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Orikoru
Tour Winner
Yep, fair enough - throwing 90 million quid at the problem certainly did the job. Howe will probably be decent for them from now on, since he won't need to coach them how to defend - just buy better defenders.Well, you hoped for Eddie Howe to be appointed Newcastle manager, and you got your wish. Sadly, that whole hilarious relegation to the Championship didn't quite work out for you
The defence was a Championship standard defence, hence why they were near the bottom. He bought Trippier at £13m, Burn at £13m, Targett is on loan. Not extravagent spending but what a difference.Yep, fair enough - throwing 90 million quid at the problem certainly did the job. Howe will probably be decent for them from now on, since he won't need to coach them how to defend - just buy better defenders.
The league is full of teams who have spent £90m, and the rest, on utter rubbish. So far Wood has been the only dud.
Did you see the league table that Sky posted at the weekend, showing the league if it began on Jan 1st? Newcastle were second, one point behind Liverpool.
Give Howe some credit. He has not just bought some good players, he has got poor players playing much better, he has them playing a system. He has genuinely done a good job, go on say it.....
Orikoru
Tour Winner
All I've said is his teams can't defend. Still true given that they managed to ship 5 to Spurs recently! As you say, buying three new defenders in the back four obviously helps. Their best attacker was Bruno who was a new signing as well. I still think they bought Wood just to relegate Burnley.
Howe is just a modern-day Kevin Keegan. Gung-ho, try and outscore the opposition - buy him the right players and it'll work, but when he needs to be pragmatic or tactical he'll come unstuck. I guess he's at the right club as the fans will be quite happy if he gets them playing like their Keegan era.
SwingsitlikeHogan
Major Champion
What was with the swathes of empty seats at SB last night? I guess they were seats not allocated to ST holders or not bought before sanctions applied that could not be sold due to the sanctions?
I think you are being unfair on what he has done at Newcastle so far. He really has not gone gung ho, a la Keegan. He has made them more solid but has also told the midfield to support the striker more. Bruce played with one up front, no midfielder went to support him. Saint-Maximim was allowed to run with the ball but the others all held back. He now has players supporting Wood, running past the striker, but they are not playing basketball football.All I've said is his teams can't defend. Still true given that they managed to ship 5 to Spurs recently! As you say, buying three new defenders in the back four obviously helps. Their best attacker was Bruno who was a new signing as well. I still think they bought Wood just to relegate Burnley.
Howe is just a modern-day Kevin Keegan. Gung-ho, try and outscore the opposition - buy him the right players and it'll work, but when he needs to be pragmatic or tactical he'll come unstuck. I guess he's at the right club as the fans will be quite happy if he gets them playing like their Keegan era.
He will buy more players in the summer but that is simply to bring in decent players throughout, something that has been sorely lacking. If you look at the team now, a good number are the same as those totally under performing in the first half of the season. He really has improved them as individuals, as well as a team.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Anything would have been an improvement on Bruce.
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Deleted member 1740
Guest
Well, you hoped for Eddie Howe to be appointed Newcastle manager, and you got your wish. Sadly, that whole hilarious relegation to the Championship didn't quite work out for you
You cant laugh, i can remember some of your quotes from earlier on in the season??
??
Low bar. to be fair Howe has always got his sides well organised and not leaking so many goals has to help. Not convinced they are in any shape to start challenging the top 6 and not sure what players they would need to get there. Definitely feel there are many positions that need improvingAnything would have been an improvement on Bruce.
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Deleted member 1740
Guest
When????
Are you talking about the same Eddie Howe who managed Bournemouth and and couldnt organise a piss up in a brewery?
Swango1980
Well-known member
Which ones? We always make predictions, and unless we can genuinely read the future then inevitably, we'll not always be right.You cant laugh, i can remember some of your quotes from earlier on in the season??
I usually caveat my predictions, or give them with caution. However, I remembered some being pretty much certain that Howe was a dreadful appointment, and Newcastle would be doomed. My eyebrow was not raised that maybe Howe would not be a good appointment (there was always a chance he could fail), but it was raised that some could be so confident he'd be a failure.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
I'm sure there will be a ridiculous amount spent - even the recent purchases like Burn & Wood may be usurped and not get a look in. They could do with a good goalkeeper and a better striker than Wood who will actually score a good number of goals for them. I personally have never rated Shelvey either, a couple of really good central midfielders wouldn't go amiss.
He had Bournemouth well set for a few years in the PL and given the size of ground, limited income and depth of squad did alright.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
That Bruno lad they signed looks the real deal, he’s already become a cult hero up in Tyneside and he’s only started in 2 or 3 games lol.
Agree about Shelvey, he has upped his game recently since Howe arrived but he’s still not good enough if Newcastle really do want to kick on next season.
Orikoru
Tour Winner
Yeah, I thought Bruno was more of an attacker/number 10, so I just meant get a couple of holding players in behind him.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
Ten Hag confirmed as the next Man Utd manager, can he make a silk purse from a sows ear? ?
Three year deal with possibility of a years extension https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61079115
Think he'll need every one of those to dismantle and rebuild completely. Lots of dead wood to be moved on. Hope the fans and to a degree the board realise this means they won't be a top four side and Europa league will be their limits and they don't get on Ten Hag's back when results aren't going well. Think he's a brave man taking that mess on
We can only hope not
.The question is, as an outsider looking in, will the Utd fans and board accept a period of rebuild. Will they accept not being competitive next year, not that they have been this year, if it allows Ten Haag to change the team, bring in his philosophy? They need to, surely recent times have shown the size of the gutting required, whether in personnel or simply changing the mindset, culture at the club. The team may need to dip further before coming out the other side.
Massive job in front of him.
Swango1980
Well-known member
As a Utd fan, personally I WOULD accept a period of rebuild.We can only hope not
The question is, as an outsider looking in, will the Utd fans and board accept a period of rebuild. Will they accept not being competitive next year if it allows Ten Haag to change the team, bring in his philosophy? They need to, surely recent times have shown the size of the gutting required, whether in personnel or simply changing the mindset, culture at the club.
Massive job in front of him.
Watching Utd this season has been horrific, unless we play against Leeds. The players find it impossible to control a game against anyone, it is frightening. As someone already pointed out, I am shocked Utd are even as high as they are in the league. Once ten Hag comes in, I will be more interested in his approach to build things up. I certainly won't expect Utd to come flying out of the traps, playing beautiful football and directly challenging for the title. Not even close to expecting that.
Utd will be losing quite a few players anyway due to contracts running out. He'll need to find out which remaining players have a chance of being part of a successful rebuild, and the ones that are either broken beyond repair, or whose attitude isn't right. And get rid. Then find the players to bring in. It seems that a lot more needs to change than just the manager. The coaching set-up probably needs a complete change, and the scouting.
The worry is that ten Hag comes in, but everything else behind the scenes remains broken and he really does have the impossible job.
Beezerk
Money List Winner
Isn’t the current manager going upstairs to be director of football? Surely that’s a good start for getting the backroom staff sorted out?
