[Albion] Albion fans’ gripes

[pork pie]

I disagree. Relegation was the start of the issues we faced and began a lot of what happened.

We could always change our style and play like Fulham. That is working out really well for them.

Or instead play like Wolves? Oh... ...

 

[Is it PotG?]

Or instead play like Wolves? Oh... ...

We do not have the creative, flair players like Wolves do.

 

[BBassic]

And you be happy with that week in week out? Our goal (and only attempt on target) came about because of a miss hit shot from Bruno.

Ended up in the back of the net eventually though so

 

[darkwolf666]

What we have to understand is we don’t “belong” in the Premier League. We should be immediately relegated and replaced by a team that belongs in the big time like Leeds, Forest, Villa, Derby (take your pick).

Then fans can go back to moaning about some of the shitholes we had to visit, like Darlington and Wrexham (look what happened to them), but hey at least we might score some goals and win a few more games!

Basically, stop bitching and enjoy the ride...

 

[Finchley Seagull]

Or instead play like Wolves? Oh... ...

Who actually have scored less goals than us. But who goes to football to see their team score goals?

 

[LamieRobertson]

Or instead play like Wolves? Oh... ...

Who couldn’t put the ball in the net (9 all season) ..oh

Maybe look at Wolves and Fulham after say 25/30 games and then we can make judgements

 

[BBassic]

Or instead play like Wolves? Oh... ...

We can't play like Wolves because we aren't Wolves. They play their way because of the players they have and we play our way because of the ones we have.

There's 19 other teams we can't play like either and in the case of three of them that'll be a bloody good thing come May.

 

[Napper]

Who actually have scored less goals than us. But who goes to football to see their team score goals?

doesn't matter, they have loads of money and have the best players the worlds ever seen. Lets not forget their incredible spine tingling vocal support and the fact they are on their way to world domination.

 

[pork pie]

We should be immediately relegated and replaced by a team that belongs in the big time like Leeds, Forest, Villa, Derby (take your pick). ...

I really don't see how any of those with the exception of Villa "belong" in the Premier League. With our facilities and expenditure, our claim is bigger than theirs in the present day.

 

[pork pie]

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Monkey Man]

Admittedly we haven't been too easy on the eye in recent games and those nine points have been earned at a time when we look below par in our attacking and build-up play.

But we know that this side can also play fast, fluent, passing football – AND with a rock-solid defence. That will be a pretty impressive combination when everything clicks.

Glenn Murray talked about us going "back to basics" in recent games and concentrating on clean sheets. That's obviously worked. Now we just need to see the more positive, attacking side of our play get back to previous levels.

Izquierdo is getting back to the form we saw last season. Knockaert is superb on his day. Add a returning Gross to the equation and I'd be hopeful of seeing some more exhilirating football as the season wears on.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Wonder whT it’s like on the Toon forum

 

[Peter Grummit]

2018: NSC would look a very different place this afternoon if even 2 of Wolves' 25 shots had gone in. It was a piss-poor home performance by the Albion whichever way you look at it. Well, apart from the 3 points, obviously. At some point sometime our heroic defenders deserve some kind of respite from being human shields. Our attacks are increasingly few and far between. Those desperate 1-0's playing much the same side as we had in the Championship won't see us comfortably through the season. We're riding the very edge of our luck currently.

I agree with Chrissy. We are playing less well than last season and were far from our best on Saturday. But given that solid goalkeeping, committed defending and superb organisation are such a big part of the game for lower-half EPL teams, I would entirely refute that was a 'piss poor home performance'.

Given that we have executed this plan 3 times in 3 weeks with a return of 9 points, the evidence is that it is more than luck that is decisive here.

I am not altogether surprised at the grumblings from some, more recent fans. It fits the model of unrealistic expectations and 'soft' support I've consistently suggested is in evidence. As for those slagging off CH via chants in the North (as reported on another thread), well **** off and leave your STs at the gate for those on the waiting list.

PG

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[Thunder Bolt]

We do not have the creative, flair players like Wolves do.

But we do have great defenders who don't leave a great striker like Murray completely unmarked at the edge of the 6 yard box. Wolves switched off and were punished by clinical finishing.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Can't we want more aesthetically pleasing football whilst still appreciating where we are?

It's not an on/off switch though is it. Hughton hasn't switched a button for the ManUtd game, then switched it back for the Wolves one. He has 11 human beings on the pitch, that collectively can be greater than the sum of their parts, or through no apparent rhyme nor reason can be less.

I don't think the issue is with anyone wanting a more entertaining convincing attacking style of display, I think the issue is people thinking this is a conscious decision, that the manager and management team are behind it and wanted us to be dominated and outplayed, and had Hughton simply waved his team forward, they would have put Wolves to the sword.

At an amateur level I had some different managers, those that sent you out with tactics in mind, but let you get on with it out on the pitch knowing you were responding to what was happening, 'game management' as Chris often likes to quote. Then you had the managers that barked every instruction for every second of the game trying to micro manage you. It's pretty clear to me Chris trusts his team to develop into a game. I didn't think we set up to defend on Saturday, I thought Wolves shape and out numbering us out wide caused us so many problems that once AJ and Izzy were forced to defend, we had no outlet and simply couldn't keep the ball. I also thought is was clear that after HT, there was a change in tactics, Stephens and Kayal both covered wider and our wingers got forward. It was only a 15min spell of so, but we had them on the back foot, and arguably should have got a second.

Had we had a bit more quality in those opening minutes and got in behind Wolves, the whole shape of that first half could have been different and we might have got on the front foot. Too many wayward passes however, and it was hard going.

Despite all of Wolves possession and shots, I thought we had clear chances to score, and really we could and should have put it to bed with 10 to go. I think the aesthetically pleasing performance is not far away.

 

[The Large One]

It's not an on/off switch though is it. Hughton hasn't switched a button for the ManUtd game, then switched it back for the Wolves one. He has 11 human beings on the pitch, that collectively can be greater than the sum of their parts, or through no apparent rhyme nor reason can be less.

I don't think the issue is with anyone wanting a more entertaining convincing attacking style of display, I think the issue is people thinking this is a conscious decision, that the manager and management team are behind it and wanted us to be dominated and outplayed, and had Hughton simply waved his team forward, they would have put Wolves to the sword.

At an amateur level I had some different managers, those that sent you out with tactics in mind, but let you get on with it out on the pitch knowing you were responding to what was happening, 'game management' as Chris often likes to quote. Then you had the managers that barked every instruction for every second of the game trying to micro manage you. It's pretty clear to me Chris trusts his team to develop into a game. I didn't think we set up to defend on Saturday, I thought Wolves shape and out numbering us out wide caused us so many problems that once AJ and Izzy were forced to defend, we had no outlet and simply couldn't keep the ball. I also thought is was clear that after HT, there was a change in tactics, Stephens and Kayal both covered wider and our wingers got forward. It was only a 15min spell of so, but we had them on the back foot, and arguably should have got a second.

Had we had a bit more quality in those opening minutes and got in behind Wolves, the whole shape of that first half could have been different and we might have got on the front foot. Too many wayward passes however, and it was hard going.

Despite all of Wolves possession and shots, I thought we had clear chances to score, and really we could and should have put it to bed with 10 to go. I think the aesthetically pleasing performance is not far away.

Bullseye.

 

[Seasider78]

For those moaning about 'unattractive football' (it's a valid point), don't forget that this isn't the way Hughton wants it, and he has said that he isn't overly impressed with the way we are playing. Our defensive approach is good, our ball retention is, at times, shocking (I'm paraphrasing).

We do know how to keep the ball, and for some reason (maybe many) we aren't. So keeping the defensive solidity while improving ball retention will make for a better spectacle.

Agree with this and for me all we are seeing now is the impact of Groß who does an incredible job maintaining possession high up the pitch and linking the midfield to our wingers and striker.

Without him we are left with two very good holding midfielders who lack creativity and wingers who have to spend half the game playing as additional full backs to win back the possession we cannot maintain in the final 3rd.

When Hughton joined we all heard the stories from Norwich about the type of football we played but as last season proved when he has the tools and the players at the right level we are a fantastic footballing side.

At the moment we are not firing so are grinding out points which whilst not particularly easy on the eye is pretty amazing and much needed if we are to stay up.

It will come good but for me I trust Hughton I know it will come good and for now I am enjoying us pick up points by showing incredible character and resilience.

These are good times!!

 

[Bold Seagull]

2018: NSC would look a very different place this afternoon if even 2 of Wolves' 25 shots had gone in. It was a piss-poor home performance by the Albion whichever way you look at it. Well, apart from the 3 points, obviously. At some point sometime our heroic defenders deserve some kind of respite from being human shields. Our attacks are increasingly few and far between. Those desperate 1-0's playing much the same side as we had in the Championship won't see us comfortably through the season. We're riding the very edge of our luck currently.

While it might seem I defend everything about us, I completely agree in a lot of ways. However, with AJ and Iquierdo both finding their feet and match sharpness, March playing no.10, Stephens just back from injury and Kayal lets be fair finding his way in the PL, we are struggling offensively. There is a whole wavelength thing going on when we attack that just isn't finding any fluency, there aren't the instinctive runs being made to get on the end of first time passes - looks great and simple, so difficult for everyone to be on the same page, hence why Gross is such a miss, yeah he misplaced a few, but you made a run and you knew he would more often than not get you the ball.

My take on it is not to defend the performance, but to defend the approach and not believe it is not managerial or tactical at this point. We walk a fine margin between being a decent side to looking poor and it only takes a couple of players off their game to tip that balance. As you said, what you can say is that last 3 games we have walked the fine margin of looking a bit poor, but for all our obvious lack of fluency and attractiveness in attack, we've won 3 games, and got to say, we were on the wrong side of a fair amount of 'luck' last season, so I think weren't earned the right to a bit this year.

I'm delighted that going through a poor spell we've developed a habit of winning. Imagine when we do start playing well.

 

[dazzer6666]

Wonder whT it’s like on the Toon forum

Here's a list of their planned protest actions if that helps. I copied it from a thread on their forum entitles 'Mike Ashley......football c**t'



Sample post from another thread :

On 10/28/2018 at 13:16, Howay said:
Sadly it’s what we are though, this has been the case for the majority of this blokes ownership of the club. We’re shite relegation fodder.

If we do go down this time I’m at the point where I don’t really want us to bounce back up. It doesn’t seem like he’s going to sell if we’re in the Premier League unless someone came in with an outrageously over the top offer. I’d rather not watch this dick head bleed the club every year while we have to suffer watching players completely out of their depth struggle against ****ing Brighton.

The point is moot anyway though, if Rafa leaves and this lot go down there’s not a chance they’d bounce up, the squad is so poorly invested in that we’re behind the top championship sides.

https://www.toontastic.net/board/topic/34100-mike-ashley-football-****/?page=174

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Or old ones like me who complained about similarly negative football last time we were in the top flight (See Mike Bailey). The difference then was it did not cost a small fortune and there were other distractions when things got boring like having a drink whilst still watching the match, and some entertainment on the terraces. I am not so interested in seeing the Albion play "big teams" as watching us win in an entertaining manner. To be clear, I am not one of the moaners (yet), but things need to change. If they do not, I would be happy to go back to the Championship.

For what it is worth, Chris appears top agree about the quality based upon today's Argus article.

Mmmm......nah. No thanks, all the same. I went to my first game in 1969, watched our first elevation in 79, and having finally seen us back in the top division, and this time in cracking shape, I am not even thinking about how I would trade off another relegation: 'at least we were exciting' would be no consolation for me. The Championship, now, to me is just a division to get promoted out of. It will be a cold day in hell before I start grizzling about the loss of the BHA equivalent of 'The West Ham Way'.