[Albion] Attacking Options

[Iggle Piggle]

Is the centre forward thing a bit of a red herring? Whilst it is frustrating to watch crosses like Moders last night which would have been nodded in by a 2017 Glenn Murray but were instead hit into empty spaces, a glance at the top scorer tables shows Maupay isn't doing too bad this season in contrast to last when he fluffed a load. Barring the Leeds miss we haven't seen the likes of Connolly missing 3 open goals this year and we have scored CF goals from nothing (e.g West Ham). Yes, it's a concern if Maupay and Welbz get injured but Spurs fans will say the same about Kane and Son or any other PL team excluding the Manchester Cities of this world. I'd be interested in how a young Jermaine Defoe would get on in 2021 as a goal hanging centre forward that doesn't run the channels or create space for others to run into but does score goals rarely gets picked in any PL team.

A lot more goals seen to come from Midfield. Gallagher has got 7 for instance.This is where we are piss poor. Lallana and Moder haven't got any despite numerous chances and game time in the league. Gross did his party piece last night. Bissouma never looks like scoring despite how talented he is. Mwepu and Macallister appear to be heading in the right direction but we aren't chipping in enough from other areas. Webster could have had a hat trick of headers yesterday. I'd love to see Nunez or the like come in but it won't stop the midfield missing presentable chances.

 

[b.w.2.]

I reckon Neville has more experience of the football world in his little toe nail than bw2. A misérabilist who rants and abuses other fans.

And takes a lot of unjustified stick. I like Neville BTW but he is wrong when he says we have to spend the astronomical sum he states. He was also an awful manager who sometimes talks rubbish as a pundit. Just like everyone TBH

The vast majority of pundits recognise our need for a new striker BTW. Are they all wrong!? NO!!


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[b.w.2.]

So spunking money does not equate to success.Is it that hard to understand?

What did you think of Edauord last night? This is a player sections of our supporters wanted to sign! The final piece of the jigsaw? Lol £85 grand a week?Nice work if you can get it

How is your mate Toney getting on?

The problem is it normally DOES lead to success.

One game, but Edouard was awful last night. I said at the time we should drop out of the race to sign him once he started with the silly wage demands. Thankfully we did withdraw.

Toney is another thing entirely. Would have been perfect for us and we spurned a chance to sign him at £11m!


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[b.w.2.]

Like you,you mean?

Change the record

Hypocrite


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[One Teddy Maybank]

(yes this again, no one forced you to open it and you don't have to comment if you don't want to)

If ever a game showed why the recruitment team should be looking to add an attacker this window for US and not to go on loan it was last night. Another frustrating game where we were by far the better side but also never really looked like scoring (missing a pen and fouling in the box are not going to get you an actual goal). But we have some very specific issues to deal with now:

1) Crosses. Sticking Tariq on to terrorise them down our right was a stroke of genius but no one looked like getting on the end of them until Welbeck came on after TL.
2) Penalties. We need a regular, reliable penalty taker and we need one now. I'm aware that there are midfielders and the odd defender who do or did this brilliantly but most penalty takers are attackers.
3) Options. Very clear that if either Maupay or Welbeck get injured long term we're screwed and will spend the rest of the season squeezing out the odd draw and finishing closer to 40 points (again) than 50.

I feel like b.w.2 but, honestly, how can we be so good and yet so toothless?

Spot on for me.

Gross and Lamptey put some beautiful crosses in the box, but no-one attacked the. Ironically, Welbeck made more of a poor cross right at the end.

If only……..

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I’ve just got a hunch (based on Connolly & Locadia being shipped out) that we’ll have a new 1st team striker by January 31st.

However, the tactics Palace employed normally yield a team a point against us and that’s not likely to change, even if we do sign the star striker we all crave. The answer to beating these teams, sadly, is to field players like De Bruyne, Salah or Lukaku. The only way we’ll be doing that is by buying young punts like Kozłowski or Ferguson and hoping they turn into a top player like White, Lamptey or Bissouma.

We need more than just a ‘body’ but I’m confident the club is working extremely hard on this dilemma and that a player like Brereton-Diaz, Ekitike or Hložek will be with us soon.

I agree with your analysis, although I don't share your optimism about a new striker. But whether intentionally or not, by mentioning those three players, you have pinpointed a problem. All were originally signed by Chelsea for the sort of prices we might pay (De Bruyne £7m, Salah £11m, Lukaku £18m) but deemed not good enough and shipped out, only to return to the Premier League for bigger fees and show their quality. The impatient and over-demanding among us (and yes, I include myself) need to stop being Chelsea-like instant gratification junkies, trust the recruitment people and have faith in the system - because it's working so well in so many areas.

I looked last night at Cucurella, Veltman, Trossard, Lamptey, Moder, Ally Mac and just thought what fantastic players we had found for more or less peanuts by current Premier League standards. And that's not mentioning Biss, Mwepu and Caicedo. The problem is that goalscorers are the hardest thing to find because everyone is looking hardest for them and taking some outrageous punts (eg Joelinton £40m), thereby pushing up the prices for everyone else.

 

[b.w.2.]

Is the centre forward thing a bit of a red herring? Whilst it is frustrating to watch crosses like Moders last night which would have been nodded in by a 2017 Glenn Murray but were instead hit into empty spaces, a glance at the top scorer tables shows Maupay isn't doing too bad this season in contrast to last when he fluffed a load. Barring the Leeds miss we haven't seen the likes of Connolly missing 3 open goals this year and we have scored CF goals from nothing (e.g West Ham). Yes, it's a concern if Maupay and Welbz get injured but Spurs fans will say the same about Kane and Son or any other PL team excluding the Manchester Cities of this world. I'd be interested in how a young Jermaine Defoe would get on in 2021 as a goal hanging centre forward that doesn't run the channels or create space for others to run into but does score goals rarely gets picked in any PL team.

A lot more goals seen to come from Midfield. Gallagher has got 7 for instance.This is where we are piss poor. Lallana and Moder haven't got any despite numerous chances and game time in the league. Gross did his party piece last night. Bissouma never looks like scoring despite how talented he is. Mwepu and Macallister appear to be heading in the right direction but we aren't chipping in enough from other areas. Webster could have had a hat trick of headers yesterday. I'd love to see Nunez or the like come in but it won't stop the midfield missing presentable chances.

Gotta agree with that. And said so already.


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[Here'sWally]

Moder hit the bar.

Moder forced the keeper into a good save after a great move involving Trossard and Mac Allister.

Trossard forced the keeper into a good save early on.

We had 8 corners.

We had an xG of 2.37.

That's not what "Never looked like scoring" looks like.

 

[b.w.2.]

Moder hit the bar.

Moder forced the keeper into a good save after a great move involving Trossard and Mac Allister.

Trossard forced the keeper into a good save early on.

We had 8 corners.

We had an xG of 2.37.

That's not what "Never looked like scoring" looks like.

So given all the above do you agree we need to bolster our strike force?


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[Frankworthington]

The problem is it normally DOES lead to success.

One game, but Edouard was awful last night. I said at the time we should drop out of the race to sign him once he started with the silly wage demands. Thankfully we did withdraw.

Toney is another thing entirely. Would have been perfect for us and we spurned a chance to sign him at £11m!


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How many goals has Toney scored this season?

Would he have fitted in with our style of play?

I notice you did not post after the Everton game

 

[BrickTamland]

I maybe in the minority but as I mentioned on the match thread I don’t think we *need* another striker (as in another body wouldn’t go amiss in terms of depth, but I don’t think we necessarily need a striker to replace Neal or Welbeck). What we are missing is a winger/attacker who brings a bit of unpredictability to the game. I love watching our midfield play, it’s breathtaking at times and far beyond what we have a right to do given our budget - however it all relies on the system and Potters coaching rather than any individual brilliance.

I think Trossard fits that system well but he lacks that ability (or is not told to) to just beat a player and break the lines. The only player we have who can do that is Lamptey but he is a) young b) a little injury prone and c) also a defender so can’t always be in an attacking position less we get caught out defensively.

Other teams who we are competing against outside the top 6/7 have at least one of those players. Leeds have Rafinha, Palace Zahaha (Eze when fit), Newcastle ASM, Burnley Cornet, Wolves Traore (I could go on.

Maupay is scoring enough goals given the actual chances we create. Even though we dominate games the amount of clear cut chances we create is limited and Maupay and Welbeck score a decent amount given the way we play (and in Welbecks case the amount of game time he gets).

Whilst that enigmatic player might not always fit the system i do think we need it as another option because as the endless draws suggest, whilst we are hard to beat, we find it hard to beat teams who sit back and concede possession in a low block (see, Palace, Crystal).

 

[Wardy's twin]

The answer is that Welbeck needed to come on earlier than he did , looked very dangerous in the little time he was on and the same for Lamptey.

 

[Frankworthington]

The problem is it normally DOES lead to success.

One game, but Edouard was awful last night. I said at the time we should drop out of the race to sign him once he started with the silly wage demands. Thankfully we did withdraw.

Toney is another thing entirely. Would have been perfect for us and we spurned a chance to sign him at £11m!


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We were NEVER in for Edouard.It was all press and agent talk

Try and get some facts right

 

[B-right-on]

Toney.

Gonzalez.

The guy at Benfica, etc etc


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Toney - who decided to stay at Brentford (and on half the goals of Maupay).

Gonzalez - by the looks of it turned us down after coming over here. Now 'ripping it up' in Serie A with almost a QUARTER the goals of Maupay this season (2 vs 7).

Benfica guy - again us vs CL football and one of the top clubs in the world. Yea right.

We're BHAFC not MUFC.

So, again, who?

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

The problem is it normally DOES lead to success.

One game, but Edouard was awful last night. I said at the time we should drop out of the race to sign him once he started with the silly wage demands. Thankfully we did withdraw.

Toney is another thing entirely. Would have been perfect for us and we spurned a chance to sign him at £11m!


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We did not withdraw from any race to sign Edouard in summer because we were never in one.

 

[B-right-on]

I agree with your analysis, although I don't share your optimism about a new striker. But whether intentionally or not, by mentioning those three players, you have pinpointed a problem. All were originally signed by Chelsea for the sort of prices we might pay (De Bruyne £7m, Salah £11m, Lukaku £18m) but deemed not good enough and shipped out, only to return to the Premier League for bigger fees and show their quality. The impatient and over-demanding among us (and yes, I include myself) need to stop being Chelsea-like instant gratification junkies, trust the recruitment people and have faith in the system - because it's working so well in so many areas.

I looked last night at Cucurella, Veltman, Trossard, Lamptey, Moder, Ally Mac and just thought what fantastic players we had found for more or less peanuts by current Premier League standards. And that's not mentioning Biss, Mwepu and Caicedo. The problem is that goalscorers are the hardest thing to find because everyone is looking hardest for them and taking some outrageous punts (eg Joelinton £40m), thereby pushing up the prices for everyone else.

This is a very good analysis of the thinking of TB and PB and all at Amex Towers. I agree with it.

Yes we may be a 'moderately successful' PL club by being mid table 'mediocrity' in some eyes.

But its the TB way to not go for the flashy, most expensive player and pay top whack for them.

He's quietly, competently and effectively building us into a stable team that's here for the long haul.

Even Palarse have finally realised that signing overinflated, experienced and hyper expensive players is not the way to sustainably run a football club.

Yes draws are fecking boring. Well sort of. But I'd have given my left nut in any previous season, in any league, to be where we are now.

 

[CheeseRolls]

I maybe in the minority but as I mentioned on the match thread I don’t think we *need* another striker (as in another body wouldn’t go amiss in terms of depth, but I don’t think we necessarily need a striker to replace Neal or Welbeck). What we are missing is a winger/attacker who brings a bit of unpredictability to the game. I love watching our midfield play, it’s breathtaking at times and far beyond what we have a right to do given our budget - however it all relies on the system and Potters coaching rather than any individual brilliance.

I think Trossard fits that system well but he lacks that ability (or is not told to) to just beat a player and break the lines. The only player we have who can do that is Lamptey but he is a) young b) a little injury prone and c) also a defender so can’t always be in an attacking position less we get caught out defensively.

Other teams who we are competing against outside the top 6/7 have at least one of those players. Leeds have Rafinha, Palace Zahaha (Eze when fit), Newcastle ASM, Burnley Cornet, Wolves Traore (I could go on.

Maupay is scoring enough goals given the actual chances we create. Even though we dominate games the amount of clear cut chances we create is limited and Maupay and Welbeck score a decent amount given the way we play (and in Welbecks case the amount of game time he gets).

Whilst that enigmatic player might not always fit the system i do think we need it as another option because as the endless draws suggest, whilst we are hard to beat, we find it hard to beat teams who sit back and concede possession in a low block (see, Palace, Crystal).

Returning loan and injured players suggest we might have a lot of options here next season.

I don't think we will make any big signings this window. However in the summer with Andone and Locadia moved on I think we will see signings.

 

[BrickTamland]

Returning loan and injured players suggest we might have a lot of options here next season.

I don't think we will make any big signings this window. However in the summer with Andone and Locadia moved on I think we will see signings.

Obviously a lot to put on a young player whose hardly played at PL level yet, but Sarmiento has the potential to be that player as he looks more of a traditional winger

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

And takes a lot of unjustified stick. I like Neville BTW but he is wrong when he says we have to spend the astronomical sum he states. He was also an awful manager who sometimes talks rubbish as a pundit. Just like everyone TBH

The vast majority of pundits recognise our need for a new striker BTW. Are they all wrong!? NO!!


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It's all very well for pundits to "recognise our need for a new striker" but they're not the ones going ever deeper in debt to try to find one. Realistically, how can spending £30m on a striker be justified, even if he scores the goals everyone would like?

Let's say we pay the money and finish seventh instead of 13th. The extra prize money wouldn't cover that fee, and that's before we factor in wages. Would it put an extra 5,000 on the gate? We're already full every match (I know ...). Would it get us into Europe? The Europa League is a money-loser for most clubs. Etc etc.

Of course, we all want to see the team score more goals and win more games. But it costs money, and that means Uncle Tony's money.

 

[chaileyjem]

Well, it's a difficult reply because we are doing far better in the table which is what I asked for, but we're doing it by drawing and by virtue of the fact that there are four absolutely terrible teams in this division this season.

But if you put up one of your infamous polls I wouldn't need a fence option - I'm in and have been probably since about March-ish 2021.

The budget is a red herring. We can afford to spend literally millions on players for the women's team, yet another midfielder, players for the Belgian league and Stoke City and extra seats that aren't being used

The budget isn’t a red herring. Wages are key to the type of player that might transform the team in your view. That would have a knock on effect on all the contracts of our key players and utterly change our wage bill and annual losses. And even if ££ wasn’t a factor in landing this player. Why come to us ? When by definition, then presumably the top 6 six and the best clubs in Europe are competing for you too.

PS : the 3 or 4 terrible teams point. When exactly were there not 3 or 4 terrible teams ? This is pretty much a given every single year and hardly an excuse to explain away why Albion are doing ok or well.