[Albion] "It's like Graham Potter football with five added espresso shots!"

[macbeth]

Let's not get carried away here. Brilliant match, excellemt result, super performance - but this was basically a Potter team, playing the Potter way. De Zerbi will have barely had time to say 'hello' to some of them, and in many ways any of us could have probably given similar instructions - "You know who you are, you know how you play, get out there and do what you've been doing!'
Obviously, you can't go on just doing that forever - standing still = going backwards in the PL. RDZ will I'm sure want to put his stamp on things - and his own players. Haven't we already been linked with a player from Shaktar Donetsk? Tweaks will inevitably come, and some changes no doubt - and I hope RDZ gets them right!
But seriously though, anyone who was watching, was that performance really any different from a Potter one?

a lot of similarities but also some differences. our lines were a lot more concrete yesterday, less of the positional staggering that we saw under potter. also kept the ball longer, to draw their press out, which we didn't do as much, at United for example, where our attack was more built around picking welbeck out in the channels. but potter changed small things for every opponent we face, so there's no guarantee he wouldn't have gone with a similar plan today

 

[Frankworthington]

Was it Mike Bailey who said "I'm in the results business, if you want entertainment go to a circus"

How times have changed

 

[Swansman]

Was it Mike Bailey who said "I'm in the results business, if you want entertainment go to a circus"

How times have changed

Yes... circuses are ****ing boring these days.

 

[Frankworthington]

Yes... circuses are ****ing boring these days.

I should have added, for the better!!

 

[Eric the meek]

Shearer said 'Liverpool should have been 4-0 down after 30 minutes. At times, they couldn't cope with Brighton.'
Warren Aspinall said much the same thing on the radio commentary. After our second goal, he said Liverpool couldn't live with us.

To reiterate, that's two pundits saying that Liverpool couldn't handle us. At Anfield.

What an endorsement for RDZ on his debut !

 

[ozzygull]

[tweet]1576239441378623489[/tweet]

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

The third goal build up and execution was absolute class football. Why no MoTD dissection of it? One of the best goals you will ever see from the Albion.

TNBA


TTF

 

[chaileyjem]

The third goal build up and execution was absolute class football. Why no MoTD dissection of it? One of the best goals you will ever see from the Albion.

TNBA


TTF

?? Shearer spent a couple of minutes on it. From two angles.

 

[trueblue]

The problem was when we were really under it, we only seemed to pass the ball sideways across the back and relatively slowly too. The midfield didn't seem to be moving to give a forward option at all. Listening to RDZ interview it sounded like he was acknowledging we need to do quite a lot of work to improve playing that way particularly regard moving the ball at pace.

I don't think it'll be long before the home fans are moaning about this, based on previous experience. Yet this is exactly how Albion scored the brilliant third goal. Knocking the ball between slowly between the defenders while Liverpool stood off. Eventually, one Liverpool player broke ranks and triggered their press. Albion sprung the trap. Webster sidestepped him, changed the tempo immediately with a quick pass forward and suddenly their entire midfield was out of the game. Suddenly it was, from memory, 4 v 4 and we scored a great team goal.

But I'm sure at the Amex there'll be plenty of frustrated shouts of 'get it foooorwwwarrrd'!

 

[Deadly Danson]

Way too early for this sort of comment. No real difference to recent Potter performances which bodes well. Unless I've misremembered the last couple of months of last season and the first couple of this.

 

[Bakero]

All I've 'seen' was on MOTD (I followed the match on the radio). Yes, we had players in the box - but (again based only on highlights) we seemed to have plenty in the box against Leicester and ManU, for example.
Given that the match was a thriller anyway, was there that much of an obvious and noticeable change?

The 3rd goal was pure De Zerbismo.

[tweet]1576253383253454848[/tweet]

 

[Deadly Danson]

The 3rd goal was pure De Zerbismo.

[tweet]1576253383253454848[/tweet]

Without looking at them again, I bet Trossard's goal v Liverpool at Anfield last season and Alzate's the season before were similar.

 

[Eric the meek]

The 3rd goal was pure De Zerbismo.

[tweet]1576253383253454848[/tweet]

Without wishing to take away anything from a lovely team goal, Trossard was left to enter the box unmarked and get his shot away unchallenged.

The left side of the Liverpool defence ought to be taken out and shot.

 

[Bakero]

Without looking at them again, I bet Trossard's goal v Liverpool at Anfield last season and Alzate's the season before were similar.

I've just watched Trossard's goal last year and it was totally different. The ball went from front to back in 3 seconds. Sanchez picked out Cucurella on halfway and he threaded it through to Lallana, who slipped into through to Trossard.

The 3rd goal yesterday was all about patience, drawing the Liverpool press. Then once we sucked them in, we broke. Of course, under Potter we played out from back and attempted to draw the press too but this was an amped up version.

 

[Swansman]

Without wishing to take away anything from a lovely team goal, Trossard was left to enter the box unmarked and get his shot away unchallenged.

The left side of the Liverpool defence ought to be taken out and shot.

Overall I think both the Greek bloke and Milner looked like Paolo Maldini compared to TAA on the right side.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

a lot of similarities but also some differences. our lines were a lot more concrete yesterday, less of the positional staggering that we saw under potter. also kept the ball longer, to draw their press out, which we didn't do as much, at United for example, where our attack was more built around picking welbeck out in the channels. but potter changed small things for every opponent we face, so there's no guarantee he wouldn't have gone with a similar plan today

Exactly this. At the game it was very obvious to me that there were some significant differences to how we played compared to under Potter. We played a lot more down the middle, we noticably invited the Liverpool press in order to break it and have an overload, and the players seemed to switch play a lot more than normal.

We're going to score and concede a lot more goals. Anyone with a heart condition may not enjoy themselves!

 

[The Wookiee]

The 3rd goal was pure De Zerbismo.

[tweet]1576253383253454848[/tweet]

That was pretty similar to some of the De Zerbi tactics you tube videos out there

 

[Swansman]

A little bit odd that things we've seen for years are now considered new. It is nice football though, the way it should be played.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

A little bit odd that things we've seen for years are now considered new. It is nice football though, the way it should be played.

So you have said, three times now....to no reaction.

If we lose/draw against Brentford and Forest then, yes, someone will likely agree that everything is, indeed, exactly the same

 

[West Upper Seagull]

I was at Anfield yesterday and I’m still buzzing now ! What did stand out for me was that Solly March looked a totally different player - really confident and his lay off for Trossard’s 2nd goal (I think !) was sublime