Leaderboard

Checks out.

My twopenneth. Howe set his team up not to lose. So did Le Bris. The expectation was that the threat on the break from Gordon and Elanga would make Sunderland reticent to over commit. Hopefully we'd kill the game and quieten the crowd. We'd look to make chances on the counter or from set pieces. As did they. They fouled and imposed themselves physically. Without Joelinton and losing Burn meant we didn't have that physicality on the pitch. I worry without them we're too nice. Where have Eddie Howe's shithouse mags gone? Where are the arseholes? So the aim was counter-attack. Trouble is Elanga is a massive let down so far and Gordon's promise has evaporated. Also there is a fragility to our side at the minute. A lack of the confidence needed to see out games. That's been the case in every game away from home so far. Questions need to be asked of Howe (repeating the same approach regardless of the opponent or the form). Fwiw I genuinely think Elanga was bought to feed Isak and that Gordon's best form came when the defenders were stretched by Isak's threat. Now, because Woltemade is a different kind of forward player Gordon isn't getting the space he was enjoying and Elanga is playing off the striker in the way he was intended.

we're struggling a bit with the 'conserve energy' system. most of the cunts haven't cottoned on to that not meaning the 'go to sleep' system. or in yesterday's case the 'dont bother getting out of bed in the first place' system.

I don't think it's that he can't work out how to play 3 times a week, I think it's more that the squad a) isn't good enough, and b) where it is "good enough" we've got massive underperformance from key individuals. The first team has been hugely weakened in the most important position on the pitch because of the departure of Isak (and long term injury to his direct replacement). Then there's the complete non-performance of the likes of Gordon and Joelinton, and more recently Tonali who looks totally off at the minute. Botman being injured means we're flogging Burn who looks like he's on the downslope of his career now unfortunately. We've been missing our first choice fullbacks most of the season. Barnes is the only winger we could say is having a good season, and even he's very hit and miss. Elanga frankly looks shit (although I don't think he is, and I think long term he'll come good but he's really testing the fucking patience at the minute). We're massively missing Trippier's leadership too, particularly in closing out games. There's loads I'd look to change before the manager, starting with our new DoF coming up with some exciting young Premier League ready continental talent. Hopefully that begins in January and we can kick on in the second half of the season. When you take our squad and compare it with other teams trying to play 3 hard games in a week AND maintain a top 4/5 position, we're miles behind them even playing at our best. When you add poor form in key positions into the mix, and consider the margins at this level, I still think it's incredible that we're holding it together as well as we are.

Aye. It would have been 0-0 if Woltey hadn’t scored. I’d have taken a point. It didn’t work but LOTS of times his tactics do work. You can’t always get it right. He is one of the best managers we’ve ever had. We are in the CL and he has won us some silverware for the first time in my lifetime. Some of us need perspective if we are even questioning him at the moment. PS Happy Birthday Gem.

Woltemade is class and will come good given time. He was bought after the season had started, hoyed straight in, he swam instead of sinking (thank fuck), but now he needs a rest and some patience.

Renton reading this from his Tynemouth abode...

Decent run, that.

Mamma Mia! I hope the poor employees get a decent redundancy payment?

I might have strayed from the general consensus here but I don't fault Howe's tactics. We could've beaten them one of umpteen different ways and I think that Howe chose to go with the way that conserved the most amount of energy. I can understand that rationale given the amount of important games we have coming up. I blame the players, entirely. It was a tactic designed to nullify their attack and capitalize on their poor press and porous midfield to create chances in attack. We did the first and had ample opportunities to do the second and failed miserably every single time. I can completely concede that, having lost, losing that way looks weak and pathetic like we showed them respect, etc., but I actually think it was the opposite. Yes, we could've won it another way. Yes, in hindsight, we should've done it differently. But I think Howe reasoned, these are so shit that we can play the whole game in second gear, conserve energy for other matches, and hit them on the break since they're too naive to not press us with their dogshit press. He was right. For me, it's the players who let him down shockingly.

Quite happy for CT to be called the anti-Gemmill.

At least one of them is doing alright for himself

You find people losing their jobs in the mouth of Christmas funny? You're a sick man.

Slightly less serious than the recent stuff in here but I've just had my first "Hope you're doing well and had a nice weekend" Teams message of the week. Well you can fuck off and wait for your peer review then can't you?

There's a junction near where I live. Dunno what it is, but the lights, the traffic, whatever. Anyway it's a nightmare and whenever I drove through it I'd get properly pissed off. You know what I do now? I avoid it. Go a different route and the drive is so much more calm. Not sure what made me think of that.

“Is that a fucking hey-jab on eweh teweh bus? Uncal Fatheh, get mey lighter fluid weh ganning dewn to the premyeh inn”

Have you read Frozen Cattle? It’s by Thora Hird

Howe keeps saying after the games that the retreating to the edge of our box is NOT the game plan. The problem is there's no time to actually work on what the game plan actually should be. We might have been better just going back to the all out press, but even that would need drilling on the training ground, and there isn't the time. A huge part of the problem is that we're still trying to establish our new identity (post intensity), and we're trying to do it without anytime on the training pitch. I think Wilson will understand all of this, and he'll be the one that Hopkinson will be talking to, so hopefully we don't see any daft, rash decisions. Honestly, Howe deserves at least two more seasons with some stability at exec level for me, before anyone can start thinking about a replacement.

As frustrating as the season has been so far it should be noted that a lot of teams are struggling with consistency. I can’t remember a season where so many teams are totally underperforming and struggling with confidence. Even Villa had a very poor start with people starting to question Emery and his recruitment until they went on another run and breeding confidence.

There was an article in The Guardian today which I didn't read which had the title "If Farage is a racist why is he leading in the polls? " I presume it didn't consist of one line which said "Because a shit load of British people are racist and proud". Same in the US.

https://archive.ph/GbGRb Calm heads prevailing. Exactly what is needed.

Lascelles certainly won't be ready as he's not in the named CL squad !!

So despite all our our issues, and I agree with a lot of what has been said on here - the exec shit show, the attempt to change playing style, the piss poor show from some of our expensive summer signings, the drop off in levels of some of our top players etc etc - the nature of the league and inconsistency many teams are showing means we are still 4 points off 5th place. A half decent run can still propel you right up the table and things quickly start looking very different again. I just don't know what Howe tweaks this time to achieve that. Nothing seems to be working because at the end of the day individual levels have been largely terrible this season and the players do need to step up. I don't think Howe is blameless, I think he's tried to navigate a difficult summer and do the best with this squad given our CL commitments but it has not worked. We've been terrible to watch for a while now as well and eventually that catches up to a manager. But I find it hard to blame him for some of the absolute individual dross we've seen lately from mind bogglingly stupid goals conceded to the likes of Elanga, Joelinto, Gordon and Willock not being able to make 5 yard sideway passes.

The mackems will be absolutely loving their visits to this place today.

On the contrary I'm convinced he's well within the bounds of his own faculties and is just a cunt. I also think he will use every and all opportunities, however distasteful, to detract from the fact he has to release those files imminently.

Mrs. F’s hobby is collecting vintage accounting equipment, and this year I’ve bought her a fully restored set of beads for her 1852 abacus. It’s the little things that count.

Well I'm pleased there's at least some good news this weekend, well done on getting over your Phil Collins obsession. There's always light at the end of the tunnel.

Bruno was one of the only ones to come out of yesterday with any credit for me. Probably Thiaw as well.

This sums it up for me. We've lost our identity - our success came from the high press and not giving the opposition a moment to breathe until we were 2-3 goals to the good. The histrionics from the media and the Sunderland fans doesn't wash either - it was an awful game from both sides, divided only by a freak own goal. As for the 'photo op' - what goes around, comes around. We've got to take that one on the chin I'm afraid.

As I alluded to in the match thread, I think we're seeing the consequences of how we saw out the first semi against Arsenal which was 100% right at the time but now seems to be our go to plan far too often. We'll see it in the semis if we beat Fulham and we'll see it at PSG and my worry is it's not even working. I'm not saying we can go full on press for 90 minutes twice a week but we need to find a more possession based way of saving energy rather than the 5-5-0 or variants of it because if it's not working it will be the results which will cost us and Eddie in the long term.

But enough about Strictly!

At least nick proved today he can finish with his head if you put the right crosses in.

He stays, no doubt. So many external factors beyond his control at play this season, and I still think he's doing well under some difficult circumstances which a lot of people may not see. All he needs to is work on an effective plan B in terms of our tactics. I'm sure he is doing that behind the scenes, he is obviously very good at his job and an intelligent person. Eddie, of course, isn't above criticism, he should get it, and I'm glad he does. But sacking him is not the move, and I think it'll remain out of the picture for the foreseeable. As for the Howe Out shite itself - I've personally only seen that from trolls, post-takeover Twitter plastics and supporters who, understandably I'd say, get very emotional after losses or bad runs. Despite what some cunts online would have you think, our supporters aren't shouting from the rooftops demanding that he is dismissed. Also, even though I'm feeling very upset after today's loss and shit performance, I'm not worried about him losing his job, don't think he should lose it, and I do still think we will get Conference or Europa for next year.

Honestly rather sell half the team than lose Howe. He isn’t the lad having rushes of blood or missing headers or losing his man at corners or missing sitters or flattering to deceive but delivering little.

The only thing I’d criticise Howe for would be him not having an effective alternative style , after the high-intensity press. Seasons like this where we’ve been active in all competitions shows the need for a plan/squad B, and we’ve been shown to be lacking in that. But I’m a long, long, way off doubting his position as our gaffer.

Craig, how's your acca doing?

What a great and very thoughtful idea for a present!

That's giving Howe a free pass. Given the lack of DoF it's likely that Howe had complete control of transfers, he's responsible for the players signed and the fact is that as a unit they are underperforming.

Correct, I did not mention This is Spinal Tap. But only because there was something called The Sure Thing in the middle that ruined the run by dint of not being something I've heard of before.

Let be honest, they bought Woltemade out of desperation, and then were forced to use him prematurely in a system he's not suited to. He's a square peg in a round hole and you can see him getting more and more frustrated and disillusioned. I worry the own goal will erase whatever confidence he has left. Wissa needs to get up to speed quickly so we can give Woltemade a break.

I've felt all season this would be a transition season or wasted season just because of how the cards we've been dealt. Hoping I'm wrong and we pick up but we just can't seem to manage three games a week and the bolstered squad doesn't seem too bolstered in practice.

I hate to say it and it may just be the immediate annoyance of it all but I really fear that this is the beginning of the end for Eddie here. We look pretty abject a lot of the time, we’re making the same mistakes every week, Elanga and Ramsey have, up to now, been a complete fucking waste of 90 million quid. The one thing we were good at was the physical side of it all but we were completely outfought today. I’ll probably feel differently in the morning but I’m not seeing a lot of answers to our problems at this current time

Villa stuck with Emery after a champions league campaign where they finished 6th and missed out on CL qualification to.. us... Emery hasn't won a trophy for Villa There is certainly a case for changing manager if you're being ultra critical which 2/3 of football supporters have always been. The best candidate by a mile is Regis Le Bris

He can fuck yours if he likes.

Btw I missed the whole thing putting the final touches on a fucking excruciating 5,000 word college assignment. Sounds like I got the better deal

Am far from happy with this season but we can't do what we did to Arsenal x 3 and Liverpool in the final of the Carabao last season when we're in the champions league every other week. We played the Carabao final v a Liverpool who'd just played PSG on the Wednesday. The other side of that coin is the virtual anomimity of Elanga and Ramsey who have for the outlay have had zero effect on the season. They have to start affecting games positively. If Howe can't make them count then his coat is on a shoogly peg as some cunts of your aquaintance might say