[Albion] Did McKenna get his tactics wrong.

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Friday at 9:13 AM

I think he did.

We had a chat about this on the way back last night.

We hadn't won since November, yet they sat back from the start and let us dominate the ball - I feared a Luton type, high intensity, very physical opening 20 minutes - it didn't happen.

Yes, I get they wanted to hit us on the break (and it could have worked) but I think they gave us far too respect.

Before last night, I thought they'd stay up - I've changed my mind.

Nobby Cybergoat · Friday at 9:17 AM

They attempted the same model which got them a point at the Amex.

You need quite a bit of luck to continually pull that off. It ran out

Oh_aye · Friday at 9:21 AM

Their central midfield was poor against our press I thought. They went for hard workers (stop laughing at the back) like Philips. But once they'd gone behind they couldn't seem to string any passes together against a coherent high press. Just kept running into trouble, and couldn't even hold it long enough to launch direct counter attacks.

They really needed to get ahead in the first half, where we had our usual slight incoherent periods. Once it was 0-0 at half time I felt fairly confident we'd pull it together and have the options off the bench to dominate.

Relying on delay or that (quite underwhelming) Hutchinson, might work in dome games, but without a better system behind them they found it tough in the end against dome wiley, veteran defenders.

Milano · Friday at 9:27 AM

Oh_aye said:
Their central midfield was poor against our press I thought. They went for hard workers (stop laughing at the back) like Philips. But once they'd gone behind they couldn't seem to string any passes together against a coherent high press. Just kept running into trouble, and couldn't even hold it long enough to launch direct counter attacks.

They really needed to get ahead in the first half, where we had our usual slight incoherent periods. Once it was 0-0 at half time I felt fairly confident we'd pull it together and have the options off the bench to dominate.

Relying on delay or that (quite underwhelming) Hutchinson, might work in dome games, but without a better system behind them they found it tough in the end against dome wiley, veteran defenders.

I thought our worst period of the match was the 10 minutes after HT when I thought we were a shambles, the goal settled us down a bit and flustered them, then our subs completely changed it and we took control. The starting line up last night cannot be the same on Sunday.

Adringa was a complete ghost last night, disgraceful 'performance', didn't look interested from minute 1, I'd have hooked him before HT. I think his days here are numbered and I think he knows it. O'Riley was only slightly better in terms of impact but at least he was trying to get involved.

JBizzle · Friday at 9:29 AM

Oh_aye said:
Their central midfield was poor against our press I thought. They went for hard workers (stop laughing at the back) like Philips. But once they'd gone behind they couldn't seem to string any passes together against a coherent high press. Just kept running into trouble, and couldn't even hold it long enough to launch direct counter attacks.

They really needed to get ahead in the first half, where we had our usual slight incoherent periods. Once it was 0-0 at half time I felt fairly confident we'd pull it together and have the options off the bench to dominate.

Relying on delay or that (quite underwhelming) Hutchinson, might work in dome games, but without a better system behind them they found it tough in the end against dome wiley, veteran defenders.

I actually thought Hutchinson was one of their bright sparks, but they didn't play like a home team last night. As you rightly say, their front line looked quite naïve against our back four. All the time the game was 0-0, their tactics were spot on. We weren't seriously testing Walton and our goal game when their full back mis-judged the ball over the top. As soon as that happened, tactically, they were out of the game.

Delap seems to only have 60 mins in his legs and Hirst is returning from injury and contributed very little. I think they tired badly and Fab's decision to bring on three sets of fresh legs as soon as we scored was inspired. Georgi, Minteh and (to a lesser extend) Dunk meant that we could maintain and even ramp up our press more than they had the stamina to handle.

I think McKenna did all he could with tactics that worked for him last time out, but I also think Fab got his tactics spot on and deserves credit

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Friday at 9:30 AM

Milano said:
I thought our worst period of the match was the 10 minutes after HT when I thought we were a shambles, the goal settled us down a bit and flustered them, then our subs completely changed it and we took control. The starting line up last night cannot be the same on Sunday.

Adringa was a complete ghost last night, disgraceful 'performance', didn't look interested from minute 1, I'd have hooked him before HT. I think his days here are numbered and I think he knows it. O'Riley was only slightly better in terms of impact but at least he was trying to get involved.

He can't play on the right - he and Mitoma cannot both start in the same game.

Mellor 3 Ward 4 · Friday at 9:32 AM

JBizzle said:
I actually thought Hutchinson was one of their bright sparks, but they didn't play like a home team last night. As you rightly say, their front line looked quite naïve against our back four. All the time the game was 0-0, their tactics were spot on. We weren't seriously testing Walton and our goal game when their full back mis-judged the ball over the top. As soon as that happened, tactically, they were out of the game.

Delap seems to only have 60 mins in his legs and Hirst is returning from injury and contributed very little. I think they tired badly and Fab's decision to bring on three sets of fresh legs as soon as we scored was inspired. Georgi, Minteh and (to a lesser extend) Dunk meant that we could maintain and even ramp up our press more than they had the stamina to handle.

I think McKenna did all he could with tactics that worked for him last time out, but I also think Fab got his tactics spot on and deserves credit

Yes - keep it tight. lots of possessin, stay level, bring on (excellent) replacements in the second half.

He got his subs spot on last night IMO.

Uh_huh_him · Friday at 9:34 AM

Mellor 3 Ward 4 said:
He can't play on the right - he and Mitoma cannot both start in the same game.

I guess the question is: is Mitoma leaving this summer?

I'm not sure we will get offers that match our valuation.
If so, I don't think Adingra can afford to hang around as his understudy.

Milano · Friday at 9:36 AM

Mellor 3 Ward 4 said:
He can't play on the right - he and Mitoma cannot both start in the same game.

Agreed but that doesn't explain the lack of involvement, he may as well not have been on the pitch.

LeicesterGull · Friday at 9:37 AM

I agree with the OP and felt playing as they did nullified the home crowd, reducing their 12th man impact which they will need to survive the drop - happy but disappointed with how they played.

Oh_aye · Friday at 9:37 AM

Milano said:
I thought our worst period of the match was the 10 minutes after HT when I thought we were a shambles, the goal settled us down a bit and flustered them, then our subs completely changed it and we took control. The starting line up last night cannot be the same on Sunday.

Adringa was a complete ghost last night, disgraceful 'performance', didn't look interested from minute 1, I'd have hooked him before HT. I think his days here are numbered and I think he knows it. O'Riley was only slightly better in terms of impact but at least he was trying to get involved.

Adingra is largely bobbins. I've had a look at him long enough now and seen him in enough games live to be pretty confident in how I feel about him. He really doesn't have much going for him. Not quick, weak, is just as likely to trick himself as the opposition, doesn't really press well or do the hard work.

Once every 8 games he'll have an amazing 15 minutes and either score a worldy or provide a great assist which looks great of YouTube Shorts and TikTok. But then lives off that without doing anything for ages.

Still waiting for Oriley to show up, but to be fair to him he's really not had much time on the pitch yet so happy to wait until later this season or next until we see what's what (he'll be glad to know!l)

Oh_aye · Friday at 9:41 AM

Uh_huh_him said:
I guess the question is: is Mitoma leaving this summer?

I'm not sure we will get offers that match our valuation.
If so, I don't think Adingra can afford to hang around as his understudy.

Maybe that's what he thinks, but that is his level in the prem. A squad player (at best) in a lower / mid table side. Maybe he'd be first pick in a less physical league like France or Portugal or something.

macbeth · Friday at 9:41 AM

Uh_huh_him said:
I guess the question is: is Mitoma leaving this summer?

I'm not sure we will get offers that match our valuation.
If so, I don't think Adingra can afford to hang around as his understudy.

i’m all for mitoma staying and becoming a club legend here, even if that’s at the expense of adingra

Uh_huh_him · Friday at 9:44 AM

Oh_aye said:
Maybe that's what he thinks, but that is his level in the prem. A squad player (at best) in a lower / mid table side. Maybe he'd be first pick in a less physical league like France or Portugal or something.

Just turned 23.
Two years younger than when Trossard joined us.

I wouldn't write him off just yet

Oh_aye · Friday at 9:47 AM

Uh_huh_him said:
Just turned 23.
Two years younger than when Trossard joined us.

I wouldn't write him off just yet

I'm always delighted to be proved wrong (and I regularly am!)

. I just don't see it at the moment.

Uh_huh_him · Friday at 9:53 AM

Oh_aye said:
I'm always delighted to be proved wrong (and I regularly am!) . I just don't see it at the moment.

Yeah, no guarantees of course, but there is an awful lot that Adingra can do to improve physically.
The club has achieved miracles in that regard over the years.

March and Trossard, both went through massive transformations to become the players they are today.

Weststander · Friday at 9:55 AM

Kind of almost worked, they edged the first 45, our isolated Pedro ‘target man’ thing was rubbish, they had a few dangerous shots (I hated our slow closing down). If they’d gone a goal up, the minutes would’ve raced by.

Then our superior squad and FH’s magic took control. Whilst they couldn’t maintain the 10 hustling bench-pressers routine for a second half, it’s knackering.

B-right-on · Friday at 9:57 AM

Oh_aye said:
Adingra is largely bobbins. I've had a look at him long enough now and seen him in enough games live to be pretty confident in how I feel about him. He really doesn't have much going for him. Not quick, weak, is just as likely to trick himself as the opposition, doesn't really press well or do the hard work.

Once every 8 games he'll have an amazing 15 minutes and either score a worldy or provide a great assist which looks great of YouTube Shorts and TikTok. But then lives off that without doing anything for ages.

Still waiting for Oriley to show up, but to be fair to him he's really not had much time on the pitch yet so happy to wait until later this season or next until we see what's what (he'll be glad to know!l)

I'd agree with this except for Adringa not being quick, I think he is.

He gets in great positions but 90% of his final balls are crap. Either it's ballooned, passed to a defender or the wrong pass.

Insel affe · Friday at 10:00 AM

Milano said:
Adringa was a complete ghost last night, disgraceful 'performance', didn't look interested from minute 1, I'd have hooked him before HT. I think his days here are numbered and I think he knows it.

Ever since he was named the golden boy at the African Cup thingymebob, I get the impression he thinks he is the dogs bollox and just needs to turn up, nothing to prove, and we should be grateful by his presence in an Albion shirt.
I could be wrong, but he does not look interested, and shows just shows flashes of brilliance every now and again, it is as if someone is pissing about with the light switch, on, off, on, off

Uh_huh_him · Friday at 10:01 AM

B-right-on said:
I'd agree with this except for Adringa not being quick, I think he is.

He gets in great positions but 90% of his final balls are crap. Either it's ballooned, passed to a defender or the wrong pass.

He could probably do with a loan to a club who will definitely play him.
I see Sarmiento is just getting sub appearances at Burnley.

It may have been better to keep him and let Adingra go out on loan.

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[Albion] Did McKenna get his tactics wrong.

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