[Albion] Alireza Jahanbakhsh joins Feyenoord

[WilburySeagull]

You mentioned one player. The actual answer is that he was behind Gross, Trossard, March, Mooy and Alzate. Take Trossard out and he cost us more than the other four combined. That's my precise issue with him and always has been. Lots and lots of money for two good games in 18 months. That's not digging. It's a fact.

That may have bern the case but not anymore. Even with March uninjured AJ is a better controller and passer of the ball. I 've lost count of the times Solly tears down the wing only to either hot the first defender or pull the ball back to a defender. AJ is not a competitor for the Mooy roll. If he continues to play as last 2 games he may replace Gross more regularly. In any event he gives us a wing based player who can pass/cross the ball very accurately. A different option is just what we need.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Not sure I’ve ever seen you just say that he’s not as good as those players, which the jury is now out on, it was far far more disparaging than that. THAT is what I am trying to highlight.

You wrote him off, or are you now denying that too?

I specifically said he had no pace (for his position) or strength. Over and over again. You need one or the other playing in an attacking role in the EPL. So, if he's spent six months training hard on the pitch AND in the gym then fair play to him, he has proved me wrong, because you can't conjure pace but you can increase strength.

What I think Potter has really worked on is his mind however. It's been said on here by those who defend him that he normally has a poor first season before going on to be decent in his next. That's clearly what happened in Holland as he came from nowhere to be top scorer. It suggests a player who needs confidence. Two goals in two games here suggests the same. Potter is well known as a coach of the mind as well as the body and that's probably what was needed.

The big test for him will come in the next few games however. He was pretty much under the radar having not played all season. Having scored two in two teams will now need to play against us with a plan to deal with him. Will he lose all that confidence the first time he comes up against players who will try and bully him, or a faster defender? Will he even get picked? If he gets through that test he will have proven all the doubters, myself included, completely wrong. If he goes back to square one then not so much.

You also seem to think I am against him as a person and that's not true. I can't think of two goals I've enjoyed more. Come on, a Brighton player basically giving us the lead against ****ing Bournemouth and breaking down in tears. followed by the best goal we've scored all season? It's the stuff of dreams. You've got to be happy for the lad. But, at the risk of repeating myself, we are at two good gemes in eighteen months. We'll only know if he has the mental and physical strength to cope at the end of the season. On all the previous evidence, he doesn't. On the evidence of the last week he does. It's interesting.

 

[Mellotron]

I think the quip sailed quite a way over your head. The obvious point, or question, which still none of the three of you have answered, is that, if all you had to do was play him in the right position, why has this taken since August? It's not like we've been struggling for results, though we had more problems with injury and sickness earlier in the season and he didn't get a look in. It's a genuine question. Any of the three of you can answer it.

*weary sigh*

I think this is about the fourth time I've now responded to this. Here goes;

Re: him not starting the first half of the season, again I think you (and others) keep overlooking and undervaluing the mental side of things, and how incredibly fragile his confidence must've been come the end of last season.

He was being played on his wrong side, in a mostly defensive role (you seem to be remembering Hughton's Brighton in 18/19 VERY differently to me! ), in a new league, in a new country, in a side that was getting poorer and poorer - and becoming more and more defensive as it did so.

You keep seeming to ignore this because it doesn't suit your argument.

His personality, the strengths he had built his career around as a footballer in Holland had been completely ****ed over last season.

Potter took the time a good manager takes to get him back towards the player we are now starting to see. Nothing more sinister than that. Not exactly shocking that he needed a bit of time to re-find the player he actually was.

 

[Icy Gull]

I specifically said he had no pace (for his position) or strength. Over and over again. You need one or the other playing in an attacking role in the EPL. So, if he's spent six months training hard on the pitch AND in the gym then fair play to him, he has proved me wrong, because you can't conjure pace but you can increase strength.

What I think Potter has really worked on is his mind however. It's been said on here by those who defend him that he normally has a poor first season before going on to be decent in his next. That's clearly what happened in Holland as he came from nowhere to be top scorer. It suggests a player who needs confidence. Two goals in two games here suggests the same. Potter is well known as a coach of the mind as well as the body and that's probably what was needed.

The big test for him will come in the next few games however. He was pretty much under the radar having not played all season. Having scored two in two teams will now need to play against us with a plan to deal with him. Will he lose all that confidence the first time he comes up against players who will try and bully him, or a faster defender? Will he even get picked? If he gets through that test he will have proven all the doubters, myself included, completely wrong. If he goes back to square one then not so much.

You also seem to think I am against him as a person and that's not true. I can't think of two goals I've enjoyed more. Come on, a Brighton player basically giving us the lead against ****ing Bournemouth and breaking down in tears. followed by the best goal we've scored all season? It's the stuff of dreams. You've got to be happy for the lad. But, at the risk of repeating myself, we are at two good gemes in eighteen months. We'll only know if he has the mental and physical strength to cope at the end of the season. On all the previous evidence, he doesn't. On the evidence of the last week he does. It's interesting.

Fair comments. He has been given a chance in a system that shows his strengths, we’ll now see if he has what it takes whenever he is called on, and it will be interesting to see how often he is and whether he can make himself as near as possible to a first choice player, in a Potter team.

 

[Mellotron]

I specifically said he had no pace (for his position)

Well he's not a winger, as a wide midfielder he has a reasonable level of pace, I would say. This is backed up by that vid I posted a page or two ago that shows him - at times - skipping past Man City players, winning a couple of 50-50 footraces.

He's certainly quicker than Davy Propper (as he should be), as FIFA ratings would suggest, giving him 78 acceleration and 79 sprint speed compared to Davy's acceleration 64, and sprint speed 60.

In terms of attributes, he's an averagely paced (ie not slow, nor particularly rapid) wide midfielder who looks like he can dribble well, decent range of passing, can cross well, and has a very good shot on him.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I honestly believe that Potter liked the man, but didn't see how he could integrate him into the team because he didn't want to have 25 players all wanting to be in the squad. Which I think is fair enough - I wouldn't want to have 4/5 or more players not even making the squad when they're fully fit and believing they're good enough to be involved. Potter likes Alzate and Connolly, he wants to bring through the youth players but inherited a squad with quite a lot of players who were in and out. He wanted to have a smaller squad with players playing in multiple positions as required based on who else is available. But he then had a problem because we have a number of players injured/suspended and loads of games in a short period of time, which opened the door to players like Schelotto and Jahanbakhsh - who Potter has spoken highly of previously, but had no real interest in involving them in the first team because he then has a bigger problem when everyone is fit again.

If you look at our squad now - we have players like Baluta who deserves to be involved (he's played more International football than club football!), and then senior players hanging around like Bong, Schelotto and Jahanbakhsh (until recently) who have been important to us in recent years. Izquierdo is long term injured but, God willing, we'll see him back at some point this year. March is ready to come back into the fold, who drops out to let him back in? With Bernardo back fit, Burn was likely to be moved back to centre back but we've got Dunk and Webster who are first choice and then Duffy who has been one of our best players since he came here who is now the first back up. Nigeria International Balogun must be disenfranchised, knowing he's nowhere in the squad and with the player Sky Sports readers/viewers have just voted the best player in the Championship to come back next season. In central midfield we've got Stephens, Bissouma and Pröpper are all wanting to play every game and are good enough to, but there's only really two places for them and Alzate will be competing with them as well, based on his Chelsea performance. And then you look at the next batch with Trossard, Mooy, Gross, Jahanbakhsh (who has forced himself into the reckoning), Alzate and Connolly trying to get two starting places and possibly 3 sub places per game. Murray can't get himself a sub appearance with Maupay and Connolly both seen as starters instead of him.

It's not unreasonable that Potter wouldn't want to have players out of the picture getting involved because, in reality, he's only really got an easy night's sleep picking his goalkeeper. Everything else is an absolute nightmare.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

A point I've already made between that reply and yours.

My fact is the same contention as ever.

Yours and the lesser spotted HKFC judgement was far to binary, without any empathy or acknowledgement of all the other circumstances beyond his control.

Sure you've been far more considered than the likes of Durrington Gull and the original 'not even a footballer' Spence, et al, who have just been poison.

But it's just been the relentless digs and cheapshots which are being challenged now.

I've kept out of this - while you've been having your little celebratory circle-jerk - but seeing how you've now name-checked me for the third(?) time, I'll rise to it.

My 'judgement' was that in 26 Albion appearances prior to the last four days, he's shown very, very little promise of coming good. It has been entirely an objective assessment, that whilst he clearly had good technique (feel free to search for any of the posts where I've suggested he's almost certainly brilliant in training drills, under no opposition pressure) he has not ever shown the requisite strength or pace to succeed, nor the necessary guile to make up for those deficiencies.

Against that, when he has played okay, I've said that too (it won't be hard to find those comments - they'll mostly be in the FA Cup semi-final thread).

As for 'lack of empathy' - I've no idea what your point is. I've never once suggested he's anything less than a model professional, or decent person.

As for 'acknowledgement of circumstances beyond his control' - who are you to decide what I have or have not factored into my assessment? What were these factors in your eyes? Fitness - he's had long spells fully fit, without troubling the match-day squad. He's been here through a pre-season. He speaks the language flawlessly. He's had the opportunity to convince two different managers of his worth.

Literally, beyond a few months to settle, the only factor 'beyond his control' was the pace and quality of the Premier League. I was absolutely factoring that in.

So my assessment, in short, was that he had offered next to nothing. And it was entirely correct. Had he been sent out on loan in a weeks time, he could have had absolutely no complaints.

As it is, the demands of the festive fixtures offered him one last chance to step up, and he has astonished me, and many thousand of others, by doing exactly that. He had a great game against Bournemouth, and was better still yesterday. Such a shame Maupay didn't bury the late chance he created, to put the icing on it.

Despite what you love to pretend, all true Albion fans are delighted for him (and for the club). [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION], [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION], myself, and everyone else who has rightly questioned Alireza's contribution to date went every bit as mental celebrating that fabulous goal, as you or anyone.

More so than you, in all probability, as whilst we were lost in the light-headed ecstasy of the goal, you were no doubt having a mental ****, at the thought of scoring imaginary points on the internet.

 

[Stat Brother]

I've kept out of this - while you've been having your little celebratory circle-jerk - but seeing how you've now name-checked me for the third(?) time, I'll rise to it.

My 'judgement' was that in 26 Albion appearances prior to the last four days, he's shown very, very little promise of coming good. It has been entirely an objective assessment, that whilst he clearly had good technique (feel free to search for any of the posts where I've suggested he's almost certainly brilliant in training drills, under no opposition pressure) he has not ever shown the requisite strength or pace to succeed, nor the necessary guile to make up for those deficiencies.

Against that, when he has played okay, I've said that too (it won't be hard to find those comments - they'll mostly be in the FA Cup semi-final thread).

As for 'lack of empathy' - I've no idea what your point is. I've never once suggested he's anything less than a model professional, or decent person.

As for 'acknowledgement of circumstances beyond his control' - who are you to decide what I have or have not factored into my assessment? What were these factors in your eyes? Fitness - he's had long spells fully fit, without troubling the match-day squad. He's been here through a pre-season. He speaks the language flawlessly. He's had the opportunity to convince two different managers of his worth.

Literally, beyond a few months to settle, the only factor 'beyond his control' was the pace and quality of the Premier League. I was absolutely factoring that in.

So my assessment, in short, was that he had offered next to nothing. And it was entirely correct. Had he been sent out on loan in a weeks time, he could have had absolutely no complaints.

As it is, the demands of the festive fixtures offered him one last chance to step up, and he has astonished me, and many thousand of others, by doing exactly that. He had a great game against Bournemouth, and was better still yesterday. Such a shame Maupay didn't bury the late chance he created, to put the icing on it.

Despite what you love to pretend, all true Albion fans are delighted for him (and for the club). [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION], [MENTION=616]Guinness Boy[/MENTION], myself, and everyone else who has rightly questioned Alireza's contribution to date went every bit as mental celebrating that fabulous goal, as you or anyone.

More so than you, in all probability, as whilst we were lost in the light-headed ecstasy of the goal, you were no doubt having a mental ****, at the thought of scoring imaginary points on the internet.

Better than thinking 'oh shite I'm gonna have to hide from a thread while some bellend scores points off of me'.


Good to have you aboard.

Hopefully you'll now walk back from "not very good at football" and we can move on to debate his merits and minuses in a slightly more considered fashion.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

You don't remember us playing with effectively 3/4 full backs a fair bit of the time under Hughton last season, looking scared shitless of most sides? March was similarly shackled.

Weird how people seem to be remembering Hughton's 18/19 side as some sort of free-flowing, attacking side, it seems.

Not really, two banks of four, well organised, looking to hit on the break.

The whole ‘ultra defensive’ rhetoric isn’t exactly accurate either, well until Wolves.




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[perseus]

What is his best position?

I always thought he looked like a second striker/winger.

As a striker that goes wide rather than as a winger who cuts in.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I think the quip sailed quite a way over your head. The obvious point, or question, which still none of the three of you have answered, is that, if all you had to do was play him in the right position, why has this taken since August? It's not like we've been struggling for results, though we had more problems with injury and sickness earlier in the season and he didn't get a look in. It's a genuine question. Any of the three of you can answer it.

I’ll answer as I said the same, and it applies to Locadia, Andone and others who aren’t getting regular game time.

Basically, they were not considered good enough, either by Hughton or seemingly Potter.

However, the case of AJ is slightly different, although apparently not considered‘good enough’, he has never been written off, in terms of being shipped out.

The fact he has had a chance and taken it surely is positive for everyone?


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[Icy Gull]

Better than thinking 'oh shite I'm gonna have to hide from a thread while some bellend scores points off of me'.


Good to have you aboard.

Hopefully you'll now walk back from "not very good at football" and we can move on to debate his merits and minuses in a slightly more considered fashion.

Must be great to be a mod, you can post something, then think better of it and remove the post entirely. I am assuming that you noticed it

 

[Stat Brother]

Must be great to be a mod, you can post something, then think better of it and remove the post entirely. I am assuming that you noticed it

I guess he didn't take my joke in the spirit it was intended.

Must be something about this thread, it's a bugger for that.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

That was so glaringly obvious even I spotted it.
Alzate gave BDB no help at all.

His start off point was 10 yards in field, he could have mitigated most of the trouble just by being a body nearer the touchline.

Quite. Effectively it looked similar to how we finished against Sheff Utd, all very narrow.

I don’t care whether it’s Potterball, Pepball, Poyetball or Kloppball, you cannot win games without width.


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[Guinness Boy]

However, the case of AJ is slightly different, although apparently not considered‘good enough’, he has never been written off, in terms of being shipped out.

The fact he has had a chance and taken it surely is positive for everyone?


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Yes it is, absolutely. Presumably Locadia and Andone didn't quite chime with Potter's philosophy. It's clear from Potter's comments and the last two games that Ali J applied himself rather than sulking. Puts him ahead of the other two for me.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Must be great to be a mod, you can post something, then think better of it and remove the post entirely. I am assuming that you noticed it

More that, you can get caught up in a point-scoring shitfest on the internet, or can catch yourself, delete it, and go back to worrying about things that are actually important.

Anyone can delete a post they've made, btw.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I'd be interested to hear your views on why Potter kept him outside the squad for so long - he wasn't in the 18 as recently as the 5th December against Arsenal, why the club leaked that he was being sent out on loan this month and why Naylor described him as "a rare stain on Brighton's overall recruitment record".

What changed?

I think you’ve called it in terms of the busy Xmas schedule and maybe injuries to March & Izquierdo. However, I think the issue Potter has with Ali-J is a positional one, we know that he is always very complimentary about the player in training and in attitude.

A more pertinent question might be, what’s the difference between CH & Potter in terms of their view of Ali-J?

CH had him mostly in front of Bernardo or Montoya protecting and supporting the full back, pushed further up the pitch against the likes of Huddersfield, he looked good but other than that, no real stand out performances were had.

Potter is clearly not a fan of wingers. We had 4 when he came to the club and Tross was soon added. Knocky was shipped (as was Locadia who’d been used on the wing too), Izquierdo is still injured (but can play in a front three), March was used as a wing back mostly and Potter was quoted as saying that he was going to be using Ali-J in a wing back role also. The team changed to Potterball where you are more likely to see Burn, Groß or Mooy crossing the ball in than March, Ali-J or Izquierdo. With unconvincing performances in friendlies and the league cups, Ali-J clearly dropped down the order as brilliant performances from the likes of youth team players Alzate & Connolly saw them picked ahead of him.

I think Ali-J is very similar to Groß. Without goals and assists it becomes very difficult to justify his place in the squad because that is why he is picked; the opposite of Wolves’ Traore who is full of skull, power and pace but has an astonishingly low return of assists and goals from all his Premier League games.

From his Dutch show-reels, it’s clear that his two major assets are RTRP (right time, right place - very difficult to coach) and his shooting technique where his power and accuracy were sublime. The show-reels did not show a super fast or powerful player, you have to trust that the scouts knew this and he was not recruited for those qualities.

This confident version of Ali-J is good for at least 10 goals as season (he’ll struggle this season with so many missed games BTW) in my opinion and it’s wonderful to see those that recognised this talent vindicated now that he is being used correctly by a manager and has been given a proper chance.

 

[dazzer6666]

More that, you can get caught up in a point-scoring shitfest on the internet, or can catch yourself, delete it, and go back to worrying about things that are actually important.

Anyone can delete a post they've made, btw.

Several months after posting ? Thought it was only deletable for about 15 minutes.......

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Several months after posting ? Thought it was only deletable for about 15 minutes.......

The post he referred to, I deleted about 10 seconds after posting.

 

[dazzer6666]

The post he referred to, I deleted about 10 seconds after posting.

Tks ......wasn’t being specific.....