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[Albion] how good are we, actually?







trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,026
Hove
Seemed like individual errors were more of an issue today than a high line, which most of the time works but doesn’t instil a sense of being in control. I wonder if this approach was more appropriate against less talented teams that couldn’t exploit it. Interesting to see how we adapt.
 




The Fits

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2020
10,106
Hard to judge when today we were missing Veltman, JPVH, Pedro and Adingra. Yes the defensive line needs sorted but today was highly impacted by missing four certain starters.
But after last season we know that's now a reality. For whatever reason players across the board are getting injured more regularly.
We will almost certainly never have our strongest team available in less that miraculously improves. And why would it?
Off the top of my head Newcastle have Botman (their best defender), Wilson and Isaak out. Arsenal have Odegard, Zinchenko and White out. Man City have just lost the best midfielder in the world for the season. Allison has been injured for the last few weeks, etc etc. Every single member of the squad will need to step up.
 
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trueblue

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
11,026
Hove
He played against Ipswich and Forest who cut us open.
Ipswich ended 0-0. Granted, they clipped the post from an impossible angle - forced by Van Hecke chasing back. Forest probably broke the high line 3x. Got a softish penalty from one where the attacker instigated contact, missed a good chance (which may have been offside if VAR had checked) and scored one. Not easy watching us defend this way but the system of flagging late distorts the perception of how dangerous opponents are.

People will say Chelsea had the ball in the net twice before they scored. Both were miles offside and pre-VAR the move would never have developed. Mind you, I’d agree that pre-VAR such a high line was probably too risky anyway.
 


macbeth

Dismembered
Jan 3, 2018
4,237
six feet beneath the moon
Hard to judge when today we were missing Veltman, JPVH, Pedro and Adingra. Yes the defensive line needs sorted but today was highly impacted by missing four certain starters.
makes it all the more worse that we’re then relying on players like webster who are just not good enough for this level anymore. it’s one thing having depth that obviously is less good than the starters, but to lose one starting centre back and having to end up fielding that defence is a shambles
 














Zeberdi

“Vorsprung durch Technik”
NSC Patron
Oct 20, 2022
7,208
Hard to judge when today we were missing Veltman, JPVH, Pedro and Adingra. Yes the defensive line needs sorted but today was highly impacted by missing four certain starters.
Yes, missing two of our top defenders - especially Van Hecke and missing one of our top goal scorers with both Welbeck and Mitoma not capitalising on a few chances. As for Wieffer- not sure he’s the most football intelligent of players so it may take time for him to understand what FH wants but if Arne Slot saw the potential I am sure he’ll improve for us too - (and yes, the Dutch farmers league isn’t a glowing recommendation but Feyenoord fought some pretty physical battles which the Dutch international excelled in).

Part of the issue is we are playing with a new manager who is still familiarising himself with the potential of each individual player as well as the EPL, so there is still a bit of uncertainty and players like Wieffer and others we signed over the summer are still very much developing - I think it will take a few months for us to settle into a definitive system and for new (and pre-existing) players to grown into it.

I’m not stressing about the result too much - a 4-2 scoreline against a big team that’s completely found it’s mojo under Maresca, has one of the highest shots to goal conversion rates in the PL and over performing their xG, is not entirely shocking.

FH will look at the playbacks, analyse our tactics and take lessons from it, I’m sure.

That’s all we can ask.
 


Littlemo

Well-known member
Aug 25, 2022
1,738
Not been impressed with any of the new recruits so far. Particular minteh he’s been dog shit.

It’s still really early days so they do deserve time to get used to the league and the game. I have to admit being a bit worried, since none of them look very great so far.
 




jcdenton08

Offended Liver Sausage
NSC Patron
Oct 17, 2008
15,016
Let's be honest, RDZ was a bit of a twat at times, but he was a f***ing great tactician. It was always going to be hard to replace him.
Weirdly though I remember RDZ getting absolute pelters last season for being stubborn and unwilling to change his tactics when things weren’t going well.
 






birthofanorange

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 31, 2011
6,576
David Gilmour's armpit
But after last season we know that's now a reality. For whatever reason players across the board are getting injured more regularly.
We will almost certainly never have our strongest team available in less that miraculously improves. And why would it?
Off the top of my head Newcastle have Botman (their best defender), Wilson and Isaak out. Arsenal have Odegard, Zinchenko and White out. Man City have just lost the best midfielder in the world for the season. Allison has been injured for the last few weeks, etc etc. Every single member of the squad will need to step up.
A kinda valid point, but the likes of Arsenal and City have more than enough in their squads to deal with those losses.
We seem to be missing key players far too frequently, and simply don't have the cover for them....and likely never will, unless we go for an overpaid, bloated squad.
 




Clive Walker

Stand Or Fall
Jul 5, 2011
3,605
Brighton
It’s still really early days so they do deserve time to get used to the league and the game. I have to admit being a bit worried, since none of them look very great so far.
I get that but of the 4 we’ve seen none have shown more than a glimpse.
 


The Fits

Well-known member
Jun 29, 2020
10,106
A kinda valid point, but the likes of Arsenal and City have more than enough in their squads to deal with those losses.
We seem to be missing key players far too frequently, and simply don't have the cover for them....and likely never will, unless we go for an overpaid, bloated squad.
Agreed to a point but we do have a massive squad and have just spent the most money of any team in the world to improve it. We aren't the paupers we once were.
 


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