Eddie Howe

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

It was also steered that way by the media. He didn’t just come out and say it. He was promoted. Ten Hag rarely has anything negative to say about the opposition and shifts the focus onto United.

I find most team talks cringey as £#%&! tbh. Footballers aren’t the brightest lot. Doesn’t take much to amp them up.

Watched a few of those Amazon docs and some of them are genuinely embarrassing.

Kane dribbling away pre-March with Spurs. Arteta blasting out YNWA over a tannoy. Cringe cringe cringe ….can’t think of anything less motivating and more patronising.

That Phil Parkinson at Wrexham … Jesus …

“Right lads, let’s £#%&!ing get into them and £#%&!in let them £#%&!in know that if they want a £#%&!in game then let’s £#%&!in give it £#%&!in to em ….passion!”

Agree with that. If you play the game at that level there's nothing to be said that hasn't been done hundreds of times before. Players are surely just numb to it and already in their own zone right before the match.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Could you

It’s cringey as £#%&! imo. The way he builds it up you’d think that Ten Had had said something awful about them. Then it turns out he just….stated a fact and said they were difficult to play against. Oh what a monster. I must tell my players this immediately!

Massive £#%&!ing gimp

Sorry pal, just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Buck

Agree with that. If you play the game at that level there's nothing to be said that hasn't been done hundreds of times before. Players are surely just numb to it and already in their own zone right before the match.

They don’t even seem to react much. It’s not like they’re sat there nodding their head.

And all end the same way: big round of applause and a massive ‘£#%&!ing come on!’ From someone.

As you say, nothing that hasn’t been done. Either positive and pumping them up or some lame reverse psychology. I can’t see it making much of a difference and it doesn’t speak much to the preparation if it does.

“It worked”

Or more likely, they’d have played exactly the same way if he hadn’t said that. I remember that game. They didn’t do anything they don’t normally do. We were awful too. I think that probably played a bigger part

Hearing managers might as well just announce the team and leave the changing room.

Interesting.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Could you

It’s cringey as £#%&! imo. The way he builds it up you’d think that Ten Had had said something awful about them. Then it turns out he just….stated a fact and said they were difficult to play against. Oh what a monster. I must tell my players this immediately!

Massive £#%&!ing gimp

I'm with Ethers here 100%. The bloke is such a weird little try hard.

From his "we're not here to be popular" soundbyte to pretty much everything their club is doing lately. it's all so £#%&!ing contrived and plastic. The dressing room photo sessions like they've just won a trophy after every game, the ridiculous massive flags at every home game. I understand they're delighted to be rid of ashley and giddy about their new era but £#%&!ing hell lads, calm yourselves. I genuinely can't wait for them to hit a wall and get some £#%&!ing air let out of their tyres, the insufferable @#%&!s.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I'm with Ethers here 100%. The bloke is such a weird little try hard.

From his "we're not here to be popular" soundbyte to pretty much everything their club is doing lately. it's all so £#%&!ing contrived and plastic. The dressing room photo sessions like they've just won a trophy after every game, the ridiculous massive flags at every home game. I understand they're delighted to be rid of ashley and giddy about their new era but £#%&!ing hell lads, calm yourselves. I genuinely can't wait for them to hit a wall and get some £#%&!ing air let out of their tyres, the insufferable @#%&!s.

And it wouldn’t surprise me if they hit a wall this season. I’ll reverse judgement until the window closes, but I expected them to get a lot more
Than a pissed off Italian and Harvey Barnes. Barnes is ok, but he’s not a players I’d expect any other big six club to go for and I wouldn’t want him at United.

They rode a wave last season and overachieved for where they are in their ‘project’. A lot of their success was down to high intensity and work rate. They never looked an especially talented team. That really showed when they played two games a week. At no point did I think they were better than us, even on the occasions they sneaked above us.

They’ve got champions league to deal with and genuine expectation now. They’ll need a lot more than chapped lips Eddie throwing cliches at them.

Originally Posted by Dr Stranger

And it wouldn’t surprise me if they hit a wall this season. I’ll reverse judgement until the window closes, but I expected them to get a lot more
Than a pissed off Italian and Harvey Barnes. Barnes is ok, but he’s not a players I’d expect any other big six club to go for and I wouldn’t want him at United.

They rode a wave last season and overachieved for where they are in their ‘project’. A lot of their success was down to high intensity and work rate. They never looked an especially talented team. That really showed when they played two games a week. At no point did I think they were better than us, even on the occasions they sneaked above us.

They’ve got champions league to deal with and genuine expectation now. They’ll need a lot more than chapped lips Eddie throwing cliches at them.

i don't think many of their players went to the world cup either, so they won't have the benefit of a nice month break in december either

Originally Posted by Sparky***

i don't think many of their players went to the world cup either, so they won't have the benefit of a nice month break in december either

If us and Newcastle swapped cup runs and World Cup commitments, we’d have finished about 10 points clear of them and they’d be about 8th.

They’re one of those teams that view us as massive rivals but the feeling isn’t mutual.