[Albion] Alireza Jahanbakhsh joins Feyenoord

[Cowfold Seagull]

I really hope Ali doesn't leave, but I've a suspicion that there is a high chance of him moving on.

Of course nothing can be finalised at this stage as we may need him in the run in.

With just seven games left, l'd say it was highly unlikely that Potter will call on him this season, I'm afraid l can see him going the same way as the equally expensive Locadia, and Andone, either out on loan, or out of the door completely.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Nail on head Frankie.

Still would not surprise me if an offer came in for him though at the end of the season. I am like most could not guess if a move would materialise out of this speculation, hope not I like Ali and think he has been unlucky with injuries and the best is yet to come.

His best may well be yet to come, but l don't think he will reach it with us. I don't seem him as a 'Potteresque player'.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

With just seven games left, l'd say it was highly unlikely that Potter will call on him this season, I'm afraid l can see him going the same way as the equally expensive Locadia, and Andone, either out on loan, or out of the door completely.

Didn’t Andone ‘only’ cost 5 m ?

 

[Hugo Rune]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this already, but we know 3 currently unnamed players contracted Covid-19 in the last couple of months.

3 players that would normally be in the squad - especially with the extended number of players:

Alzate, Bernardo, Jahanbakhsh.

Yet none of them have been around. It could be purely circumstantial, but interesting coincidence all the same.

You’ve made a sound point.


I’ve mooted this theory previously, it’s quite obvious when you think about it as the club has had 3 players test positive.

I’ve also kindly and helpfully given those three the collective moniker of the ‘Covid-3’ so we don’t keep having to name them. [emoji106]

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this already, but we know 3 currently unnamed players contracted Covid-19 in the last couple of months.

3 players that would normally be in the squad - especially with the extended number of players:

Alzate, Bernardo, Jahanbakhsh.

Yet none of them have been around. It could be purely circumstantial, but interesting coincidence all the same.

I strongly suspect this to be the answer to why these 3 haven't featured.
With there also being a lot of conjecture of possible long-term impacts of Covid-19, I can't see the club rushing any of them back.

 

[Grombleton]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this already, but we know 3 currently unnamed players contracted Covid-19 in the last couple of months.

3 players that would normally be in the squad - especially with the extended number of players:

Alzate, Bernardo, Jahanbakhsh.

Yet none of them have been around. It could be purely circumstantial, but interesting coincidence all the same.

Exactly. Think a few people have jumped on the 'he's leaving' bandwagon without realising this may well be the case.

 

[vagabond]

You’ve made a sound point.


I’ve mooted this theory previously, it’s quite obvious when you think about it as the club has had 3 players test positive.

I’ve also kindly and helpfully given those three the collective moniker of the ‘Covid-3’ so we don’t keep having to name them. [emoji106]

I think you’ve called this right. Reading between the lines it’s the only thing that makes sense, especially as Alzate is supposedly fully fit.

Not sure they’d be super happy being labelled “The Covid-3” however!

 

[vagabond]

How sweet would it be if AJ plays tonight and scores another worldie?

 

[Stat Brother]

I think we could only get on board with the Covid explanation if Ali was featuring regularly before lockdown.

As he wasn't, his lack of squad placement now is still open to speculation.

 

[Stat Brother]

How sweet would it be if AJ plays tonight and scores another worldie?

TBH I'm not sure I'd want another worldie.

I'd love to just see a decent shift, plenty of involvement and good interplay.
The things I'd most like to see is some solid defensive work and swapping flanks.


Failing that at least named in the squad!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I think we could only get on board with the Covid explanation if Ali was featuring regularly before lockdown.

As he wasn't, his lack of squad placement now is still open to speculation.

Yeah that's reasonable, but the conjecture is that there are 3 players who haven't featured that you would have expected to.
Which ties in with the 3 cases we had.

Pure conjecture of course, but no less reasonable than his face doesn't fit and he's on his way out.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Didn’t Andone ‘only’ cost 5 m ?

Indeed he did, that's why l put the comma between Locadia, who cost an arm and a leg, and Andone who was virtually bargain basement.

 

[blockhseagull]

I think we could only get on board with the Covid explanation if Ali was featuring regularly before lockdown.

As he wasn't, his lack of squad placement now is still open to speculation.

None of our wide players have really featured regularly.

Ali J, March, Trossard ..... all been in and out of the side regularly. Probably because I don’t think our system really suits traditional wide players very well.

 

[raymondo]

Not sure if anyone has suggested this already, but we know 3 currently unnamed players contracted Covid-19 in the last couple of months.

3 players that would normally be in the squad - especially with the extended number of players:

Alzate, Bernardo, Jahanbakhsh.

Yet none of them have been around. It could be purely circumstantial, but interesting coincidence all the same.

I think they all featured in the recent training photo gallery on the website - not to say they didn't have Covid before though...

 

[Badger Boy]

None of our wide players have really featured regularly.

Ali J, March, Trossard ..... all been in and out of the side regularly. Probably because I don’t think our system really suits traditional wide players very well.

We don't play with wingers. What's Mooy doing out wide? Silly tactic and it's limiting the performances of the individuals. Trossard and Jahanbakhsh are wingers, if they were played as such, they'd be much stronger and our team would be as well.

 

[blue-shifted]

We don't play with wingers. What's Mooy doing out wide? Silly tactic and it's limiting the performances of the individuals. Trossard and Jahanbakhsh are wingers, if they were played as such, they'd be much stronger and our team would be as well.

Maybe mention it to Graham. He's probably never considered this.

 

[Swansman]

We don't play with wingers. What's Mooy doing out wide? Silly tactic and it's limiting the performances of the individuals. Trossard and Jahanbakhsh are wingers, if they were played as such, they'd be much stronger and our team would be as well.

Nope. Sure, now with Bissouma starting to establish himself there's bigger opportunities to play with wingers but Pröpper & Stephens would have been destroyed by almost any PL team if there wasnt at least one pseudo-winger that could help out the central midfielders. Central midfield (plus wings for that matter) must improve and then I think it will be quite likely that Potter will be using his favorite 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 formations with traditional wingers a lot more.

As for Jahanbakhsh, I think he has done well the few times he's been seen, but Potter watch him every day in training and I dont think he is excluded without reason. Potter's ability to evaluate & bring out the best in wingers and improve them is great, ofc I generally believe in Potter's ability, but when it comes to wingers I'd give him an extra plus on my scoreboard.

Moon Seon-min - signed from Nike Academy to Östersund while they were in the third division, quickly turned into a beast until he got homesick, today a starter in the South Korean NT
Ken Sema - from average second division winger in Sweden to a decent PL/Serie A player
Saman Ghoddos - decent second divison winger/amc in Sweden to key player in Amiens in Ligue 1 (well, until his legal issues began..)
Modou Barrow - signed him from a third division team in Sweden while ÖFK where in the second division, six months later he played in the PL.
Hosam Aiesh - from a youth team to scoring the winning goal against Arsenal, and 100% leaving for abroad this summer as he is way, way too good for Allsvenskan
Daniel James - thought about quitting as he couldnt make it in Shrewsbury on loan, one year later signed for Manchester United

And then I havent even mentioned the carpenters, criminals and non-league British players he turned into decent professional footballers, or the fact that he made Wayne Routledge look like Zinedine Zidane last year despite his career being dead for like ten years.

When the team is strong enough to have two wingers with little defensive tasks, you'll get what you want (though I doubt Ali J & Trossard will be those wingers) but until then

 

[Badger Boy]

The past is irrelevant and your analysis is just an opinion, as was mine. We have always played with two central midfielders in the centre and generally with another two playing as non-wingers. Mooy hasn't spent much time, if any, playing in the centre where he clearly is best. We haven't used out and out wingers much this season and I think that's a shame considering the options we have. Trossard looked lost playing up top with Maupay and although that will suit Connolly more, the team are really struggling to score goals and create good chances.

Play the wingers, give them a chance. It might make us less miserable to watch, for a start and if you think it will inevitably end with us being "destroyed", you clearly rate the squad less than I do.

 

[vagabond]

So the Covid-3 left out the squad again.

Is it possible this is disciplinary? Surely has to be corona related.

 

[Bodian]

So the Covid-3 left out the squad again.

Is it possible this is disciplinary? Surely has to be corona related.

It does affect your lungs - maybe they are still only 90-95%?