- Jun 27, 2012
- 14,612
4-0 in a pre season friendly? NOTHING like a PL game but nice try
Ha ! poor fact checking by me there and rightly corrected !!
That said I think Burnley might win tonight...
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[Albion] Going too early?
- Thread starter Bozza
- Start date
Ha ! poor fact checking by me there and rightly corrected !!
That said I think Burnley might win tonight...
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Agreed, the teeth gnashing and abuse would be in full swing if we’d had a shit start
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
I will be stunned if they do, let’s see….Rafa knows exactly how to play the thugs of Burnley and has the players to do it. Comfortable Everton win and more tumbling down the table for Albion for me
Love to see a draw though.
100%
We’ve taken a high percentage of the very few chances we’ve created but if our regular forwards revert to the finishing from last season, we’ll be in a lot of bother.
Welbeck looks like he needs a pre-season and has a little way to go before he plays himself back into form.
Connolly has had some niggles and some off pitch concerns.
Maupay is doing fine but can’t do it on his own.
Troß has looked good in periods during the first 4 games but really isn’t consistent.
Big Jürg has been drafted in but we’ll need to prove himself against Swansea if GP is to trust him in the EPL.
Yes, but they have been out on loan and are training with the first team, so I still mean current U23 players
You're probably right there, in previous seasons we would have lost as well. Perhaps now we beginning to establish ourselves. When Liverpool won the EPL they were often poor in games but won. In truth they were better the season prior. Good teams find a way of winning.
Liverpool yesterday were so much better than Dirty Leeds it was comical, however their finishing was even funnier. Can't imagine what here would have been like if we'd missed as many gift edge chances. We miss chances but not ever to that degree.
Trossard had a great game, held the ball up, laid of some great passes which were wasted and scored a great goal. Were you expecting a Ronaldo performance?
Get off his back
Eh?
Not on Trossard’s back at all, not sure where you’re pulling that from?
More the fact that we have limited forward depth as demonstrated with two GK subs and Locadia, which is scraping the barrel.
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
Eh?
Not on Trossard’s back at all, not sure where you’re pulling that from?
More the fact that we have limited forward depth as demonstrated with two GK subs and Locadia, which is scraping the barrel.
You can get off Jurgen’s back too
London Irish
Well-known member
You always have to wait for the tradtional 10-game mark I thought the common sense goes. So worst case scenario we have 9 points after 10 games - obvs we'll be better than that but that's when we can start saying interesting things about what we are doing. Also if Maupay, Trossard and Welbeck outperform across the entire season, then we don't need the extra striker - but that's not hardly a given
You can get off Jurgen’s back too
Nah, he’s crap, until he proves otherwise. Which from where he is now (IMO), will take some doing.
Would never barrack him or anything silly, but he was a poor signing and doesn’t warrant any sort of spot and that includes on the bench, would prefer U23s Ferguson, Leonard, Tolaj even Gary Dicker [emoji23]
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- Jan 3, 2012
- 17,352
I agree it’s a bit early to get carried away, but:
1. I always was a bit sceptical about the overarching need for a striker. If the right one came along - Nunez, probably - ok, but not any old rubbish just for the sake of it.
2. Part of the reason for 1) is that we have other people who ought to be capable of scoring goals, and GP is tactically capable of getting that working.
3. If we do slow down, which we probably will, we already have 9 points in the bag! 9 - nine - from only 4 games
And we are beating teams we should be beating. So I’m happy while not getting carried away.
1. I always was a bit sceptical about the overarching need for a striker. If the right one came along - Nunez, probably - ok, but not any old rubbish just for the sake of it.
2. Part of the reason for 1) is that we have other people who ought to be capable of scoring goals, and GP is tactically capable of getting that working.
3. If we do slow down, which we probably will, we already have 9 points in the bag! 9 - nine - from only 4 games
And we are beating teams we should be beating. So I’m happy while not getting carried away.
I’d agree with this.
We’ve had two poor first halves against Burnley and Brentford and a poor game against Everton. That’s 180 minutes of shitness already. You’d have to take all the games it took us to get to 9 points last season to find that amount of shitness (and you’d still struggle).
Teams are missing tons of opportunities against us this season where as with Ryan in goal last season, the opposition just needed a shot on goal most of the time to register on the scoreboard (no all his fault by any means).
However, playing shit and winning is a brilliant skill to have. Can we play well and win too? We couldn’t consistently last season but hopefully, we can this one.
There is something about the solidity of Sanchez, Dunk, Duffy, Webster and Bissouma that gives me hope.
Absolutely.
- Jun 27, 2012
- 14,612
Really ? You'd have them ahead of Steele/Scherpen, Lamptey, Mwepu, Gross, Burn, Solly, Connolly, Locadia, McAllister, Moder, and Alzate (none of whom made the first 11 on Saturday) ...and Richards and Roberts? . Ok fair enough.
Are you being deliberately obtuse?
The discussion evolved from U23s over two GKs and Locadia.
I would have U23 players over a second goalkeeper on the bench (we had two Saturday Steele and Scherpen) and Locadia who I do not rate in the slightest..
Not sure I can be any clearer.
I'd prefer to see Tudor Baluta on the bench - actually, I'd just like to see Tudor Baluta! Anyone know where his paychecks are being collected??
Moder and Mac rather changed that when they came on - hope we get to see more and more of them as the season wears on.
Yes - Balata seems to be very promising.
Maybe an unpopular opinion, but Lallana was poor for me Saturday and personally I felt he was lucky not to be withdrawn. Agree completely re Moder and Mac.
Baldseagull
Well-known member
Far too early to say it won't be a problem, but I don't think it will be.
For contrast, we actually banged in quite a few goals in the first four games last season (8), but we conceded 10. Versus 5 for and 3 against, so far this season. Apart from quality of opposition, Chelsea, Leicester and Man Utd 3 of the first 4 last season, the improved start is not due to goals coming from elsewhere on the pitch, (Maupay had 4 in 4 opening games last season), it's from goals not being conceded as much. Robert Sanchez and Shane Duffy being the major differences to the defence we started out last season with, so maybe some credit there, but I suspect we have faced less shots so far too. I think that is most likely to continue to be where we will get the most joy in the hunt for more points, until we get Lamptey, Gross, and March all match fit and settled back in, and then we can see if the side has found it's shooting boots or not.
For contrast, we actually banged in quite a few goals in the first four games last season (8), but we conceded 10. Versus 5 for and 3 against, so far this season. Apart from quality of opposition, Chelsea, Leicester and Man Utd 3 of the first 4 last season, the improved start is not due to goals coming from elsewhere on the pitch, (Maupay had 4 in 4 opening games last season), it's from goals not being conceded as much. Robert Sanchez and Shane Duffy being the major differences to the defence we started out last season with, so maybe some credit there, but I suspect we have faced less shots so far too. I think that is most likely to continue to be where we will get the most joy in the hunt for more points, until we get Lamptey, Gross, and March all match fit and settled back in, and then we can see if the side has found it's shooting boots or not.
You are right, Lallana had a stinker.
Biss & Groß in the middle for me against Leicester.
Lallana can be a very good sub in that he analysis the game from the side and can take control for us in the latter stages of games.
Pascal should be nice and fresh for Sunday.
Is he? Has anybody actually seen him? Not in any of the pre-season games, I don't think, and hasn't appeared anywhere near the U23s.