[Albion] Do Forest have a better squad than us?

[Not Andy Naylor]

It's weird, isn't it? Marco Silva and Nuno Holy Ghost are suddenly brilliant managers on account of their experience, whereas both have been regarded as failures in the recent past. Silva took Hull down and was sacked by both Watford and Everton. Nuno faded at Wolves, failed at Spurs, was sacked in Saudi.

If it was Nuno who signed Milenkovic and Anderson then fair play to him, but more likely it was their recruitment department. Fulham's recruitment in summer wasn't thought particularly impressive at the time - selling Palhinha, overpaying to buy Andersen back - but has actually worked out pretty well for them.

As I've said before, we needed another central defender but didn't sign one, and as the post above suggests, instead signed too many wingers and number tens because we could, not because they filled any gaps.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

It's weird, isn't it? Marco Silva and Nuno Holy Ghost are suddenly brilliant managers on account of their experience, whereas both have been regarded as failures in the recent past. Silva took Hull down and was sacked by both Watford and Everton. Nuno faded at Wolves, failed at Spurs, was sacked in Saudi.

If it was Nuno who signed Milenkovic and Anderson then fair play to him, but more likely it was their recruitment department. Fulham's recruitment in summer wasn't thought particularly impressive at the time - selling Palhinha, overpaying to buy Andersen back - but has actually worked out pretty well for them.

As I've said before, we needed another central defender but didn't sign one, and as the post above suggests, instead signed too many wingers and number tens because we could, not because they filled any gaps.

In that case, surely we just need to sing a player named Andersson or similar and all will be well?

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

see post #14, I did.

You and I don’t usually agree on much. I must’ve misread it

 

[pigmanovich]

When you look at the two teams, Forest did much better business than us with Newcastle
Anderson in midfield looks more like the player we needed than Minteh who has been added to our stack of wingers

IIRC we were interested in Anderson too, just weren’t willing to sign both him and Minteh.

 

[Weststander]

You and I don’t usually agree on much. I must’ve misread it

I don’t recall you being an adversary. LOL

 

[um bongo molongo]

They have a better defence than us and a better out and out striker than we do (who continues to be underrated by many). I think Elanga and Gibbs White are at least as good if not better than our advanced midfielders. So I’d say yes, they do. Albeit not by the current gap.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

They have a better defence than us and a better out and out striker than we do (who continues to be underrated by many). I think Elanga and Gibbs White are at least as good if not better than our advanced midfielders. So I’d say yes, they do. Albeit not by the current gap.

Don't think I'd swap Elanga for Mitoma should i be offered the chance, nor MGW for Pedro.

I reckon Welbeck has a better all round game than Wood, but firstly he's injured and secondly I'll admit there's not much in that call

 

[Justice]

Absolutely no reason to think Hürzeler was not Paul Barber’s and TB’s first choice to replace RDZ we had moved on considerably from the football we were playing under Potter - the football that St Pauli were playing was not that different to De Zerbi with Clubs having a similar culture and ethos. FH watched Brighton a lot and had an eye for talent and youth development - couldn’t have been a better appointment if only the fans would give him a season to develop his project.

We play noting like RDZ does/did. If you understood the idea of RDZ’s football I don’t think you would make the comparison.

 

[DJ NOBO]

No recency bias here, I’ve always rated Wood - not just for his goals but his all round play. Like Welbeck actually, his all round game has always been under appreciated.

Not that I expect anyone to, but if you had a look at my post history since he first came to us, I’ve always praised him and been a fan. I think he got a lot of unfair stick from our fans over the years and I always hate playing against him as expext him to score.

It’s not long ago Newcastle paid £25m for him either. Quality PL striker.

Welbeck and Wood are similar. both underrated For large parts of their careers. Both good people. both quality players.
There are numerous points in the past 15 years when Wood would have been great for us. Happy with (a fit) Danny now, though.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I don’t recall you being an adversary. LOL

Haha, I’m glad to hear I’m not on the naughty list this soon after Christmas

 

[Machiavelli]

It's weird, isn't it? Marco Silva and Nuno Holy Ghost are suddenly brilliant managers on account of their experience, whereas both have been regarded as failures in the recent past. Silva took Hull down and was sacked by both Watford and Everton. Nuno faded at Wolves, failed at Spurs, was sacked in Saudi.

If it was Nuno who signed Milenkovic and Anderson then fair play to him, but more likely it was their recruitment department. Fulham's recruitment in summer wasn't thought particularly impressive at the time - selling Palhinha, overpaying to buy Andersen back - but has actually worked out pretty well for them.

As I've said before, we needed another central defender but didn't sign one, and as the post above suggests, instead signed too many wingers and number tens because we could, not because they filled any gaps.

Agree with all of this. People are seriously underestimating the benefit of two points. First, having few injuries so consistency in selection* reaps greater team understandings, partnerships, etc. Fulham and Forest have had that, we haven't. Second, working with the same group of players for a prolonged period. Fulham and Forest have had that, we haven't. We're a team in transition: nine new players, losing the last manager ALONGSIDE his band of (nine?) merry coaching men, getting in a new WIP rookie manager** WITHOUT much of a backroom team -- although this is being incrementally dealt with.

*My impression is that if all our players are fit, there would be a little bit of rotation, especially amongst the front five or six perhaps even the FBs -- and this is so we can get the maximum intensity out of them.
**This is in-line with most of Bloom's appointments. CH was obviously an exception, but was appointed at an exceptional and concerning moment. You could say RDZ had more experience, but certainly none in the PL and he was available at the optimal moment.

I'm with @chickens on the Fulham assessment, and I was there. If they were more 'physical' than us, there are explanations:
-- we also had to play two away games in c66 hours, which goes a considerable way to explaining downturn in intensity
-- like Forest, Fulham have a much older squad than us (and there are limitations to that), which usually translates into more kilos
-- we had injuries to experienced, more 'physical players', eg Veltman, Welbeck for that game, yet still managed to start with JPvH, Dunk, Igor, Pervis, Wieffer and Baleba, all of whom are pretty solid 'physical' players

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Dunno, but these are a good team.

 

[Weststander]

Haha, I’m glad to hear I’m not on the naughty list this soon after Christmas

I try not to hate unknown internet people, it’s easy to get sucked into that. I found that nsc disagreements in the early hours (people getting grumpy) could spiral. With regrets the next day. A few people sulk forever if you disagree about football stuff … silly.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I try not to hate unknown internet people, it’s easy to get sucked into that. I found that nsc disagreements in the early hours (people getting grumpy) could spiral. With regrets the next day. A few people sulk forever if you disagree about football stuff … silly.

Totally agree

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I watched both matches, albeit from the comfort of home, and I’m sorry that’s at least 50% a revisionist history.

The Fulham match was the match where they scored early, and Baleba equalised about ten minutes into the second half. We looked by far the most likely to go on and win the game at the point we equalised, before O’Riley’s arse gave them a lucky second and our confidence seemed to drop. They then got a third as we chased a second equaliser, my memory is not of us being notably outmuscled, it was of belief levels dropping after we went behind a second time.

The Crystal Palace game is the one match in our entire season where you may have a point, the entire team seemed bafflingly lethargic, but I’m afraid to take that one match as proof of a consistent decline is taking cherry-picking to a zenith.

It happened in that one match, hadn’t happened before, hasn’t happened since.

The Palace game swung on total tactical incompetence, unfortunately. They blocked off the midfield and were often 3v1 on the turnover, particularly first half. It made our players look weak, but in reality you can’t ever win those battles when the odds are against you individually.

It required our inexperienced manager to read the game and change the system and he didn’t until the game was gone.

 

[Forster's Armband]

Not man for man better no. They have players in form and a wiley old coach. The only player of theirs I'd say would get in our team is MGW.

 

[Weststander]

The Palace game swung on total tactical incompetence, unfortunately. They blocked off the midfield and were often 3v1 on the turnover, particularly first half. It made our players look weak, but in reality you can’t ever win those battles when the odds are against you individually.

It required our inexperienced manager to read the game and change the system and he didn’t until the game was gone.

Wrong team selection and formation, counter attacking men against boys. File it under young coach was naive.

 

[Washie]

We must defer to them due to their league position, but I don't think there's much in it.

This isn't an uncommon thing. A usually middling club having an exceptional season, due to a combination of clever manager, a couple of speculative signings working out, a journeyman striker having an incredible late career surge, a bit of luck with injuries and just sheer momentum.

I don't expect their results to suddenly tail off. But I don't expect them to become habitual challengers for European spots.

So similar to us when Welbeck was on form?

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

So similar to us when Welbeck was on form?

Maybe, but we always had loads of injuries

 

[el_ciddy]

they attack at pace and don’t mind get crosses in, it certainly looks better than what we’ve been doing lately. Although like others have said the players are pretty close and probably wouldn’t want any swapsies.