[Albion] Did the break do us a favour?

[Doc Lynam]

Did the enforced break do us a favour, allowing the team to digest the huge shift in play that’s been asked of them?

I’m a great believer in stepping away from things can help you process and adjust, maybe this is what the team needed?

 

[Steve in Japan]

Definitely the whole league is reset, and what matters is which teams adjust quickest and best to the new environment. Very encouraged by yesterday, mainly for 2 reasons....

1. We got better as the game went on. Arsenal got worse.
2. We had quality on the bench to come. Arsenal didn't.

Time will tell, but I think we showed yesterday that we are very resilient and can adapt quickly.

 

[el punal]

I think you might be right. Give it a couple more games though to get a true reflection. A lot of positive points from certain players performances yesterday, for starters Bissouma, Maupay, Propper and Dunk (as always). Alexis McAllister could be our ace in the hole for the remaining games. Personally, I’m more optimistic than I was a couple of days ago - amazing how a hard earned 3 points cheers you up!

 

[Weststander]

It stopped our non-winning, downwards momentum, a squad who’d forgotten how to win. Tired minds and bodies given a sabbatical.

Almost inevitably, it broke the run of results for Sheffield United.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think you are right.

We were heading for relegation before that break, bereft of confidence, or any idea of how to turn things around. That mindset seems to have been forgotten, and after this weekend's features I am confident we will stay up. I wasn't, back in March.

Villa, Bournemouth and West Ham alll look awful. We've got this.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

No more than any other club/team.

 

[jessiejames]

What I think may help is the changes in the substitution rules, allowing 5 sub' s to be made, and a manager who seems to get the substitution right. Most managers in our position yesterday would have settled for the draw.

 

[dingodan]

No question about it. When you are on a bad run of form, there is nothing you want more than a break, an opportunity to regroup and a restart later. Likewise, when you are on a good run of form, there is nothing you want less than that.

Our situation just before the break meant that we were particular beneficiaries of the break in the season.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

When you are on a good run of form, there is nothing you want less than that.

I'm still hoping Scouserpool manage to lose all their remaining games and blow the title!

 

[Giraffe]

Hard to say after one game but on the face of it yes. We were on free fall and others were picking up points. I was fairly certain we were heading down. The break has enabled us some thinking time, a chance to start afresh and lose the baggage of the dreadful run we were on.

 

[nwgull]

I expected the 15 week break to throw up all sorts of strange results due to fitness and potential motivational differences, but I was wrong. Nothing has changed: the teams below have continued to lose; the teams above us continue to pick up points; and we beat Arsenal, again.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

We weren’t on a terrible run of performances just results. We had some good points but dropped some we shouldn’t have

 

[vegster]

Did the enforced break do us a favour, allowing the team to digest the huge shift in play that’s been asked of them?

I’m a great believer in stepping away from things can help you process and adjust, maybe this is what the team needed?

Maybe we just need to play Arsenal more often ?

 

[dazzer6666]

We had drawn 6 of our last 10....we were not in ‘free fall’ as some claim. We played particularly well against Wolves and SU away - decent performances against very good teams. I think we’ll be fine and the break and rule changes has helped us more than some other teams.

 

[Luke93]

Definitely the whole league is reset, and what matters is which teams adjust quickest and best to the new environment. Very encouraged by yesterday, mainly for 2 reasons....

1. We got better as the game went on. Arsenal got worse.
2. We had quality on the bench to come. Arsenal didn't.

Time will tell, but I think we showed yesterday that we are very resilient and can adapt quickly.

Might want to check that Arsenal bench again. Ozil and Martinelli players we can only dream of!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Having watched most games really don’t see us having too much to worry about. There’s been a lot of dross apart from Man City

 

[Palacefinder General]

Doubly pleasing that we hit the ground running against an Arsenal side with a game already under their belts.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My take all along is that given the players have had the longest break in their careers, and return to alien surroundings adaptability and intelligence and professionalism with fitness will play as much a part as technical ability. We have a very shrewd and bright young coach, who will have realised this and prepared the team according. So to answer the OP’s question, yes it did, because non technical things will give us an advantage over less smart teams.

 

[Icy Gull]

What I think may help is the changes in the substitution rules, allowing 5 sub' s to be made, and a manager who seems to get the substitution right. Most managers in our position yesterday would have settled for the draw.

The fact that our squad has been used throughout the season and is interchangeable without any star players is a big plus with the ability to use 5 subs imo. The whole squad can be considered first team players, not many of the other relegation candidates have that luxury.

 

[Live by the sea]

We have a fairly decent squad that is totally interchangeable and we don’t over rely on one or two players in the way that some other teams in the bottom 8 do .

I think 37 points will be enough . One more win and a couple of draws. We will be in the PL next season i believe .