[Albion] March and Lamptey

[Swansman]

Shoot me down but I don’t think we’ve missed them anywhere near than I thought we would. I not saying they are not two of our best players but our failure this season has been a lack of goals, so apart from the odd screamer from Solly, meh. Just one decent striker would have made all the difference.

Tariq Lamptey was one of the last three (scorer - assist - second assist) on the ball 7 times in 11 games. This, despite missing the rest of the season, puts him 5th in the team behind Trossard, Maupay, Gross and Welbeck.

 

[Stat Brother]

Shoot me down but I don’t think we’ve missed them anywhere near than I thought we would. I not saying they are not two of our best players but our failure this season has been a lack of goals, so apart from the odd screamer from Solly, meh. Just one decent striker would have made all the difference.

Hmmm that's one way of looking at it, I can't say I agree.

Lamptey in particular not only changes our play but the oppositions too.

He instantly pulls a player out from the middle, or at least has them mindful of going out to their left.


The other thing missing from our strikers (apart from goals!), this season, has been about 2 seconds.
They've all needed an extra couple of seconds.
The space generated by a couple of seconds.

Having Lamptey and Solly hugging the touchlines creates a couple of seconds space in the middle.

With the best will in the world BDB and Veltman aren't doing that to Premier League footballers.



By way of tying up my opinion on about half a dozen threads:-

It would be great for the Albion to buy a striker who doesn't need a couple of seconds.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Tariq Lamptey was one of the last three (scorer - assist - second assist) on the ball 7 times in 11 games. This, despite missing the rest of the season, puts him 5th in the team behind Trossard, Maupay, Gross and Welbeck.

Yes, but others have filled in and done sufficient business in chance creation. It’s just that none of the forwards stuck enough away.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I'm not convinced by Sanchez, Solly, Lamptey, Veltman or Bissouma.

Dunk is an obvious one you’ve missed off that list

 

[Weststander]

Dunk is an obvious one you’ve missed off that list

He can’t even get into England squads, plus he’s violent (2 sending offs this season alone).

League One at best.

 

[cjd]

At the final whistle of the Liverpool game (towards the end of which March picked up his injury), we were in 15th place, having just banked 10 points from 4 matches, every one of them with a clean sheet.

We got 2 points from the following 6 matches.

I bow to your superior knowlege.

You are correct, we were a whole two places higher and a massive two points in front of Burnley in 17th place , but had played a game more than them.

I think March and Lamptey are very good players, but to suggest that their injuries are why we are 17th and unable to win games that we goe ahead in , is nonsense.

There is a fundamental weakness throughout our team, that needs addressing. All the "improving players as people as well as football skills" doesn't seem to be getting us where we want to be.

 

[Swansman]

I bow to your superior knowlege.

You are correct, we were a whole two places higher and a massive two points in front of Burnley in 17th place , but had played a game more than them.

I think March and Lamptey are very good players, but to suggest that their injuries are why we are 17th and unable to win games that we goe ahead in , is nonsense.

There is a fundamental weakness throughout our team, that needs addressing. All the "improving players as people as well as football skills" doesn't seem to be getting us where we want to be.

Maybe it takes time?

 

[cjd]

Maybe it takes time?

We're two years in now Swanny. A lot longer than a number of managers in this league are given with two poor 'results' seasons.

I like Potter...and his style of football, but only three hopeless teams this year have allowed us to stay in the Premier League.

I hope he succeeds obviously, but I do have concerns about his 'improvement' skills.

 

[Swansman]

We're two years in now Swanny. A lot longer than a number of managers in this league are given with two poor 'results' seasons.

I like Potter...and his style of football, but only three hopeless teams this year have allowed us to stay in the Premier League.

I hope he succeeds obviously, but I do have concerns about his 'improvement' skills.

I dont consider two years all that much.

 

[cjd]

I dont consider two years all that much.

You're not like the majority of the Chairmen..........

 

[Guinness Boy]

I bow to your superior knowlege.

You are correct, we were a whole two places higher and a massive two points in front of Burnley in 17th place , but had played a game more than them.

I think March and Lamptey are very good players, but to suggest that their injuries are why we are 17th and unable to win games that we goe ahead in , is nonsense.

There is a fundamental weakness throughout our team, that needs addressing. All the "improving players as people as well as football skills" doesn't seem to be getting us where we want to be.

What's more we reached the turn of the year on only two wins and that was with March and mostly with Lamptey.

We've obviously missed Lamptey in an attacking sense and pace wise. However, teams were able to exploit the space he left at the back. We looked a lot more solid with Veltman. Bottom line is the choice between the two would be nice.

We've definitely missed March. He was having a break out season. I hope he's recovered well. However, his backup isn't a wingback in a million years.

 

[Swansman]

You're not like the majority of the Chairmen..........

Indeed, and neither is Tony

 

[Jim in the West]

We're two years in now Swanny. A lot longer than a number of managers in this league are given with two poor 'results' seasons.

I like Potter...and his style of football, but only three hopeless teams this year have allowed us to stay in the Premier League.

I hope he succeeds obviously, but I do have concerns about his 'improvement' skills.

How many clear improvements would it take to convince you? In addition to March, Bissouma, Sanchez, Dunk, Gross, Alzate...and probably Webster, Veltman.... we may not have progressed much (in points terms), but if you look at where we were two years ago, there's a huge improvement. The thing is, others are getting better as well - mainly via the use of higher wages or splashing huge sums of money on the finished article. We haven't got those resources, so we have to do it in a different way.

 

[KeegansHairPiece]

We're two years in now Swanny. A lot longer than a number of managers in this league are given with two poor 'results' seasons.

I like Potter...and his style of football, but only three hopeless teams this year have allowed us to stay in the Premier League.

I hope he succeeds obviously, but I do have concerns about his 'improvement' skills.

How many 20 team PL seasons do you think you'd be relegated in with 38 pts and a -5 GD?

 

[Arkwright]

Both Solly and Lamptey were just starting to show how good they are at wing back. If Lamptey can stay fit and add a bit of quality to his final pass we have e top quality player on our hands.
Solly can also only get better as he learns the wing back role.
Next season will be interesting as Gross, Veltman and Burn have all done well filling in but for me Solly and Lamptey are the ones to play wing back.

 

[Justice]

Both Solly and Lamptey were just starting to show how good they are at wing back. If Lamptey can stay fit and add a bit of quality to his final pass we have e top quality player on our hands.
Solly can also only get better as he learns the wing back role.
Next season will be interesting as Gross, Veltman and Burn have all done well filling in but for me Solly and Lamptey are the ones to play wing back.

Don’t you mean March needs to add quality to his final pass? It’s a weak part of his game.

 

[Arkwright]

Don’t you mean March needs to add quality to his final pass? It’s a weak part of his game.

For me, Solly is more creative than Lamptey. Both have room for improvement.

 

[Change at Barnham]

Lamptey for sure. Absolute steal that we, er, stole him. March? A bit meh to be honest. One of those blows hot/cold players that we've seen plenty enough of

March was a player of the season candidate until he got injured.

He will be one of the first names on Potter's team sheet next season.

 

[nwgull]

How many 20 team PL seasons do you think you'd be relegated in with 38 pts and a -5 GD?

Last time it happened was ten years ago!

 

[Mancgull]

What's more we reached the turn of the year on only two wins and that was with March and mostly with Lamptey.

We've obviously missed Lamptey in an attacking sense and pace wise. However, teams were able to exploit the space he left at the back. We looked a lot more solid with Veltman. Bottom line is the choice between the two would be nice.

We've definitely missed March. He was having a break out season. I hope he's recovered well. However, his backup isn't a wingback in a million years.

Completely agree. Veltman at RWB has been excellent. Not as explosive as Tariq but gives us greater defensive ability. To have the option between Joel and Tariq will be fantastic.
Likewise, it will be great to have March back. I can see us rotating quite a bit next season between Joel and Tariq on the right and March and BDB on the left, especially as both dolly and Tariq will be returning from injury and we won’t want to over load them work wise, but also because there is a ‘horses for courses’ nature to a line up. Will be great to have options, which we simply haven’t at times this season.