[Albion] Jan Paul van Hecke - contracted to June 2027

[Surf's Up]

I thought our expensively recruited crack medical team from Germany were suppose to be putting a stop to these kind of injuries + getting players back on the pitch in unbelievably short timescales

 

[Birdie Boy]

Random thought: players like Igor, Webster, Ayari, Steele, Lamptey, Moder etc, who will mostly only be used if we have injuries, could surely do with playing u23s to get/keep match sharp. Is there a reason why we rarely use first team squad players in PL2? There must be a reason because it seems like a no-brainer.

I gather there's a limit to the number of overage players but surely this would help cut out the rustiness when they come into the team?

I think we have enough injuries without risking more players. Although, they may get injured due to not playing. Who knows?

 

[WhingForPresident]

I think we have enough injuries without risking more players. Although, they may get injured due to not playing. Who knows?

That's the thing, surely they'd then be less at risk of injury if they have some match fitness behind them before they get drafted in to play a full 90 in the first team, rather than after only making the odd cup appearance. PL2 is of course less physically demanding compared to PL as well so the risk of injury in these games should be a bit less than playing first team football.

I'm sure there is an actual reason I've overlooked because I don't think other sides do it either, just thought it was interesting.

 

[Birdie Boy]

That's the thing, surely they'd then be less at risk of injury if they have some match fitness behind them before they get drafted in to play a full 90 in the first team, rather than after only making the odd cup appearance. PL2 is of course less physically demanding compared to PL as well so the risk of injury in these games should be a bit less than playing first team football.

I'm sure there is an actual reason I've overlooked because I don't think other sides do it either, just thought it was interesting.

I think you are correct about only allowed so many over agreed players otherwise City's or Chelsea's unwanted players would win the league every year.

 

[Whoislloydy]

Veltman needs to start at RB in JPVH absence, need the defensive cover. Probably play as more of an inverted fullback, tucking in to make a back 3 with Estupinan bombing on for the overlap.

 

[keaton]

Meh. We got Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman, Webster and Igor. Five established central defenders, probably more than any other team. Sure, Van Hecke is the best of the lot, but plenty of very good options + Igor.

But we play an incredibly high line and they're all slow as funk

 

[WhingForPresident]

I do think there's some merit to the idea of playing Baleba at CB as 'Libero', but it would surely be odds-on for Maddison going down 'cleverly' in the box to get a pen out of him.

 

[Machiavelli]

I do think there's some merit to the idea of playing Baleba at CB as 'Libero', but it would surely be odds-on for Maddison going down 'cleverly' in the box to get a pen out of him.

Maddison has done that before at The Amex, earning a second yellow after about half an hour. We still lost though.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Oh God, imagine the penalties!

Further back so he will be goal side, actually…..will he?

 

[pigmanovich]

I do think there's some merit to the idea of playing Baleba at CB as 'Libero', but it would surely be odds-on for Maddison going down 'cleverly' in the box to get a pen out of him.

I’d rather use Wieffer and let Baleba go on his marauding runs!

 

[zefarelly]

I’d rather use Wieffer and let Baleba go on his marauding runs!

I'd rather see Maddison get injured whilst trying to cheat. Odious excuse for a footballer.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Veltman needs to start at RB in JPVH absence, need the defensive cover. Probably play as more of an inverted fullback, tucking in to make a back 3 with Estupinan bombing on for the overlap.

He is injured too.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

I'd rather see Maddison get injured whilst trying to cheat. Odious excuse for a footballer.

No he isn’t. Maddison is one of the more refreshing characters in the game.

 

[aolstudios]

He is injured too.

Hopefully recovered for Sunday?
Without both Dutchman our defence is weak as piss at the moment

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

Maddison has done that before at The Amex, earning a second yellow after about half an hour. We still lost though.

We drew that game 1-1. Murray put us 1 up, Maddison then got sent off before Vardy scored from a penalty late in the second half.

He is injured too.

Veltman reportedly missed the Chelsea game through illness rather than an injury. Not heard anything about him picking up an injury this week.

 

[Machiavelli]

We drew that game 1-1. Murray put us 1 up, Maddison then got sent off before Vardy scored from a penalty late in the second half.

There I was thinking we lost it two-nil, which was probably the other home Leicester game under CH

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

There I was thinking we lost it two-nil, which was probably the other home Leicester game under CH

Yeah the previous season we lost 2-0 at home to Leicester. They had Ndidi sent off in that game too.

 

[Justice]

But we play an incredibly high line and they're all slow as funk

We play a high line for no apparent reason, we don’t overload the box when attacking anymore the wingers don’t hug the touch line to stretch the opposition defence.
Game plan seems to be can the wingers get past three players.
Baleba has no football brain and is often to slow passing out to the wingers thus setting the opposition defence back into position.
We haven’t looked like a team since Manure we really miss WBG.

 

[chickens]

We play a high line for no apparent reason, we don’t overload the box when attacking anymore the wingers don’t hug the touch line to stretch the opposition defence.
Game plan seems to be can the wingers get past three players.
Baleba has no football brain and is often to slow passing out to the wingers thus setting the opposition defence back into position.
We haven’t looked like a team since Manure we really miss WBG.

Are you competing with Dwayne for some kind of “cheeriest outlook” award?

We play with a high line to take space out of the game, with the intention of there always being pressure on the ball, leading to a higher chance of an opposition mistake, or an interception.

It is leading to chances for us, for a variety of players, and hallelujah we seem to actually be taking some of them.

When it goes wrong, the optics are dreadful, watching our centre backs trailing in the wake of any pacy attacker, but if we’d played our part further up the pitch, the theory is that there wouldn’t have been space and time for an opposition player to judge and play an over the top ball. Our defending becomes “whole pitch”

I’d still rather we had a bit more pace in our back line, regardless of what those who think it doesn’t matter say, so there was a fighting chance of recovering when we are caught out. However, I trust our coach to see this as an area that needs work and to adapt his thinking where needed.

We may get a few false starts, but I honestly believe having some patience will be rewarded. This is his first season in this league, he’s learning on the job.

 

[Justice]

Are you competing with Dwayne for some kind of “cheeriest outlook” award?

We play with a high line to take space out of the game, with the intention of there always being pressure on the ball, leading to a higher chance of an opposition mistake, or an interception.

It is leading to chances for us, for a variety of players, and hallelujah we seem to actually be taking some of them.

When it goes wrong, the optics are dreadful, watching our centre backs trailing in the wake of any pacy attacker, but if we’d played our part further up the pitch, the theory is that there wouldn’t have been space and time for an opposition player to judge and play an over the top ball. Our defending becomes “whole pitch”

I’d still rather we had a bit more pace in our back line, regardless of what those who think it doesn’t matter say, so there was a fighting chance of recovering when we are caught out. However, I trust our coach to see this as an area that needs work and to adapt his thinking where needed.

We may get a few false starts, but I honestly believe having some patience will be rewarded. This is his first season in this league, he’s learning on the job.

We didn’t create a chance second half against Chelsea, hardly anything against Ipswich or Forest second half either. We aren’t creating loads of chances.