aolstudios
Well-known member
Spot on. We're completely lacking leaders at the moment
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[Albion] Dunky
- Thread starter The Fifth Column
- Start date
So lets put the captain on the bench!
Problem solved?
Perhaps me meant 'occasionally'?Have a good think about this
Tom Hark Preston Park
Will Post For Cash
- Jul 6, 2003
- 72,648
Other leaders are available. Or should be...
aolstudios
Well-known member
He was on the bench before. Veltman & Welbeck were crucial missing leaders previously but JP was looking like a leader too. He's shrunk with Dunk back. Not Lewis's fault but it's happened
Very thrilled about what "should be" but in real life, where we unfortunately exist - "it is what it is". And currently we have a lot of experienced players injured and the allegedly magical solution of benching Dunk isn't improving that situation.
aolstudios
Well-known member
Two & a half (Welbz, Veltz & Milner) are injured. JP looked like a leader previously too
aolstudios
Well-known member
How would we know?
boik
Well-known member
Average age of the starting 11 was well under 24. We have no 26-29 year olds who are experienced but can still run.
We know that benching Lewis Dunk doesn't change the situation with inexperienced players because he is one of our most experienced players.
Now, if benching Lewis Dunk might improve the team overall? Well, that is certainly under debate. But the issue you commented on, the lack of experience, will not improve through benching our most experienced fit player.
aolstudios
Well-known member
Sadly true
aolstudios
Well-known member
I commented on the lack of leadership
As the majority of NSC with things like this (and I include myself in this) we are all operating with the benefit of hindsight. Surely the right answer is to pick a team taking hindsight out of the equation and find a way of picking a team, regardless of experience, where all the players selected will perform to 100% of their abilities.......... "simples" ;-)
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Reminds me of the posts regarding Pascal Gross 2020/21….
How many fans were happy to offload him in the summer of 2021?
How many fans were happy to offload him in the summer of 2021?
darkwolf666
Well-known member
Yep, was going to say the same thing. His game has become too reliant on the trick chest and head backs to the keeper. If it was anyone else people would be calling it out. The injuries and constantly throwing his body on the line has finally taken it's toll...
darkwolf666
Well-known member
No, everyone can see this IS different - he is a shadow of his former self, unfortunately!Reminds me of the posts regarding Pascal Gross 2020/21….
How many fans were happy to offload him in the summer of 2021?
Dunk has declined, but not to the point of finished. I also don’t believe any of our CBs are as good as people think or as bad as useless.
Igor made mistakes leading to goals at Liverpool, Fulham (it was a poorly executed pass and choice back to Verbruggen), Southampton and Leicester. Rotating Dunk back in was justified. Van Hecke and Dunk are better together, but not good enough to carry a weakened defence with poor cover at fullback. Igor has a horrible habit of carrying the ball for too long because he can be indecisive and hesitant to play the correct pass. Afraid to make a mistake so will eventually just play a safe short pass. And he’s been caught out for this.
Van Hecke is our best defender. Has a slightly better tackle success then Dunk, better at headed duels, faster, recovers better but he’s still developing his game. Despite what his catchy song states, there are still many better CBs in the league. When Dunk isn’t playing, you can notice the drop off in progressive passes and decision making from the back. For the stat buffs, Dunk and Van Hecke both outperform Igor and Webster for our CBs this year, but are only middling compared to our rival teams.
I’m sure people will quote how good Igor and Van Hecke were vs City and Bournemouth. And rightfully so, they had great games then. But I’d also point to Wolves at home which lacked concentration at the end and Newcastle away (Dunk and Igor), which was our best defensive display of the season IMO.
The common factor in our better successes, regardless to the CB pairing, is Veltman and Welbeck being on the pitch. Why? Probably their experience. Dunk still offers that and still has qualities needed on the pitch.
Igor made mistakes leading to goals at Liverpool, Fulham (it was a poorly executed pass and choice back to Verbruggen), Southampton and Leicester. Rotating Dunk back in was justified. Van Hecke and Dunk are better together, but not good enough to carry a weakened defence with poor cover at fullback. Igor has a horrible habit of carrying the ball for too long because he can be indecisive and hesitant to play the correct pass. Afraid to make a mistake so will eventually just play a safe short pass. And he’s been caught out for this.
Van Hecke is our best defender. Has a slightly better tackle success then Dunk, better at headed duels, faster, recovers better but he’s still developing his game. Despite what his catchy song states, there are still many better CBs in the league. When Dunk isn’t playing, you can notice the drop off in progressive passes and decision making from the back. For the stat buffs, Dunk and Van Hecke both outperform Igor and Webster for our CBs this year, but are only middling compared to our rival teams.
I’m sure people will quote how good Igor and Van Hecke were vs City and Bournemouth. And rightfully so, they had great games then. But I’d also point to Wolves at home which lacked concentration at the end and Newcastle away (Dunk and Igor), which was our best defensive display of the season IMO.
The common factor in our better successes, regardless to the CB pairing, is Veltman and Welbeck being on the pitch. Why? Probably their experience. Dunk still offers that and still has qualities needed on the pitch.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Of course they can.
- Oct 17, 2008
- 15,003
I just think 400+ Albion appearances, often as our most consistent player, has bought our captain the goodwill he deserves after a below standard - and injury hit - first half of the season.
He’s had some poor games (as have several of our players) but there can’t be many players with more credit deserving time, patience and respect in Albion’s history.
“Legs have gone” is the laziest stereotype going. Have a great game and legs have grown back again?
Give him a chance to get match sharp, play himself back into form and for others to do the same around him.
He’ll come good and this thread, like many started in the last few days, will just be another drunken faux-pas after a defeat.
He’s had some poor games (as have several of our players) but there can’t be many players with more credit deserving time, patience and respect in Albion’s history.
“Legs have gone” is the laziest stereotype going. Have a great game and legs have grown back again?
Give him a chance to get match sharp, play himself back into form and for others to do the same around him.
He’ll come good and this thread, like many started in the last few days, will just be another drunken faux-pas after a defeat.
This is just bullshit.
Its the latest one of diffuse ways for people to show they have nothing to come with.
"Poor leadership", "looks unhappy", "chests the ball too much"... pff. If there was a bunch of glaring mistakes from the dozen+ games Dunk has played this season, people would have mentioned them over and over rather than coming with this abstract nonsense bullshit (implying that our footballer is too 'reliant on chesting the ball to the keeper' is one of the most absurd comments made on this board. Ever. Have you watched a game? Ever?
Yeah ok, he has a fun thing where he does use his chest five or six times per season to give it to the keeper, making him the European leader in "other body part passes". Its nothing his game relies on. Its just something he sometimes does - efficiently - which is now being used as a bat.
Because you're not going to show me reels of all his mistakes when he pocketed Isak & co in Newcastle. You're not going to show me reels of when he a few weeks ago came and shored up a collapsing defense against Southampton.
Because there's nothing. Few mistakes here and there just like for EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WHOLE f***ing WORLD. Its a good defender who has had a good season trying to help a team with a defensively very questionable midfield shape. You and others are absolutely desperate to find reasons to throw shit on him, but can't find much on the pitch so you have to create imaginary issues about him "relying on tricks" or "not 'showing' leadership".
f***ing hell.
#justicefordunk