[Albion] F*** me, Lallana’s impressive

[One Teddy Maybank]

Both of these. His technical ability is as good as any Albion player I’ve seen, if not better. (Vicente?)

However, what I was focussing on was his willingness to criticise himself to try to urge his team mates to improve themselves too.

At the risk of exposing my man love for him, he’s just bloody ace.

I said on another thread I thought he was ordinary in the first half, and his comments are spot on.

That said, when I did the match ratings thread I still ended up giving a ‘7’, when the average was ‘6’...... he was better in the second half, but is just so good on the ball generally.

I think we can keep him going for 3 more years.....

 

[el punal]

well yes, but shouldn't he have learnt by now? He's over 30 isn't he? He can't hit a cow's arse with a banjo so he should always be looking to pass.

Please be sure to pass on your comments to Adam. I’m sure he’ll value and appreciate your comments.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Somewhere, buried deep on one of the transfer threads at the start of the season, is a tweet saying that Lallana to us on a free was voted best transfer deal of the window. I agreed with that at the time but there was a point where it looked like the risk of injury had outstripped the reward of him playing, but it's no coincidence that we've looked much better with him playing 90 minutes. For all those who criticise our approach to injuries as a club, the way we have handled both Lallana and Welbeck's fitness is mighty impressive, and we effectively have two ex England internationals with bags of experience who haven't cost a penny in transfer fees.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - this squad is much, much, much better than any we've had before in the Premier League.

 

[dazzer6666]

Really?
Great player, keep him fit and he will do well. But best player ever, it’s all about opinions but I don’t think so.... There’s a long way to go, and we will/should improve as a team/squad

It's a prediction, that's all. Could get injured next week and never play again. Who knows.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

He's missed a few from less than 12 yards.

His was the best shot of the game against Everton,, which had to be tipped over the bar, so was on target. A corner ensued.

His experience is invaluable to the youngsters.

 

[Springal]

The difference between the real Elite level / Elite mentality and probably where we are / where we have come from. I have said since we got promoted we are pretty naive I think, and certainly under Hughton it felt like we were just happy to be making up the numbers. Players like Lallana, Welbeck have played at levels all of our squad should be aspiring to.

 

[El Presidente]

“I was in five or six positions in the final third .

I recently watched a film featuring someone in five or six positions in the final third, although, unlike the Everton result, this one did have a happy ending.

 

[darkwolf666]

He's missed a few from less than 12 yards.

We've got the picture now, you don't think he can shoot, even though he has 70 league and international goals, in an injury hit career, that says you don't know what you're talking about...

 

[Hotchilidog]

“I was in five or six positions in the final third against Everton where I have hesitated and made the wrong decision at an important time. We've all got to work so that when we're in those positions we make the right call.

“It will come, I am convinced. We're still gelling and we're on the right road but we need to keep improving.”

Not many people are prepared to criticise themselves for the greater good. He is. Kudos.

And this from a man who was MoM or damn close behind Biss.

He is absolutely spot on. The players need this level of analysis from themselves and the coaches to continue to improve. Lallana has been a superb signing for us this season.

 

[Postman Pat]

What impresses me most with him is that he just seems to have more time than everyone around him, he finds a bit of space that means he isn't always having to beat someone to make a pass.

Still has lots of quality and the younger players in the team will learn a lot from him in terms of ability and his experience at the highest level.

 

[Guinness Boy]

“I was in five or six positions in the final third against Everton where I have hesitated and made the wrong decision at an important time. We've all got to work so that when we're in those positions we make the right call.

“It will come, I am convinced. We're still gelling and we're on the right road but we need to keep improving.”

Not many people are prepared to criticise themselves for the greater good. He is. Kudos.

And this from a man who was MoM or damn close behind Biss.

I recently watched a film featuring someone in five or six positions in the final third, although, unlike the Everton result, this one did have a happy ending.

 

[Bry Nylon]

What I LOVE in that clip above (apart from the sublime skill) is that the player who receives the final ball makes a run anticipating EXACTLY how that ball will be laid off, leaving the defenders chasing shadows.

 

[Stat Brother]

I think you’d have a point if where he’s used ‘we’ he’d instead used ‘they’. ‘We’ includes ‘I’.

As I said, I think what he said was impressive - mostly because he specifically used ‘I’ in a critical fashion.

You disagree - fair enough.

Unfortunately for you, you've opened up a better way for me to explain myself (hopefully)

At work, for all 'can do better/why did this happen' conversations, I always approach them as 'I', inferring 'we'.

If that 'i' rapidly morphs into 'we' then I'm actually saying 'them' but I'll deal with it.

If my take on the situation is instantly 'them' it's clearly an issue heading to HR, and I'll be throwing everyone under the bus to save myself. .


While generally I try to work in reverse for praise.

Have a good day at work.

Unlikely I'm just gonna be taking shite All day on behalf of my team of knobends

 

[Goldstone1976]

View attachment 135891

Lovely bit of skill from McArgie, and great anticipation...

 

[Goldstone1976]

Unfortunately for you, you've opened up a better way for me to explain myself (hopefully)

At work, for all 'can do better/why did this happen' conversations, I always approach them as 'I', inferring 'we'.

If that 'i' rapidly morphs into 'we' then I'm actually saying 'them' but I'll deal with it.

If my take on the situation is instantly 'them' it's clearly an issue heading to HR, and I'll be throwing everyone under the bus to save myself. .


While generally I try to work in reverse for praise.


Unlikely I'm just gonna be taking shite All day on behalf of my team of knobends

Yep, I do now understand your point better, and it has merit.

But I think his way has merit too: “look, we all need to improve. Here’s some specifics about what I need to improve, what about you?”.

Perhaps it could be a style thing, rather than him really meaning “I know I said “I”; but we all know I really meant “you””?

 

[Barham's tash]

“I was in five or six positions in the final third against Everton where I have hesitated and made the wrong decision at an important time. We've all got to work so that when we're in those positions we make the right call.

“It will come, I am convinced. We're still gelling and we're on the right road but we need to keep improving.”

It's ended up with more 'we' than 'I'.

As said I don't have a problem, but for me, for Lallana to be "impressive" in this specific context, I feel that should all be 'I'. (Although I am gelling might not work )

That’s nothing other than semantics. The royal we definitely includes “I” and I’d go further to say he’s exhibiting a set of leadership qualities perhaps we haven’t had since id argue the Cullip years. Dunk leads by example by his performance on the pitch but is often cited as being not a vocal presence.

I suspect many have been surprised as I have about this side of Lallana’s game. From a distance he was to me an excellent technical player but I never saw this tenacity or vocal aspect to his game but perhaps it stands to reason that to get to the very top of the game as he did you’d need those soft skills in abundance as well.

Since Cullip all our captains had their own set of qualities but to my mind no squad we’ve had since had the collective driven fighting qualities to OVER ACHIEVE. Sure the promotion team had guts and fought for each other but by the time we went up we were definitely the best team in the division so weren’t overachieving.

This squad mentality is changing as I had expected under Potter and this aspect to our game needed to develop as much as any technical or tactical ability. Psychologically I suspect there was an element of imposter syndrome where people didn’t believe we belonged in this division. It’s a unconscious bias that needs working on a great deal because it’s really deep seated and hard to change. Having Lallana repeatedly telling the squad how good they are or where they need to improve is one part of that.

These truly are exceptional times from top to bottom of our club every aspect* is being worked on with one strategic aim of improving. I think it’s brilliant.


*except of course spending LARGE on a TRIED AND TESTED Premier League Striker.

 

[maltaseagull]

I hope he is doing his coaching badges.
I can see a job for him at the Albion in the future.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I suspect that Lallana and Welbeck have bought almost as much off the pitch as they have on it.

And I think Stat may be reading too much into the word 'we'. I see constantly using the word we as quite inclusive and constructive and think it's better used in a team environment than I

 

[Stat Brother]

I suspect that Lallana and Welbeck have bought almost as much off the pitch as they have on it.

And I think Stat may be reading too much into the word 'we'. I see constantly using the word we as quite inclusive and constructive and think it's better used in a team environment than I

As usual.

In Stat World Adam The Lana would have "I" every sentence, then calmly walked back into the changing room,, pinned half the first XI against a wall and screamed:-

"FFS will you lot get your shite together I can't do everything around here"




Can't do enough for a good boss!!!!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I am gelling

Sounds like Ali G.