[Albion] Alireza Jahanbakhsh joins Feyenoord

[Stat Brother]

A wing back? Me no thinky so, from the less than fully alert mannerisms he's shown us thus far.
I thought him an ace signing, obviously with a whizzbangeroo in his boot, and i don't think it impossible to find his feet, but it seems to be about tempo and slow reading of situations. Maybe Potty thinks that the wing-back role will awaken his urgency and reaction time. If so i would think the result of that would be in being the attacking player he was rather than a sometime defender.

I probably agree.

But there's no way I'm gonna say 'Potter is wrong I am right' (although I'm sure a few on here will) so if Potter says wing-back, wing-back he is.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Alireza Jahanbakhsh signs on a 5-year deal for a club record fee

If Potter didn't see potential in AJ surely he'd have pushed to get him loaned out?

Exactly.

He wasn’t slow in marching crowd favourite and Albion legend Knocky to the guillotine! To assume that Ali J can’t be turned into a good Premier League player is to question Potter’s judgement, not a wise thing to do at present as his Albion revolution gathers pace.

Our squad is looking good and with Izzy & Bissouma still to return, you’re going to have to be playing at the top of your game or else you’re out.

The losers for me are Balogun, Bong and the U23s, not Ali J who could return to the squad this weekend.

 

[Nottseagull]

But there's no way I'm gonna say 'Potter is wrong I am right' (although I'm sure a few on here will)

I can assure you, nobody on NSC is gonna say that

 

[Turkey]

I still think it's far to soon to write him off. I posted this back in May so easier to just re-post it tbh:

"He's joined up late from the World Cup. For the first 7 games of the season he was getting about 15 minutes playing time off the bench. He finally got the opportunity to start 4 straight games, against West Ham, Newcastle, Wolves and Everton. We won 3 of those games. He then missed 10 games with a hamstring injury and another 3 whilst at the Asian Cup. His next appearance for us was off the bench against Burnley. He then started two games, which we won, against Huddersfield and Palace. He only made 6 more appearances, Southampton, Chelsea, Cardiff, Spurs, Arsenal and Man City. 4 of which were always tough games for us to impose ourselves on and all during a period where the teams self belief and confidence had been zapped out of them. He never started more than 4 consecutive matches.

Solly March in comparison, was a player who had a run of 12 starts followed by a run of 14 starts at a time when it wasn't difficult to find people on here questioning March's ability and why Hughton was playing him week in, week out. However, my take from this season, was that Solly March was our most improved player. I think Hughton believed in him and put faith in him and overtime Solly's confidence grew and he seemed to click and suddenly find his feet in this league to a point where other posters in this thread are quite rightly saying he's been excellent. Would we be saying the same about Solly though if he'd never started more than 4 consecutive games? Would it have clicked for him? He's not even a new player, in a new team, or in a new country."

 

[Nottseagull]

Exactly.

He wasn’t slow in marching crowd favourite and Albion legend Knocky to the guillotine!

He didn't. The move was out of his hands.

 

[SweatyMexican]

I have my doubts he has the defensive capabilities to play wing-back.

I guess we’ll see.

 

[Stat Brother]

I have my doubts he has the defensive capabilities to play wing-back.

I guess we’ll see.

But who has the greater knowledge of the situation.

Graham Potter the current manager and seemingly some kind of footballing svengali.

Or

You.


Tough call.

 

[SweatyMexican]

But who has the greater knowledge of the situation.

Graham Potter the current manager and seemingly some kind of footballing svengali.

Or

You.


Tough call.

Harsh. I never claimed to have superior knowledge on the matter.

I usually add that I’ll bow to Chris/GPott’s infinite wisdom on the matter, but I couldn’t be asked to do it that time. Teaches me I guess.

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm just imagining Ali as wing back with Big Jurg playing on the right side of a front three.

The melts on here will be beside themselves, it'll be Christmas, Easter and Hanukkah all rolled into one glorious jizz fuelled festival of abuse.

 

[Bozza]

I'm just imagining Ali as wing back with Big Jurg playing on the right side of a front three.

The melts on here will be beside themselves, it'll be Christmas, Easter and Hanukkah all rolled into one glorious jizz fuelled festival of abuse.

Ali J as wing-back? The same Ali J who some on here claimed was being played out of position, being asked to do too much defensively by Chris Hughton.

Bring it on...

 

[Stat Brother]

Ali J as wing-back? The same Ali J who some on here claimed was being played out of position, being asked to do too much defensively by Chris Hughton.

Bring it on...

Montoya has shown more attacking intent this season, than any right sided winger was allowed to show last season.

So it's a crazy plan but it might just work, it's hard to imagine Ali being worse, so as you say



Bring it on.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

Ali J as wing-back? The same Ali J who some on here claimed was being played out of position, being asked to do too much defensively by Chris Hughton.

Bring it on...

Obviously he won't be played as a left wing back, so he wouldn't be in the same position as under Hughton. Frankly, I think there's a good chance that a 4 at the back under Potter would involve more attacking responsibility for the full backs than a winger under Hughton.

 

[LamieRobertson]

.....in the meantime the current lineup is doing just fine

 

[Ninja Elephant]

.....in the meantime the current lineup is doing just fine

Absolutely - even I'm not seriously suggesting changing the current team. But the League Cup is just around the corner and we'll be giving a few of the fringe players their chance. I'm confident that unless we play Jahanbakhsh at centre back, we'll see what he's all about. Even right wing back, we'll see more of what he's about.

This thread is just an echo chamber and will be until he gets his chance in the team again.

 

[Albumen]

Try him as a wing back, if that fails try him out in goal.

 

[Stato]

If AJ is being played at wingback in training, it could explain why he's not in the matchday squad at the moment. With Montoya doing well in the team and Solly taking the left side, Bernardo is on the bench offering injury cover for both sides. In this formation both wing backs are playing attacking roles, but Solly obviously has more established attacking threat than MM. It will be interesting to see whether the more defensive Bernardo coming in for March on the left at some point, would lead Potter to select the more attacking AJ on the right. It could depend upon the perceived attacking threat of the left and right players of the opposition.

 

[durrington gull]

Ali J as wing-back? The same Ali J who some on here claimed was being played out of position, being asked to do too much defensively by Chris Hughton.

Bring it on...

No thanks to Ali J as Wing Back or any other position - he's had chances to impress last season and this pre-season but failed miserably - lets look at moving him on and out - i'd rather give Webster a chance at Wing Back or someone from U23

 

[Hotchilidog]

If AJ is being played at wingback in training, it could explain why he's not in the matchday squad at the moment. With Montoya doing well in the team and Solly taking the left side, Bernardo is on the bench offering injury cover for both sides. In this formation both wing backs are playing attacking roles, but Solly obviously has more established attacking threat than MM. It will be interesting to see whether the more defensive Bernardo coming in for March on the left at some point, would lead Potter to select the more attacking AJ on the right. It could depend upon the perceived attacking threat of the left and right players of the opposition.

Decent analysis there. I still think Ali J has something to offer and if anyone can get something out of him it is Potter. At least playing RWB would return Ali to his preferred size of the pitch.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

People use this place to vent. Most supporters want our players to succeed or at least start paying back the millions we paid for them even if they hurl dogshite abuse at them on NSC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That’s how I see it.
[MENTION=435]Stat Brother[/MENTION] presumably you don’t want Murray to fail?

Can’t see the problem myself......

Big Jurg may be okay
AJ may turn out to be brilliant

And who knows Schelotto may learn to defend and be decent cover..... (@Icy Gull [emoji6])

But at the minute the only one of those who looks close to succeeding is Big Jurg, just because I don’t rate the above certainly doesn’t mean I want us to lose.....

Differing opinions is what makes NSC....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bozza]

But the League Cup is just around the corner and we'll be giving a few of the fringe players their chance.

That's why I'm making the long midweek trip to Bristol. I want to be able to say "I was there" when Ali J puts in a career-defining performance.