Every time I read the comments about Eddie Howe I think about the Charlton fans who wanted Alan Curbishley out all those years ago. They felt that he wasn't good enough to get Charlton much higher then 10th in the Premier League, they wanted a manager to take them to the next level.. so he went and Charlton vanished from sight never to be seen again.
We did a similar thing with Bobby Robson, 6th wasn't good enough and he couldn't control the players was the cry, so he went and Newcastle crumbled over a disastrous 20 years.
Yes, all the comments about Eddie are fair/reasonable and sort of understandable... let's face it we're in the champions league after all ... but be very careful what you wish for.
Excellent point! Be very careful indeed what you wish for! Souness & Allerdyce anyone? Charlton is a great example. As are current West Ham & Spurs. And they’ve all won cups lately. Bearing in mind our inability to sign players when in competition with the top 6 clubs this summer, who exactly would the Howe out brigade suggest as our new, improved manager? Who we’ll chase until a bigger club gets him instead. Mourinho? Just wait until he arrives, charms everyone for a few months, then falls out with players, plays defensive football that is ‘not Newcastle’s way’, alienates the fans & then gets sacked (see 2nd term at Chelsea or his time at Spurs or Man.Utd or any bloody where…). I’m not saying Howe is untouchable but bearing in mind all the positives of the last 4 years compared to the completely barren misery of the previous 18 years, I know who I want to stay in charge.
And I would especially add Man. Utd & Chelsea to that list, though they’re a bit above our level at the moment. All these clubs are just stuck in a cycle of sacking manages without very much forethought & it’s a nonsensical way to run a club. I very much hope we do not follow that pathway & lose whatever unity, bond & cohesion we’ve built up since the takeover
Absolutely spot on with your preview, Ed. Especially with the middle paragraph. Newcastle are indeed “trying to transition from a team that wins games with sheer intensity to one who dominates possession and chokes the life out of the opposition.” Sadly we don’t yet have enough players who can do that week after week. But hopefully it will come. After all, the hierarchy still insist to staff that we will win the league by 2030. A draw tonight would be nice. A win would be amazing - and you can never say never when it comes to Newcastle United.
A fine Special, Ed, which includes well-balanced arguments. This paragraph needs re-quoting, as I couldn't agree with you more:
- "In truth, I quite enjoy the Howe debates. It’s interesting and engaging to speak with fellow fans about tactics, systems and trajectories - and most of the time we can all just end up agreeing that Anthony Gordon is a complete waste of space." - Beltah!
Regardless of which version of NUFC turns up tonight, HTL!
Excellent that, Ed. Think it’s a reflective of what we all feel?
Eddie can’t really lose tonight (unless we get a proper mauling). Win and it’s been a superb campaign, lose (not too heavily) and we’ve got a knockout tie with the second leg at home (which we’d all have taken). My opinion on Eddie hasn’t softened since Brighton away. I just don’t think he’s good/brave enough. Saying that it would be madness to sack him now. There’s no denying we are only 4 points off a likely CL spot, in a major cup semi, in the 4th round of the FA Cup and have a realistic chance of progressing to the last 16 of this season’s CL. I know it sounds ridiculous to have lost faith with a manager who has us in this position AND won a major trophy last year. I know it is.
But we’ve spent a massive amount of money. And we are getting less competitive, certainly in the league.
Give me this over the Ashley days anytime but if we are going to aspire to Hopkinson’s (debatable) ambitions, we need a leader who is brave enough to at least have a go. We are being ‘backed’ to become one of the biggest clubs in the world for the first time in thirty plus years. Eddie is loved by the majority of rational fans/the team and we’d all love him to turn things around and grow Newcastle into the giant it postures to be.
I feel these next 8 games are pivotal and will determine if he’s there next year. I’d be happy to ram my own dissenting words down my throat if he prevails. But I don’t want him in charge of another war chest in the summer if he doesn’t.
Bit harsh to say that Gordon is a complete waste of space - needs to improve but he’s scored some important Champions League goals. Let’s hope he gets another one tonight!
Fair point Pete. I’m just reaching the end of my tether with him in the league. I was a few metres from him on Sunday when he sent two of the worst crosses over with his left foot - and couldn’t help but reminisce about his cross for Isak when we beat Arsenal 1-0 a few years back, which was superb, and was from the right, with his right foot.
And yet - he doesn’t play on the right because he ‘doesn’t want to’. Hm. My cynical suspicion is that he’s trying to sure up a starting place on the left in Tuchel’s World Cup squad, as he knows he’s no chance of starting on the right ahead of Saka.
But yes, CL usually brings out the best in him. Here’s hoping we see that tonight.
Thanks for replying - I realise that he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and was expecting to get some comments back. I was adjusting my tin hat when you replied! 😂
You make a fair point, and yeah, he is a frustrating player, and that’s a good argument because he is capable of a lot more than we’ve been seeing. I’m going to take his comments in the press conference at face value and hope that he’s going to start upping his performances.
So true. Particularly on Palace fans. Selhurst is a park I’ve had the pleasure to visit frequently…and at Wembley with them when they won promotion in 2013. (A good mate’s a mad Eagles fan and he drags me along) They can match the Geordies for constant singing.
Brilliant piece on the Howe paradox. The point about Newcastle being stuck between 'gold and rubble' really captures the wierd tension fans are feeling right now. I've noticed this pattern myself watching them in Europe versus league games, it's almost like two differnet teams show up. The Palace comparison is spot on because sometimes accepting where you are takes more guts than chasing perfection.
Every time I read the comments about Eddie Howe I think about the Charlton fans who wanted Alan Curbishley out all those years ago. They felt that he wasn't good enough to get Charlton much higher then 10th in the Premier League, they wanted a manager to take them to the next level.. so he went and Charlton vanished from sight never to be seen again.
We did a similar thing with Bobby Robson, 6th wasn't good enough and he couldn't control the players was the cry, so he went and Newcastle crumbled over a disastrous 20 years.
Yes, all the comments about Eddie are fair/reasonable and sort of understandable... let's face it we're in the champions league after all ... but be very careful what you wish for.
It's Eddie for me.
Excellent point! Be very careful indeed what you wish for! Souness & Allerdyce anyone? Charlton is a great example. As are current West Ham & Spurs. And they’ve all won cups lately. Bearing in mind our inability to sign players when in competition with the top 6 clubs this summer, who exactly would the Howe out brigade suggest as our new, improved manager? Who we’ll chase until a bigger club gets him instead. Mourinho? Just wait until he arrives, charms everyone for a few months, then falls out with players, plays defensive football that is ‘not Newcastle’s way’, alienates the fans & then gets sacked (see 2nd term at Chelsea or his time at Spurs or Man.Utd or any bloody where…). I’m not saying Howe is untouchable but bearing in mind all the positives of the last 4 years compared to the completely barren misery of the previous 18 years, I know who I want to stay in charge.
And I would especially add Man. Utd & Chelsea to that list, though they’re a bit above our level at the moment. All these clubs are just stuck in a cycle of sacking manages without very much forethought & it’s a nonsensical way to run a club. I very much hope we do not follow that pathway & lose whatever unity, bond & cohesion we’ve built up since the takeover
Leicester anyone?
Exactly!! Another one!
Absolutely spot on with your preview, Ed. Especially with the middle paragraph. Newcastle are indeed “trying to transition from a team that wins games with sheer intensity to one who dominates possession and chokes the life out of the opposition.” Sadly we don’t yet have enough players who can do that week after week. But hopefully it will come. After all, the hierarchy still insist to staff that we will win the league by 2030. A draw tonight would be nice. A win would be amazing - and you can never say never when it comes to Newcastle United.
A fine Special, Ed, which includes well-balanced arguments. This paragraph needs re-quoting, as I couldn't agree with you more:
- "In truth, I quite enjoy the Howe debates. It’s interesting and engaging to speak with fellow fans about tactics, systems and trajectories - and most of the time we can all just end up agreeing that Anthony Gordon is a complete waste of space." - Beltah!
Regardless of which version of NUFC turns up tonight, HTL!
Excellent that, Ed. Think it’s a reflective of what we all feel?
Eddie can’t really lose tonight (unless we get a proper mauling). Win and it’s been a superb campaign, lose (not too heavily) and we’ve got a knockout tie with the second leg at home (which we’d all have taken). My opinion on Eddie hasn’t softened since Brighton away. I just don’t think he’s good/brave enough. Saying that it would be madness to sack him now. There’s no denying we are only 4 points off a likely CL spot, in a major cup semi, in the 4th round of the FA Cup and have a realistic chance of progressing to the last 16 of this season’s CL. I know it sounds ridiculous to have lost faith with a manager who has us in this position AND won a major trophy last year. I know it is.
But we’ve spent a massive amount of money. And we are getting less competitive, certainly in the league.
Give me this over the Ashley days anytime but if we are going to aspire to Hopkinson’s (debatable) ambitions, we need a leader who is brave enough to at least have a go. We are being ‘backed’ to become one of the biggest clubs in the world for the first time in thirty plus years. Eddie is loved by the majority of rational fans/the team and we’d all love him to turn things around and grow Newcastle into the giant it postures to be.
I feel these next 8 games are pivotal and will determine if he’s there next year. I’d be happy to ram my own dissenting words down my throat if he prevails. But I don’t want him in charge of another war chest in the summer if he doesn’t.
Yeah brilliant writing this, completely sums up my feeling too. Into these!
Bit harsh to say that Gordon is a complete waste of space - needs to improve but he’s scored some important Champions League goals. Let’s hope he gets another one tonight!
Fair point Pete. I’m just reaching the end of my tether with him in the league. I was a few metres from him on Sunday when he sent two of the worst crosses over with his left foot - and couldn’t help but reminisce about his cross for Isak when we beat Arsenal 1-0 a few years back, which was superb, and was from the right, with his right foot.
And yet - he doesn’t play on the right because he ‘doesn’t want to’. Hm. My cynical suspicion is that he’s trying to sure up a starting place on the left in Tuchel’s World Cup squad, as he knows he’s no chance of starting on the right ahead of Saka.
But yes, CL usually brings out the best in him. Here’s hoping we see that tonight.
Thanks for replying - I realise that he’s not everyone’s cup of tea, and was expecting to get some comments back. I was adjusting my tin hat when you replied! 😂
You make a fair point, and yeah, he is a frustrating player, and that’s a good argument because he is capable of a lot more than we’ve been seeing. I’m going to take his comments in the press conference at face value and hope that he’s going to start upping his performances.
So true. Particularly on Palace fans. Selhurst is a park I’ve had the pleasure to visit frequently…and at Wembley with them when they won promotion in 2013. (A good mate’s a mad Eagles fan and he drags me along) They can match the Geordies for constant singing.
Brilliant piece on the Howe paradox. The point about Newcastle being stuck between 'gold and rubble' really captures the wierd tension fans are feeling right now. I've noticed this pattern myself watching them in Europe versus league games, it's almost like two differnet teams show up. The Palace comparison is spot on because sometimes accepting where you are takes more guts than chasing perfection.