[Albion] A £50 Million Sized Hole in Defence?

[chaileyjem]

Why are you including Cucurella, he isn’t a Brighton player. As I said before, my concerns stem from the fact that our squad is CURRENTLY weaker than it was last season, obviously if we buy upgrades we’ll be in a better position, but starting the season without a left back or right back seems an unnecessary risk, obviously the injury to Burn is unfortunate and untimely but we’re starting the season incredibly thin in defence but primarily we’re short in areas we’ve known about for a long time, no left back or right back? That’s not right.

They aren’t incredibly thin. But yes agreed they won’t have White, Burn or Lamptey at first . Three key players. . (Webste, March and Lamptey were out for long periods last season)

Not sure Potter cares if we have any “traditional “ full backs - but March must be allowed to be counted as a left back, left wing back by now . Veltman is surely allowed to be called a right back. And they’re trying to sign an international full back and would have done if not for the Olympics I guess.

 

[chaileyjem]

Duplicate !!

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

We will not be replacing white with a player of equal quality but that is hardly a surprise as £50m players are not in our price range so we were always going to be weakened if that was the expectation. The question is whatever we are weakened to degree that materially impacts our finishing position and we will only know that next may. Agree RB is a issue the club tried to sign Livremento to address that so expect to see us done something in that area before window is out.

I don’t agree with your view on LWB not being able to play in a four there are lots of examples of attack minded full backs playing in a 4 Liverpool’s title winning side had Robertson and TAA as one of the more successful examples of this

The two players you’ve used as examples are defenders first and foremost, they learnt their trade playing as full backs so the defensive side of the game is already bread and butter for them (maybe not so much for TAA), there’s also a huge difference in playing for a Liverpool team VVD with Fabinho and Henderson protecting him, they don’t have to go forwards as they have Salah, Firmino, Jota and Mane providing all of the goals and assists they need. We don’t have that luxury, also, when in possession Liverpool change to a defensive 3 with Fabinho dropping in meaning Robertson and TAA are free to do whatever they like.
Solly March is a fine LWB, but I’m not having him as a LB.

Regarding White, I’m not expecting us to replace him with like for like quality, what I had hoped for was that either Ostigard would be the man to step up or we would have actually signed a right back so Veltman could play there. As it stands it doesn’t look like Ostigard will get the nod and we have no right back, so we’re sufficiently weakened.

 

[b.w.2.]

I do not see Ostigard as a Duffy type player. Yes, he can head the ball better than White, but also seems reasonably comfortable on the ball (unlike Duffy, but obviously not to White standard).

Duffy should be sold or loaned out. He is not, and never will be, a Potter player.


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[albion534]

Fantastic to see such doom and gloom so early


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[DarrenFreemansPerm]

They aren’t incredibly thin. But yes agreed they won’t have White, Burn or Lamptey at first . Three key players. . (Webste, March and Lamptey were out for long periods last season)

Not sure Potter cares if we have any “traditional “ full backs - but March must be allowed to be counted as a left back, left wing back by now . Veltman is surely allowed to be called a right back. And they’re trying to sign an international full back and would have done if not for the Olympics I guess.

You can call Welbeck a left back if you like, doesn’t make it true. As I’ve said, March is a fine LWB, being a LB is a different job altogether. Veltman is a CB, Webster said as much in a recent interview, the context being about covering the hole left by White. But sure, ignoring that let’s have March as the left back (no cover), Veltman as RB (no cover) that leaves us with Dunk, Webster, Ostigard and Duffy as our centre backs, one who’s never played at this level, the other our manager doesn’t/didn’t fancy. Aside from that we look super stacked with defenders

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Fantastic to see such doom and gloom so early


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Do we need defenders? Yes
Are the club trying recruit defenders? Yes
Are we going to be a bit short until we sign said defenders? Also yes.

That’s not doom and gloom, it’s just what it is.

 

[studio150]

Mwepu must have set a record last night, most times being flagged as offside while notionally being a RWB.

 

[oldboyroy]

There is no doubt we are weaker than last season simply as we have sold players and let some go. Unless we strengthen we are going to be in a battle to stay up again which, by all accounts, Tony Bloom expecting us to push on, I would expect a couple of good additions before the window shuts.

 

[Withdean11]

We certainly have a hole, but it could be filled with a good back up RWB allowing Veltman to cement the RCB slot while Lamptey is out. Our interest in Livramento suggests that was the strategy.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

We certainly have a hole, but it could be filled with a good back up RWB allowing Veltman to cement the RCB slot while Lamptey is out. Our interest in Livramento suggests that was the strategy.

Agreed. If we sign a RB/RWB and Veltman can go to CB I don’t think we’ll really miss a beat.

 

[Weststander]

BW was instrumental in our quick transition from defence to attack.

Something football writers have also picked up on, when assessing Arteta’s pursuit of the player.

Invaluable at elite level football, CB’s so often don’t have that in their game.

 

[brighton_tom]

Ostigard not ready to step in?

 

[Hugo Rune]

I do not see Ostigard as a Duffy type player. Yes, he can head the ball better than White, but also seems reasonably comfortable on the ball (unlike Duffy, but obviously not to White standard).

Duffy should be sold or loaned out. He is not, and never will be, a Potter player.


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I think Duffy is ok in a back 4 or in Dunk’s role in a back 3. Good squad player & good for the dressing room. Keeps

 

[theboybilly]

Could we stick Duffy in the middle of a 3, Webster on left and Dunk on the Right?

If we've now gone to this I really feel we are in trouble.

 

[peterward]

I think Duffy is ok in a back 4 or in Dunk’s role in a back 3. Good squad player & good for the dressing room. Keeps

He would 100% start for me away to Burnley. Not so sure against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool or Citeh

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Extremely wishful thinking.

He'll probably get a chance under Potter, or several chances if he trains well. Might even start a few games.

But he isn't the answer to our defensive problem.

I don’t agree.

He is a proven championship defender and is effectively making the same step up as White last year, and the defenders of all the promoted teams.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

There is no doubt we are weaker than last season simply as we have sold players and let some go. Unless we strengthen we are going to be in a battle to stay up again which, by all accounts, Tony Bloom expecting us to push on, I would expect a couple of good additions before the window shuts.

Can't agree. There is lots of doubt in that statement. We've signed an offensive midfielder - a critical missing component - and sold a key defender, but not an irreplaceable one. And critically, we have the core of the same team and the same manager. Continuity and familiarity are hugely important (look at all those comments about "it'll take time for the team/manager/big name signing to gel" you read all the time about teams in "transition"). There is a HUGE value in having player who know the manager and what is expected of them and know each other and what they can do and where they are likely to be on the pitch. So many Albion fans appearing to discount this. Puzzling.

I'm not saying I don;t want signings - I'd love a striker to push Neil Maupay to new heights, a left back and cover for Lamptey. I'm sure we're trying but there are so many dependencies in signing players. It's rarely simply a question of offering the right money.

 

[dale jasper football guru]

this .
He wanted to leave last yr when Leeds came in for him ….Arsenal met the valuation ….move on .

Potter uses these pre seasons the change up formations and experiment with players in different positions to help him prepare for the season . He knows mwepu isn’t an option for RWB after that game

Nothing to worry about . Looking forward to burnley UTA

 

[dale jasper football guru]

Losing White was going to create a problem but not sure his move was stoppable, I think a deal was done when Leeds were after him , stay a year and then get a good contract (he did) and we get a bigger payback (we did).



I

this .
He wanted to leave last yr when Leeds came in for him ….Arsenal met the valuation ….move on .

Potter uses these pre seasons the change up formations and experiment with players in different positions to help him prepare for the season . He knows mwepu isn’t an option for RWB after that game

Nothing to worry about . Looking forward to burnley UTA