Howe out

DJ said:
It's a moving target. Last season the benchmark was Burnley and we had drifted far behind them. Now its meltdown because they beat us.

We've lost form and confidence, we are a form and confident team. We need both to play to our best with our system and style of play.

We've lost numerous players to injury hampering our options to change things because we have a small squad in comparison to most. The players that are playing are tired after a long season.

With our best side at their best we have nothing to fear, but scratch the surface like we've had too in the second half of this season and the quality and options are lacking.
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Usual don’t dare attack the status quo offering from you DJ.

We had an excellent group of players available yesterday who I believe are better than Burnley’s group. Do you think Burnley’s team yesterday was better than ours on paper? Look at our front four compared to their championship strikers Barnes and Wood.

They just understand the system they are playing and are motivated and fighting. We are none of those things.

Why are we tired? We’ve hardly played, we don’t play first team in cups or Europe like every other side and they spend a lot of the season posting Instagram photos from Dubai or various holiday destinations. Eddie has lost his grip on making the players fit enough to play 50 games. They probably play 30.

I use Watford as they are smallish, came up same year as us so have had same cash for four years. They are also in my opinion less talented a squad (remember us against them this year). They are above us in the league and in a cup semi. Oh... and DJ....they are not tired. Some of the happy clappers on here need to stop referencing Swindon for our relative success and start looking at other teams that have had a 450m cash injection from Sky since 2014.

We need to get over ourselves, stop making documentaries about our story and pull our fingers out of our ****************
 
Just one question ND - why are Barnes and Wood Championship strikers. Thats utter nonsense. Barnes has played well over 100 PL games for Burnley and Wood has been ever present since he signed 2 years ago. Both are proven goalscorers at this level and I would be happy to see either play for us.
Most of what you have written is a good summary but don't belittle opposition players when they are of a decent quality.
 
redharry said:
Just one question ND - why are Barnes and Wood Championship strikers. Thats utter nonsense. Barnes has played well over 100 PL games for Burnley and Wood has been ever present since he signed 2 years ago. Both are proven goalscorers at this level and I would be happy to see either play for us.
Most of what you have written is a good summary but don't belittle opposition players when they are of a decent quality.
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Not much difference to our happy clappers banging on about our over performing league 1 players .
 
Neil Dawson said:
Usual don’t dare attack the status quo offering from you DJ.
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Not in the slightest. Not agreeing with everything you say doesn’t mean the default is that I think everything is rosy.

I don’t get the selection of Begovic for the majority of this season.

I don’t always agree with two up front, in this division, you can search back to our dreadful run in during our first season in the Premier League for evidence of that but that doesn’t fit your narrative.

Neither does my complaints on not signing a full back, or central midfielder.

Neither does my questioning of backroom staff.

But do carry on...
 
As per usual, after a couple of bad games, we get the extremes posted on here and Twitter. We are not as bad as some are trying to make out and not as good as we thought we were at the start of the season. A mid-table PL side really, overall [ although maybe the final placing will be just below that now sadly ].

Do I think Watford are miles above us now? No. The same as Wolves, I think they have been able to have the luxury of a mainly settled team all season and that is showing on their steady form. They've also had a few big beatings too of course. Easy to say but.....Josh scores the second penalty against Wolves and Ritchie doesn't get that equaliser, thats us on 42 points right now and I doubt we are having this meltdown.

We have been very close to being that 7th/8th placed club this season. As much as certain other clubs are held up as being amazing, we are really not much different to most of them, in reality. I do think key injuries have affected us at just the wrong moments at various points along the way.

I do feel Eddie would do well to find a different voice as a coach for next season, he's never getting rid of Jason and why should he. But if there was someone that could bring a fresh view, especially defensively , that would be a step forward. And yeah, I agree, Mossy should be replaced, again, just to bring a fresh point of view to what we do on the training pitch. [ to the point made above that Eddie can't be approached....all I know is the players all say his door is always open, so who knows....either way, his way has done us fairly well over the last ten years or so....].

Next season....a bit of a freshen up needed...I'd look at someone like Dean Henderson in goal if Sheffield Utd don't come up. I'd give Ake the armband as a way of keeping him here. Mepham will only keep improving, we have Simpson to bring in more as well, with Steve Cook too, that is four centre backs capable of defending, with the right coaching. Sadly, I think Rico needs to be moved back to Spain, not sure he will ever quite reach the levels needed in the PL. So we need to find left and right backs.

Midfield, Lewis coming back will help massively but we also need at least one more player in there, I don't think we can sustain Surman and Gosling as regulars any longer. Maybe Mooy could be an option for that position, someone like that. If the Mason Mount rumour has any legs, he would be a great addition for a season [ and then who knows from there ]. I'd be looking to get Daniel James in but suspect Dirty Leeds will go back for him.

I still think we have the talent up front with King, Callum, Solanke, Brooks. Depending on whether Wee Man moves on though, maybe an extra body needed there.

Personally, I would be moving on: Stan [ too injury prone and GLOVES IN APRIL?! ] Mings [ I do like him but would bring a few million to the funds ], Ibe [ again, I do quite like him but not sure he's going to improve enough now ], Brad Smith [ done well in the MLS but can't see him now being a first choice here ], Begovic [ lost confidence from the fans ], I'd make it clear to Franno and Charlie that they are now back up only. Pugh will move on [ think he should make sure Jarrod Bowen replaces him here though! ].

A few in and out will freshen us up....but I still say, across a whole season, we are a mid-table PL side and will be about the same next season too. Just wish we could find a way to finish a PL season strongly and not keep stopping!
 
davygravy said:
As per usual, after a couple of bad games, we get the extremes posted on here and Twitter. We are not as bad as some are trying to make out and not as good as we thought we were at the start of the season. A mid-table PL side really, overall [ although maybe the final placing will be just below that now sadly ].

Do I think Watford are miles above us now? No. The same as Wolves, I think they have been able to have the luxury of a mainly settled team all season and that is showing on their steady form. They've also had a few big beatings too of course. Easy to say but.....Josh scores the second penalty against Wolves and Ritchie doesn't get that equaliser, thats us on 42 points right now and I doubt we are having this meltdown.

We have been very close to being that 7th/8th placed club this season. As much as certain other clubs are held up as being amazing, we are really not much different to most of them, in reality. I do think key injuries have affected us at just the wrong moments at various points along the way.

I do feel Eddie would do well to find a different voice as a coach for next season, he's never getting rid of Jason and why should he. But if there was someone that could bring a fresh view, especially defensively , that would be a step forward. And yeah, I agree, Mossy should be replaced, again, just to bring a fresh point of view to what we do on the training pitch. [ to the point made above that Eddie can't be approached....all I know is the players all say his door is always open, so who knows....either way, his way has done us fairly well over the last ten years or so....].

Next season....a bit of a freshen up needed...I'd look at someone like Dean Henderson in goal if Sheffield Utd don't come up. I'd give Ake the armband as a way of keeping him here. Mepham will only keep improving, we have Simpson to bring in more as well, with Steve Cook too, that is four centre backs capable of defending, with the right coaching. Sadly, I think Rico needs to be moved back to Spain, not sure he will ever quite reach the levels needed in the PL. So we need to find left and right backs.

Midfield, Lewis coming back will help massively but we also need at least one more player in there, I don't think we can sustain Surman and Gosling as regulars any longer. Maybe Mooy could be an option for that position, someone like that. If the Mason Mount rumour has any legs, he would be a great addition for a season [ and then who knows from there ]. I'd be looking to get Daniel James in but suspect Dirty Leeds will go back for him.

I still think we have the talent up front with King, Callum, Solanke, Brooks. Depending on whether Wee Man moves on though, maybe an extra body needed there.

Personally, I would be moving on: Stan [ too injury prone and GLOVES IN APRIL?! ] Mings [ I do like him but would bring a few million to the funds ], Ibe [ again, I do quite like him but not sure he's going to improve enough now ], Brad Smith [ done well in the MLS but can't see him now being a first choice here ], Begovic [ lost confidence from the fans ], I'd make it clear to Franno and Charlie that they are now back up only. Pugh will move on [ think he should make sure Jarrod Bowen replaces him here though! ].

A few in and out will freshen us up....but I still say, across a whole season, we are a mid-table PL side and will be about the same next season too. Just wish we could find a way to finish a PL season strongly and not keep stopping!
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I think it's the manner of the two defeats people are moaning at
 
The tiredness point is an interesting one. We haven’t had much zip in our play for sometime but at the same time, we’ve hardly had a congested fixture list too.

One thing I keep hearing is the high intensity of our training. Is this part of the problem? Are we over working the players to such an extent in training they have little left to give for game day?

I know people like to think of Dubai as a jolly. In reality they’ve probably been doing 2 or 3 sessions a day in 30 degree heat. Not a popular opinion, but would allowing them an actual holiday have made them fresher for the run in?

If it’s not over training I’m struggling to understand this tiredness.
 
Losing while trying hard is just about acceptable. But losing with a team of supposed PL quality players not 'appearing to try very hard' is not acceptable in any way. The regime that the squad undertakes needs looking at and perhaps some changes made. Top players should not be tired after the fairly light amount of fixtures we've had recently compared to some teams. Injuries and the effect they have on squad stability are noted but they are not the entire reason for our recent performances.
 
Tinpot Club said:
The tiredness point is an interesting one. We haven’t had much zip in our play for sometime but at the same time, we’ve hardly had a congested fixture list too.

One thing I keep hearing is the high intensity of our training. Is this part of the problem? Are we over working the players to such an extent in training they have little left to give for game day?

I know people like to think of Dubai as a jolly. In reality they’ve probably been doing 2 or 3 sessions a day in 30 degree heat. Not a popular opinion, but would allowing them an actual holiday have made them fresher for the run in?

If it’s not over training I’m struggling to understand this tiredness.
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Begovic said on soccer a m,that they trained in the morning and golf In the afternoon
 
Yesterday was awful. The shape at the end was daft and showed a lack of strategy - a bit panicky to finish with a forward on the wing, a winger in defensive mid, the right back at left back at right back, etc

On the other hand it’s also a bit: mid table club to finish mid table shocker.

It’s also hard to definitively argue the point that despite £120m per season he hasn’t taken us forward. The problem with that theory is that every other club gets £120m too. We are spending the same as they are spending and treading water accordingly.
 
Tinpot Club said:
The tiredness point is an interesting one. We haven’t had much zip in our play for sometime but at the same time, we’ve hardly had a congested fixture list too.

One thing I keep hearing is the high intensity of our training. Is this part of the problem? Are we over working the players to such an extent in training they have little left to give for game day?

I know people like to think of Dubai as a jolly. In reality they’ve probably been doing 2 or 3 sessions a day in 30 degree heat. Not a popular opinion, but would allowing them an actual holiday have made them fresher for the run in?

If it’s not over training I’m struggling to understand this tiredness.
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It has to be question at the very least.

We ask a lot of our players in a game. The midfield two have to do the work of three men a lot of the time. The full backs have to be virtual wingers at times, the wingers sometimes have to tuck in tight and act as central midfielders or get chalk on their boots as a wide attacker, the strikers sometimes drop deep as a number 10 and the centre backs are sometimes a sweeper.

It means everyone has to be at their best every game physically and mentally to make it work. Players need to make the right runs, be on the right zones and have the bottle to make a pass that sometimes might not come off.

There’s no hiding place in our side and currently, you can’t even get whipped out of the side if underperforming because there’s not the quality in depth to do it.

On top of that it’s difficult to have any confidence in the bloke behind you wearing the gloves.
 
Yes spot on DJ. The system does demand a lot more rotation of position and ground to cover than other teams. I guess that comes at the expensive of high intensity pressing.

Does anyone know the distance covered stats for this season? I know it doesn’t exactly translate to effort, but a useful indication nonetheless
 
DJ said:
It has to be question at the very least.

We ask a lot of our players in a game. The midfield two have to do the work of three men a lot of the time. The full backs have to be virtual wingers at times, the wingers sometimes have to tuck in tight and act as central midfielders or get chalk on their boots as a wide attacker, the strikers sometimes drop deep as a number 10 and the centre backs are sometimes a sweeper.

It means everyone has to be at their best every game physically and mentally to make it work. Players need to make the right runs, be on the right zones and have the bottle to make a pass that sometimes might not come off.

There’s no hiding place in our side and currently, you can’t even get whipped out of the side if underperforming because there’s not the quality in depth to do it.

On top of that it’s difficult to have any confidence in the bloke behind you wearing the gloves.
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Again. All reads really well as standard defence of the status quo about our amazing Bournemouth way of playing. A way apparently so intriguing and difficult. Despite the evidence to the contrary as every other manager has sussed it out and beat us with ease.

And then you realise that Burnley ran 71.7 miles and we ran 69.7 so even that doesn’t stack up the argument.

They wanted it more and are tactically better with inferior players. We need to stop bleating mollycoddling and analysing and sort our s*** out.
 
We haven't imploded over 2 games it has been gradual especially away. Is the famous team spirit intact? Do the players still walk through walls for Eddie? Is there a leader on the pitch. That I can answer sadly no.
 
SlowDownDerek said:
I thought he knew you, if you've no idea who he is this is extremely odd behaviour.
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Its ok SDD, Ive only sat 6 yards away since the stadium opened in 2001, not long.

Ive watched him abuse other fans around him and try to pick a fight when they have dared say anything against the team. What I found odd yesterday was the paragon of virtue ripping into Eddie and the players worse than any comments that had received his ire in the past.

I dont care what he does or says, hes a lifelong Bournemouth fan who has had to suffer the highs and lows but I found it a tad hypocritical
 
We should be doing better with the money spent, we've spent a lot more than Watford the last couple of years and they're a long way ahead of us now.

I wouldn't say our injuries have been as bad as people are making out either, Lewis Cook was the only real long term injury first team player and he was playing poorly before he got injured anyway.
None of our 5-6 best players (on paper) have been injured much this year.
 
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