[Albion] Anthony Knackered?

[BensGrandad]

I think that in most games he has been the weak link all season but good players lose form not abvility so he will come good perhaps needs a time on the bench to re-evaluate his position. I wonder about replacing him at United or against Zaha and Palace, as last night with Schelotto.who is more defensive minded.

 

[Two Professors]

The pitch looked very heavy (on the tv at least) last night, really empties the legs if those were the conditions. Perhaps this made a difference?

Very much this.Gross had to clear the mud from his studs every time play stopped.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I aint Murray's biggest fan but I thought he was superb last night

Totally agree ...cant see why the OP thought he should have been taken off...looks fitter than last season.

 

[scamander]

the points about substitutions are interesting. I either read or heard on the radio a discussion about subs, apparently the 80-90 min mark is a real red zone for some players. If you're managing any injury it's around this time that it can be triggered. It also depends on the type of player you are, explosive pacey players like the chap who bagged one are really susceptible to pulls. On Sky they said that they were just about to sub him when he scored.

Perhaps the reasoning is pacey player on boggy pitch means you need them off but you also need the chap coming on time to get to grips with the game. 70 min mark means they have enough time to get into the game and it means you've lessened the chance of that player developing or antagonising an injury?

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I'm worried about Knockaert. He's not doing the basics well this season and he's not dragging us up the pitch in the way he has for the last 18 months. Tactically that puts a big strain on the side and nullifies a fair portion of our attacking threat. Furthermore, his defensive work really is being shown up this season.

Undoubtedly a player of great ability, but I would be taking him out of the side at the moment for March (who really didn't deserve to be dropped as it is!). A bit of time to reflect and improve might be what he needs, particularly after his traumas of the past 12 months.

 

[seagulls4ever]

I said the same thing. I was baffled when Izquierdo was taken off rather than Knocky, even if Knocky had finally started to creep into the game a bit around ten mins before the subs were made. I would also have brought Murray off about ten mins before he was subbed, and replaced him with Hemed rather than Brown.

Murray played the whole game. It was Gross who was subbed.

Knockaert did look tired in the second half. He wasn't tracking back properly, leaving lots of space for Stoke on that side of the pitch.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Let's not be so quick to write off a player who was the best player in the league last year. Being in Coventry I'm a bit of an armchair fan, having only seen us play Saints in person and watched us play B'muff, West Ham and Stoke on the tele. From what I've seen, I think Anthony is trying to find his place in this year's team. Last year, he was the creator. He was the playmaker. It was quite simply, "give the ball to Anthony and see what he does with it." This year, he's not. Gross is our playmaker. Whereas Baldock was very much a striker, Gross has come in and is the man who the ball is given to to make things happen. I think Anthony is still trying to figure out his place, highlighted last night by him being anywhere other than the right hand side. I'm not sure if Hughton has told him to drift inside and make runs into the box, but from my plush position as armchair manager, maybe he'd do better sticking out on the right more. Add in better defenders and being double marked, and Knocky has a bloody hard job.

That being said, he's selfless. He's trying to keep the ball alive and make a simple pass, rather than taking on two defenders and inevitably losing it. He's working hard. And he had a really good game against West Ham. Let's not be so quick to forget that Anthony has always been a bit like this. First 20 minutes of a game dictates the rest. If it's going for him at the start then he'll play a blinder, if it's not it's really not. It was the same last year, so we shouldn't be concerned in my opinion.

We all know the French never beat the Germans.

 

[bhawoddy]

I LOVE football and all of the opinions. I thought, aside from the solitary cross, he was awful at Swansea, gave the ball away on countless occasions.

Similar to the game at Preston last year where he and Bruno did not function together at all, lots of poor passing and we got duffed up 2 nothing. Fortunately Swansea are worse than Preston were, and we are better now in general.

agree, didn't have his best game at Swansea either.......opinions hey

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Whilst I accept this will create an element of flack to me we've two players who need to be rested, AK & Bruno.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Maybe his mind was on his birthday celebrations and absent friends. Certainly didn't seem switched on at all last night.

 

[Wozza]

There was a reason why Leicester got rid of him !!

Yeah, they discovered Mahrez.

 

[The_Viper]

Diouf played him really well I thought. He’s up against better players. Simples....


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You must be talking about Wimmer, Diouf was on the other side of the pitch, being rinsed by Jose all day. If you can't see that, I suspect your thoughts on AK aren't the most reliable

 

[bhawoddy]

I think that in most games he has been the weak link all season but good players lose form not abvility so he will come good perhaps needs a time on the bench to re-evaluate his position. I wonder about replacing him at United or against Zaha and Palace, as last night with Schelotto.who is more defensive minded.

think its time to stop worrying so much about losing to palace and zaha's quality and concentrate on winning the game by playing attacking football. We have FA to fear from Palace, only ourselves and our ability to defend too deep at times.

 

[BensGrandad]

think its time to stop worrying so much about losing to palace and zaha's quality and concentrate on winning the game by playing attacking football. We have FA to fear from Palace, only ourselves and our ability to defend too deep at times.

I agree as I have said it is just another game with 3 points at stake but in so saying we must take steps to reduce their chances of winning as we do with any player in any team.

 

[Live by the sea]

Didn’t think I would agree after last season but at the moment I’m not convinced that Knocky is doing enough to start games, think solly should be starting.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

You must be talking about Wimmer, Diouf was on the other side of the pitch, being rinsed by Jose all day. If you can't see that, I suspect your thoughts on AK aren't the most reliable

Strictly speaking he was up against Pieters as they played 3 at the back, but I guess that's just me being pedantic...

 

[The_Viper]

Strictly speaking he was up against Pieters as they played 3 at the back, but I guess that's just me being pedantic...

That's a fair point

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Didn’t think I would agree after last season but at the moment I’m not convinced that Knocky is doing enough to start games, think solly should be starting.

Thought Solly did fantastic when he came on. Started turning defenders inside out in the way that Knocky can when his mind's on it. Solly was even hilariously adjudged to have knocked over a big guy (Zouma?) about twice his size - and then properly squared up to him in the aftermath. Hold me back! Hold me back!

 

[bhawoddy]

I agree as I have said it is just another game with 3 points at stake but in so saying we must take steps to reduce their chances of winning as we do with any player in any team.

Best form of defence is attack IMO. They cant score if your deep in their half.

 

[bhawoddy]

Thought Solly did fantastic when he came on. Started turning defenders inside out in the way that Knocky can when his mind's on it. Solly was even hilariously adjudged to have knocked over a big guy (Zouma?) about twice his size - and then properly squared up to him in the aftermath. Hold me back! Hold me back!

not Diouf??