Eddie Howe

[54]

3 minutes ago, RobsonsWonderland said:

Game for game we are only three points down on the same fixtures... So there is hope.

 

And it's about what Howe learns from today that's important.

One point isnt it? We drew at the Amex last season.

[Optimistic Nut]

We need an unbeaten run from now to Arsenal with no more than 2 draws to put this down as just a tough start. 

[SUPERTOON]

Just now, Ronaldo said:

What’s the aim then, if we’re not capable of challenging for top 4 despite the investment?

Top 6 (don’t think we get that either). 

[Vinny Green Balls]

Just now, Ronaldo said:

What’s the aim then, if we’re not capable of challenging for top 4 despite the investment?

We've just mentioned what the aim probably is, man. Jesus.

[RS]

80% of his team is not trying.  He needs to react. 

[mikejaxer]

Just now, Ronaldo said:

What’s the aim then, if we’re not capable of challenging for top 4 despite the investment?

Aim should be any form of Europe, so top 7.

[The Prophet]

Our press very rarely misfires, but when it does due to player injury or poor performance, it leaves the defence very exposed and we tend to take a hiding. It's a calculated gamble that has been largely successful over the last few months.

 

You can almost tell immediately when it's going to be "one of those days". In that scenario, it'd be nice to have the option of a DM type to bring off the bench to shut the gap between the lines.

[BlazeT44]

8 minutes ago, Beth said:

Yes, but we've only had three decent halves out of the eight we've played. We're still obviously going to win more than we lose this season, but we'll be miles off the top four due to lack of any squad depth.

 

We won't finish top 4. The top 5 all get CL this next year. We won't finish there either.

 

But I don't class that as a lack of progress. 

 

Last year was a freakish year. In addition to the wonders Howe and the squad produced, we had great fortune with Chelsea, Spurs and Tottenham not being at the races, and Man Utd having a shocking start.

 

We had fantastic fortune with injuries too.

 

I think the PIF are well aware that a repeat of last season, in addition to playing CL football this year and the demands it has on the squad, will make this a tough year.

 

Anywhere in the top 7, playing European football and two more transfer windows to bring in 2-3 starters, will see us mount a credible top 4 challenge in 2024/2025.

 

Which I truly believe was their plan anyway (I think their initial plan was 3 years to target CL football).

[Lish007]

1 minute ago, 54 said:

One point isnt it? We drew at the Amex last season.

Yup. 1 point, same GD. Arguably we should have lost that game last season but should have won an awful lot more of those draws so I'm sure we will make it up. 

 

Fucking hard start man. Need a break! 

[Nine]

If you think that because we managed to achieve top 4 last season that should mean we do again and anything less is failure, you are a clown.

 

 

Edited September 2, 2023 by Nine

[Aiston]

Why did he start a clearly injured Joelinton though

 

[duo]

Just now, Nine said:

If you think that because we managed to achieve top 4 last season that should mean we do again and anything less is failure, you are a clown.

 

 

 

Forget the table - it's the performance that is disappointing. We weren't at the races.

[Vinny Green Balls]

The vast majority of you are being annoyingly reasonable.

[Miggys First Goal]

Oh, I’m all ears for this post-match interview. 

[Beth]

1 minute ago, Aiston said:

Why did he start a clearly injured Joelinton though

 

Because the alternatives were Longstaff and Anderson. Barnes aside, we have literally no-one who can come on and make a difference in midfield/on the wing.

[mouldy_uk]

Definitely a below par start to the season, but I trust Eddie to turn it around.
 

He obviously likes to play a consistent starting 11, but hopefully that doesn’t blinker him to poor form (Bruno) and injuries (Joe). Managing a bigger squad and rotating players at the right time will be his biggest test. 

[clintdempsey]

I don’t think we ”should” achieve a Top 4 finish this year. I’d wager that the aim is European football through league position. The thing is though we haven’t really been at the races this far, maybe we’ve had a real tough preseason and things will start falling into place after the break or maybe something is more “off” than we realize.
 

We have a run of good fixtures after the break and if we want to achieve Europe through league position we really should be aiming for 15 pts out of 18 before Arsenal to show that we can do that. We’ve had a horrible fixture list so far but we could definitely have been more impressive even in defeat in my opinion. 

[Weezertron]

Just now, Beth said:

Because the alternatives were Longstaff and Anderson. Barnes aside, we have literally no-one who can come on and make a difference in midfield/on the wing.

this is true but we also just had a summer window where we dropped 100m+

[Optimistic Nut]

Fwiw, some of Arsenal's results last season:

 

Man City 4-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-3 Man City

Arsenal 0-3 Brighton

 

Some of Liverpool's results last season:

 

Brighton 3-0 Liverpool

Man City 4-1 Liverpool

 

How about Man Utd?

 

Man Utd 1-2 Brighton

Brighton 1-0 Man Utd

Man City 6-3 Man Utd

Liverpool 7-0 Man Utd

 

All 3 finished in the top 5. Just doesn't stick out much since they weren't 3 on the spin. 

 

 

 

 

[Beth]

1 minute ago, Weezertron said:

this is true but we also just had a summer window where we dropped 100m+

It could be worse, we could be Chelsea.

[Gallowgate Toon]

Ultimately, we're a point down on last year based on relative fixtures but the last 135 mins have been very poor.

 

The team feels similar but also weirdly quite different at the same time. Almost passive.

 

 

 

[HaydnNUFC]

Comparing fixtures' results from last season to this is as pointless as thinking because we finished 4th last season we can do it again. The last 3 fixtures have been difficult but the performances have been really poor for me.

 

Something doesn't seem right. Have a couple questions about the transfer window now as well given its now shut. I have utmost faith in Howe to produce the answers, mind. Just as he did in February 2022.

 

Did find it slightly baffling though that West Ham and Everton in May gave a blueprint of how to play Brighton at their place yet we chose to not follow one bit of it.

[The College Dropout]

20 minutes ago, Ronaldo said:

What’s the aim then, if we’re not capable of challenging for top 4 despite the investment?

The investment is in line with 7th.  Everyone else has spent money too. 
 

i look at this squad and I don’t think it’s a top 4 squad. Not top 6.  
 

31 minutes ago, TheInfiniteOdyssey said:

He hasn’t been learning lessons from the previous game. The midfield setup is still easily ceding space behind the lines.  

I said this after Villa.  There’s so much joy for opposition to be had between our midfield and defence.  Foden punished us. Liverpool punished us.  Joao Pedro punished us. We need to change it tactically. 

[The Prophet]

It's way too early to be looking at what we can and can't achieve this season.

 

Two things we know about Howe is i) our form tends to be quite streaky ii) he's instilled a strong mentality in the squad. Last season we started with one win in seven and one win in eight. The season before three losses in a row post-January. In both season we overachieved.

 

There are certainly things to work on during the break, a couple of lads look off the pace and there our tactical tweaks we could make to make ourselves more watertight, but there's no need for a root and branch overhaul. 

[Miggys First Goal]

Reckon he has the next three PL games and if things don't improve, PIF might get the itchy trigger finger.