[Albion] Fab OUT

[Littlemo]

That 1st half had me bored to tears. I was shocked at how slow and lethargic we looked and even lack of confidence and ideas especially after 3 away wins and seemingly turning the corner(form wise). Commented on matchday thread that we looked like we thought we'd only have to turn up to win.

I am not Fab out by any means but this is what bothers me the most tbh, we are rubbish to watch.

We have shown that we are capable of some great football at times but that only seems to be over one half of a game. Even though we are getting the points to make it a decent season, it’s not always a great watch.

 

[Bold Seagull]

We created lots but couldn’t finish. 16 shots but only one on target.

This whole thread is knee jerk imo. A new manager, with new players, inexperienced in the PL, and yet, we’ve only briefly been out of the top ten.

It takes players new to the PL time to settle, and a new manager, especially a young one time to bed in ideas. Iraola at Bournemouth are a prime example.

The £200m really has messed with people’s heads, but these weren’t players with proven PL experience, it’s mostly young talent for the future, and they all need a bit of time, much of that spend is out on loan.

Next season will be the time to be more judgemental if the squad is largely kept together.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

If we could work out a way to unlock a team that just comes to park the bus then we'd be Europe-bound, no question. There's a clear lack of guile there

 

[Hamilton]

If we could work out a way to unlock a team that just comes to park the bus then we'd be Europe-bound, no question. There's a clear lack of guile there

I agree, but if that lack of guile spreads to the manager, then that signals problems.

Looking back at the Ipswich win - which was vital - our xG there was still only 0.97. We won, but we didn’t play them off the park.

Then looking at games like Villa, we are so Jekyll and Hyde in character. But is that character or is is game plan. Yes, the opposition can influence the game, but too often I feel we’ve gone out with the wrong mentality.

In that first half yesterday, Everton were there for the taking. We should have started with Minteh, Lampty, Mitoma, Rutter, Welbeck, Pedro (in a more attaching midfield role), and had Baleba, O’Reilly in midfield with three at the back in JPVH, Webster and Veltman.

When we play Dunk we seem to slow down. It’s always ‘pass it to Dunk.’ Reset. ‘Pass it to Dunk.’ Reset.

Start more attacking and bring on Gruda and Hinshelwood to shore up later.

I was just SO bored in that first half. Possibly the most boring half I’ve sat through at the Amex (bar the penalty decision.)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Did you actually sit through that game? Nothing knee jerk about suggesting it was a very laboured and clueless performance with zero urgency and intensity until we went a goal down. I go to be entertained, win, lose or draw, the most entertainment I got from that game was the handbags at full time

I still haven’t got a clue what the tactics are unless it’s to bore the opposition to death and only really go for it once players who should have started are brought on for the last 25 mins or so.

Expecting fans to create a raucous atmosphere when we play like we did before the penalty is pie in the sky, having said that I thought the atmosphere was reasonable given the performance on the pitch.

Up to near the end when the cold got into my arthritis.

It was one game following three wins. The very definition of knee jerk.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

If we could work out a way to unlock a team that just comes to park the bus then we'd be Europe-bound, no question. There's a clear lack of guile there

That comes with experience.

 

[Washie]

But we’ve also acquired a lot of players for £200M with not much experience and all very young. No one is really in the prime of their career. All from leagues a long way off the PL as well. This season was very much a bedding in season for me. The big risk is we lose Pedro and Baleba in the summer and back to square one

Judging by the last few months, losing Pedro wouldn't be the biggest loss.

 

[Napper]

Not out but not convinced by him at all yet

 

[oldboyroy]

We created lots but couldn’t finish. 16 shots but only one on target.

This whole thread is knee jerk imo. A new manager, with new players, inexperienced in the PL, and yet, we’ve only briefly been out of the top ten.

Did we create lots? We had stacks of possession on the edge of their box but didn't create hardly any clear chances. They snuffed us out at everything.

 

[The Fits]

I agree, but if that lack of guile spreads to the manager, then that signals problems.

Looking back at the Ipswich win - which was vital - our xG there was still only 0.97. We won, but we didn’t play them off the park.

Then looking at games like Villa, we are so Jekyll and Hyde in character. But is that character or is is game plan. Yes, the opposition can influence the game, but too often I feel we’ve gone out with the wrong mentality.

In that first half yesterday, Everton were there for the taking. We should have started with Minteh, Lampty, Mitoma, Rutter, Welbeck, Pedro (in a more attaching midfield role), and had Baleba, O’Reilly in midfield with three at the back in JPVH, Webster and Veltman.

When we play Dunk we seem to slow down. It’s always ‘pass it to Dunk.’ Reset. ‘Pass it to Dunk.’ Reset.

Start more attacking and bring on Gruda and Hinshelwood to shore up later.

I was just SO bored in that first half. Possibly the most boring half I’ve sat through at the Amex (bar the penalty decision.)

This is all spot on. What we don’t seem to do consistently under Fab is impose ourselves. It’s all a bit tepid. That’s a worry for me.
Few people have bought up Iraola. They had a very clear style last year. This year they’re also really imposing themselves.
We are all hoping there will be a big change next year but is that likely? Attitude, aggression, style etc should all be there at least in glimpses now surely?

 

[The Fits]

Did we create lots? We had stacks of possession on the edge of their box but didn't create hardly any clear chances. They snuffed us out at everything.

And no we didn’t. We did the thing we’ve done a lot of at home for years. We create chances but they’re not good ones.
We didn’t miss 16 good chances. We had 16 punts against a well drilled team that we couldn’t move out of position or get past.

 

[The Fits]

That comes with experience.

Problem is that the nature of our approach is that we buy young players and hire inexperienced managers. They leave before they’re experienced.
I do wonder whether there is some kind of old head, a kind of flamboyant Moyes we could get behind the scenes to provide that. Not just for Fab, ongoing.

 

[Milano]

I agree, but if that lack of guile spreads to the manager, then that signals problems.

Looking back at the Ipswich win - which was vital - our xG there was still only 0.97. We won, but we didn’t play them off the park.

Then looking at games like Villa, we are so Jekyll and Hyde in character. But is that character or is is game plan. Yes, the opposition can influence the game, but too often I feel we’ve gone out with the wrong mentality.

In that first half yesterday, Everton were there for the taking. We should have started with Minteh, Lampty, Mitoma, Rutter, Welbeck, Pedro (in a more attaching midfield role), and had Baleba, O’Reilly in midfield with three at the back in JPVH, Webster and Veltman.

When we play Dunk we seem to slow down. It’s always ‘pass it to Dunk.’ Reset. ‘Pass it to Dunk.’ Reset.

Start more attacking and bring on Gruda and Hinshelwood to shore up later.

I was just SO bored in that first half. Possibly the most boring half I’ve sat through at the Amex (bar the penalty decision.)

All of this.
Dunk was awful yesterday, he seems to need 3 touches before he does anything. If he wasn’t the player he is for I think he’d be getting a bit of stick now, but he is and deserves respect. JPvH needs a different partner next season though IMO.

 

[TottonSeagull]

I have no idea if there has been a fall out with some of the players as some say but we certainly don't play with a smile on the players faces these days!
There seems little joy or cohesion in the team at the moment!
The home tactics are baffling and i still have no idea what our plan A. Plan B tends to be get 3 subs on that generally perks the team up!
Not sure i can name one player that has progressed under FH but can think of a handful who have gone backwards!

 

[Flounce]

Up to near the end when the cold got into my arthritis.

It was one game following three wins. The very definition of knee jerk.

We have different interpretations of knee jerk. To me, it’s reacting without thinking something through. I have thought through my reactions to yesterday and there is nothing knee jerk about having the opinion that the team underperformed all over the pitch as did the coaching staff tactics and set up. It is an opinion, nothing more. You were happy with what you saw, fair enough.

Your comment and others too, suggest to me, that because an opinion differs to yours it’s “knee jerk”. A little patronising and condescending imo

I don’t care that we had three good results previously, just makes yesterday even more annoying

 

[Cordwainer]

I think one of the biggest issues playing ‘style’ currently is the slow transitions. Look at the ball Baleba played Mitoma in at OT last week..more of those have to be worth a try against low block teams. The slow build up through the middle was never going to break Everton down..who knows if this is what FH coaches them or the players lack confidence to try more often but yesterday was in the main painful to watch.

 

[Flounce]

I think one of the biggest issues playing ‘style’ currently is the slow transitions. Look at the ball Baleba played Mitoma in at OT last week..more of those have to be worth a try against low block teams. The slow build up through the middle was never going to break Everton down..who knows if this is what FH coaches them or the players lack confidence to try more often but yesterday was in the main painful to watch.

Exactly and Gruda was in a position to receive a defence splitting pass on a few occasions and was ignored as the midfield and defence chose to go backwards or sideways. Yet Gruda gets slagged off because he only received the ball when a player had no other options and he was normally played into a dead end.

I lost count of the number of times he held his arm up to alert the player with the ball, who chose the safe option of backwards or sideways every time,

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

Some people need to stop overrating our team, we’ve spent a load of money on attacking midfielders which have very little creative output. Not a single player we bought in the summer is anywhere near the levels of Gross or even Mac Allister.

The problem is, and keeps being shown on here, people keep thinking a £200m spend instantly means we should be challenging top 4. It's complete nonsense. Then coupled with Potter/De Zerbi would do better.

After Barco's introduction at the end of last season, I was looking forward to seeing more of him. Quick to get a decent cross in, I thought he might replace the set ball deliveries into the box that Gross used to do. But he was loaned out.

 

[macbeth]

The problem is, and keeps being shown on here, people keep thinking a £200m spend instantly means we should be challenging top 4. It's complete nonsense. Then coupled with Potter/De Zerbi would do better.

After Barco's introduction at the end of last season, I was looking forward to seeing more of him. Quick to get a decent cross in, I thought he might replace the set ball deliveries into the box that Gross used to do. But he was loaned out.

To be honest what’s concerned me most this season is how quickly it’s become apparent that FH has no real interest in using Barco, Ferguson and Enciso. Granted there have been some injury issues, and possibly an attitude problem with Enciso, but this is the first time I can remember since we’ve adopted this model of signing young players that I’ve seen three or four players, whom the club have invested a lot of time, money and energy into, fall out of favour very very quickly and then look like they’re heading for the exit door. I’m not saying this is definitely FH’s fault, particularly in Enciso’s case, though the rumours of a fall out due to his treatment of Fergie don’t bode well, but it’s the first time where it’s really not looked like there’s a clear plan there in terms of development for three huge, huge talents, especially when a lot of the new lads bought in the summer look miles off it at present. Certainly, Barco’s situation is absolutely baffling.

 

[oldboyroy]

The problem is, and keeps being shown on here, people keep thinking a £200m spend instantly means we should be challenging top 4. It's complete nonsense. Then coupled with Potter/De Zerbi would do better.

After Barco's introduction at the end of last season, I was looking forward to seeing more of him. Quick to get a decent cross in, I thought he might replace the set ball deliveries into the box that Gross used to do. But he was loaned out.

I liked Barco and he had a bit of shithousery in him. I also like Facundo and Enciso but both loaned out too!