[Football] Are the shackles off or is this a false dawn

[the right footed denilson]

I'm really excited about Gross this season.
We saw two seasons ago how good his short range passing is, his vision and his general intelligence. It's an awful football cliche, but it feels like a new signing. He made 5 key passes on Saturday (that's a lot).
We just need to get the balance right in terms of supporting him with pace (Murray and Gross is a conundrum- they work so well together but their lack of pace is a serious issue IMHO, I think we can only play one in our front four).

 

[Icy Gull]

Southampton away sticks in my mind as symptomatic of what was wrong last season. Total respect given to a very average saints team and we effectively gifted them a two goal lead by being ponderous and cautious. Once we needed to chase a result the team put saints on back foot and caused them problems. Cue two goals for us. We could’ve and should’ve gone into that match thinking of a victory from the outset. We did that so many times last season.

Agreed, we seemed to play with fear against everyone last season and generally only stepped it up when we went behind

 

[Easy 10]

Agreed, we seemed to play with fear against everyone last season and generally only stepped it up when we went behind

That Southampton game at the Amex (30th March) truly was an absolute shocker - against a team right down there with us, we actually set up and played at home like we were the away side. We deservedly got nothing that afternoon. The next home game was Bournemouth, and the one after that was Cardiff. The fear had well and truly taken hold by then.

The previous two games we'd won as well, against Hudds and Palace. But I think you can probably trace Blooms decision to bin Chris off to that Southampton game, where we absolutely stunk the place out and were setting up to try and 0-0 our way to safety. Incredible that Knocky's goal at Palace on the 9th March would be the last time we'd score again until 7 games later, on 27th April. How the hell did we stay up.

 

[Big_Unit]

The thing I noticed most forcibly on Saturday (among a lot of differences in comparison to last season) was the passing to feet from the back four, through the middle of the pitch. As a former centre-half it made my arse clench every time it happened, but it does mean we were able to move the ball from back to front incredibly quickly. Two or three quick passes and we were on the attack. There seemed to be space for us where none existed in the past two seasons. Loved every minute of it.

 

[Easy 10]

The thing I noticed most forcibly on Saturday (among a lot of differences in comparison to last season) was the passing to feet from the back four, through the middle of the pitch. As a former centre-half it made my arse clench every time it happened, but it does mean we were able to move the ball from back to front incredibly quickly. Two or three quick passes and we were on the attack. There seemed to be space for us where none existed in the past two seasons. Loved every minute of it.

I think that was down to our CB's having more licence to come out with the ball into midfield to help initiate our attacks. Instead of them having to look long and ping it up to an isolated Murray all the time, or play a 5-10 yard pass to Stephens / Propper sitting deep, who would end up basically doing similar, they actually have OPTIONS in front of them. Just by striding forward 15-20 yards, they've got a shorter simpler pass on into feet, and lots of players wanting it. Trossard in particular basically DEMANDS it.

The security of having 3 (very good) CB's gives us a new dimension in flexibility coming forward. I think we'll have to accept that at times its going to go wrong, and we may end up getting humped certainly by the top teams. But its so refreshing to see us being positive and actually causing problems for the oppo, instead of standing off, staying deep and being shit scared of them.

 

[Big_Unit]

I think that was down to our CB's having more licence to come out with the ball into midfield to help initiate our attacks. Instead of them having to look long and ping it up to an isolated Murray all the time, or play a 5-10 yard pass to Stephens / Propper sitting deep, who would end up basically doing similar, they actually have OPTIONS in front of them. Just by striding forward 15-20 yards, they've got a shorter simpler pass on into feet, and lots of players wanting it. Trossard in particular basically DEMANDS it.

The security of having 3 (very good) CB's gives us a new dimension in flexibility coming forward. I think we'll have to accept that at times its going to go wrong, and we may end up getting humped certainly by the top teams. But its so refreshing to see us being positive and actually causing problems for the oppo, instead of standing off, staying deep and being shit scared of them.

Agree with all of that.

 

[the right footed denilson]

Is Duffy good enough on the ball for al this? (Just asking like)

 

[Icy Gull]

Is Duffy good enough on the ball for al this? (Just asking like)

Sacrilege I know but maybe that is why Webster was purchased. We did not spend that much money on a back up player?

 

[Exile]

Is Duffy good enough on the ball for al this? (Just asking like)

Yes. Duffy is better on the ball than his reputation (on here) suggests. He is never going on a mazy dribble, but his footwork is competent, and he's actually less likely than Burn to hit a sloppy pass straight to the opposition.

Still, very interested to see what Webster is capable of, and don't discount Bernardo in the back three either.

 

[Easy 10]

Is Duffy good enough on the ball for al this? (Just asking like)

Dunk and Burn seem to be the ones more at ease bringing it out and passing it - they are of course noticably better at it. Duffy can stay back with one or the other as security. More often than not I think thats what generally happens.

 

[the right footed denilson]

It's fascinating especially because of Burn's incredible improvement. Improvement? Whatever it is, surely Potter didn't expect to get quite as much out of him.
So now we have our record signing on the bench and the only realistic way he has a chance of playing is to replace the absolute rock Duffy.

It's amazing how quickly Potter has turned the utter mess if last year around.

 

[Exile]

This won't be universally popular, given his (generally excellent) two showings so far, but personally, I suspect that Bernardo would be BETTER than Burn in the role he is currently occupying.

But Burn has the shirt, and he deserves to keep it. And all power to him - he's taking the opportunity well. It is up to Webster and Bernardo to take the opportunity themselves when their respective moments come.

 

[the right footed denilson]

Sacrilege I know but maybe that is why Webster was purchased. We did not spend that much money on a back up player?

Exactly. Potter would have seen enough of Burn in training and pre-season. It's very curious.

 

[the right footed denilson]

This won't be universally popular, given his (generally excellent) two showings so far, but personally, I suspect that Bernardo would be BETTER than Burn in the role he is currently occupying.

But Burn has the shirt, and he deserves to keep it. And all power to him - he's taking the opportunity well. It is up to Webster and Bernardo to take the opportunity themselves when their respective moments come.

I've always worried about Bernardo when he is too central- a few too many last ditch tackles and misplaced passes for my liking. For me he is an out and out wing back. But who knows was Magic Potter can do with him!

 

[Easy 10]

This won't be universally popular, given his (generally excellent) two showings so far, but personally, I suspect that Bernardo would be BETTER than Burn in the role he is currently occupying.

But Burn has the shirt, and he deserves to keep it. And all power to him - he's taking the opportunity well. It is up to Webster and Bernardo to take the opportunity themselves when their respective moments come.

You're then sacrificing Burn's physicality and aerial prowess though. He's been an absolute MONSTER for us so far. He had Deeney in his back pocket all afternoon the other week - not sure that'd be the case with Bernardo, totally different type of player. I don't think I've ever seen a player at 6'7 who is as mobile as Burn. He's a bit of a freak tbh (in a good way).

 

[GT49er]

Is Duffy good enough on the ball for al this? (Just asking like)

Reckon he'll have to be. Player of the Season or not, he's now got a genuine £20M contender breathing down his neck. The place is his to keep, but he'll have to play week after week at his very best to keep it. That can't be a bad thing, eh?

 

[the right footed denilson]

You're then sacrificing Burn's physicality and aerial prowess though. He's been an absolute MONSTER for us so far. He had Deeney in his back pocket all afternoon the other week - not sure that'd be the case with Bernardo, totally different type of player. I don't think I've ever seen a player at 6'7 who is as mobile as Burn. He's a bit of a freak tbh (in a good way).

Same size as Peter Crouch. It's weird. Gotta love Crouchy but the difference is huge.

 

[Easy 10]

Same size as Peter Crouch. It's weird. Gotta love Crouchy but the difference is huge.

Agreed. Crouch is so gangly he looks every inch his 6'7. Burn is more "in proportion" and more of a unit, but without being ungainly.

I was pitch-side right near the front at Watford, and was genuinely taken aback at the sheer size of Burn when you see him up close, he is very imposing. From my perch in the WSU its so much less noticeable.

 

[the right footed denilson]

He's the same size as a second row forward. Absolute madness.

 

[Stat Brother]

Agreed, we seemed to play with fear against everyone last season and generally only stepped it up when we went behind

As much as many on here won't have it CH has form on that front.

When he arrived we had 4 (?) games against our competition for relegation, and lost the lot, staying up by virtue of those teams eventually proving to be slightly worse than the Albion - sound familiar.

Scroll through 3 or 4 fantastic seasons and boom right back where he started from.

TBH I find it all very perplexing, CH is clearly a legend and fantastic bloke but there's something holding him back.

There's an awful lot of subtext from the players, this season to suggest things had broken down.