[Albion] Our 2nd Half of the Season .....

[A1X]

RDZ really struggled to motivate the team in the latter half of the season. I do believe his constant talking to the press about whether he would stay or not, how the squad was not good enough etc undermined the players somewhat. I appreciate we had injuries but I believe the teams we put out could have got better results had the man-management of the team been better.

Also to add to that an insistence on playing the same tactics even if the players available at his disposal weren't able to do it as well as his first XI. Injuries are unfortunate but, ultimately, a part of sport, and the best managers are able to deal with this and adjust their tactics accordingly to suit the players they have. If you have to play Buonanotte in place of Mitoma, there is no way he will do what Mitoma does. Because he's a different player with a different skillset.

 

[Nathan]

We were safe after 19 games.

 

[timbha]

Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

Never recovered from Wolves in the FA Cup and Roma away.

 

[keaton]

I think Mitoma and March made 22 starts between them all season..I imagine about 2 were in the second half of the season

 

[Bridcutt]

I think Mitoma and March made 22 starts between them all season..I imagine about 2 were in the second half of the season

Solly got injured in October

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

I think that's actually 4 baskets he had his eggs in. But i'd have also added Enciso and Pedro, who also went down.

So what are we on, Plan G? How many plans is the fella supposed to have?

 

[keaton]

Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

Never recovered from Wolves in the FA Cup and Roma away.

Who is the "his"?

 

[timbha]

I think that's actually 4 baskets he had his eggs in. But i'd have also added Enciso and Pedro, who also went down.

So what are we on, Plan G? How many plans is the fella supposed to have?

No, you’ve misunderstood. Maybe I should have been clearer in Plan A being the combination of Mitoma, Estupinan, March and Adingra, giving us waves of attacking options down both flanks. When injuries decimated 3 of those 4 he tried to replace with Enciso, Buonanotte, Pedro, Lamptey plus U21s but it didn’t work.

Substitute Plan B for “alternative options”

 

[timbha]

Who is the "his"?

Ok then, “their” if you want to be PC

 

[7dialssouthpaw]

should have signed a CF and a fullback in January, even on loan

 

[Uh_huh_him]

RDZ really struggled to motivate the team in the latter half of the season. I do believe his constant talking to the press about whether he would stay or not, how the squad was not good enough etc undermined the players somewhat. I appreciate we had injuries but I believe the teams we put out could have got better results had the man-management of the team been better.

I hear this a lot, but the fact is that the teams may have been "good enough", but in reality they were knackered.
It's easy to knock RDZ as it's his job to motivate the team, but it was clear from the Wolves cup game onwards, that the players were running on Empty.
The injuries caught up with the squad. We had been relying on youngsters playing too many minutes, for too long.
Gross and Dunk have been a shadow of their former selves, both being asked to play 8 or 9 more games than they have ever previously played in a season.

Sure De Zerbi got pissed off because the club didn't provide him with the back up he needed.
Plenty of sensible reasons why that didn't happen.
But implying the sole reason for the poor performances is De Zerbi's man-management is not correct.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

RDZ really struggled to motivate the team in the latter half of the season. I do believe his constant talking to the press about whether he would stay or not, how the squad was not good enough etc undermined the players somewhat. I appreciate we had injuries but I believe the teams we put out could have got better results had the man-management of the team been better.

Grudgingly I agree.

Which is why he was sacked.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

The thing is, we played the great majority of our European games in Autumn, when we were also getting great results in the league. We only played two Euro matches in 2024

Sure but the demands on the squad are cumulative.
Rushing Estupinan back and overplaying the likes of Adingra, Buananotte, Ferguson, was necessary, but ultimately led to worsening performances in the latter part of the season.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

Never recovered from Wolves in the FA Cup and Roma away.

Our downfall was that interview with Bloom in January when he said we weren't recruiting because our players would be back in February. In reality they weren't.

RDZ wanted 4 players. Got 1 teenager. Mitoma then going down and us going out of the cups then ended the season. I really don't think there's much more to it than that

 

[nicko31]

We were safe after 19 games.

Plaayers back and no Europa distraction, we're be good with some tweeks

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

Never recovered from Wolves in the FA Cup and Roma away.

Four main players in a first team squad and no strength in depth apart from youngsters, a couple of whom stepped up well, ie Ferguson and Hinshelwood, until they, too, got injured.
Add to that Adingra had the extra games in Africa.

How many eggs do you want to break?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I hear this a lot, but the fact is that the teams may have been "good enough", but in reality they were knackered.
It's easy to knock RDZ as it's his job to motivate the team, but it was clear from the Wolves cup game onwards, that the players were running on Empty.
The injuries caught up with the squad. We had been relying on youngsters playing too many minutes, for too long.
Gross and Dunk have been a shadow of their former selves, both being asked to play 8 or 9 more games than they have ever previously played in a season.

Sure De Zerbi got pissed off because the club didn't provide him with the back up he needed.
Plenty of sensible reasons why that didn't happen.
But implying the sole reason for the poor performances is De Zerbi's man-management is not correct.

If you’re motivated you perform better, this is pretty much a given.

Also. I’m not saying it’s the sole reason, more it must have contributed.

I’m also not “knocking” him, I’ll forever be grateful to RDZ for giving me some amazing times. He’s not beyond comment and maybe criticism though.

 

[kevo]

I don't think he failed to motivate the team at all, it's nonsense - how could players not be inspired to play for him?! This is not Chris Hughton we're talking about. You can see how gutted the players were that he left. It was mostly down to injuries that we struggled.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

An uninjured A-team, suited to RDZ’s tactics, would have got us top 10 comfortably. Idealism kept pragmitism at bay in the 2nd half of the season.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

If you’re motivated you perform better, this is pretty much a given.

Also. I’m not saying it’s the sole reason, more it must have contributed.

I’m also not “knocking” him, I’ll forever be grateful to RDZ for giving me some amazing times. He’s not beyond comment and maybe criticism though.

I think you are placing a lot of emphasis on motivation though.
You stated that our team were good enough to get results, but didn't and cited RDZ man-management as potentially a major factor.

Do you think that our opponents aren't also motivated by their managers? Why should this be the key variable?
The lack of replacements for Caicedo, March and back ups for Veltman and Estupinan had a bigger impact IMO.

We lost key games because our players were knackered and simply weren't executing as well in the final third as they had been previously.
This is a pretty normal consequence.

Take Gross's performances over the past 2 months.
He is still as motivated as he has ever been, covers every blade of grass, but his final ball, has been nowhere near his exceptionally high standard.