[Albion] Is something up?!?

[CoachVealie]

A pp mentioned 'togetherness'. I wonder how much losing Stockdale has affected the squad. He seemed to care a lot about morale and the team. Have we lost the guv'nor and not replaced him?

 

[jimhigham]

...played really well against Man U and deserved at least a point.

Absolutely but for the three matches since then we have been... somewhat underwhelming.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I have a conspiracy theory of my own. I think the whole team are not happy when results go against them. It's much easier to show 'togetherness' when it goes well. A frenchmans hissy fit I feel is more aimed at the frenchman himself. Murray having a whinge during the game about service is just a natural phenomenon. Centre halves not playing at their best? not to worry, there isn't normally enough brain cells for them to dwell on it. I didn't feel we were over achieving when we were promoted, I don't feel we are underachieving now. The football has been a bit bland these last few games, but get your feet back on the ground, there are still at least three clubs blander than us. The goal this season is survival and not Europe

 

[Kosh]

Nothing

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/156...__Bong_calls_on_fans_to_keep_faith_with_Jose/

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I couldn't disagree more. If I were Chris I'd see some of Bong's comments as straying into the need to know category. What goes on in the dressing room should stay there and having a sly dig at a percentage of the support is never a clever move. Something the manager would never do. I thing Mr Bong has been spoken to, I would have pulled him if he were my player.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I think that other teams have seen us play a bit and have improved their tactics for dealing with us. None of us knew what Gross was going to do, so now we (and all the other teams) know that nearly all our goals come through him or from him, I suspect he may get a little more attention in the pre-match team talk.

I think that because of this we may look to change the way we play over the next few games. Just a shame that our worst performance of the season by far, was yesterday. I wonder if we'll see Gross rested in favour of some Sam Baldock in a 2 up over the next month ?

Time for Chris to earn his salt, which he has done everytime over the last 3 years. Keep the Faith

 

[Albion my Albion]

fully paid up member of the happy clapper club.

What price did you pay?

 

[djentist]

A pp mentioned 'togetherness'. I wonder how much losing Stockdale has affected the squad. He seemed to care a lot about morale and the team. Have we lost the guv'nor and not replaced him?

He was a significant loss but I feel like Ryan has more than filled his place and seems like a similar sort of character to Stocko, from what I can tell he has integrated well and knows what it means to play for this club. The "problem" if there even is one, in my opinion is more likely to be down to the likes of Izquierdo and Knockaert looking stop start this season and being a bit sulky at points

 

[Weststander]

Stockdale isn't a factor. The club weren't keen to keep him, it was just us.

A squad lacking PL quality in several key ways, has been found out. The 19 other managers now know our one PL game plan, know we lack pace, creativity and goals, and so are going for jugular.

 

[Grassman]

What price did you pay?

He has to sit on Liz Costa's knee on the coach.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'm feeling slightly odd this evening, yet it's not about the last two (ahem) performances and results, as I suspected we'd lose both. Yet I have a rather uncomfortable feeling that all is not right within our hitherto 'together' squad.

Chris seems very unsure re his best, or perhaps focussed, team; we've seen March come in like a lion and out like a lamb, Knocky seems ill tempered, Duffy seems to have become rather invisible, and Gross seems to have run himself into the ground. Hemed was outstanding then banned, Murray seemingly chucked his toys out prior to HemedGate, Bong has been caned (I suspect) for his comments to the press re the Colombian hmmmmmmmm

At the centre of this... I have a feeling lies the little South American with the rather large ego. Akin to Elvis with real power, trouble is brewing and I don't need to read some tea leaves to know something truly demonic is undermining the essense of the spirit that guided us just a short while ago...

Anyone else feeling the same, or have I just eaten some dodgy tuna pasta?!? time, as ever, I'm sure will deliver the answer.

I have to say I feel exactly the same way. It's easy to have togetherness when you're winning of course but something has happened to to the club in the last couple of weeks. Izquierdo seems INCREDIBLY needy. I have no idea if the two things are linked but this doesn't seem the same group as last season mentally.

 

[trueblue]

Izquierdo seems INCREDIBLY needy.

Apart from his lack of celebration in front of the North Stand, where has this perception come from? He appears to work his nuts off for the team when he plays. Met him briefly a couple of weeks back too and he seemed a pretty quiet, likeable sort of bloke.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

I said on another thread that when teams press us high we lack the brains and tactics to get around the problem.
I watched the game yesterday and thought we were a bit like West Ham when we done them 3-0 early in the season
Hopefully CH and the team will have learnt from yesterday and consolidate against a good Spurs side and see a display like we saw at Old Trafford a week or so ago.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Apart from his lack of celebration in front of the North Stand, where has this perception come from? He appears to work his nuts off for the team when he plays. Met him briefly a couple of weeks back too and he seemed a pretty quiet, likeable sort of bloke.

The lack of celebration was very, very odd. I don't expect full choreographed celebration shows, kissing the badge or diving in to the crowd, but that was a first home goal and a vital equalizer and it barely seemed to register with him. It took the wind out of my sails a bit. If he's like that in training it can have an effect. The corporate ****-word for it is "mood hoover".

And your most expensive player should be starting as many games as possible. He's been benched. Yes, he tries very hard when he's playing so this suggests he's still not match fit or not bringing it in training - neither are ideal by the time December rolls round,

Team tactics may not help of course. If I was a £16 million start winger I'd be mightily teed off that Izzy Brown was starting ahead of me in a 6-3-1.

 

[Buzzer]

I said on another thread that when teams press us high we lack the brains and tactics to get around the problem.
I watched the game yesterday and thought we were a bit like West Ham when we done them 3-0 early in the season
Hopefully CH and the team will have learnt from yesterday and consolidate against a good Spurs side and see a display like we saw at Old Trafford a week or so ago.

I think you're right. I also would love to have seen one of the players on the pitch (Duffy?) rally the team after that second goal went in. Really shout at them and give them what for. Bruno's the captain but he's not that kind of character. I'm not sure there was anyone in that side yesterday, Duffy aside, who is capable of that. Assuming the shinpads in your username refer to Oatway, that's the sort of thing that Charlie was so good at. Even Hemed was quiet yesterday when he came on. In the past he's often waved his arms at the fans to rouse us all on when we are chasing the game.

 

[Brighton Mod]

Stockdale isn't a factor. The club weren't keen to keep him, it was just us.

A squad lacking PL quality in several key ways, has been found out. The 19 other managers now know our one PL game plan, know we lack pace, creativity and goals, and so are going for jugular.

I hear a lot of lacking pace, but Izziequedo, March and even Knockheart have pace yet it is rarely unleashed, we're starting them too deep as we defend from such as position. There is a mix in our calendar as with all other teams but struggling against Stoke and Palace were not good portents.Really can't see us getting anything at Spurs.

 

[Buzzer]

Izquierdo seems INCREDIBLY needy.

Blimey. In a side that includes Knockaert, that really is saying something.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Blimey. In a side that includes Knockaert, that really is saying something.

Ha ha fair point. That could be the issue - clash of super egos. Would they be directly against each other in training at times?


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[Buzzer]

I really don't know about Izquierdo. I like the lad, he has something of the Kazenga about him when he knocks the ball on looking for a hard low shot outside the box.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Ha ha fair point. That could be the issue - clash of super egos. Would they be directly against each other in training at times?


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Being needy (as in, wanting to be loved) isn't normally a characteristic of a super ego .... more of a frail ego...anyway the Izquierdo sulk was explained away as a misunderstanding, wasn't it?

 

[Weststander]

I hear a lot of lacking pace, but Izziequedo, March and even Knockheart have pace yet it is rarely unleashed, we're starting them too deep as we defend from such as position. There is a mix in our calendar as with all other teams but struggling against Stoke and Palace were not good portents.Really can't see us getting anything at Spurs.

We countered attacked from deep last season.

Perhaps March and AK simply don’t have the regular beating of far better full backs in their armouries?