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[Albion] Potterball, your opinions so far?







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Eric Youngs Contact Lense

Guest
I am/was a huge supporter of CH. I gladly accepted that he believed that the best way to stay in the PL was to become hard to beat first of all - stay in the game as long as possible if necessary. I didn't find the games dull, but the reality was that the 2nd half of last season showed us cut adrift at the bottom of any form table, confidence drained from a team that had made such a promising start (dodgy or hard-fought 1-0 wins aside !). I am a huge supporter of GP - my fear had been that trying to create a new style of play would take time and we may well find ourselves cut adrift at the bottom of the table by the end of October, fearing that we will have missed the chance to gather points against sides we might consider beatable whilst trying to adapt. This just hasn't happened. I don't for a minute assume that we wont be in a relegation scrap, along with 10/12 other teams but I am so impressed with the commitment of the side and the transformational impact GP has been able to have. The real challenge is to come - can we continue the commitment and direction of travel when the pressure of being in the bottom 3, 4 or 5 ? The answer for me is "yes", even if it ultimately ends in relegation - but I am far more confident now that we will have a better chance because we can pick up wins rather than draws vs. the teams around us. Bournemouth have this approach (I think!) .. they go on multi-match periods without winning games, then win 2, 3 4 on the bounce and move to safety..
 


Lifelong Supporter

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2009
2,080
Burgess Hill
I am/was a huge supporter of CH. I gladly accepted that he believed that the best way to stay in the PL was to become hard to beat first of all - stay in the game as long as possible if necessary. I didn't find the games dull, but the reality was that the 2nd half of last season showed us cut adrift at the bottom of any form table, confidence drained from a team that had made such a promising start (dodgy or hard-fought 1-0 wins aside !). I am a huge supporter of GP - my fear had been that trying to create a new style of play would take time and we may well find ourselves cut adrift at the bottom of the table by the end of October, fearing that we will have missed the chance to gather points against sides we might consider beatable whilst trying to adapt. This just hasn't happened. I don't for a minute assume that we wont be in a relegation scrap, along with 10/12 other teams but I am so impressed with the commitment of the side and the transformational impact GP has been able to have. The real challenge is to come - can we continue the commitment and direction of travel when the pressure of being in the bottom 3, 4 or 5 ? The answer for me is "yes", even if it ultimately ends in relegation - but I am far more confident now that we will have a better chance because we can pick up wins rather than draws vs. the teams around us. Bournemouth have this approach (I think!) .. they go on multi-match periods without winning games, then win 2, 3 4 on the bounce and move to safety..

Very much this. My interest is also how much TB would be prepared to back the approach if we were to find ourselves in the bottom 3 and a few points adrift. Hopefully there will not be a need to find out.
 


blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
Very much this. My interest is also how much TB would be prepared to back the approach if we were to find ourselves in the bottom 3 and a few points adrift. Hopefully there will not be a need to find out.

Well, i'm entirely confident that he won't react by sacking Potter if that's what you're getting at?

Not sure what else Bloom can do?
 


BensGrandad

New member
Jul 13, 2003
72,015
Haywards Heath
Because people are not 100% convinced about the way we play and have some doubt but this doesnt mean that they are not in tune with GP. Some of us enjoy what we see but can see faults. eg I am not convinced by Burn who I do not consider to be an improvement or even as good as either Bong or Bernardo, who has been injured, . and I am not 100% with Maupay as our main striker. I think that he would be good to come off of the bench late against tiring defenders after having started with Murray and Connolly. I am however impressed with Trossard and certain aspects of Websters game, but not his defending. The signs are generally good though.
 




Tooting Gull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,033
Definitely pleased overall. Much better football, like the philosophy. Maybe we just need some better players in certain positions to really thrive.

Not delighted with the league position, but then as last year showed and I have always believed position isn't what matters most. It is points. Points clear of the relegation zone, points behind the teams ahead.

And in that respect it is a bit the opposite of last season when in the table we looked well placed in Feb/Mar, but actually the points gap wasn't great if others carried on improving. If the points are close, you can always go up a fair bit with a couple of wins, though we do need those now.
 


Marshy

Well-known member
Jul 6, 2003
19,919
FRUIT OF THE BLOOM
Because people are not 100% convinced about the way we play and have some doubt but this doesnt mean that they are not in tune with GP. Some of us enjoy what we see but can see faults. eg I am not convinced by Burn who I do not consider to be an improvement or even as good as either Bong or Bernardo, who has been injured, . and I am not 100% with Maupay as our main striker. I think that he would be good to come off of the bench late against tiring defenders after having started with Murray and Connolly. I am however impressed with Trossard and certain aspects of Websters game, but not his defending. The signs are generally good though.

Burn is light years ahead of Bong with regards to how we want to play, even as a makeshift left back,you must see that, I prefer Burn in a left side of a 3.

Bernado will be interesting when fully fit under GP, I have high hopes, keeping my fingers crossed.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
Burn is light years ahead of Bong with regards to how we want to play, even as a makeshift left back,you must see that, I prefer Burn in a left side of a 3.

Bernado will be interesting when fully fit under GP, I have high hopes, keeping my fingers crossed.

Run out against Arsenal for Bernardo would not surprise me
 








perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe
Jul 5, 2003
23,459
Sūþseaxna
Burn is light years ahead of Bong with regards to how we want to play, even as a makeshift left back,you must see that, I prefer Burn in a left side of a 3.

Bernado will be interesting when fully fit under GP, I have high hopes, keeping my fingers crossed.

If we want a player to track a runner from deep, or to shepherd a fancy winger into a cul de sac, Bong is the best. This will not help if we need more goals though. And Bong has been quite good going forward at times.
 




perseus

Broad Blue & White stripe
Jul 5, 2003
23,459
Sūþseaxna
THIS. I bought this up in my latest podcast reviewing Liverpool. Potter has one of the worst records in the championship last season from conceding at corners. Whatever this Zonal/Man marking idea is I hate it. Despise it. We look all at sea constantly. Everything else I love, Potter is brilliant, he's done so much with so little and rather little time too. I hope we spend for him in January, we need to offload too so in theory we should have plenty to spend. But set piece marking? YIKES.

Not as bad as CH in the first Premier League season.

This problem can be rectified.
 




Behind Enemy Lines

Well-known member
Jul 18, 2003
4,869
London
Love Potterball but we do need more quality to make it work properly. At least one, maybe two new full backs, a creative mid and a striker. That's achievable over the next two windows. My worry at the moment is we're conceding soft goals and not taking our chances. That can't carry on much longer or we will be in trouble. Expecting the bulk of the goals to come from Maupay and a 19 year old is a big ask. They need some help.
 






E

Eric Youngs Contact Lense

Guest
Because people are not 100% convinced about the way we play and have some doubt but this doesnt mean that they are not in tune with GP. Some of us enjoy what we see but can see faults. eg I am not convinced by Burn who I do not consider to be an improvement or even as good as either Bong or Bernardo, who has been injured, . and I am not 100% with Maupay as our main striker. I think that he would be good to come off of the bench late against tiring defenders after having started with Murray and Connolly. I am however impressed with Trossard and certain aspects of Websters game, but not his defending. The signs are generally good though.

I don't think anyone can (or is) suggesting that it is all nailed down and without faults - but, like you I think, we can be impressed with the progress that has been made and the utilisation of someone like Burn who fits a large part of the brief of what GP is looking for, clearly in GP eyes, more-so than Bong does. Whether that be temperament on the ball, willingness to be brave, or simple execution of the plan, none of us know. Webster has made a big jump in terms of quality. Had it been into a CH team set-up then he would look more comfortable I think. He is more exposed in GP team set-up and will make mistakes. But we have bought him in for the potential to develop into the player GP wants - more Dunk than Duffy. The worry for me is that the Amex crowd sap that away if things don't go well on occasion. I am excited to see Bernardo back to compete, but I don't expect too much shift in the style or plan, even if we lose the next two games or 3 games..
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
The Potterball seen so far is pretty light compared to what we will see later on. Several of the potterball traits seen in Östersund and even Swansea (where he had a, compared to Brighton, younger squad that was easier to transform) are not yet present in Brighton. Some of the potterball traits may be very difficult to perform in the PL, but there is definitely more to come.

The current Brighton squad is one of the worst in the PL from a Potterball perspective. There is no midfielder, except maybe Alzate, who performs penetrating runs. The wingers and wing backs are slow. The strikers are decent but incapable of doing any type of target man tasks.

The Brighton way of Potterball as it is now is pretty far from what it will be in the long run.
 


Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
The Potterball seen so far is pretty light compared to what we will see later on. Several of the potterball traits seen in Östersund and even Swansea (where he had a, compared to Brighton, younger squad that was easier to transform) are not yet present in Brighton. Some of the potterball traits may be very difficult to perform in the PL, but there is definitely more to come.

The current Brighton squad is one of the worst in the PL from a Potterball perspective. There is no midfielder, except maybe Alzate, who performs penetrating runs. The wingers and wing backs are slow. The strikers are decent but incapable of doing any type of target man tasks.

The Brighton way of Potterball as it is now is pretty far from what it will be in the long run.

Get that cheque book out Tony :lolol:
 




blue-shifted

Banned
Feb 20, 2004
7,645
a galaxy far far away
The Potterball seen so far is pretty light compared to what we will see later on. Several of the potterball traits seen in Östersund and even Swansea (where he had a, compared to Brighton, younger squad that was easier to transform) are not yet present in Brighton. Some of the potterball traits may be very difficult to perform in the PL, but there is definitely more to come.

The current Brighton squad is one of the worst in the PL from a Potterball perspective. There is no midfielder, except maybe Alzate, who performs penetrating runs. The wingers and wing backs are slow. The strikers are decent but incapable of doing any type of target man tasks.

The Brighton way of Potterball as it is now is pretty far from what it will be in the long run.

I for one am interested to see how this develops and I agree that Graham has had to make compromises to his style to accommodate the players he has got.
 


Swansman

Pro-peace
May 13, 2019
22,320
Sweden
Get that cheque book out Tony :lolol:

Haha.. its not gonna be cheap, no. I've got no clue about how Potter responds to a big wallet. In Östersund they only signed rejects or random talents and in Swansea the board tried to sell Daniel James for £1m to Leeds in January for liquidity reasons, pretty much says everything about the size of their wallet.

With the investments in academy and hiring of Potter etc I could see Brighton trying to become the Ajax of England which is a very clever way of reducing costs long term. When Ajax had their last Cruyff-led internal reorganisation in 2010-11 they often had economical deficits a lot of years and decided to invest more in the youth academy and less on established players. Today you really see the payoff both on the pitch and in the economy. If the talents of Brighton develop as they should we could see a lot fewer established players coming in than you would expect.
 


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