[Albion] Are Teams Finding Lamptey Out?

[blockhseagull]

What utter rubbish

Maybe hasn’t been at his best for the last two home performances, but has been our biggest threat in several games previously.

Man Utd… Leicester… Spurs come to mind immediately.

Problem is when he is playing in a back 4 he tends to be slightly more conservative going forward (as he should be)

Also when we have struggled dealing with a press he tends to get the ball with his back to goal and players lined up to defend him which isn’t playing to his strengths.

We have missed Webster, Burn and Dunk driving out with the ball at their feet which creates space for others.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Of course they are, you're completely right. This is exactly what happens at the highest level of sport, when someone bursts on the scene with tremendous success, his opponents study his weaknesses and work out how to combat him. Its then up to the player and his coaches to work out how to overcome that, and so on and so forth. No one let's you keep doing what you're doing, not at the highest level where the opposition coaches and players are also amongst the best in the world. We constantly come up with individual plans to stop the best players we come up against, whether you man mark, press quickly, double team, force wide, drop off, deny space, whatever the solution is. If it works others will follow. This is seen everywhere, in football, in rugby, in cricket, baseball, tennis, boxing - any top level competitive sport.

The very very best keep adapting, learning, training to stay at the top.

 

[Originunknown]

Not solely T, our general approach and how to effectively nullify it and counter has been demonstrated with ease.

Teams playing 2 up top against us, these 2 engage in a high press whilst leaving an amount of deep cover with a few supporting midfielders ready to spring into support the front 2 once possession is turned over or we make the inevitable mistakes under pressure at the back.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Let’s see how he gets on once we revert to our back 3 with Cucu and Lamptey as actual wing backs who can stay high up the pitch and not be terrified of losing possession as there’s very little defensive cover. I bet Tariq would find it quite novel to see a forwards pass that he could run on to rather than receiving ball into feet in his own half on the touch line with 3 opposing midfielders suffocating him.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Not solely T, our general approach and how to effectively nullify it and counter has been demonstrated with ease.

Teams playing 2 up top against us, these 2 engage in a high press whilst leaving an amount of deep cover with a few supporting midfielders ready to spring into support the front 2 once possession is turned over or we make the inevitable mistakes under pressure at the back.

And if we have no semblance of a midfield our ‘wing backsa’ have nowhere to go other than back to the centre backs. We’re very much built for a back 3, without it we’re utter dross, which makes not replacing White and Burn even more perplexing.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Presumably this has been coached - it's what all his team-mates do after all.

He was understanably eased back in after his serious injury, which was fair enough. Now, he needs to play at RWB, with a back three - and our stability at the back has recentky been seriously reduces by injuries, suspension and the sale of 20% of our CB resources. If, as it seems, Roberts is not going to be used, I'm surprised we didn't recall Matt Clarke from West Brom now that their promotion push is over for this seson.

Are we able to recall him? is there a release cause mid-season?

 

[Surf's Up]

This. They had at least 2 players on him whenever he got the ball. Teams haven't 'found him out' as it's been clear for a while that Lamptey is the quickest player in the Premier League, but he can't do everything on his own and needs the rest of the team to give the opposition something to think about so he can get some space to exploit.

When he got the ball against Villa there were several occasions when he opted to either pass or move inside rather than try to beat a man into the space behind and then run down the wing at the defence. I think he's been receiving some fairly "close attention" recently and as a result he's understandably less inclined to expose himself to physical encounters with over-eager defenders, especially as most referees don't protect players like Lamptey.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Yeh, i'll add my weight to saying, that our current formation nullifies our main attacking threat of marauding wingbacks in a 3-5-2. It's no surprise to me that we can't score with this set up

In addition, I do think there's an element to having lost the explosiveness. Likely this is psychological (or a coaching instruction) in such a young man. But I do think the Lua Lua comparison is valid. Kaz was still quick after the injury, but never had the out of the blocks explosion, like before.

 

[Originunknown]

And if we have no semblance of a midfield our ‘wing backsa’ have nowhere to go other than back to the centre backs. We’re very much built for a back 3, without it we’re utter dross, which makes not replacing White and Burn even more perplexing.

Definitely, easier to catch us when we make mistakes at the back in a 4 with less cover centrally.

It also compounds problems with our ineffective attack as Cucu and T can't get far enough up the pitch to offer a proper out-ball and quick transition, instead they are coming back or looking to pass inside within our own half.

 

[GT49er]

Are we able to recall him? is there a release cause mid-season?

No. Absolutely not allowed.

Shame really - the new manager (Steve Bruce) has promptly dropped him

 

[Clive Walker]

The truth is that Tariq would benefit from the ball getting to him quicker. Time and time again the ball was played by Dunk into Veltman or Bissouma and then onto Lamptey. The ideal would be for it to go straight to Lamptey.

I don't say this sarcastically. There were many moments when Lamptey was open and available but for some reason our defensive player feel it benefits us more to make that 1 extra pass. I think it signifies the desire to over play and its lack of effectiveness.

 

[blockhseagull]

The truth is that Tariq would benefit from the ball getting to him quicker. Time and time again the ball was played by Dunk into Veltman or Bissouma and then onto Lamptey. The ideal would be for it to go straight to Lamptey.

I don't say this sarcastically. There were many moments when Lamptey was open and available but for some reason our defensive player feel it benefits us more to make that 1 extra pass. I think it signifies the desire to over play and its lack of effectiveness.

On too many occasions I think this is exactly the case but not limited to Lamptey.

Around the box… in midfield … when we have the ball in wide areas.

Always want to play that one extra pass and make it certain rather than make a quick decision

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

On too many occasions I think this is exactly the case but not limited to Lamptey.

Around the box… in midfield … when we have the ball in wide areas.

Always want to play that one extra pass and make it certain rather than make a quick decision

And ironically it does not make it certain. Often it means the move breaks down completely. This is particularly frustrating when the ball needs to go quickly into the box. Too often the player checks back.

 

[Clive Walker]

On too many occasions I think this is exactly the case but not limited to Lamptey.

Around the box… in midfield … when we have the ball in wide areas.

Always want to play that one extra pass and make it certain rather than make a quick decision

yep, i am with you. Honestly, we are not good enough to play as intricately as we do at times. It over complicates it for our lesser technically gifted players and it gives the opposition time to re group.

Re Lamptey he is our out ball and we should use him as such. He was literally screaming for the ball in space on Saturday and it came to him 1 or 2 passes too late at which point he is surrounded and is forced to pass back.

Play him in a back 5 is the obvious solution but it comes down to team direction which is also Potters role.

 

[southstandandy]

He just operates better in a back five than a back four.

 

[METALMICKY]

Most of this thread is utter utter rubbish. Some people are simply looking for another scapegoat for our poor performances. He skinned Villa's right back a number of times on Saturday and put a few great crosses in and a few not so great. Teams are often putting 2 or 3 players on him which theoretically should free up space for other players. It is not his fault if some of the rest of the team are playing below par. I think he's played pretty well over all.

Rubbish! Nobody is trying to scapegoat him. It's just pure tactics. Teams now stand off him and show him the inside. Try to mark him tight and he'll skin you for pace.

 

[Postman Pat]

This is what the Birmingham Mail said about Digne in the player ratings:

Lucas Digne: Found Lamptey a really tricky customer, with the jet-heeled full-back getting beyond Digne on a number of occasions. Did OK. 6

Seems Lamptey didn't do too badly up against the French international, ex-Barca, ex-PSG, Premier league experienced defender.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

First of all, I am a big Lamptey fan. However, since his return we have become one-dimensional when he plays as our go to is to chuck it out to the right and hope he can work his magic. Saturday was worse because there was no alternative on the left with Cucarella playing more central. Solly doesn't really run at defenders and scare them.

It makes it very easy for teams to defend if they know where the threat is coming from. We need to use both wings or, and this may sound radical, actually try and break through the middle once in a while. This is where Mwepo made a difference as he is more of an attacking threat than our other midfielders.

 

[Machiavelli]

The truth is that Tariq would benefit from the ball getting to him quicker. Time and time again the ball was played by Dunk into Veltman or Bissouma and then onto Lamptey. The ideal would be for it to go straight to Lamptey.

I don't say this sarcastically. There were many moments when Lamptey was open and available but for some reason our defensive player feel it benefits us more to make that 1 extra pass. I think it signifies the desire to over play and its lack of effectiveness.

I think you're right, but that just goes to show that, at times, the players aren't quite as brave as (I think) Potter wants them to be. To be brave means to opt for the more difficult pass (getting it to Lamptey quick) rather than the easy one (CB to CB). It also entails making more mistakes, and accepting that the making of mistakes will generate too many groans from our home support -- which has been broadly poor this season.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

He currently doesn't get the ball quick enough, cough Dunk captain slow these days releasing the ball forwards, and when he does the amount of times it's behind him. We have stopped dropping balls over the top for him. God knows why.