[Albion] After a night to sleep on it

[Yoda]

The performance wasn't the heights of the first three no, but your not going to get that every game of the season. Carlo Ancelotti clearly did his home work and had Everton sitting in deep banks of 5 & 4 when we had possession in their half and were very quick on the break when we gave the ball away (and scored twice from this). This is the biggest worry when playing three at the back and could really do with one of the central midfielders sitting slightly deeper to help counter this for a time and go more 3-5-2 than 3-4-3.

Lets not forget, we did have an amazing chance at 3-1 from Maupay when Pickford punched the ball out to him and Davies managed a last gasp block which would've got us right back in the game, then again from Mina at 4-1 which would've made things interesting for longer.

The set pieces were the biggest worry, both defending and taking. They were a complete shambles.

 

[pasty]

We got what we deserved against a very good side. We weren’t terrible, we were ok overall but made some silly errors. We were very good last 20. Passing football played the right way. Everton squad and wages is huge. We have looked great overall this season. We’ll be mid table - we’ve had 3 very hard games against top 6 teams and should have got 4 points arguably. We twatter Newcastle and we’re magnificent. I’m pleased with our start due to performances. And yes, some pathetic moaning and attitudes yesterday on here from some. Vocal minority I think though.

Easy to be "very good in the last 20" when the opposition are 4-1 up and let us have the ball because they know they've got the game sewn up.

Saying that, I do actually agree with your post.

 

[Stato]

A lot of people seem to think that Everton are very good and will challenge the top six this season. My annoyance was that our players didn't seem to be aware of this. Lamptey turning his back on a quick corner, White failing to challenge his man, Alzate getting mugged into an early booking against a class opponent, March's unnecessary foul in a dangerous area on Coleman just after we'd scored, Trossard's silly cross-field pass, all individual errors that could have been avoided had the players been making better decisions. The fact that at half time our coaches didn't see the potential in testing Pickford on crosses and from distance was another let down.

I'm sure that games like these will be part and parcel of having a young and inexperienced side and relatively inexperienced management. It annoys because the focus on the small things that can cost you was a mantra of the team that Hughton got promoted and kept up. Yesterday was the first time I noticed its absence. I was relieved to hear Graham Potter say similar things about errors and (at least defending) set pieces. There is nothing much there that can't be put right with hard work and focus and I am hopeful that lessons will have been learned that will be valuable in the future.

My word, were we bad though.

 

[zefarelly]

[/B]

And the next game is?

Imagine the meltdown on here if we lose to the old enemy.

Quite, which is why I didn't mention it. We outplayed them twice last season and got robbed. If we don't nail down the problems it'll happen again.

 

[Arkwright]

We are very much work in progress, GP clearly wants us to get the ball down and play which going forward is pleasing on the eye.

Just an observation we have replaced Burn with March and Stephens with Alzate as they fit in better being more comfortable and creative on the ball which is great. The flip side of this is that Burn and Stephens use to win a lot of headers from defensive corners and free kicks which we are now looking week at. An area we need to work hard at as certainly room for improvement.

One last observation while it's exciting times with such a young squad we do seem to get bullied off the ball far too easily.

As I said we are work in progress but need an experienced head to help the younger lads, for me we looked better with Lallana on the pitch.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Last season we struggled because we scored significantly lower than our XG.
This season we are conceding significantly more than XGa.
Which is a much more worrying stat.

I will be disappointed if we don't see a defensive improvement as the season moves on.






He clearly sees the problem and hopefully he will fix it.

 

[portslade seagull]

... after today’s results we will be back to our usual league position as a bottom 6 side.

Are we better than that this season? Who knows time will tell - but with only 2 strikers & a leaky defence - I can’t see us improving ...

Can only see it being worse this season

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

The set-piece defending and individual errors were poor (don’t know why we’ve gone zonal, which removes accountability

.

I've been thinking about this - I guess one of the issues we have now, which may or may not have prompted a change (in fortunes at set-pieces) is the fact that maybe we are missing the physicality right now of Stephens/Propper and before that Murray too at set pieces. When you think about our midfield/attacking players, Maupay is probably the most physical, but can't compete 1 v 1 so zonal gives them a role they could better suited too physically and that is to stop runs rather than outjump? Unfortunately, yesterday for example, Maupay couldnt do that vs Mina for goal 2. Veltman will be better , but at the cost of Lamptey, so I think we will have to coach the slighter players a lot more and quickly!

 

[nordicgod]

I have decided not to watch for a few games now , as getting a bit angry afterwards , glad I don’t have a dog

 

[London Irish]

I’m still annoyed I bought the hype about Ben White, who is a good player but same as Webster the Premier League is an unforgiving place to learn your craft and with both of them still with training wheels on, we will suffer. We should have kept Duffy and blooded the other two much more carefully. But Potter was too stubborn or too intimidated by the 20 mill price tag of Webster

 

[A1X]

We really were not as bad as some of the posts on here would suggest.

No I disagree. We were really, really bad yesterday. But it's not the harbinger of doom many thought, it was just we played terribly. Which we will every so often, given we aren't Liverpool.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

Maybe good to get a reality check. We have been very impressive in 1st 3 games and yesterday we were average overall, promising at the end of the game and poor in key moments. The second goal was the killer.. allowed Everton to sit in and wait for us to give the ball back without them having to worry about leaving gaps for us to play in throughout 2nd half.
Set pieces defensively awful - think we may be adapting to life without additional physicality of Stephens and Propper in the box. Asking more of our lightweight (physically) midfilders hence the move to zonal? Its a sign of our increased hope based on recent performances that we are so disappointed ..

 

[Icy Gull]

I’m still annoyed I bought the hype about Ben White, who is a good player but same as Webster the Premier League is an unforgiving place to learn your craft and with both of them still with training wheels on, we will suffer. We should have kept Duffy and blooded the other two much more carefully. But Potter was too stubborn or too intimidated by the 20 mill price tag of Webster

I prefer to think he treated Duffy very well whilst being very consistent in his belief that Webster offers more to his style of play. I have only ever heard GP say good things about Duffy. We are a work in progress and have made massive strides in looking like a PL team over the last year. I fully expected some bad days when I saw how GP wanted us to play.

As you know I was not a fan of the football we played pre GP and I’ve seen nothing to change my mind. I am loving watching Albion again, even if there have been plenty of frustrating moments.

Each to their own though, Duffy deserves first team football, he was never going to get it unless GP changed his philosophy, which I don’t think was ever an option.

 

[Guinness Boy]

No I disagree. We were really, really bad yesterday. But it's not the harbinger of doom many thought, it was just we played terribly. Which we will every so often, given we aren't Liverpool.

It's more nuanced than that though, isn't it? Elements of our game were very. very poor indeed, namely our decision making (at times) and our set pieces (all game). But you don't score twice away from home if you're terrible all round, all game.

 

[portlock seagull]

The weak and the limp wristed brigade will continue to take comfort in our thrashing by Everton, along with the rose tinted losers who add nothing to the how do we do better debate. The same group of losers will continue to make excuses when we’ve reached 40 matches against such teams and still never won a single point, labelling anyone who challenges such facts as bed wetting, entitled or other intelligent, adult arguments (and the use of the word ‘wow’ to counter such claims) That’s if we’re not relegated before. Meanwhile, those who aspire to a higher standard will continue to debate our defensive frailties, appalling away record at such clubs, inability to hold leads etc and all without blaming Refs, VAR, the pitch, the weather, covid, inform opposition blah blah bloody blah each time.

 

[Chicken Run]

The weak and the limp wristed brigade will continue to take comfort in our thrashing by Everton, along with the rose tinted losers who add nothing to the how do we do better debate. The same group of losers will continue to make excuses when we’ve reached 40 matches against such teams and still never won a single point, labelling anyone who challenges such facts as bed wetting, entitled or other intelligent, adult arguments (and the use of the word ‘wow’ to counter such claims) That’s if we’re not relegated before. Meanwhile, those who aspire to a higher standard will continue to debate our defensive frailties, appalling away record at such clubs, inability to hold leads etc and all without blaming Refs, VAR, the pitch, the weather, covid, inform opposition blah blah bloody blah each time.

I see a team we considered to be lower half rivals thrashed Leicester today, could we expect a similar result?


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[Icy Gull]

The weak and the limp wristed brigade will continue to take comfort in our thrashing by Everton, along with the rose tinted losers who add nothing to the how do we do better debate. The same group of losers will continue to make excuses when we’ve reached 40 matches against such teams and still never won a single point, labelling anyone who challenges such facts as bed wetting, entitled or other intelligent, adult arguments (and the use of the word ‘wow’ to counter such claims) That’s if we’re not relegated before. Meanwhile, those who aspire to a higher standard will continue to debate our defensive frailties, appalling away record at such clubs, inability to hold leads etc and all without blaming Refs, VAR, the pitch, the weather, covid, inform opposition blah blah bloody blah each time.

Have you considered anger management?

Regards

A Limp Wristed One

 

[A1X]

It's more nuanced than that though, isn't it? Elements of our game were very. very poor indeed, namely our decision making (at times) and our set pieces (all game). But you don't score twice away from home if you're terrible all round, all game.

True but one of those goals did come with a bow and a ribbon wrapped round it.

 

[portlock seagull]

Have you considered anger management?

Regards

A Limp Wristed One

:safeway:

 

[portlock seagull]

I see a team we considered to be lower half rivals thrashed Leicester today, could we expect a similar result?


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Absolutely not. Remember, when we lose to Leicester away it’s because they won the league five years back, have spent more money, striker in form, VAR hates us, the ref was biased, the grass too wet...speak to Icy Gull for a full list of excuses. The loser!