[Albion] Alireza Jahanbakhsh joins Feyenoord

[zefarelly]

I’m with you, I think AJ has been very unlucky, he’s been mishandled since he joined the club.

Let’s review.

- He looked good in the World Cup. Top scorer in Holland.

- Signs for us. Joins a backs to the wall Hughtons team playing all out defence most games. Hard to shine. No player did really apart from Duffy and Dunk.

- Hardly gets a look in for the first few months when GP comes in.

- Finally get his chance. Scores 2 great goals, one of which is a true worldie, and to date, possibly the best PL goal we’ve ever scored.

- Then hardly gets a look in. And post lock down can’t even make it to the bench.

Please someone explain what I’m missing here. Unless he’s a complete dick in training, it feels we’re missing information. Because he also seems like a terrific pro and great guy.

Well said . . .I think he has every right to feel aggrieved. Especially as we've played relative donkeys instead.

 

[Icy Gull]

I will be left thinking that he really hasn’t been given the run of games that his contributions when he has played THIS SEASON deserved.

I look at March, Mooy and Gross who have been given runs without contributing as much as Ali J imo

I feel sorry for the guy

 

[Barham's tash]

I’m with you, I think AJ has been very unlucky, he’s been mishandled since he joined the club.

Let’s review.

- He looked good in the World Cup. Top scorer in Holland.

- Signs for us. Joins a backs to the wall Hughtons team playing all out defence most games. Hard to shine. No player did really apart from Duffy and Dunk.

- Hardly gets a look in for the first few months when GP comes in.

- Finally get his chance. Scores 2 great goals, one of which is a true worldie, and to date, possibly the best PL goal we’ve ever scored.

- Then hardly gets a look in. And post lock down can’t even make it to the bench.

Please someone explain what I’m missing here. Unless he’s a complete dick in training, it feels we’re missing information. Because he also seems like a terrific pro and great guy.

And then Potter is quoted as saying that sometimes a player that doesn’t make the bench is very close to actually starting. He’s just being nice and trying not to hurt Ali’s feelings isn’t he?

Really feel for the bloke and want him to be a success but it’s clear we won’t play with orthodox wingers and Potter doesn’t fancy him as a tricky ball carrying inside forward in the guise of Trossard, and to a lesser extent Größ and Mooy.

 

[Justice]

And then Potter is quoted as saying that sometimes a player that doesn’t make the bench is very close to actually starting. He’s just being nice and trying not to hurt Ali’s feelings isn’t he?

Really feel for the bloke and want him to be a success but it’s clear we won’t play with orthodox wingers and Potter doesn’t fancy him as a tricky ball carrying inside forward in the guise of Trossard, and to a lesser extent Größ and Mooy.

Would of liked to seem him as 9 just once Connolly still has a lot to learn and a bit weak Man Utd was the ideal time.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

I’m with you, I think AJ has been very unlucky, he’s been mishandled since he joined the club.

Let’s review.

- He looked good in the World Cup. Top scorer in Holland.

- Signs for us. Joins a backs to the wall Hughtons team playing all out defence most games. Hard to shine. No player did really apart from Duffy and Dunk.

- Hardly gets a look in for the first few months when GP comes in.

- Finally get his chance. Scores 2 great goals, one of which is a true worldie, and to date, possibly the best PL goal we’ve ever scored.

- Then hardly gets a look in. And post lock down can’t even make it to the bench.

Please someone explain what I’m missing here. Unless he’s a complete dick in training, it feels we’re missing information. Because he also seems like a terrific pro and great guy.

He's too slow, Premier League defenders are very quick.

He struggles to take on his man when 1 on 1, Premier League defenders are very good at defending.

 

[Bozza]

I’m with you, I think AJ has been very unlucky, he’s been mishandled since he joined the club.

Let’s review.

- He looked good in the World Cup. Top scorer in Holland.

- Signs for us. Joins a backs to the wall Hughtons team playing all out defence most games. Hard to shine. No player did really apart from Duffy and Dunk.

- Hardly gets a look in for the first few months when GP comes in.

- Finally get his chance. Scores 2 great goals, one of which is a true worldie, and to date, possibly the best PL goal we’ve ever scored.

- Then hardly gets a look in. And post lock down can’t even make it to the bench.

Please someone explain what I’m missing here. Unless he’s a complete dick in training, it feels we’re missing information. Because he also seems like a terrific pro and great guy.

You're missing the same thing I've said repeatedly. Two managers have seen him day in, day out for some time and neither of them seem to have been convinced that he can contribute what they want out on the pitch on a match day.

I really can't think there's more to it than that.

This is the Premier League, where managers are looking for any possible way to eek out small improvements to give themselves the best chance of getting a result and, frankly, staying in a job.

As such, I just don't buy the "not given a chance" line that has been repeatedly trotted out. A player's chance comes in training, away from our prying eyes. If they do the business they get given the shirt.

 

[Stat Brother]

He's too slow, Premier League defenders are very quick.

He struggles to take on his man when 1 on 1, Premier League defenders are very good at defending.

Are you suggesting Mooy and Gross are little speed monsters?

 

[Icy Gull]

You're missing the same thing I've said repeatedly. Two managers have seen him day in, day out for some time and neither of them seem to have been convinced that he can contribute what they want out on the pitch on a match day.

I really can't think there's more to it than that.

This is the Premier League, where managers are looking for any possible way to eek out small improvements to give themselves the best chance of getting a result and, frankly, staying in a job.

As such, I just don't buy the "not given a chance" line that has been repeatedly trotted out. A player's chance comes in training, away from our prying eyes. If they do the business they get given the shirt.

Goals and assists is what I have seen. He must be up there with most goals/assists for minutes played. Ask yourself why we are not mid table if we have better players who can do this?

I am a big GP fan but all managers have blind spots and I think Ali J is his. No real complaints under CH as you needed to be a defender first and foremost in his teams, absolutely not an ALi J strength.

We have a number of allegedly attacking players who do not look PL class and they get plenty of game time

When I say assists I am suggesting making a defender put the ball in his own net counts as one?

 

[sparkie]

If we win against Norwich will there be Dutch fans tracking his plane out of Gatwick ?


I suspect a deal is all done in principle and he is being kept away from the matchday 20s.

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Are you suggesting Mooy and Gross are little speed monsters?

True, but both have more skill than him. Gross' Cryuff turn sets him apart from Ali Reza, but even that isn't enough to guarantee him a start.

I have a feeling he and Ali Reza will both be sold this summer.

 

[Stat Brother]

True, but both have more skill than him. Gross' Cryuff turn sets him apart from Ali Reza, but even that isn't enough to guarantee him a start.

I have a feeling he and Ali Reza will both be sold this summer.

We'd be mad to sell Gross.
Madder still to keep Ali.

 

[Bozza]

Goals and assists is what I have seen. He must be up there with most goals/assists for minutes played. Ask yourself why we are not mid table if we have better players who can do this?

That really makes no sense.

Maybe the players GP has selected are better than AJ, so if he'd been playing AJ regularly we'd be in the bottom three - there's no way of knowing.

PL stats have us missing 41 "big chances" this year. No side below us has missed more. That doesn't suggest we've struggled to create chances, although every side could always create more - https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/big_chance_missed?se=274

GP clearly doesn't rate AJ to give him what he needs. That's either because he has the blind spot you mention, or he can't deliver with GP wants. Again - there's no way of you and I knowing which one of those it is.

 

[Icy Gull]

That really makes no sense.

Maybe the players GP has selected are better than AJ, so if he'd been playing AJ regularly we'd be in the bottom three - there's no way of knowing.

PL stats have us missing 41 "big chances" this year. No side below us has missed more. That doesn't suggest we've struggled to create chances, although every side could always create more - https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top/clubs/big_chance_missed?se=274

GP clearly doesn't rate AJ to give him what he needs. That's either because he has the blind spot you mention, or he can't deliver with GP wants. Again - there's no way of you and I knowing which one of those it is.

Of course it makes sense, Ali J scored early in the Bournemouth game and then scored the most unlikely goal against Chelsea by being willing to have a go. How many big chances has Ali J missed, do you have those stats?

He can also fizz low crosses that nobody else can do it seems. An overhit cross without looking up doesn’t cut it, which is a March speciality and others faff around and never get the cross in. One of Ali J’s got us a point against Watford.

I know you have an anti Ali J agenda going back to last season so expect you to continue with the GP doesn’t fancy him so he can’t be good enough. No manager gets it right everytime and I am disappointed in GP’s reluctance to give Ali J a run. Would he produce? We’ll never know because he hasn’t been give a run, that doesn’t mean he isn’t good enough.

 

[Bozza]

Of course it makes sense, Ali J scored early in the Bournemouth game and then scored the most unlikely goal against Chelsea by being willing to have a go. How many big chances has Ali J missed, do you have those stats?

Look, I'm not entering this debate again.

Your beef is with GP. All I'm venturing is the reason I think GP hasn't made more use of AJ, and that can only be that he doesn't believe he can give the team what is required. That really can be the only reason.

You think GP has a blind spot and is wrong. I'm cool with that. I'm not saying you are wrong in that - I have no idea.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I will be left thinking that he really hasn’t been given the run of games that his contributions when he has played THIS SEASON deserved.

I look at March, Mooy and Gross who have been given runs without contributing as much as Ali J imo

I feel sorry for the guy

Great post!

How many goals have we scored from the edge or outside the box this season? Not a lot.

Which non-Strikers would you want shooting from the edge or outside and the box the most? Izquierdo would be my preferred option but he is probably done, after that it would be Ali-J, then perhaps Troß, Groß & Mooy, finally March, Stephens, Biß, Pröps, full backs and centre backs as a distant third.

 

[WilburySeagull]

Sadly though I am v much a fan of AJ I can see its not working out for him or the club so best he finds a club that can offer him a place where he can flourish.

There are many possible reasons for the failure all of which have been discussed on this thread. GP is the manager so unless he goes (and I certainly want him to stay) AJ needs pastures new to thrieve. No ones fault sometimes things dont work out. But I will be sorry to say goodbye.0

 

[Pavilionaire]

Great post!

How many goals have we scored from the edge or outside the box this season? Not a lot.

Which non-Strikers would you want shooting from the edge or outside and the box the most? Izquierdo would be my preferred option but he is probably done, after that it would be Ali-J, then perhaps Troß, Groß & Mooy, finally March, Stephens, Biß, Pröps, full backs and centre backs as a distant third.

Troß, Groß and Biß? ! Looking forward to seeing our all-German midfield steamroller Norwich tomorrow like a latter-day Panzer Division, with Potter as Rommel.

 

[Swansman]

You're missing the same thing I've said repeatedly. Two managers have seen him day in, day out for some time and neither of them seem to have been convinced that he can contribute what they want out on the pitch on a match day.

I really can't think there's more to it than that.

This is the Premier League, where managers are looking for any possible way to eek out small improvements to give themselves the best chance of getting a result and, frankly, staying in a job.

As such, I just don't buy the "not given a chance" line that has been repeatedly trotted out. A player's chance comes in training, away from our prying eyes. If they do the business they get given the shirt.

Agree with this 100%.

Fans generally underrate the importance of what players are showing in training.

Yes Ali J produced some points but if a player every week perform worse than other players in training (and this is all measured with data), they are unlikely to play a lot/get the chance even if they are successful in the few appearances they made.

Example (yes a bit extreme but showing what I mean):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfX9gBmsWqg

Fraud Ali Dia was close to scoring a goal in his only appearance for Southampton. That would have made his numbers excellent, obviously - one goal in 50 minutes of play. Any professional or semi-professional player could either have a moment of fluke or a moment of skill, yet not be good enough in the broader picture.

Ali J strikes me as a "point player". Someone who produces goals & assists consistently, but lacks in other areas of the game - areas harder to notice unless you are a professional football scout or got all the data available.

Aside for CH and GP obviously not believing in him, it is also quite remarkable that he played for five years in Holland, producing great numbers but still not at any point getting signed by Ajax or PSV, which is very odd for someone who produce that number of goals/assist in the Eredivisie. Clearly they found that some part of his game was not good enough for them, and I believe the same thing is happening for him in Brighton: nice end product, but some part of his game made CH and makes GP believe that he is not really a viable PL player.

The reason will probably never be revealed. Potter wont say anything, and I doubt Ali J is going to say "the manager didnt like me because I regularly lose the ball in dangerous areas" (or whatever it may be).

There was a similar situation in Swansea last year, when Dutch international Luciano Narsingh barely could get a minute on the pitch. In his few appearances he looked sharp and lively and many were wondering/angry about why he didnt play more. Fast forward a year, and anyone who's seen a Narsingh playing for Feyenoord this season could give you quite a long list on why no good team would want him.

While I dont know the reason why he is left out - I agree he's been good the few times he played - I'm going to assume that Potter, Hughton, Ajax and PSV not all had a "blind spot" for Ali J and that his absence is actually based on something.

The fact that he is not even on the bench could also indicate that there is some other aspect to it. Maybe he was sick during the Covid break and got some prolonged issues with it? Perhaps there is some hefty appearance fee or something to be paid to AZ if he plays x number of minutes/games, and GP + club management want to avoid that as they dont believe he has a future in the club (even if he would be good enough for the occasional sub appearance). Maybe the club has more or less agreed to a transfer to another club, and dont want to risk him getting injured.

Its impossible to know.

That said, I wouldnt raise an eyebrow if I saw him in the starting lineup tomorrow...

 

[RM-Taylor]

Chances of him starting wide right tomorrow?

 

[Bozza]

Chances of him starting wide right tomorrow?

Oh, absolutely nailed on.

Either that or he comes off the bench to score the winner, the goal turning out to be the one that secures our PL status.