Lord Duckhunter

He played Redmond instead of Adams up front in a semi final. That’s not down to lack of resource, that’s down to lack of judgement. I’ve also read that Vesty & Bertrand’s lack of pace was a problem playing Ralph ball, that’s down to him. Insisting on playing a way that doesn’t suit the players available, is a lack of judgement again. There’s plenty of other examples, Stephens in midfield, the after you Claude goalkeeping policy. In some games we were a complete and utter shambles, that’s not resources, that’s not being set up properly and a lack of flexibility. Anyway, let’s hope he has learnt and adapted, because if we believe the cult, and he’s managing exactly the same way as he did last season, it won’t take too many suspensions/injuries before we’re on another horrendous run.

If you think last seasons horrendous results weren’t down to Ralph in any way ,there’s no hope for you. If you think he didn’t make any mistakes, then you’re “pretty dim”. We were a fucking shambles half the time, that’s on the manager, nobody else.

He made many mistakes last season, picked the wrong side too many times, was too inflexible tactically, and was too slow with his substitutions. It looks to me like he’s gone away in the summer and had a look at himself and addressed these failings. If you want to believe he’s managing exactly the same way as he did last season I suggest you get your head up from the latest spreadsheet and pay attention.

I’ve never said he’s a good manager. I don’t think he is particularly, you just made that up. He’s an average manager that has good spells and some damn awful spells. I know you’ve gone weak at the knees over beating Villa, Watford & Leeds but I suggest we see where we finish this season before wetting our pants over him, again.

Spot on. He’s now doing what most of his critics wanted him to do. Bringing more defensive solidity, using his substitutions better and showing a bit of tactical flexibility . It’s disingenuous to not acknowledge that and praise him for it, but it’s also disingenuous to try and make out he couldn’t have done so last season.

Bollocks.

Perhaps the manager should have played Salisu over Vesty last season then. Mind you, this is the bloke that played Redmond instead of adams up front in a semi final.

Yep. We’d have lost that game earlier in the year. Villa’s 15 min spell just after half time would have resulted in a goal and then we’d have crumbled like big girls blouses and lost 3-1.

I suggest you read back through the thread, and you’ll see my opinion.

He got slagged for poor recruitment at Bournemouth, so surely good (or bad) recruitment in Jan should be part of the judgment.

Perhaps the experts slagging Howe can let us know where they think a decent premier league manager should finish this season with Newcastle. If Ralph was taking over today, where would they end up come May?

I don’t particularly pay much attention to the managerial musing of a bloke impressed with the job Rafa’s doing at Everton. Id probably say you spout as much sense on this front as you do over goal poachers.

You’d have been the first moaning if we’d appointed Moyes, after all he was relegated with Sunderland.

He wasn’t financially aided when they were bottom of the whole league with minus points and Eddie Mitchell wasn’t exactly rolling in it, when he was in charge. It makes me laugh, you bend over backwards to claim what a good signing Armstrong is, based on his lower league stats, yet you dismiss Eddie Howes record in the same league. If he was a foreign hipster coach with an exotic name who nobody had heard of, you’d be wetting your pants over that record.

I don’t like Eddie Howe as a bloke, don’t want him managing us, but to suggest he didn’t do a fantastic job at Boscombe is just ridiculous. Whether he can do it at another club is open to debate, but the lack of respect from some on here for what he did achieve there is pathetic.

People won’t give a shiny shite over this , whether you like it or not, the public think they’re all the same. What will do for them is their Gordon Brownish economic policies. The Thatcherettes need to reign Boris in, he’s like Johnny Major with charisma. I’m starting to agree with Peter Hitchens, they’re all Social Democrats now. I wrote from day one that he’s a raging pinko, but he was the vehicle to use if you wanted Brexit. Maybe it’s time for a new mode of transport.

Playing with Redmond as a partner, must be like playing as a lone striker.

Nah, too much creativity. A poacher is a bloke who can do fuck all but put the ball in the net. Half of them don’t even look like footballers, look at Mick Quinn. Gerd Muller, only came alive when the ball was around the 6 yard box, little fat bloke waddling about , then, bang, in the net. Ronaldo’s an interesting case study. I always put Messi & Maradona above him, but he’s definitely made me think again with his restyled game. His finishing is exceptional and his very cleverly redefined himself. For all his showmanship Bestie was a great finisher, shame the grog got him otherwise he could have done what Ronaldo is doing now.

Fuck me, the club wouldn’t be able to handle him. He’d sort the blaggers out.

Nowadays the club would probably send him on an anger management course, and the nods would want him sacked.

One thing for certain is Armstrong needs to start knocking one or two of these chances in. Adams hasn’t got a great record, we can’t afford 2 strikers that misfire so often.

Didn’t Ruddock head butt Craig Short during a Friday night game. Maybe The Gorilla will stick one on Ings as a tribute.

The goal poacher has pretty much disappeared from the modern game, so it’s funny to watch the modern hipster stato twisting himself in mental knots to try and justify his erroneous opinion of Broja. You just wouldn’t get in a modern side if you played like Gerd Muller.

That boat sailed years ago. It’s an international sport based in England.

What a load of old pony. The goal against Burnley, when he hit the post against West Ham, he picked the ball up and went at people. He’s not a “bit of a poacher “ at all, he puts himself about, wins headers and gets at people. You either don’t understand what a poacher is, or you’re so obsessed with ridiculous stats that you can’t see what’s in front of you. I know you made yourself look a bit of a chump over the lad, but I’d stop digging if I was you.