[Albion] Lack of squad depth will cost us

[Bozza]

Fair enough, if running those players in the ground is preferred over a £10M+ signing from last summer then someone’s really f***ed up. Likewise Undav

That's a little bit knee-jerk too.

Buying any player, at any level, is a gamble of sorts. You could level the label of flop, or similar, at big money deals of £100m or more, such as Coutinho, Pogba , Hazard, and Lukaku, and there's more I'm sure.

It doesn't mean someone has f***ed up. Some transfers work and some don't, regardless of how much research is done to try and ensure a successful integration.

We did enough to win that game last night - we made a couple of silly mistakes and did the Brighton thing of spurning golden chances. That's why we lost.

 

[albionalex]

Fair enough, if running those players in the ground is preferred over a £10M+ signing from last summer then someone’s really f***ed up. Likewise Undav

Price tag is irrelevant. We are not buying ready made PL players.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

RdZ disagrees with you on this. I agree with RdZ on this. I'm especially thinking of Mitoma on Sun, Estupinan, Dunk and Caicedo last night, but there are others that I didn't notice quite so much in one or both games.
FWIW, I agree with @chaileyjem on the 'wanting it more' bugbear, and also the @Bold Seagull about only playing well (badly) when we win (lose) -- and, on this, I also think RdZ was spot on: we played really well for 35 minutes in the first half but tired in the second.
I also don't agree with those that are making comparisons with a week or two back: we weren't playing three games in six days then, and it is when you go through such intensive periods of game time with plenty more ahead of you that the squad depth and experience gets tested the most.
I'm also not even saying that we should have bought 'replacements' for Mwepu and Tross in Jan -- Tony doesn't like Jan, or has said he doesn't, despite making some great Jan signings -- it's merely that our squad is short of depth and experience to sustain a challenge for the heights of the PL and multiple cup runs. On this:
1, this is a new and wonderful experience
2, I suspect that the issue of squad depth and experience will be addressed this summer

I don’t think so. I haven’t denied some players are tired. I mentioned on here Mitoma’s tiredness after Sunday. In the post you have replied to I was merely saying that that fans and managers of successful teams are always talking about tiredness. It comes with the territory and does not automatically mean we should have PL ready players available as replacements, particularly when their presence might hamper the opportunities of younger players. Our current success is built on those opportunities and they are not offered at other clubs. If that means some erratic results then so be it.

 

[Bozza]

I don’t think so. I haven’t denied some players are tired. I mentioned on here Mitoma’s tiredness after Sunday. In the post you have replied to I was merely saying that that fans and managers of successful teams are always talking about tiredness. It comes with the territory and does not automatically mean we should have PL ready players available as replacements, particularly when their presence might hamper the opportunities of younger players. Our current success is built on those opportunities and they are not offered at other clubs. If that means some erratic results then so be it.

Mitoma may or may not have been tired (he probably was) but he still created the best chance of the game for Enciso, who unfortunately fired straight at Navas. No-one else in our squad is capable of the run he made to create that.

And then, in the second half, he bust a gut on that blistering counter-attack and was a few inches away from putting us 2-1 up.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Players were understandably knackered after Sunday. And the 'powderpuff attack' has been an issue since forever and the one area the club seem bafflingly the most reluctant to properly address. For sure Evan is The Real Deal, but he's an 18 year old kid, and when he doesn't start, it's all down to ageing injury-prone Welbeck and the occasional walk-on part by Undav who is Maupay Lite, and that's being kind. Just seems like all of our designated strikers just play bit-parts currently. That has to be a major cause of concern shirley?

 

[albionalex]

Players were understandably knackered after Sunday. And the 'powderpuff attack' has been an issue since forever and the one area the club seem bafflingly the most reluctant to properly address. For sure Evan is The Real Deal, but he's an 18 year old kid, and when he doesn't start, it's all down to ageing injury-prone Welbeck and the occasional walk-on part by Undav who is Maupay Lite, and that's being kind. Just seems like all of our designated strikers just play bit-parts currently. That has to be a major cause of concern shirley?

What's the alternative?

 

[Machiavelli]

I don’t think so. I haven’t denied some players are tired. I mentioned on here Mitoma’s tiredness after Sunday. In the post you have replied to I was merely saying that that fans and managers of successful teams are always talking about tiredness. It comes with the territory and does not automatically mean we should have PL ready players available as replacements, particularly when their presence might hamper the opportunities of younger players. Our current success is built on those opportunities and they are not offered at other clubs. If that means some erratic results then so be it.

Fair play. I only focused on the first sentence -- so, sorry for making you explain yourself again. And I agree with you about the moaning about officials. Pawson was great on Sunday, and I thought Gillet was good yesterday too and the only error he made (which went against Forest) he was bailed out by VAR -- which is officiating working collectively and effectively.

 

[chaileyjem]

Just seems like all of our designated strikers just play bit-parts currently. That has to be a major cause of concern shirley?

Might seem like our strikers have just played "bit parts" this season either in terms of games featured, goals, or assists. In truth they haven't.

Fine - you don't rate Undav - we'll see if he's around next season - and for some reason don't seem to recall the minutes Welbeck actually spends on the pitch - insisting he's been injured all season - but relying on Ferguson or Welbeck and Trossard in first half and then Mitoma in second (and goals from elsewhere too) has contributed to our most successful attacking season in the top division...ever.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

What's the alternative?

You know the answer to that, same as everybody else does

 

[albionalex]

You know the answer to that

I honestly don't.

Buy a 'proven' striker for big money and wages and block the path of Evan?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I honestly don't.

Buy a 'proven' striker for big money and wages and block the path of Evan?

Buy a promising semi-proven young striker to play alongside Evan? EPL is littered with guys we've had multiple opportunities to get on the books in the past. Except they all want the going rate in wages. So we make and mend do, same as we always do. Maybe a slightly false economy at this level?

 

[albionalex]

Buy a promising semi-proven young striker to play alongside Evan? EPL is littered with guys we've had multiple opportunities to get on the books in the past. Except they all want the going rate in wages. So we make and mend do, same as we always do. Maybe a slightly false economy at this level?

Was that not Undav? I'm sure in the summer we will look to move him on and then bring in another promising semi-proven young striker.

 

[albionalex]

I see Man United have only made one change from Sunday, despite having played a game on Thursday as well.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I kind of think Solly illustrates the opposite point to the one you are making. One player, used in three different positions by three managers. No replacement needed when the Coach changed. As @Bold Seagull pointed out we buy and develop players that can emulate such tactical flexibility. Coaches are hired to work with the squad as is.

That’s because you’re seeing what you want to see to suit your argument.

March has proven under RDZ what many of us have known for a while. He’s best as an inverted right winger. Under Hughton he didn’t get games there, so he played as a left winger a lot of the time, where he was horribly predictable in a very formulaic 442 system.

Under Potter he played just about everywhere in the midfield and wing back positions, but never really in his best position because the system just didn’t suit him and that position simply wasn’t available. He did a reasonable job, sure, because he’s versatile, but the player was fitted into the system rather than the system being built around the player. Now under RDZ he’s in his best position consistently and shining. Yes he can play those other positions in an injury crisis, but do we, or RDZ, really want him as our second choice left back, for example, when he’s our first choice right winger?

The answer to that, surely, is no.

And March was just one such example. There’s plenty of others.

But we’ll see what the club do over the summer, and what RDZ wants. If we qualify for Europe, I suspect we’ll strengthen out of necessity in the positions we’re weak in. If we don’t, maybe we won’t and we’ll continue with a smaller squad supplemented with youngsters.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

That’s because you’re seeing what you want to see to suit your argument.

Oh, right. I thought we just had different opinions. Thanks.

 

[chaileyjem]

Buy a promising semi-proven young striker to play alongside Evan? EPL is littered with guys we've had multiple opportunities to get on the books in the past. Except they all want the going rate in wages. So we make and mend do…

Well fancy that …

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well fancy that …

 

[chaileyjem]

View attachment 160216

I just disagree with some of the things you say. I'm sure you're as passionate fan as i am . Also i want to keep reading it - so no reason to block each other. But is there any need for this sort of direct, personal stuff ?

 

[AlbionBro]

Should have replaced Trossard, now Ferguson is injured our forward line is powderpuff once Welbeck gets tired. No obvious replacement for Estupinian means no rotation.

Fact is several of our players tonight looked so tired they could have been drunk, Caicedo and Dunk particularly. The games keep coming and the squad is threadbare.

Some will say this is a very negative view, but it’s realistic.

Blimey, you are sounding like Harry the bare bones man.

Arsenal, City, Brentford, Villa all teams performing well have 25 players or less, do we really want to be a 35 player squad like Forest? Let's be happy with what we have and our joyful brand of football.
Well I am more than satisfied.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Wonder what Gilmore has to do to get a game? Can’t see him hanging around past the summer

De Zerbi and his team are going to be busy slimming down our midfield this summer from:

Mac Allister
Caicedo
Groß
Lallana
Gilmour
Ayari
Moder
Alzate
Leonard
Moran
Milner**
Kozlowski

**highly likely to sign.

Then we have more attacking midfielders/wingers like Adingra and Pedro to come in too.

RDZ and his team will be too busy trying work out who they are keeping this summer rather than worrying about squad depth.