[Albion] Which first team players would you let go at the end of the season?

[Machiavelli]

He’s a wide forward/attacking midfielder who we signed from Luton aged 16. He’s been our top scorer at U18 this season, alongside Lorent Tolaj, and looks very promising. He hasn’t had much involvement yet at U23, but hope that would change next season.

Excellent, will look out for him.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Provided we stay up there are four players that I'm intrigued by how they'll fit in to Potter's plans next year: Duffy, Bernardo, Gross, Ali J.

I think they all have something to offer but I'm not sure where they fit.

Duffy is currently third choice centre back. Assuming Ben White joins the squad next season and makes the step up as comfortably as he has the transition from U-18's to U-23's to league 2 to league 1 to the championship you've got to think Duffy will be fourth choice. I reckon Potter will be happy with him in the squad but will Duffy be happy with that? Probably not and as one of the few players who will be able to generate a decent price and our need for money post covid it seems a real possibility his time with us is nearly up. Which makes me sad - him and Dunk were/are hands down the best central defensive partnership I've seen in the 30+ years I've been watching the Albion.

Bernardo. This one really puzzles me. He's the only left back in the squad, seemingly has the attributes Potter would want in a left back but has lost, well, never even had, his place to a 6 foot 7 centre half. He's not even made the bench in the last two games - and that's with nine men benches. In his place Potter has chosen two right backs. So, what's up? If he can't get in the team over a centre half and can't even make a nine man bench, when does he make the squad? Does his face not fit? Can he not comprehend what Potter asks of him? I wouldn't get rid of him but I just don't get why he's not anywhere near playing.

Gross was outstanding as the number ten when we played 4-4-1-1 in our first season. His delivery remains immaculate but when he gets moved out of that position he strikes me as a bit of a premier league Skalak. We now have Mooy and MacAllister who can do what he does and maybe more. We have a number of players who can play as number 10, we have several wingers and a glut of central midfielders with Molumby and Baluta waiting in the wings. He's a good player but I'm not sure where he fits in anymore.

Potter seems reluctant to give Ali J game time unless there's no one else available. He seems like a really nice guy, a great professional with obvious talent but for two seasons and with two different managers with two completely different styles of play he's barely had a kick. Even when he grabbed his chance over xmas/the new year with two goals(including the goal of the season) he's found himself at the back of the queue. I don't see whats going to change in year three so for his sake we should cut our losses and let him get on with his career and not waste it in the stands of a lower end premier league team.

I've seen GP pulling his hair out before trying to get Bernardo to cover the right position, maybe this has something to do with it!

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Not sure I agree.

Solly is surely past the promising youngster stage, and how many times has he impressed from the bench, to start the next game only to disappoint?

The wing back thing has really only been this season.

To be fair on him, he does seem to get injured every time he finds a bit of form.

You think Hughton played him as an attacking player last season?

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I've seen GP pulling his hair out before trying to get Bernardo to cover the right position, maybe this has something to do with it!

Yeah, that could well be it. Watching on streams I don't get to see Potter's reactions. If it is the reason then I reckon we will be off loading Bernardo if we can find a replacement. Shame, as has the headline attributes to be an excellent player in Potter's system but if he lacks positional awareness or is just too lazy to apply himself to the required job then he's not much use.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

You think Hughton played him as an attacking player last season?

Well he played out wide so yes.
We didn’t do relatively well in the first part of the season by not creating anything at all.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

The glaring error here is that Solly is rarely disappointing. He rarely puts in a bad performance. He is a solid team player who is adaptable and can play many roles and so offers us a lot of flexibility tactically.
People seem to really have a bad habit of thinking solid dependable performances are bad and constantly want players who do flashy moves all the time.

I think rarely the worst on the pitch is more accurate, but it is a fair comment. Plenty of occasions he’s been ‘poor’, but then everyone else has as well.

There was a time when he rarely lifted his head and played aimless crosses, and that part of his game improved last season massively. Around Cardiff away didn’t he have a run of assists or chances created?

This year he is learning the wing-back role, but definitely a future.


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[One Teddy Maybank]

I've seen GP pulling his hair out before trying to get Bernardo to cover the right position, maybe this has something to do with it!

Yet he plays Schelotto?
Also Burn frequently gets caught.


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[Machiavelli]

I've seen GP pulling his hair out before trying to get Bernardo to cover the right position, maybe this has something to do with it!

Interesting, and this is the first insight I've heard as to why we've seen Bernardo so infrequently this season. Did this happen once, or multiple times? And why are you so sure that it was Bernardo that prompted the hair pulling?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I think rarely the worst on the pitch is more accurate, but it is a fair comment. Plenty of occasions he’s been ‘poor’, but then everyone else has as well.

There was a time when he rarely lifted his head and played aimless crosses, and that part of his game improved last season massively. Around Cardiff away didn’t he have a run of assists or chances created?

This year he is learning the wing-back role, but definitely a future.


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Yeah think he had 5 assists last year.
He hasn't played much this season, but his quick thinking and delivery got us back into the games against Arsenal and West Ham.
When needed to contribute up front, he is very capable.That is more often from the subs bench.


IMO the problem a lot of us have is that he hasn't developed into the player we wanted him to be .The common refrain on here that he "doesn't believe in himself" is a reflection that he hasn't met our hopes for him.
When he was in the England Under 21s and was showing speed, wit and creative potential, many of us thought he was going to be a superstar.
Very, very few wonderkids go on to be superstars.

Solly has adapted his game and become a key part of a premier league squad.
Those who want to get rid, think that he is using up the place of a creative winger. He isn't, he is providing cover all over the park.
It would cost us a lot of money to replace him.

 

[Icy Gull]

Yeah think he had 5 assists last year.
He hasn't played much this season, but his quick thinking and delivery got us back into the games against Arsenal and West Ham.
When needed to contribute up front, he is very capable.That is more often from the subs bench.


IMO the problem a lot of us have is that he hasn't developed into the player we wanted him to be .The common refrain on here that he "doesn't believe in himself" is a reflection that he hasn't met our hopes for him.
When he was in the England Under 21s and was showing speed, wit and creative potential, many of us thought he was going to be a superstar.
Very, very few wonderkids go on to be superstars.

Solly has adapted his game and become a key part of a premier league squad.
Those who want to get rid, think that he is using up the place of a creative winger. He isn't, he is providing cover all over the park.
It would cost us a lot of money to replace him.

I really can’t argue you with you about any of that except that he is the most frustrating winger that I have seen play for the Albion. He is much better as a defender and has certainly been a useful player for a couple of years when playing defensively. Every time he gets to the byline I expect a League 2 cross and am seldom disappointed. Seems to have stopped having a crack at goal too. As I say I find him incredibly frustrating to watch once he crosses the halfway line

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I really can’t argue you with you about any of that except that he is the most frustrating winger that I have seen play for the Albion. He is much better as a defender and has certainly been a useful player for a couple of years when playing defensively. Every time he gets to the byline I expect a League 2 cross and am seldom disappointed. Seems to have stopped having a crack at goal too. As I say I find him incredibly frustrating to watch once he crosses the halfway line

Yeah I get that too.

I genuinely thought he would break into the England squad when we were promoted.
Particularly as he was known to Southgate.
It's possible that Hughton's influence and the safety first nature, has set him back a bit and changed the nature of his development.

One thing I would say though is that in general wingers (at our level) are either hitting 8s or 4s. It is the nature of the position.
You are solely judged on your ability to win the game.
It was certainly true of Knocky in the Prem, who I found much more frustrating last season.
But forgiven everything for the goal against Palace.

 

[Marshy]

I can see Solly operating as a left wing back very nicely, I think that position is perfect for him.

 

[zefarelly]

That's wingers all over, 95% frustrating and 5% dreamworld

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I can see Solly operating as a left wing back very nicely, I think that position is perfect for him.

He has been unfortunate that BDB has had such a stand out season.

 

[piersa]

27David Button (G) - let go
4Shane Duffy (D) - let go
21Ezequiel Schelotto (D) - let go
22Martin Montoya (D) - let go
6Dale Stephens (M) - let go
13Pascal Gross (M) - let go
24Davy Propper (M) - let go
Solly March - let go
25Beram Kayal (M) - let go
16Alireza Jahanbakhsh (F) - let go
17Glenn Murray (F) - Coach
19Jose Heriberto Izquierdo (F) - let go

keep the rest. don't know enough about the academy players to make a judgement.

 

[Sheebo]

I’d personally have question marks over the following, purely due to the fact we have to take the next jump and improve on what we have - nothing against them personally as they’re all good players:

Schelotto
March
Propper
Burn
Webster
Montoya
Gross (not been the same since first season)
Kayal
Ali J

Just feel there’s room for improvement / upgrade and I’ve been ruthless with my list here. Not everyone will agree, but we have to make the next step up now.

 

[sparkie]

I don't think there will be as much churn as is being suggested.

We need to find space in the 25 nominations for Alzate, Mac Allister, White and maybe Gyökeres.

Molumby, Connolly, and Lamptey still count as under 21 I think.


I suspect recruitment will be finely targeted on a small number of incoming, and some of it will be for future seasons.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Yeah think he had 5 assists last year.
He hasn't played much this season, but his quick thinking and delivery got us back into the games against Arsenal and West Ham.
When needed to contribute up front, he is very capable.That is more often from the subs bench.


IMO the problem a lot of us have is that he hasn't developed into the player we wanted him to be .The common refrain on here that he "doesn't believe in himself" is a reflection that he hasn't met our hopes for him.
When he was in the England Under 21s and was showing speed, wit and creative potential, many of us thought he was going to be a superstar.
Very, very few wonderkids go on to be superstars.

Solly has adapted his game and become a key part of a premier league squad.
Those who want to get rid, think that he is using up the place of a creative winger. He isn't, he is providing cover all over the park.
It would cost us a lot of money to replace him.

Still to see the best of him, and one to keep hold of.

 

[dazzer6666]

I don't think there will be as much churn as is being suggested.

We need to find space in the 25 nominations for Alzate, Mac Allister, White and maybe Gyökeres.

Molumby, Connolly, and Lamptey still count as under 21 I think.


I suspect recruitment will be finely targeted on a small number of incoming, and some of it will be for future seasons.

Agreed - some quite far-out suggestions on this thread about how many will be off.................

-some of the decent youngsters will be solid team/squad members next season
-would expect Kayal, Button, Murray, Duffy (because of White returning) and Izquierdo to be out of the 25. I'd add Schelotto but GP seems to like him so maybe he stays
-Stephens may want to move on as he's not going to get anything like as much game time with Bissouma developing so fast and Propper, Mooy and potentially Alzate ahead of him (and Molumby playing a part ?)
-we'll (as always) probably be looking to buy a striker, but won't.......
-really can't see March going - good squad player

Bit mystified about Ali J and Bernardo not being involved at all so far.

 

[Mancgull]

Agreed - some quite far-out suggestions on this thread about how many will be off.................

-some of the decent youngsters will be solid team/squad members next season
-would expect Kayal, Button, Murray, Duffy (because of White returning) and Izquierdo to be out of the 25. I'd add Schelotto but GP seems to like him so maybe he stays
-Stephens may want to move on as he's not going to get anything like as much game time with Bissouma developing so fast and Propper, Mooy and potentially Alzate ahead of him (and Molumby playing a part ?)
-we'll (as always) probably be looking to buy a striker, but won't.......
-really can't see March going - good squad player

Bit mystified about Ali J and Bernardo not being involved at all so far.

I can’t see Murray being excluded from the 25 man squad as we’ve extended his contract for a year. Surely back up striker/ positive influence/ striker coach role? Otherwise completely agree and share query re Bernardo and Ali J.