[Albion] Open Training?

[Sarisbury Seagull]

I loved watching the training match he took.

Two things I enjoyed.

1. The player with the green bib who played for both sides. (If passed to, he had to pass back to a player on the team that passed to him).

2. They reduced the size of the playing area so much that there was very little space. It emulated a low block for each side. They needed to produce very, very rapid one tough passing to progress.

Yeah I loved watching it all. It’s great watching conditioned game play like that as you can see how the things they work on all week are then implemented in matches.

1. Known as the magic man. It’s a really good and common coaching drill with kids. Helps them understand transitional play and how overloads help. It also highlighted how far Gilmore is ahead of Baleba at the moment. How good was Pascal in this by the way?!

2. It was short in length but still quite wide in comparison to drill the players to stay wide and maximise the space they do have. My boys told me to stop talking in the end as apparently I kept repeating myself about how the players were keeping width and how they needed to watch and take note of it for when they’re playing

I know it’s really for kids but I’ve had the best day!

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Yeah I loved watching it all. It’s great watching conditioned game play like that as you can see how the things they work on all week are then implemented in matches.

1. Known as the magic man. It’s a really good and common coaching drill with kids. Helps them understand transitional play and how overloads help. It also highlighted how far Gilmore is ahead of Baleba at the moment. How good was Pascal in this by the way?!

2. It was short in length but still quite wide in comparison to drill the players to stay wide and maximise the space they do have. My boys told me to stop talking in the end as apparently I kept repeating myself about how the players were keeping width and how they needed to watch and take note of it for when they’re playing

I know it’s really for kids but I’ve had the best day!

Out of interest, what specifics was Gilmour doing better than Baleba? My hope for Baleba is that he should thrive in transitional situations because of his physical attributes. I’m guessing he was jumping at the wrong moments?

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Out of interest, what specifics was Gilmour doing better than Baleba? My hope for Baleba is that he should thrive in transitional situations because of his physical attributes. I’m guessing he was jumping at the wrong moments?

Ball retention mainly and movement. He gave it away a lot, doesn’t have the same deft touch of Gilmour and just didn’t find the pockets of space WBG did, he was noticably static in comparison.

In fairness to Baleba, it was not a game that played to his current strengths but if he wants to play CM in a RDZ side like Gilmour does and Caicedo did, he needs to improve in this area.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Ball retention mainly and movement. He gave it away a lot, doesn’t have the same deft touch of Gilmour and just didn’t find the pockets of space WBG did, he was noticably static in comparison.

In fairness to Baleba, it was not a game that played to his current strengths but if he wants to play CM in a RDZ side like Gilmour does and Caicedo did, he needs to improve in this area.

Thanks. That’s a shame. It’ll certainly be harder for Baleba to break into the team than it was for his predecessors in that potential DM role.

Bissouma got to do a lot of his trial and error learning done in a defensive Hughton set up with not much expected of him on the ball.

Caicedo had a bit more freedom under Potter in what was sometimes a bit of a box-to-box role where he could roam more freely.

Baleba unfortunately has the opposite to both of those. High expectations with the ball in tight situations and equally high expectations in regards to positional discipline/awareness.

 

[Albion my Albion]

I was knackered by the end, but I'm on the bench on Sunday

I heard Cheshire Cat was a sub for Sunday's match.

At least the Sheffield United fans were saying that Brighton had some p#ssy on the bench.

 

[Official Old Man]

Regarding putting the fans 'away' from the players and not permitting any signatures. I've two opinions on this.
1/ pre covid I went to a couple of these with young daughter and grand daughter. Both remember their day out meeting the players, chatting to them and having a great time.
2/ Last year it was different. Men with 100's of photos giving them to kids in the front to get signed. Those not signed I expect 'were' signed later. No doubt all set for ebay. It was a profesional job and spoilt the day.
What can the club do about it? Keeping the kids away from the players is not the best move as part of the training day is touching your hero. If having the fans in the lower stands means fake signatures on ebay, so be it. But that once a year event where I got to shake the hand of a world cup winner will always be with me.

 

[Mr Bridger]

How'd his teeth look? Were you blinded by them?

Apparently it’s criteria for the Liverpool job to have a new set of gnashers. Brace yourself.

 

[Mr Bridger]

There was a woman in W2 that must've shouted Adam (Lallana) at least 50 times when he was near, we were so grateful that he turned and waved at her that people applauded. No, I'm not sorry if you're the woman in question and are reading this... you were f**king annoying!

Did she finish off with …..’your tea’s ready’

 

[Cotton Socks]

Did she finish off with …..’your tea’s ready’

If she had kids with her she probably won't have to worry about cooking for them anymore, they've probably disowned her and moved out because of the embarrassment suffered.

 

[Albion my Albion]

There was a woman in W2 that must've shouted Adam (Lallana) at least 50 times when he was near, we were so grateful that he turned and waved at her that people applauded. No, I'm not sorry if you're the woman in question and are reading this... you were f**king annoying!

Did she finish off with …..’your tea’s ready’

Probably, "Oh, I thought you were Adam Webster."

 

[maidstoneseagull]

Kids enjoyed it. Thought it lacked a bit of commentary, seem to remember they'd done this on other similar sessions. Surprised there was no Gully and Sally. Shame players weren't more available even a couple.

 

[Sea Cider]

Kids enjoyed it. Thought it lacked a bit of commentary, seem to remember they'd done this on other similar sessions. Surprised there was no Gully and Sally. Shame players weren't more available even a couple.

They were there, my son was delighted to get a photo with them!

 

[maidstoneseagull]

They were there, my son was delighted to get a photo with them!

Oh , missed them then

 

[Cotton Socks]

Probably, "Oh, I thought you were Adam Webster."

Nope, she'd said 'Lallana' a few times for clarity as well. It would be proper grim to suggest that she probably needed to go to the ladies for one reason or another when he turned around and waved (eventually), so I won't!!
My kids think I'm embarrassing for singing the wrong words to chants, they've never forgiven me for 'He only cost a mil, & he comes from Brazil, we've got Anthony Knockhaert'. I thought it didn't make sense but football songs often don't. I gave up on Caicedo and Ballon d'or, they were threatening to delete my ticket.

 

[Cotton Socks]

Regarding putting the fans 'away' from the players and not permitting any signatures. I've two opinions on this.
1/ pre covid I went to a couple of these with young daughter and grand daughter. Both remember their day out meeting the players, chatting to them and having a great time.
2/ Last year it was different. Men with 100's of photos giving them to kids in the front to get signed. Those not signed I expect 'were' signed later. No doubt all set for ebay. It was a profesional job and spoilt the day.
What can the club do about it? Keeping the kids away from the players is not the best move as part of the training day is touching your hero. If having the fans in the lower stands means fake signatures on ebay, so be it. But that once a year event where I got to shake the hand of a world cup winner will always be with me.

I didn't see the people last year doing that, a classic case of a few people spoiling it for all. At the end of last season the people in the queue waiting for Mitoma to come out was what made it so big & kids were pushed out of the way of the barriers when they'd been there for ages happily collecting signatures from the other players. As soon as Mitoma had passed the kids could get to the barriers again to get more signatures and selfies. I think a YouTuber posting from the training ground & getting autographs may have added to it.
Somehow a happy medium needs to be found, Jnr says that we're the only team to have banned selfies & autographs (I don't know how true that is), but when City or Liverpool come to town are they going to be banned from giving signatures to the people waiting by the coach?
Jnr & I have a selfie with Dunk as Jnr told me to hold out my phone, Jnr reassured me that I was the only person not to know where the selfie button is & so didn't need to give Lewis instructions. End result, Lewis worked out how to do it, didn't drop my phone & break it & Jnr & I have a pic that he'll always remember.
He also has a shirt with autographs from the open training last year, mixed with the last home game. He'd never sell it and the intention was to get a few more. it's not going to happen now.
Although to be fair, I did 'say' to Jnr a little bit too loudly 'it's Buzz' when he was venturing out last year causing a mini mob of kids to surround him. He looked shocked and his friends found it highly amusing. My Jnr's only go to games with me as I pay for their tickets!

 

[Sea Cider]

Oh , missed them then

Tbf we only saw them right at the end around 1.30 pm