Eddie Howe

[WillingtonMag]

2 minutes ago, Paullow said:

All about opinions I guess, but I still think we're a long way behind.

 

Burn wasn't a guaranteed starter for Brighton, and would either be on the bench or a LB when Dunk, Duffy, Webster were fit, and despite his strong start, is very much a bottom half defender IMO. Him and Schaar rotating with a quality addition would be fine for a top 10 charge next season, but we need better longer term. Villa obviously wanted better than Targett, which tells you something. Shelvey has been operating in the bottom half or Championship for the past 6 or 7 years, Fraser probably bottom half. I don't think we need to replace Dubs yet because there's other positions I'd go for first, and you do need a bit of familiarity, but I doubt he'd get into any of these teams mentioned, and again bottom half standard IMO. You can't rely on Wilson for a full season, and Wood is bang average and at 30 has had a career of struggling in the PL or in the Championship. There are some decent players here, and plenty to build around, but there's also some pretty average players who Howe has been getting the best out of.

 

You can't knock the 10 wins from 14, but there were clearly a few factors that went out way in a lot of those wins such as early red cards, timing of fixtures etc.

 

It still only takes 4 or 5 quality players though doesn't it, which to be fair is the same for most Premier league clubs. Just look at the difference Bruno alone has made.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by WillingtonMag

[Kid Icarus]

I really want to see Ritchie, Gayle, and Clark get good send offs like. It's not their fault the good byes should have come years ago, they still played a big part in the club's history. Ritchie especially I absolutely loved, the tenacious little fucker.

[WillingtonMag]

2 minutes ago, HaydnNUFC said:

 

Dummett has. Longstaff is out of contract in the summer. There was talk that we were looking to renew it but fucking hell do I hope we don't.

Must have got my wires crossed on that one aye hopefully that doesn't go through then.

[Yorkie]

At this moment in time he would define literally any departing player as "loved," because he still has to work with them and we've still got the job of actually selling them; no one's contract is actually up this summer (even Gayle still has two years )

[Paullow]

1 minute ago, WillingtonMag said:

It still only takes 4 or 5 quality players though doesn't it, which to be fair is the same for most Premier league clubs. Just look at the difference Bruno alone has made.

 

 

 

For me, I'd like a quality CB, CM, RM, ST and then, along with Bruno, Trippier, Joe, Wilson (when fit), ASM, etc. I'd be confident of genuinely competing with the likes of West Ham, Wolves, Leicester etc. for the 8-10 spots, but at the moment, I do think there are levels between those sides without these additions (which I'm sure will come).

[Optimistic Nut]

12 minutes ago, Kanji said:

 

Us still having Ritchie, Gayle, Hayden, Clark today would be the equivalent of still having Kelly, Peacock, Venison, Scott in 1998. Good pros and great for where we were but would have been over the hill and not good enough. Thank God we’re finally getting rid.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Optimistic Nut

[midds]

No sentiment please Eddie. Thank them publically, let the fans thank them too then move them on and replace them with better. It's not harsh it's simply how we're going to improve. Good on him 

[WillingtonMag]

1 minute ago, Paullow said:

For me, I'd like a quality CB, CM, RM, ST and then, along with Bruno, Trippier, Joe, Wilson (when fit), ASM, etc. I'd be confident of genuinely competing with the likes of West Ham, Wolves, Leicester etc. for the 8-10 spots, but at the moment, I do think there are levels between those sides without these additions (which I'm sure will come).

All depends on who can sign of course and how the summer goes but with 4 players to the standard of Bruno and Trippier we can absolutely be better than Arsenal.

[54]

2 minutes ago, Kid Icarus said:

I really want to see Ritchie, Gayle, and Clark get good send offs like. It's not their fault the good byes should have come years ago, they still played a big part in the club's history. Ritchie especially I absolutely loved, the tenacious little fucker.

Yeah I loved Ritchie, he was pivotal in us going up, and then keeping us here for a season or two, and he's someone who always puts his absolute all into everything he does, wears his heart on his sleeve, and gets extra bonus points for telling Bruce to fuck off.

 

It's not his fault he didn't get moved on at the right time a few seasons ago, once he lost that yard of pace. Also it goes under the radar, but his form at the back end of last season, along with the Willock goals are what kept us up.

[The Prophet]

Lots of talk about next season from Howe and Bruno. It doesn't bode well for our last two

[Kanji]

Honestly, not a single issue with any of those who I’d hope to leave. All played a purpose at some point, all gave it their all in the worst of times for us under MA. Sell for whatever we can, mutual terminations if need be, pay down contract etc. Get it done. 

[GWN]

28 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

 

 

 

He's bang on here , to expect anything more than mid table is deluded.  I've said it before we need a season where we regularly pick up points getting established 10th and then try and build from there . To want and expect top 6 is just pie in the sky right now . We are so far off ,  we need rid of some shite mind , I don't get giving Longstaff a contract as he's shite , Dummet is bizarre but I like him . Gayle,Ritchie, Lascelles, Almiron , Longstaff all need the elbow for me like . Add to the squad 2 more top notch players each season and build it is the thinking I my opinion.  

[Barnes23]

4-5 signings at the level of Bruno and Trippier and there's no reason we can't be in the conversation for the top six. We've already shown form this season which suggests we aren't far away from the likes of Leicester and West Ham. We want to be setting our ambitions for the upcoming season as high as they possibly can be, not because of unrealistic expectations but because that's the mindset of a buoyant and ambitious club which is on the ascent.

 

The results against Liverpool and Man City don't really hold much significance in relation to any of that, either. 

[The Prophet]

We should aim for top eight, but in truth comfy midtable with notable progression and no threat of relegation would be progress.

[Paullow]

Obviously some were under Bruce / early Howe days, but our record this season vs the Big 6, or Top 7 if West Ham pip Man Utd (with Arsenal still to play) is played 13 won 0, drew 2, lost 11 which is absolutely shocking. We did exchange home wins with Leicester and Wolves, but Leicester made about 6 changes and their mind was fully on Europe at the time (which they won't have next season), and it took a last second goal against the run of play to win it. I was going to say Wolves were missing their best players at SJP, and a much different Wolves, particularly in terms of mindset, to earlier in the season, but then I guess we have missed a few key players, and it is part of the game.

 

I still say realistically 8th at best, or 9th-10th with decent recruitment should be the aim for next season, and hearing that mini clip from Howe, sensibly, that looks like what the aim is going to be.

[Kanji]

5 minutes ago, Paullow said:

Obviously some were under Bruce / early Howe days, but our record this season vs the Big 6, or Top 7 if West Ham pip Man Utd (with Arsenal still to play) is played 13 won 0, drew 2, lost 11 which is absolutely shocking. We did exchange home wins with Leicester and Wolves, but Leicester made about 6 changes and their mind was fully on Europe at the time (which they won't have next season), and it took a last second goal against the run of play to win it. I was going to say Wolves were missing their best players at SJP, and a much different Wolves, particularly in terms of mindset, to earlier in the season, but then I guess we have missed a few key players, and it is part of the game.

 

I still say realistically 8th at best, or 9th-10th with decent recruitment should be the aim for next season, and hearing that mini clip from Howe, sensibly, that looks like what the aim is going to be.

 

We’ve missed arguably our 2 best players for most of the revival, so it goes both ways. 

[STM]

18 minutes ago, The Prophet said:

We should aim for top eight, but in truth comfy midtable with notable progression and no threat of relegation would be progress.

We already are comfy midtable. We just did it in a backwards way.

[toon25]

58 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

Let’s not get overly upset after getting beat by the best team around, who’ve spent more on a single player than we did in January.

Spot on

[Paullow]

9 minutes ago, Kanji said:

 

We’ve missed arguably our 2 best players for most of the revival, so it goes both ways. 

We have, as referenced in the text you quoted, but we are still a hell of a long way off the top 6, even with Trippier and Wilson. We've the 4th worst goal difference in the league, and are -26 in our 11 matches against the big 6, and it'll take more than 4 quality additions to bridge that, and you wouldn't really want 7 or 8 top players (which is pretty much needed) coming in at once, especially on the back of 4 or 5 in January, even if FFP wasn't a thing.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Paullow

[The Prophet]

Spot on in his post match press conference aa ever.

[WillingtonMag]

13 hours ago, Paullow said:

We have, as referenced in the text you quoted, but we are still a hell of a long way off the top 6, even with Trippier and Wilson. We've the 4th worst goal difference in the league, and are -26 in our 11 matches against the big 6, and it'll take more than 4 quality additions to bridge that, and you wouldn't really want 7 or 8 top players (which is pretty much needed) coming in at once, especially on the back of 4 or 5 in January, even if FFP wasn't a thing.

 

 

 

It wouldn't take more than 4 quality additions at all....take Arsenals 4 best players out of their team and they would be no better than us now. 4 quality players and we are absolutely competing for top 6. Add 4 top players to most mid table teams and they would be too.

[TheBrownBottle]

10th (or above) next season, with not a single thought at any point re relegation, would represent proper progress for me.  A decent cup run would also be great, as it would start to kill off some of the worst memories of a decade and a half of deliberate no-shows in the cups - but it wouldn’t be something that I’d judge the season on. 

[The College Dropout]

3 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

10th (or above) next season, with not a single thought at any point re relegation, would represent proper progress for me.  A decent cup run would also be great, as it would start to kill off some of the worst memories of a decade and a half of deliberate no-shows in the cups - but it wouldn’t be something that I’d judge the season on. 

I'd be thinking they want to do a classier version of Ashley.

 

If they genuinely want us to be a Chelsea, Liverpool, City - we'll need to at least finish top 8. 10th means we're behind West Ham, Wolves + someone else outside the top 6 which really isn't good enough.

[Dr Venkman]

Both things can be true. Progression is the ultimate aim, and Howe's right to state that. However, with the right additions we absolutely can bother the top 6 places.

[Geogaddi]

10th and a cup run next season will be a very good season, then try and push into the top 6-8 the season after.