[Albion] Midfield Options

[Raskolnikov]

Potter doesn't mind the errors - he keeps telling us that football is a game of mistakes. What he won't forgive is not trying to be progressive and letting fear of failure drive your actions. Davy fits the bill, I think we are seeing that Dale doesn't fit GP's approach quite so well (though did/does a very passable defensive midfield role whilst we are evolving the squad).

'Football is a mistakes game,' Potter explains. 'You play for 90 minutes and the score is only 1-0 so by definition you can see that things haven't worked pretty much all the time.

'But football leans towards a blame and fear culture and I don't want that. I met guys in my education from medicine and the military and they recognised that it wasn't necessarily about being fearful of making mistakes, it was about knowing they may come and reacting positively to them when they did. That resonated for me. Fear means you can't be yourself.

'Mistakes would happen in surgery, for example, and how the surgeon reacted to that mistake would determine life and death.

'If someone can tell me how to eliminate mistakes from football then please do. I am all ears. But my experience suggests there will be bumps in the road. It's how you, and particularly the players, deal with them that matters.'

ARE YOU PLATO
ARE YOU PLATO
ARE YOU PLATO IN DISGUISE?

new chant..?

 

[The Merry Prankster]

I read a good book about mistakes

Basically it compares professions and the cultures within those professions.

In the professional cultures mistakes are accepted and are dealt with in an adult way, with no threat against the individual, performance (for example the safety record) consistently increases.

In the opposite professional cultures, where the wagon get circled after mistakes, improvement is painfully slow

How much better would government be if it grasped this?

 

[8049]

How much better would government be if it grasped this?

And the press.

 

[Ali_rrr]

agree, he was with bellend Pardew at ADO Den Haag, bottom of the dutch league and after first game, he was sub for the following games. If thats his level he's not likely to be pushing our first team.

Then again Pardew is a clueless idiot who didn't always play Murray, so maybe he's quality.

I report on ADO here in The Hague, Baluta didn't look comfortable but then again most of the team didn't.

 

[peterward]

I report on ADO here in The Hague, Baluta didn't look comfortable but then again most of the team didn't.

Interesting. Beautiful city btw.

Were the fans happy to see the back of Pardew? Self promoting idiot and really not a good manager.

 

[Ali_rrr]

Interesting. Beautiful city btw.

Were the fans happy to see the back of Pardew? Self promoting idiot and really not a good manager.

Yes. It was very uninspiring and I think he underestimated the strength of the Eredivisie, opting to get players who aren't really good enough for The Championship. However, every time I spoke to Pards he was actually a very decent guy, but again I don't think he realised the challenge that was ahead of him.

Furthering on from the first bit, he actually had supporters confront him at the training ground trying to teach him tactics.
https://talksport.com/football/675430/ado-den-haag-invade-alan-pardew-training-session-protest-tactics-poor-eredivisie-form/

 

[aolstudios]

Agree, I think as a footballer he's intelligent considered and can be clinically precise with a turn or pass . . . His down fall is often being that get out of jail free card for others, and you can't win them all. . Especially when he gets dragged back to do defenders jobs. If there were stats for plasma hot potatoes thrown at a player he'd be sky high.

This.
Spot on

 

[Perkino]

Good post. And making me rethink in tune with GP's perspective. He's right about the game being littered with mistakes. Are they really mistakes? No, not really. They've always been there! That's football, sport and life in general.

I blame the media, who constantly analyse and scrutinise, labelling everything as a 'mistake' (leading to the goal). We've been conditioned to view everything as a 'mistake' (leading to the goal), whether it's Ryan dropping an easy catch in front of the enemy's prolific striker or Murray giving it away in their half and they've still got 10 other Brighton players to beat before it hits the back of the net or equivalent.

In old skool currency, only the former would have been labelled and that's fair enough. But not the latter, yet everything is labelled as such by Lineker, Shearer and co. Can you imagine football without 'mistakes'? How boring would that be, you're demanding nil nil each week by joining in with such punditry.

Therefore, I'm going to try and take GP's view a bit more this forthcoming season. As long as Dropper, sorry Propper, stops playing like a Kamikaze at Heathrow.

Most of our games are won or lost on mistakes and the ability of the opposition to capitalise on them rather than on moments of brilliance creating an opportunity. In order for us to compete and push for a top 10 position we need to ensure we regularly take advantage of other teams mistakes and increasingly play in a way that force teams to make costly mistakes

 

[peterward]

Yes. It was very uninspiring and I think he underestimated the strength of the Eredivisie, opting to get players who aren't really good enough for The Championship. However, every time I spoke to Pards he was actually a very decent guy, but again I don't think he realised the challenge that was ahead of him.

Furthering on from the first bit, he actually had supporters confront him at the training ground trying to teach him tactics.
https://talksport.com/football/675430/ado-den-haag-invade-alan-pardew-training-session-protest-tactics-poor-eredivisie-form/

Really interesting........ Covid and cancellation of season was all that saved ADO, Pardew wouldn't imho. Maybe he is a nice fella to talk to, but he's a crap manager.

Is he still there for next season?

 

[Swansman]

Really interesting........ Covid and cancellation of season was all that saved ADO, Pardew wouldn't imho. Maybe he is a nice fella to talk to, but he's a crap manager.

Is he still there for next season?

Nope, he is gone. They have pretty fierce supporters, lose their backing and you're gone.

 

[MrSnuggles]

Difficult to know where Potter will shoehorn in some of the players unless he coverts Lamptey to an attacking right winger and puts Dan Burn up front!! Now there's a thought..!

 

[zefarelly]

Most of our games are won or lost on mistakes and the ability of the opposition to capitalise on them rather than on moments of brilliance creating an opportunity. In order for us to compete and push for a top 10 position we need to ensure we regularly take advantage of other teams mistakes and increasingly play in a way that force teams to make costly mistakes

Yes, I remember watching us actually compete against Man City, early last season their players speed of thought, and reaction to it was what really made the difference, add to that the extra rung up the ladder of skill and precision, and they make less mistakes!

 

[Perkino]

Yes, I remember watching us actually compete against Man City, early last season their players speed of thought, and reaction to it was what really made the difference, add to that the extra rung up the ladder of skill and precision, and they make less mistakes!

To be a part of the Premier league you need to cut out mistakes in silly areas of the pitch, to compete you need to be able to punish the sides that make mistakes but to challenge for titles you need to be able to unlock a defence with an individual piece of skill or force the opposition into making mistakes. We are obviously nearer the beginning of that journey

 

[zefarelly]

To be a part of the Premier league you need to cut out mistakes in silly areas of the pitch, to compete you need to be able to punish the sides that make mistakes but to challenge for titles you need to be able to unlock a defence with an individual piece of skill or force the opposition into making mistakes. We are obviously nearer the beginning of that journey

with glimpses of the middle bit, but yes, we are.

 

[Stat Brother]

Re Stephens - It's always better to offload a year early than a year to late.

I'm fairly sure anyone saying he needs to stay now, will, in 12 months time be saying why did he stay, 'he should have left a year ago'.


He's been in the Duffyzone since the turn of the year, even more so since lockdown.
It'll be a shame to see both go, but we just ain't that team any more.

 

[Perkino]

Re Stephens - It's always better to offload a year early than a year to late.

I'm fairly sure anyone saying he needs to stay now, will, in 12 months time be saying why did he stay, 'he should have left a year ago'.


He's been in the Duffyzone since the turn of the year, even more so since lockdown.
It'll be a shame to see both go, but we just ain't that team any more.

I feel that Potter will fall on the side of 'progress' & 'development' rather than 'experience' & 'rigidity'. I imagine there are 9 or 10 players who fall into a bracket of 'available for transfer if we get a suitable offer' just like Montoya, a good addition to have around the squad but not vital for us to move forward

 

[Ali_rrr]

Really interesting........ Covid and cancellation of season was all that saved ADO, Pardew wouldn't imho. Maybe he is a nice fella to talk to, but he's a crap manager.

Is he still there for next season?

As Swanman said he's left. His contract was up in June anyway but I think they're glad to be rid of him.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

As Swanman said he's left. His contract was up in June anyway but I think they're glad to be rid of him.

Ali, have you heard any news over Ali J? There was a report that we offered him to AZ Alkmaar, but that they weren’t interested. Has there been any interest from Ajax?

 

[Swansman]

Ali, have you heard any news over Ali J? There was a report that we offered him to AZ Alkmaar, but that they weren’t interested. Has there been any interest from Ajax?

I'm not Ali, but there's been very little talk about Ali J to Ajax in recent months. All their efforts are currently directed at landing Suarez as two of their best players (captain Tadic and David Neres) both prefer to play on the RW. More likely to go to PSV perhaps, if they have the money.

 

[West Hoathly Seagull]

I'm not Ali, but there's been very little talk about Ali J to Ajax in recent months. All their efforts are currently directed at landing Suarez as two of their best players (captain Tadic and David Neres) both prefer to play on the RW. More likely to go to PSV perhaps, if they have the money.

No sure, I was replying to our Dutch correspondent, but that’s interesting to know about Ajax and Suarez if you mean the one I think you do. Are Barcelona going to let him go? He was at Ajax before Liverpool, wasn’t he?