[Albion] Have Albion progressed this season?

[Bozza]

There's a host of different ways to measure progress, so use whatever measure(s) you feel appropriate. I also appreciate this season is not over yet.

Have Albion made positive progress this season?

 

[B-right-on]

Undoubtedly.

(Except to the die hard Potter Outers)

 

[jonny.rainbow]

Yes, but progress is not the same thing as success.

Villa and West Ham have progressed to a greater degree than we have this season.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

100%.

Defensively we are excellent.

Have said it a lot of times but with different forwards we’d be top 10......

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Voted Treading Water. Can't ALWAYS rely on there being three seriously piss poor teams below us

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Voted Treading Water. Can't rely on there ALWAYS being three seriously piss poor teams below us

Do you not think we’ve improved at all then?

 

[Weststander]

In terms of likely final points tally, especially if I was still bitter about CH’s sacking ..... no, we’re about the same.

In many other respects we’ve clearly made progress. For starters, Sanchez and the defence look every bit a solid EPL unit, we now have some pace and lots of creativity in midfield/up front, now only monied ManC, Leicester and Manure have our number.

 

[Poyningsgull]

We haven't been booed off, so that's something.

 

[Steve Foster]

Fine margins but ultimately it is about results.

Last season we finished on 41 points. Currently on 37. (50/50 I would say if we match it)
Last season we finished 15th. Currently 14th with a game played extra. Looks about par that we will finish about the same.
Last year we scored 39 goals. So far 35. Will we match last years campaign? (50/50)
Last year we conceded 54 goals. This campaign conceded 39. Surely progress has been made.
This season the quality of the football is undoubtedly better.

So - I would say this campaign is similar to last years on balance.

Voted - treading on water.

 

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

Undoubtedly.

(Except to the die hard Potter Outers)

Are they Out or are they Out Out?

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

In terms of likely final points tally, especially if I was still bitter about CH’s sacking ..... no, we’re about the same.

In many other respects we’ve clearly made progress. For starters, Sanchez and the defence look every bit a solid EPL unit, we now have some pace and lots of creativity in midfield/up front, now only monied ManC, Leicester and Manure have our number.

Good points as always.

However, I would say last season didn’t feel much of an improvement from where we were under CH (sorry [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION]) whereas this season feels a very real improvement because our shape is so good without the ball.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Do you not think we’ve improved at all then?

Over the course of 2 seasons? For sure!

We no longer:

a) needlessly endlessly tinker around with the starting eleven

b) needlessly endlessly dick around at the back

c) needlessly uselessly do that two-man-corner thing

If I didn't know any better, I'd say our half-bright manager may be halfway towards earning a GCSE pass in Footballing Intelligence

 

[vagabond]

Absolutely.

Positives
- Improved GK situation with Sanchez
- better defensive solidity. Picking up clean sheets for fun
- Greater squad depth with the addition of Moises, Moder, Karbo, Tau, Veltman, Lallana, Welbeck
- Ben White made the step up to the PL with ease
- Lamptey established as one of the most exciting players in the league
- Huge reinvention to the roles of Solly and Gross
- Webster has gone up a level

It now feels like we’re a very competitive PL side, capable of going toe to toe with anyone. We dominated most our games this season and probably haven’t got the points we deserved (and that is something we’ve not been able to say in most our seasons here). The win at Anfield was quite special.

Negatives
(Yes despite strawmans from die hard Potter out campaigners, you can believe in the manager whilst acknowledging there are things we need to improve):
- game management
- tougher mentality, surrendering leads, throwing points away
- substitutions / better forward options from the bench
- dealing with teams who play low block.
- more clinical. We rarely take 2 goal leads

I have genuine belief with our management team we will be addressing these issues already. In fact our 2nd half of the season form has seen huge improvements. Lots of big decisions to make in the summer, I will be very interested to see what GP’s plans are for our forward options as he has proved he can be quite ruthless when needed.

 

[KZNSeagull]

100%.

Defensively we are excellent.

Have said it a lot of times but with different forwards we’d be top 10......

Yup. We are a top 10 team in all but scoring, plus if half of those bloody post/crossbar hits had gone in, we would be top 10 now.

 

[schmunk]

Yes! For the vast majority of this season we've played like absolute winners except for that killer instinct in front of goal. We're 7th in the league for shots - 2 sessions ago we were 19th!

We're also 7th on 'Hit woodwork' and 'Big chances missed'.

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

Over the course of 2 seasons? For sure!

We no longer:

a) needlessly endlessly tinker around with the starting eleven

b) needlessly endlessly dick around at the back

c) needlessly uselessly do that two-man-corner thing

If I didn't know any better, I'd say our hlf-bright manager may be halfway towards earning a GCSE pass in Footballing Intelligence

When I think back to Bournemouth away when we lost last season, I honestly thought we were awful. Webster had a nightmare, there was no shape at all defensively, little threat in the box.......

Now, when we lose the ball there is a very clear shape and limited space available, which is superb, and really the main reason why I think look so good.

When you think we’ve lost Solly and Lamptey, it is a testament to GP, that the shape is so good, other players have been able to slot in...

 

[Weststander]

Good points as always.

However, I would say last season didn’t feel much of an improvement from where we were under CH (sorry [MENTION=19]Icy Gull[/MENTION]) whereas this season feels a very real improvement because our shape is so good without the ball.

Last season I felt GP with his initial work in progress discarded CH’s excellent defence eg Man City 9-0 over two games, Brighton 0-3 Manure and others. Too many bodies were naively pushed forward, covered by poor/slow defenders such as Montoya. The tactics and formation were there, but we lacked quality across the first team. In addition, the obsession with passing it dangerously about the back, helped make us very predictable.

We would’ve been relegated without lockdown.

A different story this season. Long passes by Ryan/Sanchez, Dunk gets support when we face counter attacks, Lamptey/Veltman have solved the RB achilles heel, some pace.

 

[jonny.rainbow]

We haven't been booed off, so that's something.

You weren’t at the Sheffield United home game then.

A few boos in the East on the final whistle.

 

[A1X]

I voted treading water not for reasons of things being bad but as we’re clearly transitioning into a team capable of pushing for more and as such have been roughly around the same position as we have been in seasons previously. I see us right now as being like one of those cyclists in a velodrome stalking around the top of the banking before launching into the full on sprint next season.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

When I think back to Bournemouth away when we lost last season, I honestly thought we were awful. Webster had a nightmare, there was no shape at all defensively, little threat in the box.......

Now, when we lose the ball there is a very clear shape and limited space available, which is superb, and really the main reason why I think look so good.

When you think we’ve lost Solly and Lamptey, it is a testament to GP, that the shape is so good, other players have been able to slot in...

How much of it is down to the basics of bedding in a settled side tho? Took stupidly long to reach this point IMHO