[Albion] Mr Potter has got to sort out his blind spot or else...

[Stat Brother]

Name me another team that would accept that stat. Sure we are just about surviving. Winning is important. It makes people feel good, you can survive on drawing every game in a season but do you think people would be happy with that season if it happened?

You lot tolerate me, I doubt any other team would accept me.

 

[Swansman]

Name me another team that would accept that stat. Sure we are just about surviving. Winning is important. It makes people feel good, you can survive on drawing every game in a season but do you think people would be happy with that season if it happened?

At the very least the six teams relegated in those 16 months would gladly take those stats if it meant staying up.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Definitely a time for Potter to prove himself.

Personally I think he has it in his locker to adapt and improve.
He has been asked to improve the style of football and he has passed this first assignment.
If next season is to be a push for top 10 (with a similar budget) then that is a massive ask.

If he achieves it, then the talk of "World class" manager would be justified.
But at the moment he has to prove himself, as your OP suggests.

No, no it wouldn't

 

[Stat Brother]

At least 2 teams coming up will be expecting to live in our perpetual bottom 6 home.

Are we going to get squeezed up or down?

 

[andy1980]

You lot tolerate me, I doubt any other team would accept me.

So we should tolerate winning 20 games every 3 seasons because he achieves the minimum. Honestly remember what you felt like after winning against Newcastle and Southampton. compare that to how you felt in February when we picked up 5 points but only 1 win. I like the way we play but wins are too few and far between. We know need to win 2 of the last 5 games just to match Chris Hughtons Premier League record.

 

[andy1980]

At the very least the six teams relegated in those 16 months would gladly take those stats if it meant staying up.

Would they Have you seen how fans react to things over long periods of time Even Sheff Utd and Burnley have won more than us over that period of time.

 

[andy1980]

At least 2 teams coming up will be expecting to live in our perpetual bottom 6 home.

Are we going to get squeezed up or down?

How long for?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

I don't even bother listening to him when he speaks in interviews anymore.

It's the same old boring rubbish he spouts every time.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Obviously having non scoring forwards is a problem, but I think our criminal lack of pace severely hampers us. Last night, for example, dozens of times we broke through the middle and Biss/Lallana/Moder/whoever are looking to play the ball either side of the narrow back 3 and in between the full back, unfortunately the options are pedestrian at best, almost every other team has pace to nip in behind but we have to stop, turn back inside or try a cross to 5’9 goal shy striker. Obviously losing Lamptey AND March was a hammer blow, but not having a single midfielder or forward with pace is borderline scandalous.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

No chance, we were absolute dogshit for three months before CH got the tin tack. We have been very good most games in the last few months, GP is rightly here for the foreseeable...imo

Tonight was a blip, nothing more

I appreciate that football is all about opinions, and I appreciate that sacking Potter now or at the end of the season is an intervention by the chairman (as was the CH sacking). I am unsure whether Tony should or would sack Potter. All my instincts say he shouldn't and won't but ...

I am intrigued that it may have been obvious to some what was going wrong at the start of the game yesterday, and yet not obvious to Potter. Either the players were instructed to play at a snail's pace, sit back and look for a killer pass, or not. I presume they were. Had we not shipped the goal who knows what would have happened?

So, we shipped a goal. That looked like an error (from Webster?). Webster was poor in the first half. Should the manager have realised that and set up differently?

We were better in the second half and arguably had enough chances to score and were let down by Maupay (who has really struggled for goals lately) and Welbs. Yes, we need a new and better striker, one that would cost more than we wish to pay. Apparently. Who actually knows?

Izzy and Ali J really perked up the game. There is little point my stating how clever and dangerous Ali J looked, because the majority on here simply want him gone. I think there is a great player in there, but that's just my opinion. So, should Ali J have been brought on earlier, or not at all? Who cares really? Until he's gone there will be unrest. As for Izzy, who knows? Out for so long....'why bring on a player who hasn't played for two years?' . . . .another stick to beat Potter with.

So, a blip? No, not really. It was clear to me we were in trouble after 2 or 3 minutes, and after the goal went in I thought we would lose. My old pal with whom I watch the games agreed. His view is that our players aren't all that great but they have been coached to play well. And that our strikers, who may be OK, seem to be excessively unreliable.

And we are still a bit lightweight over all. I have seen Southampton, Newcastle, Burnley, Wolves and Everton attack with far more agression than we ever manage. However three of those sides are shit and I'd rather be us. The other two have better quality players than us. On average with better players you get better results.

So, back to the game, should Potter have set us up differently? Who knows? Should he have changed it around quickly before they scored? Who knows. Their goal was the real blip and I didn't really see it coming. Not even with my restrospectroscope.

After we had conceded....I don't know what Potter could have done differently. And I'm sorry, the fact I'm not paid big bucks to manage the team does not absolve me of offering an alternative if I'm prepared to say that Potter simply can't cut it (which I don't). I don't think he's making errors that I wouldn't make, and I would rather have Potter in charge than the men in charge at Stains, Bumley, Newcastle, Fulham, Palace, and West Brom. Other clubs like Wolves and Everton may have better managers, but they also have much more money to spend.

So....yesterday was a bad day in the office and I'm grumpy today, but not remotely close to going Potter Out and questioning the judgement of the owner. But, as I've said before, if Potter is sacked tomorrow I won't even blink.

It's a funny old game.

 

[Motogull]

I can't be arsed to look but I bet we have the worst record against the division's antifootballers (Sheff Utd, WBA and the Wankpuffins). That is no coincidence.

We were much better with Izzy and Ali J, but by then the urgency was obvious.

It should be obvious how the antifootballers will play, so there has to be a way of changing style to get something from them.

Yesterday was a typical 'score was the wrong way round' result. We have to cut those out.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Our front 3 (Trossard, Welbeck, Maupay) are too slow, and not enough of a goal threat. That’s a player quality issue not a coaching issue. I said in the summer I wanted to sign Buendia as an upgrade - 14 goals and 16 assists this season. And we all know we need a proper striker. I would not renew Welbeck, sell Maupay, and start again up front. The rest of the squad is fine.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

I think Potter's real problem is lack of flexibility, why are we playing 3 CB's and two central midfielders as wingbacks against the lowest scorers in the English leagues this season?

Change up the formation and given them something to think about, absolutely zero width or pace in the first half made it so, so easy for them, and once we were behind you knew we were going to struggle to break them down.

This was the main issue IMO. I know it worked against Newcastle, but why on Earth were Moder and Groß playing as wing backs against a team that have struggled to score and keep clean sheets this season? Surely Karbo would have been a better option on one side with Zeqiri or, dare I say it, BDB the other. Potter got his tactics woefully wrong yesterday and, once again, we come away from a team at the bottom of the table with nil points.

I’m baffled as to why we haven’t seen Karbo bar the cup game against Leicester (where he did alright) considering the injuries we have to March and Lamptey. If he’s not up to it, why recall him from his loan? Bizarre.

 

[dadams2k11]

So we should tolerate winning 20 games every 3 seasons because he achieves the minimum. Honestly remember what you felt like after winning against Newcastle and Southampton. compare that to how you felt in February when we picked up 5 points but only 1 win. I like the way we play but wins are too few and far between. We know need to win 2 of the last 5 games just to match Chris Hughtons Premier League record.

Ahh didums. We ain't won enough. Tell that too Sheffield, West Brom and Fulham and ask any of them if they want to swap places.

We are two years into a project and you want success now. Get a grip, these things take time and Potter will only improve and so will the results.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

This was the main issue IMO. I know it worked against Newcastle, but why on Earth were Moder and Groß playing as wing backs against a team that have struggled to score and keep clean sheets this season? Surely Karbo would have been a better option on one side with Zeqiri or, dare I say it, BDB the other. Potter got his tactics woefully wrong yesterday and, once again, we come away from a team at the bottom of the table with nil points.

I’m baffled as to why we haven’t seen Karbo bar the cup game against Leicester (where he did alright) considering the injuries we have to March and Lamptey. If he’s not up to it, why recall him from his loan? Bizarre.

You haven’t offered up alternative tactics just different personnel.

 

[andy1980]

Ahh didums. We ain't won enough. Tell that too Sheffield, West Brom and Fulham and ask any of them if they want to swap places.

We are two years into a project and you want success now. Get a grip, these things take time and Potter will only improve and so will the results.

WHAAAT. I'm not talking about success now. I'm talking about the importance of winning. I'm saying that after a game that you won that feeling you get is just as important as the way its won. We play good football but we don't get to enjoy that feeling as much as what we should. In my opinion people who say that isn't important is lieing to themselves.

 

[midnight_rendezvous]

You haven’t offered up alternative tactics just different personnel.

How do you figure? Using two wingbacks that offer pace and width (which were sorely lacking last night) are alternative tactics to the slow ponderous Groß and Moder, who could then be utilised in their natural positions in the middle (or come on later) to unpick the high press/ low block with their passing. Just my opinion like

 

[dadams2k11]

WHAAAT. I'm not talking about success now. I'm talking about the importance of winning. I'm saying that after a game that you won that feeling you get is just as important as the way its won. We play good football but we don't get to enjoy that feeling as much as what we should. In my opinion people who say that isn't important is lieing to themselves.

I keep quite level headed after our results. They used to ruin my weekend and then I ended up being grumpy which effected my family.

Yea, I'm not happy when we lose and want to win every game, but I don't let it affect me now. There is always a knee jerk reaction whether we win or lose, we as football fans tend to be fickle.

Im just enjoying the ride of where we have come from and where we could protentially end up. In Bloom I trust.

 

[Icy Gull]

I appreciate that football is all about opinions, and I appreciate that sacking Potter now or at the end of the season is an intervention by the chairman (as was the CH sacking). I am unsure whether Tony should or would sack Potter. All my instincts say he shouldn't and won't but ...

I am intrigued that it may have been obvious to some what was going wrong at the start of the game yesterday, and yet not obvious to Potter. Either the players were instructed to play at a snail's pace, sit back and look for a killer pass, or not. I presume they were. Had we not shipped the goal who knows what would have happened?

So, we shipped a goal. That looked like an error (from Webster?). Webster was poor in the first half. Should the manager have realised that and set up differently?

We were better in the second half and arguably had enough chances to score and were let down by Maupay (who has really struggled for goals lately) and Welbs. Yes, we need a new and better striker, one that would cost more than we wish to pay. Apparently. Who actually knows?

Izzy and Ali J really perked up the game. There is little point my stating how clever and dangerous Ali J looked, because the majority on here simply want him gone. I think there is a great player in there, but that's just my opinion. So, should Ali J have been brought on earlier, or not at all? Who cares really? Until he's gone there will be unrest. As for Izzy, who knows? Out for so long....'why bring on a player who hasn't played for two years?' . . . .another stick to beat Potter with.

So, a blip? No, not really. It was clear to me we were in trouble after 2 or 3 minutes, and after the goal went in I thought we would lose. My old pal with whom I watch the games agreed. His view is that our players aren't all that great but they have been coached to play well. And that our strikers, who may be OK, seem to be excessively unreliable.

And we are still a bit lightweight over all. I have seen Southampton, Newcastle, Burnley, Wolves and Everton attack with far more agression than we ever manage. However three of those sides are shit and I'd rather be us. The other two have better quality players than us. On average with better players you get better results.

So, back to the game, should Potter have set us up differently? Who knows? Should he have changed it around quickly before they scored? Who knows. Their goal was the real blip and I didn't really see it coming. Not even with my restrospectroscope.

After we had conceded....I don't know what Potter could have done differently. And I'm sorry, the fact I'm not paid big bucks to manage the team does not absolve me of offering an alternative if I'm prepared to say that Potter simply can't cut it (which I don't). I don't think he's making errors that I wouldn't make, and I would rather have Potter in charge than the men in charge at Stains, Bumley, Newcastle, Fulham, Palace, and West Brom. Other clubs like Wolves and Everton may have better managers, but they also have much more money to spend.

So....yesterday was a bad day in the office and I'm grumpy today, but not remotely close to going Potter Out and questioning the judgement of the owner. But, as I've said before, if Potter is sacked tomorrow I won't even blink.

It's a funny old game.

Eloquent and well thought out post

By blip, I meant in the context of most of this season. I’ve said before somewhere on here that we seemed arrogant from kick off, which we have no right to be given our position and the meaning this game had. My only recurring criticism of GP is our lack of bite and inability to play “get into them, feck up up” against poor sides. We keep making the same errors against lower quality teams and after two years GP should be setting us up better. We should not accept losing most 50/50s from kick off.

I have loved large chunks of this season but I have absolutely hated most games against the bottom sides. Still very much GP in but he needs to start upping his tactics in games like last night

I am no football manager but I would have had Maupay and Gross off at half time and brought on Ali J and The Argie Scot both of whom have the ability and fight missing from those two last night

 

[andy1980]

I keep quite level headed after our results. They used to ruin my weekend and then I ended up being grumpy which effected my family.

Yea, I'm not happy when we lose and want to win every game, but I don't let it affect me now. There is always a knee jerk reaction whether we win or lose, we as football fans tend to be fickle.

Im just enjoying the ride of where we have come from and where we could protentially end up. In Bloom I trust.

I just find it weird how people ignore what is true. For instance you asked me ask Fulham, West Brom and Sheff Utd where they would rather be. The obvious answer is where we are. If you asked them would they prefer being yo yo clubs or having 34 wins in 147 games, how many of them would you honestly say 34 wins in 147 games. Not even Tony and Paul want this thats why our aim is to become top 10.