[Albion] I think he's leaving this summer...

[dazzer6666]

Good interview…….honest and straightforward in the face of the usual banal questions and poor attempts to get a headline out of him. Like the squad he’s tired. International break will be great for all of them, not progressing in the FA Cup will turn out to be a blessing I suspect.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

De Zerbi said: “It’s different playing one game per week and three games per week, a different sport.”

This season started on 12th August which is 30 weeks ago. I am struggling to recall all 90 matches we have played this season. In fact we have played 7 extra matches through those 30 weeks due to Europe. This whole 3 games a week thing annoys me. In some weeks we play 2 but people keep adding the game on a Saturday to a Thursday and then a Sunday. Does my head in. I know I need to get over it but you can’t say one game a week we we play sat then sat but three a games when we play 3 sat until Sunday.

Paul.barber@brightonandhovealbion.com

 

[Hometownglory]

Agree on the first but everyone has seen enough of Mitoma to attract bids alas

I actually think Mitoma's form this season has not been that of last. Almost like he's been found out a little. I am hoping this puts people off

 

[zefarelly]

3 highly competitive games in 8 or 9 days is tough.

Having said that we have 25 players. We've played 37 or so games, in about 30 weeks, so a game every 5 1/2 days.

For highly pampered professional athletes who don't have to do anything else, apart from count huge wads of cash, where's the problem?

being mentally fit is another issue. Todays the kind of game where RDZ really could earn his wage . . . Or scupper any hopes of a big job!

big job, fnarr!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I thought his interview was very good. Made it clear him staying has got nothing to do with getting into Europe. Also how difficult it is for everybody at club playing 3 games a week including medical staff having only 2 days to get players ready to play again so soon. He emphasised that were we to qualify again all at club including himself would have to approach it differently which is a fair enough comment.
I would of liked him to be asked if he was so concerned about numbers why did we loan Undav and Dahoud out.

<sigh> The Undav situation has been explained many times.

I agree with the rest of your perspective

 

[Garyoldfan]

I actually think Mitoma's form this season has not been that of last. Almost like he's been found out a little. I am hoping this puts people off

I don’t think he’s going anywhere based on this years performances. He’s been good but just think he’s cut inside much more than last year. I can’t think of anyone that will obviously leave like previous seasons. Imagine that’s the case, we strengthen the squad and a few teams get done for ffp issues ? Could be interesting next year.

 

[tigertim68]

The bottom line is , we have lost 3 top quality midfielders from last season, and have not replaced them , our squad is small and includes 3 or 4 players who can’t play a full match ,
This is why we are struggling

 

[raymondo]

De Zerbi said: “It’s different playing one game per week and three games per week, a different sport.”

This season started on 12th August which is 30 weeks ago. I am struggling to recall all 90 matches we have played this season. In fact we have played 7 extra matches through those 30 weeks due to Europe. This whole 3 games a week thing annoys me. In some weeks we play 2 but people keep adding the game on a Saturday to a Thursday and then a Sunday. Does my head in. I know I need to get over it but you can’t say one game a week we we play sat then sat but three a games when we play 3 sat until Sunday.

Drives me nuts also

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

De Zerbi said: “It’s different playing one game per week and three games per week, a different sport.”

This season started on 12th August which is 30 weeks ago. I am struggling to recall all 90 matches we have played this season. In fact we have played 7 extra matches through those 30 weeks due to Europe. This whole 3 games a week thing annoys me. In some weeks we play 2 but people keep adding the game on a Saturday to a Thursday and then a Sunday. Does my head in. I know I need to get over it but you can’t say one game a week we we play sat then sat but three a games when we play 3 sat until Sunday.

As you just stated, playing Sunday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Sounds like 3 games in 1 week, 7 day period.

 

[Jim in the West]

3 highly competitive games in 8 or 9 days is tough.

Having said that we have 25 players. We've played 37 or so games, in about 30 weeks, so a game every 5 1/2 days.

For highly pampered professional athletes who don't have to do anything else, apart from count huge wads of cash, where's the problem?

being mentally fit is another issue. Todays the kind of game where RDZ really could earn his wage . . . Or scupper any hopes of a big job!

big job, fnarr!

The problem is, those extra games include 4 with significantly more travel. All the Europa League matches will have been hugely draining, emotionally. When you add that to all the injuries I’m frankly amazed we’ve coped so well. I’m not surprised RDZ is sometimes rather down….he must be absolutely exhausted. This level of intensity, in the full glare of so much media attention, is hard to deal with.
One positive - if we went to Liverpool or Barca the pressure and everything else would ramp up several notches. Hopefully he’s not up for that, yet!

 

[bluenitsuj]

As you just stated, playing Sunday, Thursday, and Saturday.

Sounds like 3 games in 1 week, 7 day period.

We don't play Thursday and Saturday.

Sunday Thursday Sunday is 8 days.

 

[Weststander]

We don't play Thursday and Saturday.

Sunday Thursday Sunday is 8 days.

Three games in 7 days + 2 hours. Typically.

 

[Half Time Pies]

3 highly competitive games in 8 or 9 days is tough.

Having said that we have 25 players. We've played 37 or so games, in about 30 weeks, so a game every 5 1/2 days.

For highly pampered professional athletes who don't have to do anything else, apart from count huge wads of cash, where's the problem?

being mentally fit is another issue. Todays the kind of game where RDZ really could earn his wage . . . Or scupper any hopes of a big job!

big job, fnarr!

It's also about being able to prepare properly for the next opponent. If you finish a game on Thursday night in Europe and then travel back to the UK it can't give much time to prep the team tactically for the next fixture. Maybe a couple of hours max on the training ground to prepare for a very different game (Nottingham forest at home compared with Roma away) and to get players, who might be feeling a bit demoralised, in the right headspace and knowing what they need to do in the next fixture.

Nottingham forest on the other hand have had over a week to prepare on the training ground specifically for this fixture.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

It is no coincidence that our injuries ramped up and results dropped off as soon as the European games started.

Amazing to see so many people getting rattled by talk of 3 games in 7 days which pretty much every club in Europe has moaned about at some point over the last few years when they blow a Sunday fixture.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

I actually think Mitoma's form this season has not been that of last. Almost like he's been found out a little. I am hoping this puts people off

Disagree.

In the PL last season he averaged a goal or assist every 2.7 games. This season in the PL he averages a goal or assist every 2.7 games.

He’s brilliant. He is our most dangerous player by far. He indirectly creates things for us even if he doesn’t get the direct goal involvement. Other teams know that and put 2 or 3 players on him freeing up space for other players.

We’re half the team and attacking threat without him.

 

[nwgull]

Are you sure those were all training injuries?? pretty ridiculous if true .

I’m not sure, but they’re all injuries that didn’t appear to happen during an actual game.

3 highly competitive games in 8 or 9 days is tough.

Having said that we have 25 players. We've played 37 or so games, in about 30 weeks, so a game every 5 1/2 days.

For highly pampered professional athletes who don't have to do anything else, apart from count huge wads of cash, where's the problem?

being mentally fit is another issue. Todays the kind of game where RDZ really could earn his wage . . . Or scupper any hopes of a big job!

big job, fnarr!

We’ve got about 30 first-team players in our squad, haven’t we? The following don’t count towards the 25 due to not turning 22 until this calendar year (or later):

Adingra
Bart
Goodnight
Baleba
Fergie
Hinshelwood
Enciso
Barco

Accepted that the last 2 haven’t been available for many games, but it’s still got to be the biggest squad we’ve had since promotion, no?

 

[dazzer6666]

I actually think Mitoma's form this season has not been that of last. Almost like he's been found out a little. I am hoping this puts people off

He played most games without Pervis so never had the same amount of space and was usually double-teamed which happens far less when Pervis is playing. Need to judge him when they're back together.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Agree on the first but everyone has seen enough of Mitoma to attract bids alas

Indeed. That back injury is not going to put anyone off.

I think we need to spend around £100m this summer and am of the view that we should fund that amount through player sales. If we sell Undav, Dahoud, Sima, Alzate and perhaps a few more who won’t make it to the first team, we’ll still need to sell one of our big stars to hit that £100m. Mitoma is the could be the best left winger in the EPL, most EPL fans realise that and we’d do extremely well to keep hold of him this summer despite his current injury.

 

[Garyoldfan]

Indeed. That back injury is not going to put anyone off.

I think we need to spend around £100m this summer and am of the view that we should fund that amount through player sales. If we sell Undav, Dahoud, Sima, Alzate and perhaps a few more who won’t make it to the first team, we’ll still need to sell one of our big stars to hit that £100m. Mitoma is the could be the best left winger in the EPL, most EPL fans realise that and we’d do extremely well to keep hold of him this summer despite his current injury.

I don’t think it’s so much the cost of buying the players but of the wages. Fortunately Fati is only on loan but if we’d bought him and had to pay £100,000 a week for him I think (with massive hindsight) that would have been a mistake. It must be very difficult to please the fans and keep costs positive.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Indeed. That back injury is not going to put anyone off.

I think we need to spend around £100m this summer and am of the view that we should fund that amount through player sales. If we sell Undav, Dahoud, Sima, Alzate and perhaps a few more who won’t make it to the first team, we’ll still need to sell one of our big stars to hit that £100m. Mitoma is the could be the best left winger in the EPL, most EPL fans realise that and we’d do extremely well to keep hold of him this summer despite his current injury.

We don't need to sell any of our big stars this summer unless they force a move like Caicedo.