Howe under pressure?

[lassassinblanc]

This. FA Cup only hope for us.. plus if we give it a good shot and win it or even we end up as finalists do we get a European spot? or only if you win it?

I'm sure the FA Cup runners up get a spot in the Europa League if the winners are in the CL. Might have changed now though.

Goes to the league I believe

5th guaranteed at least europa league

6th depends on who wins fa Cup believe this becomes conference if its a team not already qualified for Europe

If a team already qualified for CL wins both fa Cup and league cup then it goes to league

So 6th would be europa 7th would be conference

[Don Sholeone]

I think the club really needs to evaluate Howe at the end of the season. Persistent issues not being resolved, how he can continue to pick Burn when we are handcuffed by FFP yet he's sitting £60m+ worth of full backs on the bench. Last 2 games are ones too far for me on this issue, 2 games in a row where we have shut off attacking threats by just replacing Burn, but I can guarantee he will start the next game because Howe seemingly values loyalty over football results.

I'm becoming very worried by this loyalty first mentality, you will win nothing with this approach, I've seen enough this season from Howe that he just doesn't have what it takes to make the hard decisions and I think this is also affecting performances on the pitch, there seems to be an arrogance at times this season, one that runs through the coaching set up too. I have to say the Jason Tindall antics are really feeling old now too btw, again something that hasn't really been addressed.

If we are to ever win something or progress then we need a ruthless mentality both on the pitch and off it. Form first, I don't care who the player is, if they are not performing then they don't play, simple as.

I want us to be much more than a top half Bournemouth side and I feel we will never match last season again, never mind surpassing it, under Eddie Howe.

It's been fun, and last season was a blast but next season is the time for us to get really serious with this rebuild.

[Slim999]

I think the club really needs to evaluate Howe at the end of the season. Persistent issues not being resolved, how he can continue to pick Burn when we are handcuffed by FFP yet he's sitting £60m+ worth of full backs on the bench. Last 2 games are ones too far for me on this issue, 2 games in a row where we have shut off attacking threats by just replacing Burn, but I can guarantee he will start the next game because Howe seemingly values loyalty over football results.

I'm becoming very worried by this loyalty first mentality, you will win nothing with this approach, I've seen enough this season from Howe that he just doesn't have what it takes to make the hard decisions and I think this is also affecting performances on the pitch, there seems to be an arrogance at times this season, one that runs through the coaching set up too. I have to say the Jason Tindall antics are really feeling old now too btw, again something that hasn't really been addressed.

If we are to ever win something or progress then we need a ruthless mentality both on the pitch and off it. Form first, I don't care who the player is, if they are not performing then they don't play, simple as.

I want us to be much more than a top half Bournemouth side and I feel we will never match last season again, never mind surpassing it, under Eddie Howe.

It's been fun, and last season was a blast but next season is the time for us to get really serious with this rebuild.

Even MOTD is now homing in on the Burn issue- Lineker & Murphy have recently mentioned Burn and the lack of opportunity for Tino / Hall.

It seems to be a blind spot for Eddie - perhaps he doesn't fully believe in either Tino or Hall ( or Targett ) as viable LB options.

But it's as plain as day that Burn is a reserve Centre Back .

Having said this- I don't think EH has played him at CB once to give others a rest ?

Strange one.

It's starting to ring an alarm bell

[bodacious benny]

With Forest next it would be mental to start burn at LB considering what happened in the game at SJP.

I think there are games where burn is absolutely fine (and does a good job) at LB, but Howe definitely needs to recognise his limitations and that in some matches he’s not the best option.

[beatski]

I think as well, we've had to adjust our system due to injuries (pope being out, and not getting as much protection from midfield), so he's getting more exposed

[Colly]

I think the club really needs to evaluate Howe at the end of the season. Persistent issues not being resolved, how he can continue to pick Burn when we are handcuffed by FFP yet he's sitting £60m+ worth of full backs on the bench. Last 2 games are ones too far for me on this issue, 2 games in a row where we have shut off attacking threats by just replacing Burn, but I can guarantee he will start the next game because Howe seemingly values loyalty over football results.

I'm becoming very worried by this loyalty first mentality, you will win nothing with this approach, I've seen enough this season from Howe that he just doesn't have what it takes to make the hard decisions and I think this is also affecting performances on the pitch, there seems to be an arrogance at times this season, one that runs through the coaching set up too. I have to say the Jason Tindall antics are really feeling old now too btw, again something that hasn't really been addressed.

If we are to ever win something or progress then we need a ruthless mentality both on the pitch and off it. Form first, I don't care who the player is, if they are not performing then they don't play, simple as.

I want us to be much more than a top half Bournemouth side and I feel we will never match last season again, never mind surpassing it, under Eddie Howe.

It's been fun, and last season was a blast but next season is the time for us to get really serious with this rebuild.

Even MOTD is now homing in on the Burn issue- Lineker & Murphy have recently mentioned Burn and the lack of opportunity for Tino / Hall.

It seems to be a blind spot for Eddie - perhaps he doesn't fully believe in either Tino or Hall ( or Targett ) as viable LB options.

But it's as plain as day that Burn is a reserve Centre Back .

Having said this- I don't think EH has played him at CB once to give others a rest ?

Strange one.

It's starting to ring an alarm bell

He did pre Botman coming in, and he also did very briefly at the start of last season, but since then he's basically decided he prefers him as a full back. I think we have to admit it's worked fairly well for a time (lets not forget he's played there against Salah and Mbappe...) but we definitely need to move forward. I'd accept Burn as left in a back 3 as he did for a time against Villa, but we need a "modern" fullback in Tino there now.

Really disappointed in Strawberry Corner though, hardly going to help anything if we chant other players names when our players make mistakes.

[Don Sholeone]

The trouble with the chanting for Tino kinda sums up how bad Howe has been with persisting with Burn, everyone can see he's being targeted every game and is struggling, everyone can see how that weakness in the side is addressed when Tino plays. It's very frustrating for fans to see this when a manger clearly can't, their only way to voice displeasure is from the stands, rightly or wrongly.

Eddie needs to evolve and learn quickly. He's still got to prove he's more than 1 season wonder for us, he can't live off of last season forever, he needed to show something this year too, might sound harsh but that's football, you're only as good as your last game.

[Blue & Maroon]

Harsh to say he's a one season wonder when he kept us up in his first season here. Can anyone say if we hadn't had the injuries we've had we wouldn't be above West Ham chasing top 4?

The problems which no one can answer is who do you get in if you get rid of Howe? How do you afford to rebuild the squad and remain competitive under the new manager? How effective is the new manager's style of play going to be and how will we adapt?

Listen, yesterday was frustrating and Burn should have been hauled off at half time but the claims of Howe's stubbornness and favouritism are being overplayed, there were people calling him out to play the youngsters when we had 11 senior players left, one of those youngsters signed for Annan Athletic on loan recently, shows the standard he is out and how clueless and impatient a lot of fans are.

It's a project, we aren't winning the league for the next 10 years and people who think a change of manager is going to have us pushing the top 4 consistently, at the moment, are deluded

[Colly]

Agreed, while Tino could have played more the calls for Hall and particularly the likes of Murphy, Parkinson etc from fans who clearly don't watch the reserves are silly at best.

Back onto the fans, I'm sorry but Howe was in the process of taking Burn off anyway, getting on his back helps no one. Burn knew he'd f***ed up twice, he doesn't need our own fans to tell him that. It's not even as if Tino is a perfect player either, he's had bad moments of his own and looked incredibly clumsy when he came on against Villa.

[seaside nipper]

Harsh to say he's a one season wonder when he kept us up in his first season here. Can anyone say if we hadn't had the injuries we've had we wouldn't be above West Ham chasing top 4?

The problems which no one can answer is who do you get in if you get rid of Howe? How do you afford to rebuild the squad and remain competitive under the new manager? How effective is the new manager's style of play going to be and how will we adapt?

Listen, yesterday was frustrating and Burn should have been hauled off at half time but the claims of Howe's stubbornness and favouritism are being overplayed, there were people calling him out to play the youngsters when we had 11 senior players left, one of those youngsters signed for Annan Athletic on loan recently, shows the standard he is out and how clueless and impatient a lot of fans are.

It's a project, we aren't winning the league for the next 10 years and people who think a change of manager is going to have us pushing the top 4 consistently, at the moment, are deluded

Sums it up
The insane grasping for instant gratification and winning cups leagues and champions league remains a fantasy for now.
We are pretty much new kids on the block in terms of realising potential ambitions, we are now a club with hope and aspiration, thank god. That’s step one achieved.
I am happy to enjoy our ambition and look forward to thinking about up the table instead of us being relegation contenders.
Some of the expectant fans demanding sackings, players being binned and transfer whataboutery leaves me incredulous at times.
Plenty bumps on the road lie ahead.

[Don Sholeone]

Not looking for instant gratification, just would be nice to beat teams like Everton, Bournemouth, Forest, Luton etc. after we have had 400-500m spent on the team, would be nice to see £60m worth of talent not stuck on the bench behind a badly out of form player. Would be nice to have a team set up that isn't constantly overran in midfield since pre season. Would have been nice have not seen our 11 best players ran into the ground in the space of 3/4 months.

[bodacious benny]

Could be worse, could be Chelsea.

[seaside nipper]

Not looking for instant gratification, just would be nice to beat teams like Everton, Bournemouth, Forest, Luton etc. after we have had 400-500m spent on the team, would be nice to see £60m worth of talent not stuck on the bench behind a badly out of form player. Would be nice to have a team set up that isn't constantly overran in midfield since pre season. Would have been nice have not seen our 11 best players ran into the ground in the space of 3/4 months.

Totally get that , EH has had his moments good and bad.
Issue for me is the growing number of malcontents that seem to think that since the takeover we have some kind of entitlement to be Top 4 and pressing for titles.
It’ll come , but not to some folks expected timetable.

[Don Sholeone]

Don't get me wrong I think he's a great manager, but if we are to get to the point the club aims to be at we need more than a great manager, if they are serious about us taking that next step then we need an elite manager, I see too many flaws in Howe for him to be that guy for us, i think the right move is to move him on in the summer in an amicable way if possible.

There is always a lot of talk about being realistic, for some fans they might be happy to have the "team that tries" mantra. But end of the day PIF are almost pushing us towards the realm of a £1 billion investment (including purchase fee) they will want more than just a team of trier's and that's the true realism of the situation. The club is evolving, there is a real and very serious ambition now. There will be no room for sentimentality going forward, the likes of Howe, Joelinton, Trippier, Bruno, etc. will be gone sooner rather than later, some even this coming summer.

I think fans will need to learn to not get too attached, the club will soon be in a realm that no Newcastle fan has seen before with our club, ruthlessness will be common place soon enough.

[Colly]

Is it controversial to say that that sounds awful?

[seaside nipper]

Last paragraph is my point entirely
Time line and ambition takes working, under FFP constraints and PSR there is no route to instant success.
The club and the fan demographic is now in flux, people imo need to be pragmatic.
As for an elite manager…….no clue
Any managerial appointment is a massive gamble.
EH is the incumbent, up to him to keep the slot.
He’s currently on a dip after his season of overreach in 2023 so imo he has to turn scoring four home goals into wins and not enigmatic draws.
Roller coaster continues.
C’est la vie…….

[bodacious benny]

Selling players is part of football. Did Liverpool want to sell Suarez or Coutinho for big money? Probably not, but it enabled them to push on and improve the rest of the team. Villa fans didn’t want to sell Grealish but they’re in a hell of a stronger position now as it enabled them to buy. If Bruno goes for £100m in summer then so be it, it’s clear that if / when that happens it’ll enable to replace him and sign another elite level player to put us in a stronger position.

[Don Sholeone]

I think everyone would love to do a Leicester, but chances of that are very very slim. Football has evolved, for sustained success you need to be ruthless, we will have some long term players still but it's not going to be guaranteed to be a Bruno etc. im actually fully prepared to see him leave this summer, it feels inevitable, he's our first real asset that will bring in a huge fee that will transform the side.

In terms of a manager, the only real long term ones we will have are ones that can reach a Pep/Klopp level.

[bodacious benny]

We’d be stupid to turn down £100m for Bruno tbf. He’s not irreplaceable.

[beatski]

Think it's massively unfair on Howe to already be talking about his successor. he saved us from relegation then over performed and got us top 4 last season. Then the first bad spell and people want him out the door to be replaced by some mythical elite manager that would be falling over themselves to join

I know it's been done to death, but there are extenuating circumstances to our underperformances too; injuries and a ban and an incomplete squad have meant he's not been able to play the way he wants. Plus it being Howe's first season managing in Europe as well so it will have been a learning curve on that front

(As an aside about our squad, doesn't matter who the manager would be, our squad is at least one window away from being properly rounded and we were always likely to encounter problems because of that. We probably needed 8 signings in the summer, which was obviously impossible, and the club have IMO gambled on the 4 best deals rather than the 4 most needed in order to maximise the budget in the long term which with hindsight has obviously backfired in the short term, where similar gambles in the past have paid off.)

He deserves at least next season, with lessons learned, hopefully a much smaller injury list and a few more signings to enable our squad to compete at the level our fans are seemingly already demanding we perform at consistently.