[Albion] Lamptey, March and Webster

[Robinjakarta]

With three of our best players out injured for some time, what a team we have that we can manage so well without them. It's so easy to criticise, but there's an awful lot right with our recruitment that we have the depth to do this, so let's have a bit of praise. Best squad we've ever had!

 

[Barnet Seagull]

Also our coaching. Although different, players adapt well and slot into the team with ease.

 

[Stat Brother]

Nobody was saying that 10 days ago!

 

[Icy Gull]

The fact that all three were in with a shout of being player of the season when they got injured makes coping without them for so long all the more impressive imo.

Upside is that it has given Veltman the chance to shine, his game time might have been limited with a fit Lamptey. White also gets to play CB rather than midfield.

But the OP is right, we have great strength in depth, fortunately. Take 3 of the best players out of any of the lower placed teams and I suggest they’d struggle.

 

[Perkino]

It has prompted almost a new system every match. Having played 20+ games as as a back 5 we transitioned to a back 4 and kept adjusting the shape of our midfielders and strikers. Then Vs Newcastle we only field 3 defenders and position two central midfielders in wider positions where they are encouraged to be involved in every attacking play and allowing 2 strikers to double our chances of scoring.

I actually have no idea how we might line up when every one is fit and available

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

Nobody was saying that 10 days ago!

Most people were.

 

[Binney on acid]

We played at Burnley and only Webster got injured. That's an achievement in itself.

 

[Lenny Rider]

With three of our best players out injured for some time, what a team we have that we can manage so well without them. It's so easy to criticise, but there's an awful lot right with our recruitment that we have the depth to do this, so let's have a bit of praise. Best squad we've ever had!

Partly agree, the recruitment of Locardia and AJ does rankle a tad given the amount of money effectively spunked on transfer fees and wages, let’s hope the recruitment team go some way to righting those wrongs this summer?

 

[Guinness Boy]

With three of our best players out injured for some time, what a team we have that we can manage so well without them. It's so easy to criticise, but there's an awful lot right with our recruitment that we have the depth to do this, so let's have a bit of praise. Best squad we've ever had!

Best SQUAD? Undoubtedly. When we were in the top flight last time round I think we had some better individual quality. Even though Bissouma has been fantastic, it would be a toss up between him and Nobby. Ditto Dunk and Lawrenson. And I'd take all three of Ward, Ritchie and Robinson over our current three top choice strikers.

But the strength in depth is massively impressive. This is exactly what my point has been all season. This squad is far better than Hughton ever had, yet we're in a very similar position in the table.

I do expect us to kick on next season now, though.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

The fact that all three were in with a shout of being player of the season when they got injured makes coping without them for so long all the more impressive imo.

Upside is that it has given Veltman the chance to shine, his game time might have been limited with a fit Lamptey. White also gets to play CB rather than midfield.

But the OP is right, we have great strength in depth, fortunately. Take 3 of the best players out of any of the lower placed teams and I suggest they’d struggle.

But March and Webster are rubbish! And Ajax couldn’t get rid of Veltman quickly enough so he’s rubbish too!.....

.......... said he very much tongue in cheek and fully appreciating all three. Let’s hear it for our manager and coaching staff too.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

Nobody was saying that 10 days ago!

Different conversation. That was about strikers

 

[Guinness Boy]

But March and Webster are rubbish! And Ajax couldn’t get rid of Veltman quickly enough so he’s rubbish too!.....

.......... said he very much tongue in cheek and fully appreciating all three. Let’s hear it for our manager and coaching staff too.

Well, Veltman has been an interesting journey. At the start of the season I simply didn't see where he fitted in as it looked like Taz and White would always start on the right side of a 3/5 man defence. I knew he was class from his Ajax and Holland days, yet the "play the youth" policy seemed to dictate he'd be on the bench.

I have to say now, that I'd start him ahead of Lamptey at right back / RWB. We're defensively much more solid. So certainly not a wasted buy but it does probably mean using Lamptey as either cover or an impact sub, or pushing him further forward when both are fit.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

ALL clubs make transfer mistakes and will continue to do so. It is no doubt a combination of TB’s funding and the collective wisdom of DA, GP and all the others that has brought us where we are. Veltman has been an absolute gem for very little in relative terms. When we spent a massive sum on Webby(much queried at the time) someone obviously knew what they were doing and there are several other examples now proving wise decisions.

For all the stick he got at times GP has been proved right in encouraging flexibility and adaptability among the players and the systems. I know Newcastle were very poor but for once everything clicked for us - only three ‘normal’ defenders now seems a master stroke but very few would have actually done it.

I do hope we can gain what would be sweet revenge at OT a week on Sunday and I’d love them to hit the woodwork a few times and the ball stay out! The only bit aim really worried about is if we get a pen(unlikely I know).
Keep it up GP and let’s all hope we can unleash our injured stars in the PL next season(AW earlier hopefully)

 

[Seasidesage]

Recruitment team have been doing great work for sometime. They have had a few failures such as Locadia but its an imperfect science and in the main we are buying better than our piers and have a younger improving squad. I would take our squad over pretty much anyones outside of the top 6/7. There are holes, striker options and LB/LWB but this is a work in progress.

We are about to enter the next phase of this plan, where sales allow us to increase our wage bill and bring in players for more cash in the few positions we cannot promote internally. This will mean some better players on the one hand and also some expensive flops on the other, but as long as the overall recruitment continues to be so positively in credit this will be overcome. Once football finances return to something like the madness they were previously I expect to see a Leicester type journey where good sales Maguire/Chilwell etc fund the next wave of up and coming talent and boost the overall strength of the side.

There will be bumps along the way but we are undoubtedly headed in the right direction.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Webster was our best defender until he got injured. He can cover the back three positions very well indeed but it’s clear that Veltman can too, he has looked great on the left.

But I think Potter will bring the left footed Matt Clarke to the party next season, whether one of White or Webster leave will be a big question over the summer but without any of those three, Veltman, Dunk and Burn are a great combo; we have astonishing depth and a conveyor belt of talent that will probably produce more Premier League players than we need.

It’s a shame that Karbo wasn’t ready to cover March or Lamptey but hopefully a good pre-season should get him up to speed.

Being greedy, I’d love Veltman’s Argentinian full back buddy from Ajax to join us in the summer who clearly had his eye on the Premier League and was linked with Man Utd (but they signed Telles), Leicester City (but they signed Castagne) and Chelsea (they signed Chilwell).

 

[Machiavelli]

Best SQUAD? Undoubtedly. When we were in the top flight last time round I think we had some better individual quality. Even though Bissouma has been fantastic, it would be a toss up between him and Nobby. Ditto Dunk and Lawrenson. And I'd take all three of Ward, Ritchie and Robinson over our current three top choice strikers.

But the strength in depth is massively impressive. This is exactly what my point has been all season. This squad is far better than Hughton ever had, yet we're in a very similar position in the table.

I do expect us to kick on next season now, though.

In comparison with me, you're still very pro-CH and are not crediting GP sufficiently, whereas I want to highlight his credentials. The squad is only that much better, or seems as such to interested observers such as you and I, because GP is bold enough and astute enough to recognise the qualities that are there in the squad. There were about 8 players that would get picked come what may under CH, and this created its own problems with that personnel which we don't need to air on a forum like this. But the bigger problem is it constituted a block on talent coming through, and GP has excelled on that front. CH bedded no-one from the academy, whereas White and Sanchez are not only nailed-on starters, but will probably get sold within the next 18 months raking in eyewatering sums. GP has also played Lamptey and Bissouma when available, and I'd be surprised if the latter isn't off for a massive fee in the summer, whereas we might actually have the prospect of seeing (at least) a season of the former in the flesh. Finally, GP does have some input into squad incomings and came to us as a result of Bloom's long-term vision, and is key to its implementation. It's all this why I've been firmly Potter In even when results haven't gone as well as we'd have wanted (although the performances have), and I'll remain that way even if we get relegated (so long as the players are behind him).

 

[Badger Boy]

At no point this season have I doubted we had the players to be in a significantly better position in the league.

 

[withdeanwombat]

Recruitment team have been doing great work for sometime. They have had a few failures such as Locadia but its an imperfect science and in the main we are buying better than our piers and have a younger improving squad. I would take our squad over pretty much anyones outside of the top 6/7. There are holes, striker options and LB/LWB but this is a work in progress.

We are about to enter the next phase of this plan, where sales allow us to increase our wage bill and bring in players for more cash in the few positions we cannot promote internally. This will mean some better players on the one hand and also some expensive flops on the other, but as long as the overall recruitment continues to be so positively in credit this will be overcome. Once football finances return to something like the madness they were previously I expect to see a Leicester type journey where good sales Maguire/Chilwell etc fund the next wave of up and coming talent and boost the overall strength of the side.

There will be bumps along the way but we are undoubtedly headed in the right direction.

Yes, though sadly it’s pretty much pier these days!

 

[Icy Gull]

Best SQUAD? Undoubtedly. When we were in the top flight last time round I think we had some better individual quality. Even though Bissouma has been fantastic, it would be a toss up between him and Nobby. Ditto Dunk and Lawrenson. And I'd take all three of Ward, Ritchie and Robinson over our current three top choice strikers.

But the strength in depth is massively impressive. This is exactly what my point has been all season. This squad is far better than Hughton ever had, yet we're in a very similar position in the table.

I do expect us to kick on next season now, though.

Let.It.Go

My point all season is that we have been a bloody frustrating joy to watch

The Albion look like they belong in the PL regardless of where we are in the league.

Slowly slowy catchy monkey

Stop being so impatient, sit back, enjoy the ride

Oh and give Potter massive credit, go on you know you can

There is no recruitment team in history that gets everything right

 

[Icy Gull]

But March and Webster are rubbish! And Ajax couldn’t get rid of Veltman quickly enough so he’s rubbish too!.....

.......... said he very much tongue in cheek and fully appreciating all three. Let’s hear it for our manager and coaching staff too.

Yeah but I’m a Potter fan boy, so blind don’t you know