[Albion] Could be worse...

[Simster]

I feel March could have gone wider, power went straight at Heaton.

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It wasn't that different distance-wise from Chris Wood's goal. It was an absolutely magnificent save from arguably the country's best goalkeeper. I'd pick him over Pickford, personally. I think he could play for one of the Champions League clubs to be honest.

Burnley badly missed him for the first half of the season. It was understandable that Dyche signed Hart when Heaton and Pope were both injured, but completely baffling to me as to why Hart kept his place after Heaton regained fitness for so long - Hart isn't in Heaton's league.

 

[hoveboyslim]

We've got one point from the last three matches, but I think we have played better (bar 20 minutes at Fulham) than we did against West Ham, Newcastle and Wolves, where we picked up 9 points. A lot of football is about luck; we haven't had much in the last three, whereas we did in the other three.

If we carry on playing like we are at the moment then I think we will be fine.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Goals. It’s about goals dear

Its not what you went on about (as usual)...you said bore fest...hardly...but then its hard for you to be positive as a rule...so no change there then

 

[LamieRobertson]

As your two still images show, March has two players closing him down, and a third (Mee) covering the left of the goal. He's worked space and hammered the ball wide of the keeper. Everything he's done there is fine, and only brilliant reactive goalkeeping has denied him a goal.

If you're not actually trolling, and you genuinely think that Heaton doesn't have much to do there, in the reaction time available, then trying to discuss this with you is completely pointless. You haven't a clue.

Nailed

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I feel March could have gone wider, power went straight at Heaton.

View attachment 104534

That angle shows it was going to his right. He only got one hand to it.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

As your two still images show, March has two players closing him down, and a third (Mee) covering the left of the goal. He's worked space and hammered the ball wide of the keeper. Everything he's done there is fine, and only brilliant reactive goalkeeping has denied him a goal.

If you're not actually trolling, and you genuinely think that Heaton doesn't have much to do there, in the reaction time available, then trying to discuss this with you is completely pointless. You haven't a clue.

There speaks an experienced keeper.

 

[Justice]

March isn’t the weak link Stephens is he keeps losing the ball in midfield, no coincidence we won three in a row with Kayal why Hughton keeps playing Stephens is beyond me and probably Kayal.

 

[Brian Parsons]

I agree. One of the most frustrating aspects about our play at the moment, in fact for most of the season, is our ponderous approach in attack. The number of times we have taken the “safety first” route of an extra pass - mostly lateral or backwards - to try and achieve a better scoring opportunity is so irritating. Momentum is lost, the opposition defence can then regroup and the advantage that we might have had is lost.

When I think back to our promotion season of 2016/17 we used to break with pace and skill and more often than not score. Agreed, though, the opposition were not of the same quality as that in the Premier League but there is no reason why the same approach cannot be executed now.

Agreed, though, the opposition were not of the same quality as that in the Premier League but there is no reason why the same approach cannot be executed now.

Not technically True as three teams would have just been relegated and a few others in maybe their second season in Championship. But I take your point.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[Gwylan]

Wood and Barnes. (If only, eh?)

Or Barnes and Murray ... one can only dream

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

But apparently those of us who have been pointing out how bad we are for weeks are wrong and just being negative. We shouldn’t ever dare question CH and his decisons.

 

[Eeyore]

I feel March could have gone wider, power went straight at Heaton.

View attachment 104534

I feel he had a short moment to smash a hot shot and the keeper pulled of a splendid reaction save. That one is all about the save. Maybe Messi would have planted it- but that's why there's a £300 million gap in transfer fees between him and Solly.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I get that people are concerned and care a lot - so do I. I just don't get the angst I keep reading. Is it just me that simply sees that we are settling in at our "level". I have read a number of posts suggesting that we have "failed to kick-on", and I just don't understand exactly what that means.. We are in the same boat, position, mini-league that just about all recently promoted teams are in. Our squad is stronger in depth than last season, but not a huge step up in class - how can it be? We have secured enough points to be above the releagtion zone. Who are the teams that have "kicked-on"? I can't see any - genuinely. Wolves are the only proimoted team bucking the trend - they have a different thing going on altogther. Even those teams who jhave been in a while - are they so far ahead of us? Palace, West Ham, Watford, Leicester, Bournemouth, Southampton, Burnely - fair to say that we are pushing to compete with them, and on any given day can beat any of those sides, certainly at the Amex. As indeed we can lose to any of them and those who share our most recent history : Huddersfield, Newcastle, Cardiff, Fulham. Some games will go our way, Newcastle, Wolves, West Ham (home), Others wont Watford, Burnley. Some should be seen out : Fulham, Leicester, West Ham (away), others we should have lost (Fulham (Home), Southampton.).
Every time we lose, this outpouring of "not good enough" "Time for change" etc - says a lot more about our fan base than the great atmospheres when we are winning games. We are fighting to stay in the most competitive league in the world. CH has found a formula that allows us to gain points, and has recently tried a different approach to see if we can convert 1 point into 3 points. The points tally in the early part of the season has given him the chance to experiment a little - he can now decide if he wants to revert back and become the hard to beat team for a while. We can then moan about the lack of attacking intent.
Th

Thanks. I'm trying to find ways to express how I feel about the angst in here and this is as good as any

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

...could be Huddersfield.

View attachment 104531

You have to marvel at a stat that compares 'Expected goals' when there is an 'Actual goals' statistic available

 

[Uh_huh_him]

March's shot on saturday underlined his lack of quality, either side of the keeper and we take the deserved lead. Instead, he hits the goalkeeper. Maybe it would have been enough in the Championship, but it's not nearly enough in the Premier League.

Got to take exception to this.
He did go to the side of the keeper and hit it it bloody hard too.
That shot scores 9 times out of 10.
Heaton made an exceptional one handed save. Nothing to do with a lack of quality from Solly.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

But apparently those of us who have been pointing out how bad we are for weeks are wrong and just being negative. We shouldn’t ever dare question CH and his decisons.

Nonsense, and all your posts are negative. Trying to justify your opinion by accusing others of not daring to question the manager, makes no sense either.

 

[Peter Ward]

ffs. strikers in the champions league miss penalties sometimes, when they have minutes to prepare themselves, and no defenders apart from the keeper to get past. Solly had about two fifths of a second, a bouncing ball and a group of defenders closing him down. get a grip.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

You have to marvel at a stat that compares 'Expected goals' when there is an 'Actual goals' statistic available

Not one that backs up the forced narrative, there isn't.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Nonsense, and all your posts are negative. Trying to justify your opinion by accusing others of not daring to question the manager, makes no sense either.

No they’re not. All my posts about Bissouma are very positive! [emoji23]

Unfortunately, watching us has been quite a negative experience recently, we really haven’t been very good.

I’m honestly not being negative for negatives sake, whether you agree with it or not I’m making valid points about the way we’re playing and team selection etc. I really don’t want us to go down but this has been coming for months and it has been so frustrating to witness. I said it weeks ago, there has been a great deal of complacency and we have been sleepwalking to relegation but I got ridiculed, look where we are now.

If anything, I’m too positive about our players, I think we’re a lot better than we’re showing. I think the players we have are better than a lot on here think, I just don’t believe the manager is getting the most out of them at the moment. I still don’t want him sacked though, just to try some different things. His tactics this season just haven’t been working.

 

[el punal]

But apparently those of us who have been pointing out how bad we are for weeks are wrong and just being negative. We shouldn’t ever dare question CH and his decisons.

How dare you be wrong and negative.

 

[raymondo]

Think we will be ok this season just

We are probably only 1 bad transfer window off going down though.

Locadia and AJ offer very little IMHO

NEED Izzy back and firing asap. Andone out is costly.

It's ok people saying we need to go back to 4,4,1,1 etc but lets not forget that hasn't worked away either. Leicester next. New approach all together ? Expect the same team and set up though

Agreed, except re Izzy. Can't see him being as effective as in his first season: his main trick has been sussed and I sadly can't see his becoming a key weapon for us again. Hope I'm wrong.