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Eddie Howe - yay or nay?

Discussion in 'Arsenal' started by BrunelGooner, Jul 28, 2016.

?

Would you want Eddie Howe to be Arsenal manager in the near future?

  1. Yes

    1 vote(s)
    10.0%
  2. No

    5 vote(s)
    50.0%
  3. Undecided

    4 vote(s)
    40.0%
  1. BrunelGooner

    BrunelGooner Well-Known Member

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    There have been rumors that when/if Wenger leaves after this season, Eddie Howe is favourite to take over.

    Personally, although I think he does have potential as a young British manager, and he did a phenomenal job in keeping Bournemouth up against all odds last season (they were favourites to go down), I still feel like he needs to prove himself a little more. Needless to say, I think most of us have been expecting a foreign manager with a more proven track record to take over from Wenger, so Howe's name being sprung upon us was unanticipated.

    I wouldn't be totally averse to this happening, but you just get the feeling that certain managers do well for certain clubs because they know it inside out. And when they move somewhere out of their comfort zone, the expectations and dynamics differ, which some don't cope with particularly well e.g. Moyes and Rodgers.

    I guess whoever takes over from Wenger will always be questioned to begin with for one reason or another - whether its age, lack of experience, a lack of silverware, perceived underachievements etc - but for me, I've always wanted a manager that has got a good track record at previous clubs. So whilst I am open to this happening, I still maintain that he's still a bit of an unknown entity at this point. He didn't exactly work wonders when he managed Burnley, but he was still very young then.

    So my questions are:

    1) would you want him to be the next Arsenal manager?

    2) And if you're undecided, what would he need to do for you to be convinced he can cut it at this level?
     
    #1
  2. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    He needs to prove he's got more in his locker before I'd want him anywhere near Arsenal. It would be a massive step up for him and with it, a massive risk for us.
     
    #2
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  3. PeterRICK

    PeterRICK Well-Known Member

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    Quite like Bournemouth's style of football. Big test would be what he'd do if given money. Mind you we have money and do eff all with it anyway so maybe that's not such a big issue.
     
    #3
  4. Smirnoffpriest

    Smirnoffpriest Well-Known Member

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    Isn't this the same conversation that comes up everytime some young manager has a good 1st season? Rogers, Bilic, Coyle ect
     
    #4
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  5. PeterRICK

    PeterRICK Well-Known Member

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    In fairness he's done wonders at Bournemouth getting them where they are and I have the utmost respect.
     
    #5
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  6. Smirnoffpriest

    Smirnoffpriest Well-Known Member

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    So do I, I think he has done amazing. But if he has one bad season, say if Bournemouth get relegated this season (not the craziest idea, especially considering Chelsea and Leicester's seasons last season) then people will soon be slagging him off and saying it's laughable to consider him for the Arsenal job. It's just that he's the hot, young manager at the moment.

    I'd say give him some more time and experience and see how he continues before having these discussions.
     
    #6
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  7. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    This for me too. I'd like to see him manage higher up the league, win a trophy and show some consistency over a few seasons before we considered somebody like Howe. He's talented, but the step up to a club like Arsenal is huge. If he didn't deliver success he would get torn to shreds pretty quickly.
     
    #7
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  8. Smirnoffpriest

    Smirnoffpriest Well-Known Member

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    We aren't the most patient or forgiving of fan bases are we? lol
     
    #8
  9. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    I've heard some people saying that they'd give a new manager 2-3 seasons of finishing outside of the top 4 if the club were 'moving in the right direction'
    Personally I think that sentiment is a contradiction in terms. Also I think those same people would be up in arms if that actually happened.
     
    #9
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  10. PeterRICK

    PeterRICK Well-Known Member

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    I'm not saying I'd have him at Arsenal but it's a bit cheeky to say Howe has had one good season at Bournemouth. He took them over when they were at their lowest point and turned them into a Premier League team against all the odds. I find it almost as impressive as the job Ranieri did at Leicester. Obviously there is a lot more to managing a big club and as much as people harrangue him I still believe Arsene is a big draw for players.

    What I would say though is that, as with players, you will eventually have to take a gamble. If, for example, EH continues in this vein then eventually he will be the hottest product and a club will have to pay to get him. Even if you get an experienced established coah in there's no guarantee they'll fit anyway.
     
    #10
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  11. cini65

    cini65 Well-Known Member

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    On the contrary, I'd say we are of the most patient given what we've put up with the last decade.
     
    #11
  12. PeterRICK

    PeterRICK Well-Known Member

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    Years of conditioning.
     
    #12
  13. Smirnoffpriest

    Smirnoffpriest Well-Known Member

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    I pretty much agree with all of this, he definitely hasn't only had one good season. And no matter who we go for it'll be a gamble - though obviously it'd be less of a gamble if we went for Guardiola than Southgate! But I just think it's worth seeing how he continues at the top table before putting him forward for the job at one of the top clubs.

    Also, lets not kid ourselves, whoever comes in is in for a tough job, they'll have to change the whole ethos of the club towards their own style after Wenger micromanaging every single footballing aspect for 20 years - from nutrition to the scouting network he built up, to the style of play and the academies. It's going to be a big job. Obviously the new man is also going to have a big transfer kitty, some good players and a reasonably stable environment to help him but still...
     
    #13
  14. cini65

    cini65 Well-Known Member

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    But that's because to you top 4 is an actual achievement in itself. Whereas actually it means nothing and just provides you with the means to go and do something... But we don't use it as that. We use it as a means to go out and do nothing more but finish top 4.

    I couldn't care less if we were top 4 or not for a few years as being top 4 means nothing. Winning the league means something. I also don't see how finishing top 4 with our squad can be seen as some sort of achievement either and something that we'd have to make do without when a new coach comes in... The notion that AW is the only man that could do it with our players is laughable.

    Ranieri did it and one better. Poch did it after one season with his squad. LVG did it even though he was one of the worst managers out there.
     
    #14
  15. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    Do you think Eddie Howe would win the league for Arsenal in his first 2-3 seasons ?
     
    #15
  16. cini65

    cini65 Well-Known Member

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    Who knows. No-one knows. So pointless discussing because it leads to AW arguments.

    There comes a point where we will just have to appoint someone though. And the board keep missing our on proven managers because theyre scared of change. So in a season hopefully they'll just have to bite the bullet and get whoever they can in. And I firmly believe there are dozens of managers who could continue what we achieve now (ie very little) and quite a few also who would be able to improve our squad significantly and have is playing better football.
     
    #16
  17. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    Yep, Wenger will need to be replaced eventually. I think some people underestimate just how far we could fall though. I just hope the club get it right when the time comes.
     
    #17
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  18. white_gunner

    white_gunner Well-Known Member

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    Guess I'm the only one that said yes in the poll. He took Bournemouth from -17 points in League TWO all the way to the premiership. (Albeight with a small stop in burnley for a year). I agree that he might be found out at a big club, but it would remind me of the Arsene Wenger appointment a bit. (Though he was at Monaco before). I think Eddie has got huge huge potential and would fit the bill for a long term manager the board would put trust in.

    Also would like to see what he does when given proper money. (Surely he'd spend more than Wenger?)
     
    #18
  19. BrunelGooner

    BrunelGooner Well-Known Member

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    In some ways, I agree with this and in other ways, I don't.

    In principle, you're right that he has to show consistency over a few seasons, but he has one of, if not the, smallest transfer budget(s) of all PL clubs, the smallest football stadium in the Premiership and for them to have comfortably stayed up last season is an astounding achievement in itself. Is it realistic to expect them to finish where they did (or higher) for the next few seasons when they are faced with such poor financial constraints relative to other clubs? I'm not sure personally, but I guess if he wants to be seen as the real deal, then this is what he needs to be doing. In terms of silverware, expecting Howe at a club like Bournemouth to win a trophy is slightly unfair, especially as their main priority for the next few seasons will be cementing PL status. If he can get them to a quarter-final of the FA/League Cup next season, he'll have done very well in that regard, but this should be seen as more of a bonus than the set criteria for assessing whether he's good enough.

    As for him delivering success at Arsenal, I also think you're right that the media would crucify him if he doesn't do amazingly in his first season or first couple of seasons. However, the expectations of the fans would differ because they would know anyone taking over the reigns from a man who has managed the ins and outs of this club for the past 20 years won't be easy. Therefore expecting instant success isn't pragmatic. But it'd be interesting to see how a manager like Howe would do operating on a far bigger budget than he has in his career thus far.

    Although I feel like he has more to prove at the top level, I certainly think he has potential to succeed at a big club, especially when you consider what he's done at the age of 38.
     
    #19
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2016
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  20. PINKIE

    PINKIE Wurzel Gummidge

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    I'd like to see him do well and it's true that he's been doing a really good job at Bournemouth. When they were first promoted they stormed the Premier league for a while, but some injuries to key players saw them struggle, which is understandable given their squad depth. As for him winning a trophy, ideally I'd like to see him climb the ladder and first go to a bigger club than Bournemouth, but not as big as Arsenal - and prove that he can do it again given a new set of challenges, although I'd agree that getting Bournemouth to a QF or even a SF of the league or FA cup would be a great achievement.

    I have to disagree with you though regarding our fans. Whilst some people might say that they would have patience with a young, new and unproven manager, I don't think it would last long. A club like Arsenal expects success, look at the **** Wenger has been getting and the man has won two back to back FA cups and finishing in the top 4. I don't think we can afford to go backwards for a few seasons, outside of the top 4 in the hope that it would suddenly all come good and we'd be doing better than we are now. That to me is a reckless mentality. The slippery slope could catch us out quite easily and we could spend decades in the wilderness if we're not careful. I'm not sure that a manager like Howe is ready to make the step up to such a big club yet. Personally I'd like to see somebody come in who has experience at the top. I don't know who that is, but for me it's not Howe, not yet anyway.
     
    #20

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