[Albion] Napoli interested in Billy Gilmour **Sold 30/08/24**

[Johnny RoastBeef]

A lot of people advocating for Gilmour are doing so because of his performances in a double pivot system.

But what if Hurzeler choses to adopt the system he used to great success in St Pauli?

Billy is totally unsuited to playing in that system.

Just because he is a nice guy and looks good in a pretty poor Scotland side isn't reason enough to warrant a place a Brighton team playing a system like St Pauli.

If Hurzeler is going to operate multiple systems, then yes, keep Billy for the system that suits his game. If not, then sentiment counts for nothing.

 

[Hugo Rune]

A lot of people advocating for Gilmour are doing so because of his performances in a double pivot system.

But what if Hurzeler choses to adopt the system he used to great success in St Pauli?

Billy is totally unsuited to playing in that system.

Just because he is a nice guy and looks good in a pretty poor Scotland side isn't reason enough to warrant a place a Brighton team playing a system like St Pauli.

If Hurzeler is going to operate multiple systems, then yes, keep Billy for the system that suits his game. If not, then sentiment counts for nothing.

This.

Perfectly happy with him under RDZ last season. He was one of our best players.

However, I think Billy is pretty one dimensional. He needs a system that suits him. With that, he is top 6 EPL level. Without a system suited to him, he and his agent know that he is surplus to requirements and are likely to be liaising with his ex-bosses to encourage low-ball bids for him.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I'm a fan of Gilmour but I think it's fair to say he might not be cut out for the single pivot role due to his physical and defensive limitations. In a pair, alongside Wieffer or A.N.Other, he'd be fine. But that would involve Hürzeler adapting his standard formation, which is why tomorrow's lineup will be interesting.

From what I’ve read, tomorrow is about giving everyone 45mins.

We might get a better idea of Hürzelerball on Sunday.

 

[Hugo Rune]

Agreed. He doesn’t score goals or assist but that’s not his focus. Within last years tactics his priority was retaining possession and feeding the ball to our wingers, being the linking pass between defence & attack. One thing he did better than anyone else we had was being the centre mid who actively made himself available (shouting for the ball & pointing where he wants it) to receive the ball from our centre backs, a quick turn, and move it on to our wingers. He’s very proactive in that sense. Without him that part of our play was much slower and ponderous. It’s a role that goes unnoticed sometimes, but was crucial to our tactics in regards to drawing in the opposition & then making quick passes through them. If there’s an upgrade out there then fine, but to let him go because he doesn’t do enough would be foolish in my opinion.

Check out the video on Mats Wieffer.

 

[brighton_tom]

Check out the video on Mats Wieffer.

Even if Wieffer is the upgrade, which I know he is, we’d still need BG for rotation & injuries.

 

[Weststander]

Even if Wieffer is the upgrade, which I know he is, we’d still need BG for rotation & injuries.

A Champions League level midfielder shirley won’t want to be a bench warmer.

 

[brighton_tom]

A Champions League level midfielder shirley won’t want to be a bench warmer.

Yeah MW starts, BG for injuries, & fatigue rotation. My point is we need them both.

 

[martin tyler]

Yeah MW starts, BG for injuries, & fatigue rotation. My point is we need them both.

There really not the same player though or even the same type. If you were playing one CM pivot which may or may not be the case BG can’t be a replacement for MW. I’m not saying BG should be sold he’s a great technical player keeps the midfield ticking as it were. If we do end up playing the same way as St Pauli I struggle to see where he fits in unless it’s in a more attacking role but his stats for that need to improve. To me the premier league clubs are wanting athletic powerful as well as technical gifted cm at the moment and unfortunately Billy is just one of those

 

[Weststander]

Yeah MW starts, BG for injuries, & fatigue rotation. My point is we need them both.

Perusing through St Pauli videos and other analysis, there’s only room for two centre midfielders in a Hurzeler team. They’re both athletic, box to box, tackling destroyers.

On that basis, unless Hurzeler adapts, hard to see how slower technicians fit in.

In terms of tackling FBREF shows Wieffer, Baleba, Mac and Caicedo all producing circa three per game. BG’s stat is 1.

Unless Hurzeler has something else up his sleeve?

 

[Mike Small]

If Gilmour is surplus to Fab's requirements then that's a shame but we move on. We don't move on for £12m though. Double that at least.

 

[casbom]

Considering that it looks like we're getting Gomez who does seem to be the same type of player as MW them he could be 4th choice after MW, CB and DG.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

actively made himself available (shouting for the ball & pointing where he wants it) to receive the ball from our centre backs, a quick turn, and move it on to our wingers. He’s very proactive in that sense.

Occasionally, the norm was a tap back to where the ball came from.

 

[sparkie]

To make very similar "mistakes" 2 seasons running, would seem to be rather careless.

It would certainly be a "courageous" strategy.

 

[Stato]

Perusing through St Pauli videos and other analysis, there’s only room for two centre midfielders in a Hurzeler team. They’re both athletic, box to box, tackling destroyers.

Why did we Lallana go then?!

 

[severnside gull]

Not aimed at you personally but it seems a lot of people are assuming we're going to play the exact same way St Pauli did last season, but I don't think people should take that for granted.

He could be a very tactically flexible coach who just happened to stick with a particular formation last season because retaining the flow was more important than tactical adaption, which is sometimes the case and sometimes not.

One of the earliest pieces about FH focussed on how he took over the reins at St Pauli and “tweaked” the style of play to make the best use of the players available. That seems to suggest that there is no one thing which is “Hurzelerball” but rather he can adapt his overall playing style to match individuals - a good manager with maybe more than a Plan A.

 

[Doonhamer7]

Who’s to say St Pauli style (which so many of you appear experts in - where do you get time to watch 2nd division German football?) is how FH will even play in the EPL. I’m a massive WBG fan and I think it would be a huge mistake to get rid of, we will never be a top 6 club so this is the level of player we need to keep

 

[Silverhatch]

If Gilmour is surplus to Fab's requirements then that's a shame but we move on. We don't move on for £12m though. Double that at least.

If Gilmour went to Italy/Conte (preferable to the PL) the economics of Italian football would probably see a relatively small fee but with hefty milestone payments and a huge sell on 50%+

 

[The Fits]

Looking forward to the start of the season.

 

[Insel affe]

Why did we Lallana go then?!

He wanted to move closer to home, that and his legs had gone.

 

[Shins]

Maybe those assuming that he has nothing to offer Hurzeler might consider that he wasn't fortunate enough to have a player as good as Billy to use at St Pauli. Even a lesser player with a similar qualities.

Look, maybe he will go and these rumours clearly have some legs, although the price is stupid low. But some of the comments on here writing Billy off before the new manager can have a look and see how he might use him are way ott.