[Albion] It's Just Sunk In...

[MattBackHome]

I'm looking forward to the day when GP isn't brought up at every single opportunity, regardless of whether he has any bearing on the subject at hand.

 

[Commander]

As normal just about right. However, I would throw a couple of things into this.....

Firstly Poyet apparently spotted arriving at 7pm for the Palace game - hardly ideal preparation.
Secondly, his lack lustre approach during the game, stayed sat down, did not try to change tactics etc....
Thirdly, Vicente, not that much of fan personally (bloody sick-note!), but it cannot be deny he was a game-changer. Surely he should have been on the bench.

The last point is just opinion admittedly, but the first two require some consideration.

Vicente was not fit, he said so himself in the Argus, so that's that point dealt with. As for the first two, I have no answer, none of us know what went on. Maybe the pressure got to him, maybe Holloway out thought him, maybe we just had a shit day at the office. But for people to suggest that Potet deliberately lost the game just beggars belief. There is no single possible reason why he would do that. And even if he tried to, the players would still have done as much as they possibly could to win it, it could have set them up for life.

 

[Justice]

Yes I would, because I'm not a complete retard.

Sorry, can you just clarify for me, you can only win games by playing attacking formations, and if you set out with a defensive formation it means you will lose?

Why do you think it was a defensive formation? Let me guess, because we only had one striker up front (the same as we'd had all season and in the last two home games where we'd scored 7 and conceded 1).

We did lose?

 

[Mellotron]

I obviously didn't mean literally every single person. But I think a majority of Albion fans took it for granted, particularly all those people who didn't watch us at Withdean and have now turned up to The Amex expecting to see high-quality football every week. You only have to look at the Championship to see most of the teams are boring, uninspiring, lacking in technical ability and without any real style. Why won't we be any different now?

I agree with all of that. But some of us were saying at the time that we don't realise how good we have it.

 

[Mellotron]

We did lose?

Genius.

 

[Commander]

This is something I am really annoyed about. We pay top money to watch our football, we got 24,000 or what ever it is season ticket holders and we are given. Kemy and Chicksen on top of what we already had last season...I'm not slagging either player, but I expected more for my money tbh. Not impressed at all.

People were saying the same thing this time last year mate. I don't understand why people don't get the way it works. If you were a lower Premier League calibre player who was struggling to make the 25 man squad at your club, would you sign for a Championship club in July or at the start of August? Or would you wait until the last minute in the hope you got picked up by a Premier League club, or one of your rivals for your position moved to another club allowing you to stay in the Premier League? Why would any player who has the ability to play in the Premier League sign for a Championship club before the very end of August?

Think about it.

 

[TonyW]

Why will last year's relegated teams not struggle? Reading are nothing special, QPR are shite and Wigan oustayed their welcome in the Prem for years. Can't see any of them having an impact this season.

 

[Mellotron]

People were saying the same thing this time last year mate. I don't understand why people don't get the way it works. If you were a lower Premier League calibre player who was struggling to make the 25 man squad at your club, would you sign for a Championship club in July or at the start of August? Or would you wait until the last minute in the hope you got picked up by a Premier League club, or one of your rivals for your position moved to another club allowing you to stay in the Premier League? Why would any player who has the ability to play in the Premier League sign for a Championship club before the very end of August?

Think about it.

This. Transfer window is the same EVERY SINGLE YEAR yet the same people get their knickers in a twist every year.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

You only have to look at the Championship to see most of the teams are boring, uninspiring, lacking in technical ability and without any real style. Why won't we be any different now?

Hull last season for example. Who came second.

 

[Commander]

We did lose?

Speechless.

 

[Mellotron]

Why will last year's relegated teams not struggle? Reading are nothing special, QPR are shite and Wigan oustayed their welcome in the Prem for years. Can't see any of them haing an impact this season.

Another load of bollocks that is spouted EVERY SINGLE SEASON - "the division is stronger this year."

 

[Greavsey]

I didn't go to Leeds, but I was absolutely stunned by the change in our style on Tuesday night. Oscar has completely dismantled the passing at the back and the slow build-up in just a few weeks. The likes of Greer, Calderon and El Abd launched the ball 60 yards forward more times on Tuesday than they have done collectively in the last three years. We looked like any other football team, one that has no identity or real idea of what it is trying to do. I'm not even bothered about the result, I'm just alarmed by the way we set out to play, even in the first hour when it was 11v11. Of more concern is the fact that if this is to be our normal game plan, we really do not have the players to pull it off.

We were certainly playing more directly than under Gus. But I can't believe that is Oscars' style having been schooled under Cruyff at Barca. Could be just a one off tactic for Newport as they were playing a high defensive line against us. Lets see how things pan out over the next few games.

 

[Monsieur Le Plonk]

I didn't go to Leeds, but I was absolutely stunned by the change in our style on Tuesday night. Oscar has completely dismantled the passing at the back and the slow build-up in just a few weeks. The likes of Greer, Calderon and El Abd launched the ball 60 yards forward more times on Tuesday than they have done collectively in the last three years. We looked like any other football team, one that has no identity or real idea of what it is trying to do. I'm not even bothered about the result, I'm just alarmed by the way we set out to play, even in the first hour when it was 11v11. Of more concern is the fact that if this is to be our normal game plan, we really do not have the players to pull it off.

With the back 4 looking weaker this season due to the absence of Bridge I would suggest that the players at our disposal will find it less complicated to hoof it up the park than they would playing the slow and patient build up we have been used to.
Saying that, I think on Tuesday we DID try and play the ball out as before - the 60 yarders were only being delivered when we were down to 10 men

 

[MattBackHome]

Why will last year's relegated teams not struggle? Reading are nothing special, QPR are shite and Wigan oustayed their welcome in the Prem for years. Can't see any of them having an impact this season.

As much as I like this post, I have to disagree.

if Reading don't go up automatically I will be gobsmacked. They've got a manager who, despite being THE most punchable person in the world, definitely knows exactly how to build a team to take them up. They've got the best squad in the league. And I know it's early days but it looks like Drenthe is going to treat this league like a particularly well-quilted piece of bogroll.

You'd have to expect Wigan to be there or therabouts as well.

No issues at all with your aassessment of QPR though.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Its a shame that Oscar doesnt have a fully fit squad to choose from.

I think the reason for the "display" against Newport was because it did look like the players had only just met for the first time.

 

[TonyW]

Eh?
Stronger where. QPR, Reading and Wigan. I don't think so.

 

[TonyW]

I beg to differ. We have the best squad in the division.

 

[Justice]

Speechless.

Good no more drivel