[Albion] De Zerbi got it badly wrong today

[Weststander]

Yep. Didn't fall for our trap once - just let us maraud up the pitch freely. We fell for it time and time again. A horrible watch

We fell for theirs.

There was this obvious trap first half, Webster would creep forwards 60 yards, Everton left him alone. Not bothered about the player one jot. Eventually with no one to pass to, he gave the ball away and they destroyed Dunk etc in huge numbers.

On repeat.

Surprised RDZ didn’t see it and act.

Rightly benched at HT.

 

[Oh_aye]

It's easy with hindsight but Undav and Wellbeck are an absolute nothing up front together. As can be seen when they were withdrawn.

Them being such a dead end led to us doing the same things over and over again innefectually. Going out wide, pointless crosses to nobody which were cleared then Everton would break.on us.

Much better after the break with Solly Enciso and Fergy who are miles better.

That said, the manager surely can't have imagined the maddening sloppy almost blind passing from the midfield and Mitoma looking like a competition winner in the first half. No one really came out of that half with much credit.

 

[Weststander]

The strikers giving the ball away is not really the issue, the problem was we weren't winning it back quickly. Normally we're one of the best in the league at regaining possession, but that requires bodies in midfield and today with Welbeck, Undav and Buonanotte sitting ineffectually upfield we didn't have the usual numbers there to overwhelm our opponents. And so that happened.

To be honest I've been expecting that kind of result for a while now, considering how open to the counter attack we are.

Wembley first half we could’ve been 3 or 4 down. Rashford kept cutting in, Webster/Dunk then bloody awful. Thankfully they kept missing. Same against them last Thursday first half …. we were saved because Antony/Rashford/Goofy/Martial were shocking.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The strikers giving the ball away is not really the issue, the problem was we weren't winning it back quickly. Normally we're one of the best in the league at regaining possession, but that requires bodies in midfield and today with Welbeck, Undav and Buonanotte sitting ineffectually upfield we didn't have the usual numbers there to overwhelm our opponents. And so that happened.

I disagree. We had 78% possession according to Sky.

The issue was more Everton didn’t give a toss about us having the ball as they had everyone behind it and they just waited for us to give it away….then tap it into the acres of space for numerous players to run onto.

 

[Mike Small]

The performance was so bloody naïve. Needlessly naïve against Dyche's cloggers.

 

[Weststander]

I disagree. We had 78% possession according to Sky.

The issue was more Everton didn’t give a toss about us having the ball as they had everyone behind it and they just waited for us to give it away….then tap it into the acres of space for numerous players to run onto.

Exactly.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I f***ing hate Dyche

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Feeling sore. Well and truly Dyched.

 

[Weststander]

I f***ing hate Dyche

My son thought today might be a walkover over for us. But I mentioned this season haven’t they got results at Manure, ManC and Brentford, when they’ve beaten all other visitors?

 

[willalbion]

I thought CL gave one of the best CF displays at the Amex this season

He was excellent, had Dunk & Webster on toast first half.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I disagree. We had 78% possession according to Sky.

The issue was more Everton didn’t give a toss about us having the ball as they had everyone behind it and they just waited for us to give it away….then tap it into the acres of space for numerous players to run onto.

Well, yeah, you're right, but if we did have that extra man in midfield which we normally have, plus Solly on from the start, we'd be snuffing out more of those attacks at source, plus our defenders wouldn't have to be pushing so high up the pitch. I do think that change of formation to two up top is the biggest culprit here, and played into their hands.

Our possession based model has always been vulnerable to the counter attack, ever since Potter brought it in. We used to concede goals on the counter with frustrating regularity under GP (Palace were masters at it), but then he solved the problem. I'm not sure exactly how he did it, probably starting with the CM partnership of Bissouma and Caicedo, but that was when we became really difficult to beat under Potter, and its a little frustrating to see this creeping back into our game more frequently.

 

[Springal]

I thought CL gave one of the best CF displays at the Amex this season

Did exactly the same against us last season as well, then disappeared injured for months

 

[BN41Albion]

We fell for theirs.

There was this obvious trap first half, Webster would creep forwards 60 yards, Everton left him alone. Not bothered about the player one jot. Eventually with no one to pass to, he gave the ball away and they destroyed Dunk etc in huge numbers.

On repeat.

Surprised RDZ didn’t see it and act.

Rightly benched at HT.

So surprised RDZ didn't make a change at 2-0 as we were so far off the pace mentally and tactically. You could see the confidence in what they were doing drain from the players almost after the first goal- misplaced passes, terrible touches, not winning the second balls, desperate balls into the box, etc. All hugely unlike us this season.

But what do I know, RDZ has got us playing football I never thought I'd watch a BHA team playing most weeks - everyone has off days managers included

 

[Weststander]

So surprised RDZ didn't make a change at 2-0 as we were so far off the pace mentally and tactically. You could see the confidence in what they were doing drain from the players almost after the first goal- misplaced passes, terrible touches, not winning the second balls, desperate balls into the box, etc. All hugely unlike us this season.

But what do I know, RDZ has got us playing football I never thought I'd watch a BHA team playing most weeks - everyone has off days managers included

I would’ve removed Bounanotte and Undav as they continued to exploit our awful formation at 1-0.

Managers just don’t do that early on, do they?

Could’ve changed the destiny of the game. A 4-5-1 without two players not contributing.

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

I would’ve removed Bounanotte and Undav as they continued to exploit our awful formation at 1-0.

Managers just don’t do that early on, do they?

Could’ve changed the destiny of the game. A 4-5-1 without two players not contributing.

The thing is having decided not to act till half time maybe it would have been better to give up on this game and not act at all.
I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but the end result of the four halftime subs only served to highlight how badly we started the match and that our formation/tactics were wrong. Although we looked so much better at the start of the second half we failed to score and even lost that half 2-1 as well. Worse still we stretched our best players chasing a 3-0 deficit and it would appear have lost one of our best players to injury at a time we could least afford to.
O.k. i know there was a chance we could have scored early in the second half and they may have panicked and we could have got a result but surely it would have been more pragmatic to concede this game and save our best for later, or maybe i am being too defeatist?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Surely he knew that a Dyche team would not play any kind of press let alone a high one. That Everton would pack the defence with 7ft players so a lofted ball was a waste of time. Would break with speed and accuracy so don’t commit too many players forward and would use the dark arts to good advantage. Surely he knew all of that. So why did he play a weak starting eleven - I don’t care what anyone says, Undav is a championship player at best - no March ( who made a big difference when he came on) ditto Fergy and Gilmore. I love Roberto but his game play today was naive to say the least.

Neither do I. So you're wasting your breath.

That was a division 3 post at best.

You'll be asking for the board to be sacked, next.

 

[Easy 10]

And there was me last week laughing at the Wolves manager making 4 subs at half time, long after the game was gone. Turned to my sister and said "well, now if THAT doesn't tell you he's picked the wrong team..."

...oh

 

[American Seagle]

De Zerbi seems to have a big weakness in terms of squad rotation and managing player loads. He is obviously still a relatively young manager, especially in the EPL, so hopefully he will improve in this area.
Is it thought of over there that he should have rotated the squad more over the season or managed minutes better during games?

 

[albionalex]

Well I thought so. But on reflection I guess that’s not an entirely acceptable thing to say, so I would like to amend it to ‘unnecessarily and perilously adventurous’.

I don't agree.

The first goal was a bit of a freak goal so early on, the 2nd goal was preventable if Mac had tracked Doucore all the way back (and tbf it was a great finish from the lad), and then the third goal Gross slips and Steele is badly positioned.

Once we were 3-0 down, yeah we're gunna play more attacking than if the game was 0-0.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I don't agree.

The first goal was a bit of a freak goal so early on, the 2nd goal was preventable if Mac had tracked Doucore all the way back (and tbf it was a great finish from the lad), and then the third goal Gross slips and Steele is badly positioned.

Once we were 3-0 down, yeah we're gunna play more attacking than if the game was 0-0.

You have to ask where Dunk was for the second goal as well.