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[Albion] Solly March, local lad and Premier League star, is f***ing brilliant







Bozza

You can change this
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Jul 4, 2003
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Back in Sussex




Zeberdi

“Vorsprung durch Technik”
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Oct 20, 2022
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This is great news but makes the signing of all three of Gruda, Minteh and Rutter even odder. A squad that has too many options at RW or RF but falls to bits when one centre back gets injured isn’t balanced.
I agree, it does look odd but unpacking it a bit;

March will be back in the squad and I love the guy as we all do but not only will he be off his pace for a while (hopefully not permanently?) which for FH is really important to have exceptionally fast wingers but he’s at the age anyway where 90 mins starts to be tough and risk of injury increases anyway.

Meanwhile - Minteh is still bedding in and learning the system and I think still struggling to cope with the possession attacking football we are playing - his passing stats in possession are not good and he can be careless at times.

Gruda’s best position is probably behind the striker anyway not as a winger - but he also is still very young and one for the future - IMO It will take a while for him to bulk up and be consistently strong enough for 90mins of EPL at a pace an intensity he’s not used to.

I think Rutter is at the moment the only player ahead of Solly in that position and also head of Solly in terms of what I think FH might want — he could be an excellent false 9 having watched him so far. He’s a Kevin De Bruyne unselfish type - creating chances and providing assists.

The CB situation is unfortunate - I wonder if TB and PB were looking at FH’s system last season and thinking he would be playing 3 at the back this season?

That said, TB/PB have always maintained that if they see players they really like for us at a price they like, they’d pursue them. :shrug:
 














Triggaaar

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Oct 24, 2005
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Goldstone
This is great news but makes the signing of all three of Gruda, Minteh and Rutter even odder. A squad that has too many options at RW or RF but falls to bits when one centre back gets injured isn’t balanced.

Igor and Webster are reasonable backup options. You could go a whole season without missing your centre backs, so having better backup players who may never play isn't really an option for us. I think wingers get injured more often, and we also like to sub them during the game, so it makes sense to have more. Presumably Rutter was brought in to give us an option down the middle too.
 


Guinness Boy

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Jul 23, 2003
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Igor and Webster are reasonable backup options. You could go a whole season without missing your centre backs, so having better backup players who may never play isn't really an option for us. I think wingers get injured more often, and we also like to sub them during the game, so it makes sense to have more. Presumably Rutter was brought in to give us an option down the middle too.
If you read NSC last season you’d be forgiven for thinking Igor was the worst player we’d ever signed. And did you watch Webster last week?
 


Justice

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Jun 21, 2012
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Born In Shoreham
Funnily enough Webster has always blundered against Chelsea when he’s played. Why he didn’t go with Igor was madness. He’s not the greatest defender yet he is an excellent passer rarely makes a mistake when passing.
 




Not Andy Naylor

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Dec 12, 2007
8,987
Seven Dials
Cheaper than quality CB’s.
I assume we're very much on the lookout for a central defender with some pace, which has always been a big miss in our squad. The Ipswich game showed that JPVH can be beaten for pace, and Dunky has never been blessed with speed. Estupinan is fast and has played in a back three but isn't interested in making recovery runs. Maybe the answer is to convert one of our speedy wingers into a sweeper who can play between JPVH and Dunk.
 


Triggaaar

Well-known member
Oct 24, 2005
53,046
Goldstone
If you read NSC last season you’d be forgiven for thinking Igor was the worst player we’d ever signed. And did you watch Webster last week?

I did. We were away to a team likely to be top 4 and our tactics were crap. I wouldn't expect a backup central defender to excel in that situation. We know who our best two central defenders are, so what better backup can we get, who'll be happy to sit on the bench all season?
 


Machiavelli

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Oct 11, 2013
17,752
Fiveways
Igor and Webster are reasonable backup options. You could go a whole season without missing your centre backs, so having better backup players who may never play isn't really an option for us. I think wingers get injured more often, and we also like to sub them during the game, so it makes sense to have more. Presumably Rutter was brought in to give us an option down the middle too.
Yes, I'm with you on this. We did try and buy Boscagli, but it didn't happen. I like the fact that the club don't just go for the next option if they lose out on a player and think we've got enough cover at CB. As has been pointed out, it's likely that we'll get at least one CB in the summer.
We are well stacked with wide forwards or wingers and support strikers, and that's because FH prioritises intensity and wants these players to put a real shift in for c60 minutes, and then the substitutes to come on and do the same.
 




Guinness Boy

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Jul 23, 2003
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I did. We were away to a team likely to be top 4 and our tactics were crap. I wouldn't expect a backup central defender to excel in that situation. We know who our best two central defenders are, so what better backup can we get, who'll be happy to sit on the bench all season?
This is something I said last season when Igor was taking pelters. And was less worried about it in close season as everyone thought our CDM would drop in as a third CB at the right time as St Pauli’s did.

If you’re going to play a flat four that high with a left back who gets caught upfield then it’s Dunk who should drop.

There, I said it.
 


Simonf93

Well-known member
Apr 25, 2012
398
he’s playing for the u21’s this afternoon so probably won’t be in tomorrow’s squad
 












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