[Albion] Are we just a bit ‘meh’?

[portlock seagull]

We're not meh, we have no consistency, which doesn't count as "meh" in my book....meh is middle of the road bang average...

We know how good we can be which is what makes this so frustrating...for me anyhow...its another we had won, where we unwon...like wolves...

Aren’t we only a few points from mid table though, and finished there last season? It’s all very close in fairness hence the inference?

 

[portlock seagull]

How we wished for "Meh" back then looking at clubs like Wigan/Swansea/Bolton etc in the PL

Agree but that was then and we’re discussing now. We could forever bang on about Hereford, and I for one was there so can speak with authority.

 

[MTSeagulls]

Agree but that was then and we’re discussing now. We could forever bang on about Hereford, and I for one was there so can speak with authority.

I agree with that too but in reality we aren't in a bad place but just having a shitty run of results of our own doing.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Monster CB, striker and a right back short - could be lamptey but he can’t manage 3 games in a row,

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Meh is generous tbh. All the while we are doing better than so many others fair enough. But we have had so few good games

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Nothing a spot of warm weather training can't put right

 

[jackalbion]

Despite the big spend over the summer, this is very much a transitional season for us. We've a new coach and a large turnover of the playing staff, which is a lot of moving parts that need to mesh before we can really improve. The trick lies in achieving this before the big spenders come in for their next shopping spree.

Personally, I'm inclined to agree with the notion that we are a bit "meh" just now. There's plenty of talent there but it is unrefined and fragile. This should improve given that much of our squad are young and still learning their craft. I think the squad is almost set to kick on but we are light in defence, which needs new blood.

But it's just an opinion.

Agree but I think the key is we missed a few things up in the transfer window not bringing in a) another CB and b) another experienced midfielder on a free to compliment the loss of Lallana and Gross. There’s a lot of young player and they just need time. I always thought the heady heights of champions league is too much.

 

[Justice]

Who wants him gone? That’s entitled if so. I would however say those three points are massive. Others without the same media attention are also able to achieve when perhaps we know the Albion aren’t realistically ever going to achieve (always the bridesmaid…). It’s good to have ambition, but fine line between that and reality. Which is we’re likely to finish mid-table, despite the hype, ambition and expectation.

Second biggest spenders in Europe last summer and retaining our best players I don’t think Bloom will be happy with mid table. In fact I think he will be very disappointed.
Players like Rutter won’t hold much resale profit unless they play like Cole Palmer so he definitely purchased players for the here and now IMO.

 

[dazzer6666]

Second biggest spenders in Europe last summer and retaining our best players I don’t think Bloom will be happy with mid table. In fact I think he will be very disappointed.
Players like Rutter won’t hold much resale profit unless they play like Cole Palmer so he definitely purchased players for the here and now IMO.

Some yes, some no. Minteh, Yalcouye, Osman, Gruda, Cozier-Dubery and others (inc from prior windows) all very young and nowhere near ‘finished article’ levels. Squad has been built with next 3-5 years in mind. First season under new manager with significant personnel churn was always going to be transitional imo

 

[Justice]

Some yes, some no. Minteh, Yalcouye, Osman, Gruda, Cozier-Dubery and others (inc from prior windows) all very young and nowhere near ‘finished article’ levels. Squad has been built with next 3-5 years in mind. First season under new manager with significant personnel churn was always going to be transitional imo

Agree a mixture although we are way better than the performances of late which is what fans are most frustrated about. Fabian gets in a bit of a pickle with subs and he’s not learning to trust what’s on the field to see the game out.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Lot being made of the subs today, imho that's a smokescreen. First half was substandard bar a worldy and second half was completely unacceptable bar another great goal. Their keeper made what, one save from range?

Very meh, which is made all the more depressing by us having spent 200 million quid and signed the players we should have got in last Jan when we actually had a quality coach rather than a young prospect learning the ropes.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

We're 100% not 'Meh'. We're a superb collection of players who need to be more confident and more ruthless.

 

[Sirnormangall]

We're not meh, we have no consistency, which doesn't count as "meh" in my book....meh is middle of the road bang average...

We know how good we can be which is what makes this so frustrating...for me anyhow...its another we had won, where we unwon...like wolves...

I agree we’re inconsistent and in many games we’ve played well in only one half. It’s a strange season as you could probably say the same about a dozen other premier teams. At the moment I feel we could finish anywhere from 6th to 6th bottom

 

[Justice]

Lot being made of the subs today, imho that's a smokescreen. First half was substandard bar a worldy and second half was completely unacceptable bar another great goal. Their keeper made what, one save from range?

Very meh, which is made all the more depressing by us having spent 200 million quid and signed the players we should have got in last Jan when we actually had a quality coach rather than a young prospect learning the ropes.

It’s not going to get better than RDZ coaching wise. Meltdown wise probably although he’s Italian and a top coach so to be expected.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

We're 100% not 'Meh'. We're a superb collection of players who need to be more confident and more ruthless.

I agree with this.

And my current frustrations stem from the fact that this superb collection of players is mostly not the sum of its parts when it plays.

Part of that is of the 200m quids worth of new players the only one that's been able to get consistent game time is Georginio. That can't help things. Nor can playing with a midfield that in the last 15 months has lost Mac Alliser, Caidedo, Gross, Gilmour and Lallana.

But still, there's something missing regardless of that.

We need time and patience but my god it's frustrating when you feel you're on the edge of something spectacular yet it feels like we're going to bugger it up.

 

[jcdenton08]

We’ll finish top ten, which based on expected finishes (based on budgets) is exactly where we should be, or slightly above.

There is a direct correlation between budgets and league finish as @El Presidente has covered many times previously.

Teams can overperform this (as we were/are doing) and underperform it (as say Chelsea last season did, or Manchester United this season) which is usually down to bad management and recruitment.

We are exactly what we are - a top half developing side, with a young manager, young squad and Inconsistent.

My advice: enjoy the ride. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low - mourn the failures but enjoy the wins and remember we are exactly bang on track for where we should be based on finances.

 

[BadFish]

We are a young team with a young manager (not that anyone ever mentions it). Most were expecting a midtable finish this season, we have over achieved so far and puhed expectations higher. The best thing we can do is calm the f*** down and show some patience. All signs are that things will come good and improve, might have to wait for next season though.

 

[basque seagull]

We're 100% not 'Meh'. We're a superb collection of players who need to be more confident and more ruthless.

And at least we try to play nice attacking football. When it works, it is lovely and the pundits seem to appreciate it as should we. It is just the mistakes can be painful.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

We are incredibly frustrating to watch.

That's nor a new thing. Under Potter, we were frustrating for years dominating games and finding ways of getting ourselves beaten. Anyone remember that particular Palace game in COVID we lost?

The frustration now is different. We veer between Championship and Champions league over the space of 90 minutes in some games (Wolves in the Carabao in particular) and make too many mistakes.

The manager and players need to learn fast. We also lost all dynamism in midfield when Baleba went off and often miss the calmness of a Gilmour or Gross. Up front, Ferguson simply isn't mobile enough and sticks out like a sore thumb and 3 at the back (yeah, it was an individual error yesterday) has been a disaster anytime it's appeared in the last 3 games.

Just beat Palace FFS.

 

[redoubtable seagull]

We’ll finish top ten, which based on expected finishes (based on budgets) is exactly where we should be, or slightly above.

There is a direct correlation between budgets and league finish as @El Presidente has covered many times previously.

Teams can overperform this (as we were/are doing) and underperform it (as say Chelsea last season did, or Manchester United this season) which is usually down to bad management and recruitment.

We are exactly what we are - a top half developing side, with a young manager, young squad and Inconsistent.

My advice: enjoy the ride. Don’t get too high, don’t get too low - mourn the failures but enjoy the wins and remember we are exactly bang on track for where we should be based on finances.

The correlation is wages paid and league finish, not so much transfer budget spent. We’ve spent £200m plus on players but our wages expenditure will still be mid table.
Apart from that, I agree with yr post.