[Albion] Knockaert joins Fulham on initial one-year loan

[Bold Seagull]

I would certainly agree that from the comparatively little l've seen of the player he seems more effective as a number10, rather than as an out and out winger. As you say he is no Knockaert and playing out wide we perhaps don't get the best out of him.

The problem is that we already have Pascale Gross as our established no.10 who, when fit, does very well in that role in my opinion, and l can also make a case for Davy Propper to be pushed up into that position too where he has had relative success for the Netherlands. Still competition for places has to be a good thing l guess!

When you look into this statement about Propper more deeply, he did it once or twice for Holland, that is it. When he came on against England, he slotted into a position right in front of their back four, and it's been his typical position for Holland when he plays over the passed couple of years, far more than he's played as a no.10.

After 2 seasons of Propper, regardless of our manager, he is not a no.10 by choice, maybe in a bit of an injury crisis. He is a superb central midfielder.

AJ definitely played as a no.10 when Gross was out and Hughton looked at both March and AJ playing that role. AJ was awful, March just about served a purpose. I completely agree with you about Gross, he might not be the quickest of foot, but he is of mind. If we are going to attack with more pace and bodies, then it will be Gross that will unlock the spaces for them. We just don't have anyone else that can spot an attacking pass like he can.

 

[bhanutz]

Always amusing to see people deluding themselves that our record signing was in any way a sensible one.

There is only one deluded person that I see posting at the moment........

 

[Nixonator]

Because you've seen a youtube highlights real from an inferior league!?

Re-writing history appears to be commonplace on here now. CH tried AJ in a variety of positions, when Gross was injured he tried him as a no.10, he's been an outright winger right and left, part of an attacking 3 playing inside and outside. He didn't really shine in any spot. What is this player, someone who has to have a very specific tactical setup? It's nothing like Bruno being a centre forward, it would be like asking Bruno to be a wing back rather than a full back – something Bruno would have slotted into without batting an eyelid.

I'm sorry, but we are in the PL where every player has to make a defensive contribution. If you watch how Potter set Osterund up against Galatasary and Arsenal, it wasn't all attacking football, not by a long shot, Osterund played 6 at the back for a time against Galatasary with every player contribution to soaking up pressure. There is a delusion setting in that we aren't going to have to defend, that players like AJ will simply have only new attacking duties to attend to. Not going to happen. We are in a fiercely competitive league, one that dominated Europe last season, and whether we are better attacking with the ball this season or not (which we all hope we are), we are still going to have to do a serious amount of defending with every player contributing to that.

Yes but you're forgetting the HANDBRAKE is now off and players such as Locadia and AJ are no longer SHACKLED.

Our new manager will ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK whereas our old manager could only DEFEND.

Keep up at the back.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

Because you've seen a youtube highlights real from an inferior league!?

Re-writing history appears to be commonplace on here now. CH tried AJ in a variety of positions, when Gross was injured he tried him as a no.10, he's been an outright winger right and left, part of an attacking 3 playing inside and outside. He didn't really shine in any spot. What is this player, someone who has to have a very specific tactical setup? It's nothing like Bruno being a centre forward, it would be like asking Bruno to be a wing back rather than a full back – something Bruno would have slotted into without batting an eyelid.

I'm sorry, but we are in the PL where every player has to make a defensive contribution. If you watch how Potter set Osterund up against Galatasary and Arsenal, it wasn't all attacking football, not by a long shot, Osterund played 6 at the back for a time against Galatasary with every player contribution to soaking up pressure. There is a delusion setting in that we aren't going to have to defend, that players like AJ will simply have only new attacking duties to attend to. Not going to happen. We are in a fiercely competitive league, one that dominated Europe last season, and whether we are better attacking with the ball this season or not (which we all hope we are), we are still going to have to do a serious amount of defending with every player contributing to that.

Of course every player has a defensive responsibility, they do at all levels of the game, but to play a player who has predominantly been used as an inside right/ right winger and expect him to perform in a role where his main duty is to support the left back, is stretching it to say the least, especially taking into consideration the huge step up in quality.

Yes he was played in various positions, once, away at West Brom in the Gross role, where he did ok, but most of his time on the left, not the position where he obviously impressed enough for us to break our transfer record.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It's worth digging out the heat map that shows where AJ played in Holland v. where he played for us last season. It's completely different. We have not used this weapon in the right way so far. Potter just might.

There won't be any heat map of any player joining a bottom half Premier League team from a top half Dutch, Belgium, Swedish team etc. that is similar. It's completely different – because it's completely different. The pace between the PL, the phases of play, the speed at which the ball goes from box to box, from defense to attack is nothing like they have in Holland. He has stepped up a level simple as that. He's gone from big fish in a small pond to small fish in a lake. The weapon has yet to show it can fire yet, let alone how it might be used in the right way.

It will be more about AJ than Potter. If he gets his head right, is feeling more settled, then Potter maybe able to get more out of him. It will be AJ first though, and under Potter I expect he'll have more work to get through off the ball than he did last season.

 

[Bozza]

Because you've seen a youtube highlights real from an inferior league!?

Re-writing history appears to be commonplace on here now. CH tried AJ in a variety of positions, when Gross was injured he tried him as a no.10, he's been an outright winger right and left, part of an attacking 3 playing inside and outside. He didn't really shine in any spot. What is this player, someone who has to have a very specific tactical setup? It's nothing like Bruno being a centre forward, it would be like asking Bruno to be a wing back rather than a full back – something Bruno would have slotted into without batting an eyelid.

I'm sorry, but we are in the PL where every player has to make a defensive contribution. If you watch how Potter set Osterund up against Galatasary and Arsenal, it wasn't all attacking football, not by a long shot, Osterund played 6 at the back for a time against Galatasary with every player contribution to soaking up pressure. There is a delusion setting in that we aren't going to have to defend, that players like AJ will simply have only new attacking duties to attend to. Not going to happen. We are in a fiercely competitive league, one that dominated Europe last season, and whether we are better attacking with the ball this season or not (which we all hope we are), we are still going to have to do a serious amount of defending with every player contributing to that.

Very much this.

Some seem to believe that we are about to enter a phase where, when the opposition have possession, we'll be leaving four on the halfway line who will be telling the defence "when you get it back lads, kick if up to us so we can work our magic" with AJ being the magician-in-chief.

All a bit delusional, I fear.

 

[Nixonator]

The weapon has yet to show he can fire yet, let alone how it might be used in the right way. .

Now I know he's not everybody's favourite player right now, but that's a bit uncalled for..

 

[B-right-on]

In theory, maybe. But many factors like game-time, money, manager, personal situation etc can challenge this. Stockdale is an example.

Great example and look how well he has done since making his move.

Only played 7 games for 3 different teams in league 1 last season.


Oh....

 

[Simster]

Whether you think we should sell him or not, surely everybody can agree £15m is a ridiculously low price for somebody who has been voted the best player in the Championship bar none and has followed that up with two seasons of reasonably good PL performances. £15m is peanuts these days.

Tend to agree. I'd have no issue with him being sold for the right price if the new manager decides he's not a good fit, but £15m is clearly not enough for a now-proven Premier League starter.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Great example and look how well he has done since making his move.

Only played 7 games for 3 different teams in league 1 last season.


Oh....

He looked very happy and jolly in that photo.

 

[banjo]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nRQwFflvUxw

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Always amusing to see people deluding themselves that our record signing was in any way a sensible one.

There seems to be some debate on who actually is our record signing, as it Jahanbaksh?, or was it actually Jurgen Locadia as reported by the Argus? Either way we have yet to see the best from either player, but forever hopeful that one day soon we just might.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Yes but you're forgetting the HANDBRAKE is now off and players such as Locadia and AJ are no longer SHACKLED.

Our new manager will ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK whereas our old manager could only DEFEND.

Keep up at the back.

The way we are going to play is little more than just assumption at the moment. Let's wait and see once the season actually kicks off shall we?

 

[Justice]

So Bmuff sell some shit striker to Sheffield Utd for £10m and people think £15m for AK is good business, behave.

 

[TSB]

There seems to be some debate on who actually is our record signing, as it Jahanbaksh?, or was it actually Jurgen Locadia as reported by the Argus? Either way we have yet to see the best from either player, but forever hopeful that one day soon we just might.

Oh, well, they're both completely undeserving of the money we paid for them.

 

[TSB]

Or deluding themselves that our previous manager played him in a position that suited him

He played him left wing, right wing and behind Murray on occasion. He looked equally lost in each position.
Iranian NSC members stated he is best on the right wing.

Perhaps we should play him left back just to see if it suits him.

 

[AZ Gull]

There seems to be some debate on who actually is our record signing, as it Jahanbaksh?, or was it actually Jurgen Locadia as reported by the Argus? Either way we have yet to see the best from either player, but forever hopeful that one day soon we just might.

There is no debate. Alireza Jahanbakhsh is the club record signing - as reported by the club itself - ALBION SIGN IRAN INTERNATIONAL FOR CLUB RECORD FEE

 

[Weststander]

There seems to be some debate on who actually is our record signing, as it Jahanbaksh?, or was it actually Jurgen Locadia as reported by the Argus? Either way we have yet to see the best from either player, but forever hopeful that one day soon we just might.

Locadia £13.5m
Jahanbakhsh £17m

Great value.