Harvey Barnes

[macphisto]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

I think it's the owners demanding Europe that is making Howe behave like that. He showed at Bournemouth he'll take a high potential kid and develop him.

 

For the sake of squad building, selling players at peak age is needed.

I wonder if they are demanding Europe? Want it, yes but demand it? Their actions certainly don't say they are desperate to finish high up the league. 

[The College Dropout]

8 minutes ago, macphisto said:

I wonder if they are demanding Europe? Want it, yes but demand it? Their actions certainly don't say they are desperate to finish high up the league. 

Eales mentioned finishing in Europe as the goal several times.

 

Why would we chase a £60m CB or sign 2 players over £50m+ (with no PSR fuckery like Onana) if finishing in Europe isn't an explicit goal? Why would Howe be so keen to keep his experienced players?

 

I agree that we haven't made moves off the pitch to faciliate that as a goal. Aye.

 

I fear for Howe's job if we finish 9th. i don't think that's an awful finish considering 7-8th is par and the squad is unbalanced and stale.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by The College Dropout

[80]

2 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Eales mentioned finishing in Europe as the goal several times.

 

Why would we chase a £60m CB or sign 2 players over £50m+ (with no PSR fuckery like Onana) if finishing in Europe isn't an explicit goal? Why would Howe be so keen to keep his experienced players?

 

I agree that we haven't made moves off the pitch to faciliate that as a goal. Aye.

I tend to agree with you, but there is a chance they're just fluffing us up with words, in terms of Europe being a necessity rather than a nice thing. It's possible real ambitions have changed, particularly since Staveley and Ghodoussi left.

[The College Dropout]

12 minutes ago, 80 said:

I tend to agree with you, but there is a chance they're just fluffing us up with words, in terms of Europe being a necessity rather than a nice thing. It's possible real ambitions have changed, particularly since Staveley and Ghodoussi left.

I hope a pivot has happened.

 

At the end of last season after finishing 7th messaging from leadership was one of understanding disappointment imo. Summer discussion of "improving the group" again makes me think Howe only wants significant upgrades because he has aggressive targets.

 

I've no evidence that we are dialling back the short-term ambitions - except potentially the recruitment of Mitchell. Howe's behaviour and attitude is only logical if we have Europe as a real target.

[Karjala]

Maybes Barnes and Tonali were the Gordon and Bruno replacements. They might still be.

[macphisto]

43 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Eales mentioned finishing in Europe as the goal several times.

 

Why would we chase a £60m CB or sign 2 players over £50m+ (with no PSR fuckery like Onana) if finishing in Europe isn't an explicit goal? Why would Howe be so keen to keep his experienced players?

 

I agree that we haven't made moves off the pitch to faciliate that as a goal. Aye.

 

I fear for Howe's job if we finish 9th. i don't think that's an awful finish considering 7-8th is par and the squad is unbalanced and stale.

I agree with @80 about fluffing us with words. I'd also add that I don't think the bid for for Guehi was genuine, a smokescreen to hide we weren't spending money but could say we tried. 

 

Are we really to believe money was there but we couldn't find anyone to improve a team that finished 7th last season? If we don't buy anyone in January, the messaging about January isn't sounding great at the moment, then it would confirm the money was never there for me. 

 

I say all of this in relation to Howe and where we finish. Who knows internally what our real targets are? 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by macphisto

[nufcjmc]

In an ideal world all the following are shipped first:

 

Willock- injures and never hit loan period heights and doesn't score with 6 in 83 for us compared to 9 in 33 from Barnes. 

Longstaff- don't rate

Miggy-dont rate getting on

Murphy- patchy at best and getting on but limited sale value 

 

However with Barnes it goes back to who is worth selling funds creation and who is willing to buy. Minus the injury last year he's entering peak years with a great goal return over multiple seasons. I can see us getting our money back or a little more unless the desire to sell is due to an unhappy player. 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by nufcjmc

[The College Dropout]

I don't think "fluffing us" is a good idea. It raises expectations and contributes to an inferior atmosphere if the team doesn't meet those expectations. It also doesn't align with why Howe is so focussed on Prem proven players. Or his general demeanour and perspective.

 

Atm that sounds like wishful thinking.

 

I also agree that i don't think the money is there to spend because of our PSR issues. But that's largely the Owners' fault. They still might be targeting a top 5-7 finish. We did achieve it with less.

[80]

14 minutes ago, macphisto said:

I agree with @80 about fluffing us with words. I'd also add that I don't think the bid for for Guehi was genuine, a smokescreen to hide we weren't spending money but could say we tried. 

 

Are we really to believe money was there but we couldn't find anyone to improve a team that finished 7th last season? If we don't buy anyone in January, the messaging about January isn't sounding great at the moment, then it would confirm the money was never there for me. 

 

I say all of this in relation to Howe and where we finish. Who knows internally what our real targets are? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've always thought that was a valid possibility. A proper sick joke of a throwback.

[HawK]

Hoy him to West ham + £10m and get Bowen the other way.

 

Otherwise he's our joint top scorer, also our currently only fit regular scorer this season. We can't sell him just to generate cash, we need to use the potential sale to fix things right now.

 

Unpopular take time, I'd rather we'd have sold Gordon when his value was highest over the summer and let Barnes take over at LW but I'm very pragmatic about the approach to PSR. But here we are and Gordon with his new contract and current form is no longer a saleable asset but Barnes is.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by HawK

[The Butcher]

He must be sick of life like. 

[pubteam]

£40 million to sit on the bench behind Murphy, baffling.

[lovejoy]

He's not a right winger, and he isn't as good as others on the left.

 

Bizarre signing.

[Sibierski]

Think it’s becoming more clear that Gordon was signed to be a RW, then Barnes signed as an opportunistic LW buy. 
 

Gordon start to 23-24 season, coupled with Barnes toe injury just as we would’ve looked to play both on those wings (like Brentford game), has seen us need to stick with Gordon LW and left us with a dilemma. Which seems to be the easy way out, cut the losses on Barnes. 

[andycap]

I keep saying he needs a run of games starting in the team. It's unfair to judge the lad on sub appearances and the odd start. 

[David Edgar]

Get out and find a club that will make use of your ability.

[TRon]

2 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

I don't think "fluffing us" is a good idea. It raises expectations and contributes to an inferior atmosphere if the team doesn't meet those expectations. It also doesn't align with why Howe is so focussed on Prem proven players. Or his general demeanour and perspective.

 

Atm that sounds like wishful thinking.

 

I also agree that i don't think the money is there to spend because of our PSR issues. But that's largely the Owners' fault. They still might be targeting a top 5-7 finish. We did achieve it with less.

 

 

PSR mistakes have been recognised by the owners and I'm guessing that's why Staveley and Mehrdad were moved on. Mitchell will be making different type of moves, although whether Howe will be happy about that remains to be seen.

[OverThere]

Buying Barnes is a real mystery. Other than being seen as a "bargain" coming from a relegated team, why on earth did we buy him over a genuine RW?

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by OverThere

[OverThere]

1 minute ago, TRon said:

 

 

PSR mistakes have been recognised by the owners and I'm guessing that's why Staveley and Mehrdad were moved on. Mitchell will be making different type of moves, although whether Howe will be happy about that remains to be seen.

Agree. I just hope this Howe veto clause isn't true. Mitchell should be setting the overall course for the club. Right now Wilson should not be given an extension, Almiron should be shipped out along with Murphy and Barnes, and a proper RW purchased. I don't care if they are "good lads" or whatever.

[M1tche]

Hand in a transfer request 

[Jackie Broon]

5 minutes ago, OverThere said:

Buying Barnes is a real mystery. Other than being seen as a "bargain" coming from a relegated team, why on earth did we buy him over a genuine RW?

 

 

 

 

Because he was probably bought as a replacement for ASM, with rotation and squad depth in mind.

[OverThere]

4 minutes ago, Jackie Broon said:

 

Because he was probably bought as a replacement for ASM, with rotation and squad depth in mind.

Wasn't that Gordon? It seems we have Joelinton, Gordon and Barnes that can all legitimately play LW. On the right we have no legitimate primary player, almost a bunch of back ups.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by OverThere

[Erikse]

Even at the time the signing was made, we were puzzled and had discussions about why we would sign an LW. Yet the club somehow didn't see this coming. Really strange.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by Erikse

[Jackie Broon]

1 hour ago, OverThere said:

Wasn't that Gordon? It seems we have Joelinton, Gordon and Barnes that can all legitimately play LW. On the right we have no legitimate primary player, almost a bunch of back ups.

 

 

 

 

Gordon wss signed 6 months before ASM left, and going by the scouting report glimpsed in the documentary, was considered a RW.

 

Also at the time Barnes was signed Gordon didn't look like a starter, Miggy was still an important player for us and Murphy looked to have developed into a very useful player.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2024 by Jackie Broon

[nufc123]

Not a good cameo