[Albion] counter attacks

[HeaviestTed]

We conceded three and could've conceded four or five against a team that had about 20% possession. We absolutely did defend poorly as a team, because of the set up perhaps but still stands.

Our defence was in their box, it isn’t that we defended badly, we attacked and they defended better.

 

[Weststander]

fairly well established now that the way to beat us is sit back and hit us on the break. how well that goes depends on the quality in attack, which west ham have in spades. everton did it so well, west ham today too. de zerbi hall requires the opposition to press, and once they went one up today, courtesy of webster, there was no chance they were going to bite.

my question is, do we have the personnel required to deal with these counter attacks? cause dunk, webster and milner isn’t going to cut it. antonio had a field day. or is a tactical tweak required?

can’t also help but feel a proper defensive midfielder would have helped, as they managed to get from their own 18 yard area to ours, completely unhindered. hopefully baleba helps solve that

No.

Yes with:
Caicedo MacA
Estupinan Dunk Colwill Veltman
Pace and nouse everywhere, if one’s out of position eg Dunk upfield, supreme athletes would cover.

Imho we need at least one quality defensive pivot with pace, a replacement for Webster and always play Veltman.

Gross, Milner and Veltman all starting and playing on that side of the pitch is vulnerable.

 

[Weststander]

It’s risk vs reward though isn’t it. We knew De Zerbi’s brand of football would bring risk, and some goals conceded that could have been avoided, but it also brought us 6th place last season.

RDZ’s also a perfectionist. Trossard and Sanchez unceremoniously shifted to one side.

A lira for his thoughts tonight.

 

[METALMICKY]

As

The likely reason you didn't mention Estupinan was because he is a quick player.
The others aren't, and if our backline is getting exploited constantly, we have no chance.
That is why we need faster defenders, because with our system Webster and Milner cannot stop these counters.
I would like to see Van Hecke or Igor get a chance, or otherwise we could've fitted a defensive midfielder to prevent their attacks - which we haven't signed yet.

Spot on! Aside from Pervis and particularly down the right we have zero pace which was exposed badly today.

We also need to improve our set pieces as corners were woeful today. That's importantly because as nice as our approach play might be you end up trying to thread it through the eye of a needle when they pack the defence and put two on Mitoma.

Having said this their keeper was brilliant and Webster had a mare particularly with the crucial first goal.

 

[Icy Gull]

As

Spot on! Aside from Pervis and particularly down the right we have zero pace which was exposed badly today.

We also need to improve our set pieces as corners were woeful today. That's importantly because as nice as our approach play might be you end up trying to thread it through the eye of a needle when they pack the defence and put two on Mitoma.

Having said this their keeper was brilliant and Webster had a mare particularly with the crucial first goal.

Our set pieces are rubbish and were last season too. I don’t get vaguely excited when we have one. It’s a real weakness in a very good team.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

As

Spot on! Aside from Pervis and particularly down the right we have zero pace which was exposed badly today.

We also need to improve our set pieces as corners were woeful today. That's importantly because as nice as our approach play might be you end up trying to thread it through the eye of a needle when they pack the defence and put two on Mitoma.

Having said this their keeper was brilliant and Webster had a mare particularly with the crucial first goal.

This. Areola deserved a lot of credit today

 

[trueblue]

If we don't have center midfielders who can't cover the ground required for this tactic then it needs to be tweaked.

It’s not the tactic so much as the tactic if we are trailing. Always going to be extremely vulnerable in a game like that where we have all but total command of possession and are chasing an equaliser, as we saw a few times last season.

 

[Weststander]

As

Spot on! Aside from Pervis and particularly down the right we have zero pace which was exposed badly today.

We also need to improve our set pieces as corners were woeful today. That's importantly because as nice as our approach play might be you end up trying to thread it through the eye of a needle when they pack the defence and put two on Mitoma.

Having said this their keeper was brilliant and Webster had a mare particularly with the crucial first goal.

Isn’t there a stat that only a microscopic percentage of goals are scored from corners? We’ve always been shit at it, the one exception where Skalak was incredible for a while. I don’t ever get out of my NS for them.

 

[Weststander]

It’s not the tactic so much as the tactic if we are trailing. Always going to be extremely vulnerable in a game like that where we have all but total command of possession and are chasing an equaliser, as we saw a few times last season.

Worrying, we’re now very vulnerable to counter attacks at 0-0. Even Luton ffs created that way on repeat.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

Dunk +1 other centre back is usually fine if they have protection from a proper CDM, having a RB with zero recovery speed doesn’t help either. Ideally both need addressing asap. As a team we’re built to take the lead, falling behind just plays into the opposition’s hands as we commit more and more bodies.

 

[trueblue]

Worrying, we’re now very vulnerable to counter attacks at 0-0. Even Luton ffs created that way on repeat.

I didn’t think we looked vulnerable at all at 0-0. Apart from Webster’s cock-up, they created next to nothing of note. Different story once we were throwing everyone forward second half.

 

[The Fits]

I didn’t think we looked vulnerable at all at 0-0. Apart from Webster’s cock-up, they created next to nothing of note. Different story once we were throwing everyone forward second half.

Disagree. Antonio had two decent chances before the first goal. Warning signs were there. As they were in the previous two games.

 

[Weststander]

I didn’t think we looked vulnerable at all at 0-0. Apart from Webster’s cock-up, they created next to nothing of note. Different story once we were throwing everyone forward second half.

Antonio was running them ragged.

Athletically streets ahead and even in pairs they couldn’t take the ball off of him …. as the cavalry of Bowen, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta arrived.

 

[Questions]

Dunk was defensively awful against Luton, poor again today but Webster was in a league of his own in shitness. He isn't good enough anyway, let alone without a CDM.

lt's clearly down to lack of a holding midfielder.

But we had a holding midfielder (or two) against Everton, It could have been 0-5 today. There is an area of deep concern but I have no idea what else we can do…. Let’s see if De Xerbe can suss it.

 

[Albion 4ever]

Whenever we play a team who retreat to 30 yards from goal and defend from there and counter attack we look awful and just forget to do the basics.
Reference Everton and West Ham today.
All the goals were just bloody awful defending.

 

[Springal]

Eddie Howe will be licking his lips at our weaknesses and inability to defend against a fast break / counter.

 

[West Upper Seagull]

We lost because:

- their defence was outstandibg
- their breaks were very good
- the ref was biased

With one of those we would have won, all three no chance.

We lost because Webster had a mare - can’t sugar coat it any other way. He’s a liability.

 

[Springal]

We lost because Webster had a mare - can’t sugar coat it any other way. He’s a liability.

And because we can’t score goals. And not enough cutting edge in the final third either.

All our good chances pretty much went straight at their keeper

 

[West Upper Seagull]

And because we can’t score goals. And not enough cutting edge in the final third either.

All our good chances pretty much went straight at their keeper

Without the shockers from Webster we win that game 1-0 !

 

[Springal]

]

Without the shockers from Webster we win that game 1-0 !

Estepunian at fault for the third as much as anyone in my opinion