It would not be beyond the realms of possibility for Brighton to knock out Liverpool and Spurs to knock out City, also winners of both ties tonight will be weaker teams. This is big.
He knows exactly what we need... Lascelles at the back, Wilson in attack... Something something something, injury.
We ain't winning a trophy with our current hustle, no way. Gotta get a new coach and spend more money, develop a winning mentality. Preferably a coach that has won trophies in the past to give some legitimacy, not one who's won trophies in the past but is way past it. Chelsea and City both did this, we haven't bothered yet
I mean if anything succinctly summed it up, this is it. What we’re actually doing is persevering with our version of Mark Hughes as if he’s genuinely the way forward whilst simultaneously hoping Burn, Longstaff, Almiron, et al, will somehow overnight miraculously become significantly better.
You keep focusing on on them but I don't see you commenting on Isak, Bruno, Joelinton, Gordon being absolute ****e this season.
I focus on them because unlike the names you mentioned we are relying on them to get us back into Europe when they don’t have anywhere near the ability and are hurtling backwards. The ones you mentioned have ability but aren’t producing. I completely agree that everyone has been poor. I cannot be any clearer that I think the managers race has run and there’s no bigger or better indication to support that than the whole team constantly performing poorly. Whatever is happening it seems clear that the players don’t believe in what the manager is doing, and it also seems clear that the manager has absolutely no fresh ideas and seems determined to do the same thing over and over and over. He did it at Bournemouth, initially to success then ultimately failed, and history is repeating as it always does.
But that's the thing. The players you mention have all been significantly improved - thanks to EH. The issue now is recruitment. Longstaff, Burn and Almiron etc can't do the recruitment. Longstaff, Burn and Almiron etc can't improve PSR and commercial deals. The focus should now be on all those recruiters roles that Lee Charnley once did by himself. Let's call them out instead of the players you don't like.
Are we sure Eddie has seriously improved any players? Almiron had a once in a career purple patch of about 10-15 games where he scored 7-9 goals - now he can't get in the team ahead of Murphy. Burn and Longstaff not sure he has massively improved these players. I'll concede Longstaff is better at breaking into the box than previously but still as good at skying the ball when the chance comes. Joelinton - stroke of luck he did a lot of self improvement before Howe got here and then found his place in midfield, again another stroke of luck. No one else has really "improved" but past that I'd agree that the people behind the scenes (but also Howe) need to be held accountable - although the main players aren't here anymore Eales is stepping down with illness and Ashworth left so we've been rudderless for a while, hence Howe needs to take his share as he's been the driving force with a recruitment team he implemented. I'd suggest we've bought 5 decent players (Bruno, Isak, Gordon, Tonali, Botman) out of 21 senior buys in 3 years (so a strike rate of just below 25%) but past that its been pretty poor on the whole with most signings doubling down on positions already bought for. The glaring misses at RCB and RW have been ignored for coming up to 3 years now while we have signed more GK's than any other position despite still having Dubravka and Gillespie on the books and consistently having 5 senior GK's at the club. Howe's transfers as of https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/eddie-howe/spielertransfers/trainer/10976 GK's: Ruddy, Oddyseas, Karius*, Pope RB: Trippier, Tino, Ashby RCB: LCB: Kelly, Burn, Botman LB: Hall, Target CM: Bruno, Tonali RW: Minteh*, Kuol LW: Gordon, Barnes CF: Isak, Osula, Wood*
Yes those players did massively improve. The issue last season was injuries meaning over play. This season the issue is that those "decent" players are playing **** thus exposing the not as good players even more so.
Woah, hang on - if a coach is deemed to be so good at consistently improving players, they would consistently improve, would they not?? What I've seen is a spell where certain players rose their levels but if Howe is responsible for that, how is he now NOT responsible for the utter regression of not only these crap players but also some huge talent?? We vastly over-achieved in the PL to qualify for the UCL, during a seaon where typically strong clubs were poor - Spurs, Chelsea, Man U, even Liverpool. Players seemed to have improved, we kept most of them on the pitch week in, week out, and had an identity. Apart from swapping some of the names, and UCL for EL, I could actually be talking about the season Pardew finished 5th. What has happened since then is nothing short of poor, mis-spending on subs then not spending at all, with players good and bad regressing, loss of identity and continued reliance on crap. What's scaring me is these murmurs that the board is backing Howe and accepting we should have done more in the transfer market, because that means they're going to give him more money.
Bunce and being overplayed last season. Mixed in with lack of new signings and behind the seasons turmoil. Oh you wanted me to say Eddie Howe.
I want you to acknowledge he is playing some part in this poor season. To completely remove him from any blame makes no sense.
