[Albion] Fabian Hürzeler **SINGED 15/06/2024**

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Enciso doesn’t appear to be very happy.

You've picked one clearly quite passionate/sensitive kid who's not afraid to show his emotions and not currently getting in the first team as your proof of an unhappy dressing room?!

I think you need to look at the squad as a whole from January to May this year to witness an unhappy dressing room. FH has had a hell of a lot of work to do to pick them up and turn around the, to quote an accurate post above, massive clusterfuck that RDZ left.

 

[aolstudios]

Agree on your first point apart changing formation within the game, but the reason for me was down to three of our four RBs being injured and the final one either can't play (much) more than 45 minutes or isn't up to the standard, potentially both.

Agree, worryingly

 

[Silverhatch]

Funny how two people can see the same game completely differently. I thought we were considerably better when we were playing with a back three.

I understand why JPvH was taken off, but reverting to a back four lost us control of the midfield and to me we looked significantly worse once we made the switch.

As soon as Silva started targeting our right hand side, the back three was shredded. JP does not like playing wide - he’s much better with the entire pitch in front of him (his reaction on his hooking was testament to his discomfort). IMHO of course.

 

[GT49er]

You may be right but I’m also thinking if either Webster, Hinsh and/or Veltman had been fit, FH would have stuck with 4.
There were fine margins and we created chances but our few errors at the back buried us.
IMO we need some changes in January - (I’d be tempted to get Barco back amongst other things) — I think we need an injection of new energy at the back.

Sevilla would happily drive him back here!

FWIW I think they will see the back of him, but he'll be going out on loan somewhere else; EFL hopefully - he's had some time acclimatizing to Europe, now for the UK.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Enciso doesn’t appear to be very happy.

And with that 'evidence' you assume the manager has lost the dressing room?

Crikey.

Your workplace must be an extremely tough and exacting environment.

 

[Justice]

And with that 'evidence' you assume the manager has lost the dressing room?

Crikey.

Your workplace must be an extremely tough and exacting environment.

Not really it’s just me all day
Surprised people haven’t worked me out by now I take the piss most of the time.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Not really it’s just me all day
Surprised people haven’t worked me out by now I take the piss most of the time.

I know.

I just thought I'd get a bit of mileage out of it. Put you on the spot.

As it happens I have heard through the grapevine that Bloom thinks that Fab is the worst manager we have had for 50 years.
Fifth in the EPL is far below expectations, and the team is playing so badly that only a general election and a new prime minister will...

Sorry, wrong thread.

 

[chickens]

As soon as Silva started targeting our right hand side, the back three was shredded. JP does not like playing wide - he’s much better with the entire pitch in front of him (his reaction on his hooking was testament to his discomfort). IMHO of course.

It’s all about opinions innit? He was frustrated at his own performance and being taken off to my mind, the only way any player gets better at something is doing it. I’d be unhappier if he wasn’t upset.

For me, the back three was the right formation against Fulham, we looked lost when we switched to a back four.

Was JPvH perfect on the right? No. Will he get better the more he plays there? Absolutely. He’s learning the role, and will improve. I like to think that in future matches JPvH may get some more active support as well.

For me our loss last night had nothing to do with the back three formation, and everything to do with individual mistakes. Two of their goals were early Christmas presents. Leicester next, we go again.

 

[Zeberdi]

…tonight was a shit show can you imagine how pissed of Ferguson must of felt, no Welbeck and he plays Pedro as a striker and then a left winger on the right leaving £100m worth of right sided players on the bench.

Addressed above - Ferguson has to earn his place in the team starting line up like everyone else. The choice is a performance based decision based on training and match performance and player mentality - managers don’t pick teams to make players happy, they pick the best team that is going to win any given match.

We normally use inverted wingers, Gruda, Minteh, Rutter are all left footed right wingers - Adingra is right footed so putting him on the right IS his other position - it is a testament to our policy of recruiting versatile players that he can play both. IMO Adingra ( nor more recently, Gruda) has not generally performed to expectations in the past calendar year but he is a versatile player, you can’t fault him for that. We have a match on Sunday too so there was probably an element of wanting to rest Rutter in the decision making.

Went to a 3 to accommodate Dunk just because he’s fit again after the defence had not really been conceding many in the last month he’s been out.

IMO - we went to 3 because, Webster, Veltman and Hinsch are all injured and after S’ton, I think most agreed Lamptey is good going forward in possession but is not a match in defence for fast, tall wingbacks, maybe Hürzeler thought likewise. In theory, 3 at the back should have worked but again, addressed above, VH is not a natural wide/right sided player any more than Hinsch is a natural left sided player but they can both adapt with more experience.

We have a very talented assembled expensive squad thanks to Mr Bloom and some how he’s already got a disgruntled dressing room.

Hogwash - all players get frustrated if they aren’t getting match time but that’s very different from the narrative you are suggesting.

People getting carried away by early season results really shouldn’t it’s the same every year and we haven’t won any games we should be winning with the talent here now.
I’m not denying we’ve had some good wins although it’s all for nothing if we can’t build on those wins and we haven’t been able to.

No one is getting carried away - I don’t see anyone posting that everything is brilliant or that Hürzeler isn’t himself still developing as a EPL manager.

Winning games is not just about talent - it’s also about mentality and game management and in that, I fully acknowledge, we still have a lot of work to do if we want a European qualifying place this season.

 

[Zeberdi]

Sevilla would happily drive him back here!

FWIW I think they will see the back of him, but he'll be going out on loan somewhere else; EFL hopefully - he's had some time acclimatizing to Europe, now for the UK.

Yes, Seville has not been kind for him but Barco wanted match time - I remember Hürzeler saying he couldn’t guarantee him starts if he stayed. Just saying though, with 3 of our regular RFBs out (I know, Barco plays on the left so I wasn’t suggesting using him as cover for RB) we’ve been a bit stuck - we could do with another right sided defender imo - Veltman, Milner, Webster, Hinschelwood, Ferdi Kadioglu, all players out who could play RB which leaves Lamptey and Van Hecke, neither of which fills me with confidence, in fact only Veltman and Hinsh make me feel confidence in that role consistently, especially after Lamptey’s fcuk up at the back on Thursday!

In a 3 at the back imo, you also need a CD/CB to play as a sweeper/libero to cover the wide spaces vacated by the FBs as they push foreward - Dunky isn’t that player and Weiffer hasn’t shown much to date that he is a libero player..

While hopefully most of these will be back by January, I hope we don’t make the same mistake as we did last January and fail to take proper stock in December of our injury situation.

In the meantime, if we have to play in a back 3, I would rather we drop one of the wingers to play as a deep Wingback - Minteh preferably, at least he has the speed to drop back into a defending line.

 

[GT49er]

Yes, Seville has not been kind for him but Barco wanted match time - I remember Hürzeler saying he couldn’t guarantee him starts if he stayed. Just saying though, with 3 of our regular RFBs out (I know, Barco plays on the left so I wasn’t suggesting using him as cover for RB) we’ve been a bit stuck - we could do with another right sided defender imo - Veltman, Milner, Webster, Hinschelwood, Ferdi Kadioglu, all players out who could play RB which leaves Lamptey and Van Hecke, neither of which fills me with confidence, in fact only Veltman and Hinsh make me fill confident in that role!

In a 3 at the back imo, you also need a CD/CB to play as a sweeper/libero to cover the wide spaces vacated by the FBs as they push foreward - Dunky isn’t that player and Weiffer hasn’t shown much to date that he is a libero player..

While hopefully most of these will be back by January, I hope we don’t make the same mistake as we did last January and fail to take proper stock in December of our injury situation.

If we were going to pull back a loanee to play FB for us, it would be Offiah - but it's a bit jump from League 1 (where he is doing very well; I hope we'll leave him there for the season) to the PL. Pulling Barco would only be for another (better) loan, surely.

 

[Zeberdi]

If we were going to pull back a loanee to play FB for us, it would be Offiah - but it's a bit jump from League 1 (where he is doing very well; I hope we'll leave him there for the season) to the PL. Pulling Barco would only be for another (better) loan, surely.

There isn’t much available tbh

I was looking at the U21s too - again, no players particularly stand out although I don’t follow the youth teams that closely - maybe we do have a talented player who can step up the way Hinsh did last year.

Jacob Slater is promising but he’s a Left Back.

Edit - just a thought but what about Ruari McConville our U21 Northern Ireland international - plays CB but right footed - worth a punt at RB?

 

[Justice]

Addressed above - Ferguson has to earn his place in the team starting line up like everyone else. The choice is a performance based decision based on training and match performance and player mentality - managers don’t pick teams to make players happy, they pick the best team that is going to win any given match.

We normally use inverted wingers, Gruda, Minteh, Rutter are all left footed right wingers - Adingra is right footed so putting him on the right IS his other position - it is a testament to our policy of recruiting versatile players that he can play both. IMO Adingra ( nor more recently, Gruda) has not generally performed to expectations in the past calendar year but he is a versatile player, you can’t fault him for that. We have a match on Sunday too so there was probably an element of wanting to rest Rutter in the decision making.

IMO - we went to 3 because, Webster, Veltman and Hinsch are all injured and after S’ton, I think most agreed Lamptey is good going forward in possession but is not a match in defence for fast, tall wingbacks, maybe Hürzeler thought likewise. In theory, 3 at the back should have worked but again, addressed above, VH is not a natural wide/right sided player any more than Hinsch is a natural left sided player but they can both adapt with more experience.

Hogwash - all players get frustrated if they aren’t getting match time but that’s very different from the narrative you are suggesting.

No one is getting carried away - I don’t see anyone posting that everything is brilliant or that Hürzeler isn’t himself still developing as a EPL manager.

Winning games is not just about talent - it’s also about mentality and game management and in that, I fully acknowledge, we still have a lot of work to do if we want a European qualifying place this season.

If we normally use inverted wingers then can you explain why we spent £90m buying right sided players? Something’s not adding up here.

 

[Zeberdi]

If we normally use inverted wingers then can you explain why we spent £90m buying right sided players? Something’s not adding up here.

Because we needed inverted right wingers? With March out indefinitely, we were sorely lacking on the right.

We already had Mitoma, Welbeck, Adingra and Pedro, all right footed players who can play on the left.

I’m not sure I understand your question tbh.

 

[Zeberdi]

Hürzeler had good game management up until Leicester scored - then we’re like rabbits in headlights again..

Reverting to 4 at the back with Lamptey was right after Thursday and taking Baleba off to prevent a repeat of Southampton also sensible. Seems to me we sat back too early on the 2 goals - Hürzeler also needs to keep an attacking momentum until the final whistle blows - maybe down to sub choices again?.

Such a very frustrating end to what was an otherwise a good performance from us today.

EDIT

Just realised I am the only one posting post-match comments on this thread and appreciate I’m talking to myself mostly for some reason but don’t want to start another Hürzeler thread - we use the players own threads to comment on so it seems appropriate to keep posting on this one about Hürzeler but it does look like it’s mostly me posting here now so sorry ‘bout that.

 

[Zeberdi]

Bump.

Let’s not turn NSC into one big Hürzeler OUT bed wetting session.

Can we please have a sensible discussion about what needs addressing without the over reaction and drama?

FFS

 

[Zeberdi]

Hürzeler’s post match reaction if anyone is interested …no excuses from him.

“A big part is game management… we have to improve”