. But the rest haven’t been any better than what we already had. 
 

Compared to last season with everyone at their best - maybe only Thiaw starts. Thats shit for spending £200m