General Premier League Thread 2022-23 - mod note in OP 12/03/23

McFly85

Howe has done an okay job at Newcastle to get them to where they are in a pretty short space of time - although he’s definitely been helped by Spurs Chelsea and Liverpool having dreadful seasons by their standards. He’s gotten a lot more out of players he inherited like Joelinton and Wilson then maybe expected too.

But the money is obviously a major factor. They’ve spent a lot, largely spent it well(although I think it’s easier to spend well when your targets know you’ve basically got free access to Scrooge McDucks vault), but are one of the most horrible clubs in the league to watch due to their near constant sh*thousery. I think recently they were second overall in the league behind Brentford in time taken to get the ball back in play.

I could easily imagine the tables turning very quickly for Howe. With the resources available it won’t be long before he’s expected to challenge regularly for trophies, and having your team constantly play with a disruptive inferiority complex will wear thin quickly enough. I fully expect next season that at least one of Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs to be much more competitive next season too, so top 4 could well be a serious challenge for him.

jacool

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120629665#Comment_120629665

Three massively under-performing clubs there. If they all win, the fact that Everton went to Brighton and won, in between Brighton defeating Man Utd and Arsenal just looks like the maddest result of all. For the two that go down, its re-building and re-assessing. For the one that stays up, it could realistically be another season like this. 22 wins amongst them, from 111 games! Everton, who have managed to push their FFP investigation into the summer, could end up being sued for around £300m as well, by the clubs in and around them, as well as by Burnley.

IncognitoMan

I think there is a very obvious expiry date on Howe at Newcastle.

How quickly it comes about will depend largely on their summer deals. But if they spend big with higher quality names, there will come an expectation that the style of football also improves. Can Howe keep them as competitive if they open up a bit more. Allow the opposition to have the ball in play a bit more etc.. remains to be seen.

I have seen shouts for Newcastle to challenge for the title next season - and while there does seem an inevitability that they will be there soon, it won't be next season imo.

They are (in my eyes) far more likely to find themselves struggling to adapt to a better style of football, play CL and stay in a top 4 race again next season. Wouldn't rule out Newcastle off the pace for top4 and Howe sacked by Xmas. New signings not wanting to put in the hard running that the current crop will. Dressing room unrest and eventually the new players winning out.

Newcastle have kinda skipped a step you see these clubs go through when transitioning to a squad with higher quality by ending up in the CL this season. That will catch up on them.

eh i dunno

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630509#Comment_120630509

It's the actually the premier league who could be sued and not everton. Premier league have been giving Everton the ok on all transfers for about two years now. Messy business at both ends of the table

Flaneur OBrien

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630779#Comment_120630779

Yeah, with you here. I suspect it'll take them a couple of years to challenge as they discover balancing the league, with CL and the other cups is very difficult. Howe has done well, but when they start buying more marquee signings, will he cope with those ego's while not winning much?

If he's still there by Xmas, I'll be shocked.

Fitz*

Howe doesn't know what it is like to play in a European competition and balance the games out with the squad.

A natural progression would have been Europa League and then progress again, after the players have adjusted. Even Man City struggled in Europe for a few years, including being knockout of the CL at the group stage a couple of times. The players need to learn how to play Sunday - Wednesday - Saturday every week. Trippier aside, have many players completed more than 2 seasons of European & domestic football, let alone Champions League. I assume Newcastle have a low coefficient too, so will have a tough draw as 3rd or 4th seeds.

Howe based this season on having the same 11 every week. I read that last night's line up had the 50th change to a starting 11 of the season, in game 37. Chelsea and Liverpool had that in games 14 & 17. He won't be able to do that again next season. Newcastle might struggle, unless a lot of bodies are brought in.

IAmTitleist

"Most horrible clubs in the league to watch"

"there will come an expectation that the style of football also improves. Can Howe keep them as competitive if they open up a bit more"

Comments like the above show that the posters haven't actually watched too much of Newcastle and have been suckered in by Twitter trolls talking nonsense. Every club wastes time when and if required to do so. We haven't had to do it too many times this season but they've been strangely highlighted way above and beyond the reality.

Only 4 teams have scored more goals than us and we have for the large part been absolutely superb to watch. High intensity, pressing like you wouldn't believe, rock solid at the back and scoring plenty of goals.

I do agree however that next season will be much more difficult with a potentially resurgent Chelsea/Liverpool.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630488#Comment_120630488

"But the money is obviously the major factor"

It's A major factor but not THE major factor.

Southampton spent circa 120 million and got relegated.

West Ham spent circa 170 million and havent featured in the league (Great European run to be fair)

Spurs spent circa 160 million and are worse than ever.

Wolves 160 million poor season

etc etc etc

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630967#Comment_120630967

For a top 4 team some of their games were horrendous. That 0-0 v Arsenal in January would get football stopped. Never liked them as a club just even more reason to dislike them now.

Mitch Connor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631170#Comment_120631170

Man United would be much higher on that list if not for DDG passing it out of play.

cmac2009

Alan Shearer reinforcing his reputation as an absolute plank with a disturbing love letter to Eddie Howe in The Athletic today.

Quazzie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631170#Comment_120631170

Strange thing to say considering the graph shows Man City has the ball in play most for the season.

McFly85

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120630997#Comment_120630997

I literally said it’s a major factor.

I also said they’ve generally spent well. But you can’t compare what others have spent and say it’s the same.

Newcastle will have an easier time landing their targets because everyone knows their funding is practically limitless. I’m not sure they would have gotten Isak for example without him knowing that they’ll likely have a serious push for silverware in the next few years.

There will be constant spending and upgrades, players that don’t work out will be replaced readily enough so the risk of failure on the pitch will be relatively low.

For other teams, huge spending is much more of a gamble. They need to stay in the PL, are more likely to have to hope players outdo their potential and perhaps most crucially, will have to live with players who haven’t stepped up to the mark, because they simply can’t afford to take a hit and go and get someone else.

kowloonkev

Newcastle have been really exciting to watch at home in most games I've seen. People are obviously hoping Howe fails and coming up with reasons why. I think he is manager of the season and can't think of anyone who comes close. I didn't think he was capable of this kind of pragmatic football that has seen them grind out results. I think we know from his Bournemouth days that's he is capable of attractive attacking football and Newcastle have shown plenty of that this season too.

If Howe continues to be as astute as he has been, he'll give priority to the league next season and use the CL as a bonus. It won't be easy but I don't think I could have the neck to doubt him again after being wrong first time. Maybe others have the neck I guess.

artanevilla

I think people write off Howe because he is British. Another Allardyce, Dyche, Moyes etc.

When he lost the Bournemouth job he spent time in Spain studying methods of other managers, visiting training sessions, learning how they do things etc. He didn't sit around waiting for the phone to ring, he proactively went to try and improve himself as a manager which is quite telling in what type of manager he aspires to be.

y0ssar1an22

It's all shocking. Just make it 60 mins and stop the clock. Job done.

Or else the refs could start dishing out yellows according to their rules

artanevilla

How it is is fine, just add the correct time on, players will still do it if the clock stops as even if you are not running the clock down you are interrupting the flow and frustrating the opposition. It's part of the game though it is incredibly frustrating when you are on the other side of it.

SlickRic

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120628724#Comment_120628724

i'm someone who has to have the format right, so for that reason, I have to leave Kane out, which seems stupid, but there you go.

Alisson

Trippier Dias Botman Ake

Odegaard Rodri De Bruyne

Salah Haaland Martinelli

Alisson - the reason Liverpool weren't even further behind come the first half of the season.

Trippier - changed the mentality of the team. Eddie gets deserved credit, but I don't think this guy coming from the La Liga champions and Newcastle turning the whole thing around is a coincidence.

Dias - lots of talk the last week or 2 about the FFP charges being the catalyst for City's charge. Nonsense. It was this guy's return to full fitness. Might be the best CB in the league now.

Botman - perfect for what Newcastle try to be. Huge, pretty quick and great at last ditch defending.

Ake - City's Player of the Season if it wasn't for Haaland, and if it wasn't for Dias' impactful return. I never saw it in him. A prime example of Pep's influence and coaching ability.

Rodri - best in the league at what he does for 2 years at least now. probably longer. talk of Casemiro being better has looked slightly silly. doesn't just do it when the team is brilliant either.

De Bruyne - it's actually felt like an off season, but he still produced when it mattered, particularly in the Arsenal games.

Odegaard - i still wonder if it's a purple patch, but his calmness is amazing. so fluid on the ball. love watching him play.

Salah - everyone thought he was having a meh season until they looked at his numbers, then he's been ridiculous since February. after Alisson in the first half of the season, he's taken much of the team onto his back for the second half.

Haaland - no explanation needed. freak monster machine android bastard.

Martinelli - love him. direct, and was one of the Arsenal players who didn't wilt. he actually got better as the season went on, going the opposite way of many of his teammates.

TheCitizen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631577#Comment_120631577

You can’t think of anyone who comes close to Howe as Manager of the Year?

ROFLMAO Thanks that gave me a laugh.

castletownman

4-4-2 because it always seems to be 4-4-2:

Alisson

Trippier

Dias

Botman

Ake

Odegaard

Rodri

De Bruyne

Grealish

Kane

Haaland

Infoseeker1975

Newcastle are in the early Man City years, they have spent £255m since the Saudi takeover, only Chelsea have spent more and they will be the biggest spenders this summer. This year I thought they had a great chance of top 4 & it was a free run, the expectations will now change especially with the money they will spend, the type of players are likely to spend, i.e. big egos and top 4 will be a minimum requirement.

I think Howe will be fired before the end of next season more to do with how the club will evolve similar to City as they will win the PL in the next 5 years unless more clubs are bought by Qatar, UAE or Saudi Arabia in which case it will make it a little more difficult.

artanevilla

For me.

GK: Ramsdale

DR: Trippier

DC: Burn

DC: Estupinan

DL: Shaw

MR: Saka

MC: Odegard

MC: Almiron

ML: Grealish

S: Haaland

S: Watkins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631773#Comment_120631773

Adding more and more time isn't the solution. It's making sweeping changes to eliminate time wasting that is needed. Have set times that the ball has to be back in play for and if someone is standing over a free kick or something they are immediately carded. Temporary substitutions and don't stop the game for them. No subs in injury time. A variation of all of these would be a start.

Nobody enjoys watching it but there is no appetite to change it. This is going to only lead to eyes off the sport at the top level.

IncognitoMan

I think there's been better players further forward so I'm going to go 352

------------------Allison-----------------

------Botman--- Saliba-------Ake-------

------------------Rodri-------------------

Salah----Odegaard---KDB----Rashford

----------Kane------Haaland------------

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631239#Comment_120631239

Like i said, ALL clubs time waste. It suited Newcastle to do that at the Emirates and it worked to come away with a point.

Arsenal did the exact same thing at St James' in the return fixture when Arsenal players were dropping like flies to waste time and Ramsdale was taking an eternity with every goal kick from minute 1. This is not a slight on Arsenal by the way, simply a point that EVERY team does it when needs must.

artanevilla

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120632092#Comment_120632092

It's not a new phenomenon. It's been happening since time immemorial and hasn't really effected viewing.

Temporary subs would just waste more time and way over complicate things. No subs in injury time will just cause lads to go down pretending to be injured or have cramp.

A lot of people get annoyed at time wasting at the end of the game when they are losing but the reality is they have plenty of time to score in normal time and it's an easy excuse for any team that's not able to get a goal in 90 mins to blame time wasting. Game management works both ways, you can't just keep going until someone scores, not since Ferguson retired anyway.

IAmTitleist

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631170#Comment_120631170

Yep there wasn't much to watch in the following (unless you like goals of course):

Newcastle 6-1 Spurs

West Ham 1-5 Newcastle

Southampton 1-4 Newcastle

Newcastle 3-3 Man City

Newcastle 5-1 Brentford

Newcastle 4-0 Aston Villa

Fulham 1-4 Newcastle

You have been fooled into thinking we are producing some Sam Allardyce style of turgid football when the truth is we are a highly entertaining watch.

kowloonkev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120631834#Comment_120631834

Emery is probably the next best but taking Newcastle from 11th last season to CL football is a really great, real achievement.

~Rebel~

Arteta is the obvious one for manager of the year. Going from 5th to a serious season long title challenge with a still very young squad - be surprised if he doesn't win it. Of the rest, Pep's another obvious short-lister simply because the league winner always will be, particularly with this relentless end of season charge. Emery's been exceptional too, incredible turnaround at Villa, and done with the same players Gerrard had really struggling with. De Zerbi has been fairly spectacular too - not only avoiding the drop that would've been expected after losing Potter, but kicking them up another level entirely, and doing it in very impressive style - the most innovative coach of the year by far. And Howe will be up there as well - though of course Newcastle's jump up the places is a bit more expected than the others considering the size of his transfers. It's surprising and impressive that they managed to get top 4, but they'd have expected to be in the euro places after net-spending ~180 million euros this year on top of the 100m spent last January.

Fitz*

He's not been the best but Gary O Neil deserves a shout IMO.

Bournemouth were nailed on to go down and he turned it around after 3 hammerings including a 9-0 loss to being safe with a few games to go. They beat Spurs & Liverpool en route to that too.