True. And maybe sometimes these games suit our style of play. We seem to struggle in games we are meant to be the better side.
Did you actually watch the game? Things have changed. As an example last season people were wanting Tino and Hall as starting full backs. Guess who were the starting full backs yesterday? Some have said this season that Tino hasn’t played well (for his standards, true) and that Hall looked unready( again true). Last season I believe EH got that call right as they both would have been too green. This year I believe he has the call right. They can only learn by playing but last year would have been too soon. We need to go for evolution not revolution as to how to progress. For player health reasons we are moving from our successful high press system. It’s also quite difficult for a coach to change dramatically a style of play in a short space of time especially when no new first team players are brought in in the last 2 windows when the current ‘new’ players were brought in with a particular style of player in mind. It takes time. There is no magic wand. Other than the final third and, in particular, the finishing we played better than most of the season so far.A point echoed by one of the tourists visiting the Board yesterday. You can’t blame EH for Isak and Gordon both failing one on ones. Those would in fact have been everyone’s choice from the starting 11 to actually be in that position. One goes in and we draw against a decent Brighton team, both go in and we win. Obviously, not that simple but it’s all about very small margins at this level. If EH were to be sacked today, who would you bring in who is likely to come? PIF will have short, mid and long term plans in place. They, IMO, don’t do ‘knee jerk’. It all takes time. Even God took 6 days to create the Earth for heaven’s sake.
I did watch the game yesterday. I agree we played better but they allowed us to pass sideways and backwards and they hit us with a good break and finish. It is the finishing that is the problem. And I don’t think the 4-3-3 is working either. It’s just my opinion. We are going to struggle to get top 6 and even top 8 the way we have started the season.
You have negativity blinkers. You’re still bleating on about the £400M but avoiding the questions on it. Currently we have disastrously collapsed backwards from 4th to 8th.
I don’t mind admitting I am a negative person. In the footballing sense I am used to failure. I’ve never seen us win anything. What question am I avoiding? Just so I can answer it quickly and get that notion out. We have definitely gone backwards because we were playing much better football and scoring goals at will last season. The style has changed and not for the better.
You miss two of my points. Firstly, things are changing. Just slowly which given we aren’t in serious trouble is the right way to do it. Secondly, who would you have as manager in place of EH?
The intensity of the high press has dropped off so visibly this season that it must be intentional / tactical. One reason I can see to adapt that would be the influence of Bunce & Mitchell on the performance side trying to protect injury/fatigue levels. Another reason (as someone else mentioned) is that trying to adapt to a more possession based game will take time to master. Man City took years and years to have a possession based tactic where they could truly dominate games. And that was with an open cheque book from day 1, which we haven't had.
We have spent £400M so in your claims this means we should be flying. The question, asked several times now is where were we before that spend, how much have everyone else spent in that time?
That question I can’t recall being levied at me. But I can answer it. Before that spend we were an average to low premier league side. I don’t think we should be flying. I think we should be doing better. Everyone else spends in that time. I would have to do some research. Chelsea seem to be able to spend what they want. Many have spent a lot recently. We still have Miggy and Murphy on the right which baffles me.
Xavi who is expected to be announced as Qatar's next manager and De Zerbi who was just appointed manager of Marseille in August. Next?
For many many years, most recently under Ashley, our teams and seasons were ****ing painful… now they are NOT painful, there are occasional disappointments in performances and results but we are consistently, under Eddie Howe for now, in the right half of the table. these days some supporters seem to have this sense of entitlement that’s more familiar with Man U, like we were some perennial Champion’s League qualifier that’s suddenly gone off the boil and we’re flummoxed as to why - we are not that team. A bit of patience and realism would be seriously healthy. If we could spend money then Howe or whoever was manager would freely go out and buy the players they wanted for whatever system they favoured. But the rule makers have made that impossible. Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, all laid their foundations without the financial restrictions… and that creates an ongoing ability to keep spending as all the financials are in place - they got to the top and got the big players, the sponsors, the glamour that bakes in the ability to stay there. Emery is doing great at Villa, but boo-hoo he turned us down, **** it, the sky didn’t fall in. There is nobody else that screams “I can change Newcastle into a top 4 without spending ****loads” … Eddie Howe is right for us, and where we are now. it’s a long game, those of us that are older know this… the endless crying about a lack of overnight success is tedious and reads like a 6th formers “What I’d like to achieve next year” essay. we have progressed - it’s just a matter of your perspective
Most of my frustration with Eddie is that he has had too much say in transfers and recruitment. We know that the team he inherited when took over were ****. He worked miracles with them and we are now 3 years on. Still they are in the side and we seem to go after a £70m defender? Our recruitment doesnt make sense. We spent £80M on two left wingers and left the right wing alone...... ask any NUFC fan and they will tell you, Miggy and Murphy are okay for 20 min cameos but they aren't premier league starters. We seem to set our sights on Bournemouth and Everton players...... bit of a news flash but they aren't top 6 sides and so why recruit from them if that is your ambition? We are tunnel visioned on premier league players, our foreign recruitment started out well in the 1st year but since then it's been premier league players. They come at a premium and yet we then say we are PCR restricted ( we are so dont shop at Harrods and complain at the prices) Wilson, again we alll know he is ****ed, yet we buy a striker who isn't ready. On and on it goes. Other sides seem to be able to move players on but for some reason we can't and get very little for the ones do leave. It really is bizarre. Mitchell coming in, I hope changes all of the above but I honestly thing the way Howe went public with the press in the summer, has marked his card and he will be replaced by Xmas or the summer at the latest.
