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

[Uh_huh_him]

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.

I keep on hearing this plan B shit...

What exactly are you after?
A bit of hoofball up to a non-existent big man, with a fox in the box feeding off him?
That still would have required recruitment.

We've been watching a plan B for the past 2 months - with no pace or width in the squad, it's the relentless side to side of Potterball.
It's all we have left available.

It can work, but it needs a lot of quick quality passes and good movement.
More often than not decent, Prem teams can nullify it.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Not strengthening in January really cost us and I think it's one of the key reasons RDZ left. He knew we would struggle with the injuries we had.

and not being able to finish chances which in early part of the season we put away, particularly Adingra (not blaming him just don't thing he kicked on as I expected post AFCON) but pretty much all the players and their lack of confidence (or maybe over confidence we can pass it into the net) when in the final third. We should have scored more against Chelsea and MUFC and taken points and there were a few other games like that. Forget Luton away ( they were up for it and caught us early) there were other games when we were in it but just couldn't score.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

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?!

Trossard, Sanchez?

 

[osgood]

The first two involved in Europe, and the latter not. Is getting into Europe a two edged sword?

Yes !

 

[kevo]

Trossard, Sanchez?

That's different, though. Their heads were turned.

 

[warmleyseagull]

The table omits that Brighton were 19th in GS with 17 in second half; only Everton (16) scored fewer. And 9 of those were in 2 games, so 8 in other 17 games. And 2 were OGs.

 

[tigertim68]

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.

Didn’t have much to select from , the players he did have left to select from were nackered

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

As ever it’s a combination of injures, RDZ’s tactics and poor recruitment which caused it.

I’m leaning more and more towards poor recruitment as the main issue. It’s why I’m surprised some people think we only need a couple of signings in the summer. We need 4 or 5 to be competitive in the top half again.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

As ever it’s a combination of injures, RDZ’s tactics and poor recruitment which caused it.

I’m leaning more and more towards poor recruitment as the main issue. It’s why I’m surprised some people think we only need a couple of signings in the summer. We need 4 or 5 to be competitive in the top half again.

Could not agree more. If we only sign 2 it wouldn't be a surprise to see us in a similar position to that second table. Not good.

 

[Cornwallboy]

The injuries and Roma Away broke us. We were a busted flush and to be honest I do wonder if Roberto was subconsciously halfway out the door and this transmitted itself to the players.

To be fair after Roma away we did then beat Forest at home and Roma at home, so it didn't signal a total collapse, our form post Spurs at home was pretty poor and I don't think can be totally attributed to getting well beaten in Rome.

 

[maltaseagull]

Not strengthening in January really cost us and I think it's one of the key reasons RDZ left. He knew we would struggle with the injuries we had.

Not sure what happened but I remember Tony saying that we would have several players back from injury in February or March. In fact not many came back and some others joined the list.
Was he misinformed?
Is that why we have a new head of medicine?

 

[Weststander]

yep - West Ham & us fell apart and Chelsea and Palace improved massively ..... great

First two … knackered from a load of extra games. Similarly, despite a £600m squad, Villa dipped.
Second two … without that, no overseas traveling and the luxury of a weeks prep for most PL games.

 

[Weststander]

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

The long term injuries started piling up in the autumn.

 

[Weststander]

Solly got injured in October

When our PL decline really got going.

A compare and contrast of PL tables for the first 6 PL games versus last 32 games, would reveal far more.

Many fans failed to spot this, because of an alcohol-induced tunnel vision for certain European cities.

 

[Weststander]

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.

The club literally had no centre midfielders with pace and bite who could turn in 90’ performance each week. With hopeless replacements for the injured Velts and Estupinan, bar a few great weeks with Hinshelwood. Add no Enciso, Mitoma and Solly, plus lengthy Pedro absences.

A recipe for shit PL form, under any manager. And so it came to be.

A car crash. A few here spotted all this in real time, whilst others thought everything was marvelous wooed by a coming visit to Roma. When the **** hit the fan, the happy-clappers overnight blamed Roberto for everything. Why the hell didn’t they speak up during the summer or winter transfer windows, or during Oct to Feb?

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Listening to Lallana’s final interview, he mentioned how much harder it is to play on a Sunday as opposed to a Saturday, and also mentioned the draws which we should have won, as we were playing well.
it’s so easy, as fans, to pontificate about motivation, tactics, plan B etc etc but none of us really know what does affect a professional team.

 

[Pliny the Gull]

Think everyone one expected if we ride the storm in January, all will be good come Feb 1st regarding injuries. Where as it was, injuries got worse.
The Roma away game epitomised how inflexible we became in not adapting style of play for the opposing team.
I'm certainly no expert, but some team line ups, even accounting for injuries appeared baffling, and looked as if they were decided by way of a dartboard.
UTA

 

[portslade seagull]

Our 2nd half of the season was relegation form and if repeated next season would probably see us drop as I cannot see three teams being worse than the relegated teams this year

 

[Weststander]

Listening to Lallana’s final interview, he mentioned how much harder it is to play on a Sunday as opposed to a Saturday, and also mentioned the draws which we should have won, as we were playing well.
it’s so easy, as fans, to pontificate about motivation, tactics, plan B etc etc but none of us really know what does affect a professional team.

It’s obvious.

For years I’ve watched English clubs with UEFA Thursday night football who the. fail to win on the following Sunday. Their PL opponents having 8 days of rest, prep and tactics about one opponent.

 

[Weststander]

Our 2nd half of the season was relegation form and if repeated next season would probably see us drop as I cannot see three teams being worse than the relegated teams this year

‘Thankfully’ no European football next season.

Rob Edwards or Russell Martin will manage us to a comfortable mid-table.