[Albion] Playing Devil’s advocate here but

[vagabond]

If Albion really are that strapped for cash would we not have been better off selling White and spending the money on a striker?

I guess all will become clear by the close of the window but given how we were well stocked with CBs before the season started it’s a thought isn’t it?

FWIW I really like White and have been impressed with his skill on the ball but all three centre backs currently look awful at defending set pieces. Maybe Potter could have considered adapting things and keeping Duffy whilst letting White go and signing a striker

Go gently on me, it is just a thought

If we do end up signing a decent striker maybe a mod would be kind enough to delete this thread please

Have we struggled to score goals? No...

Are we strapped for cash? No..

And if we were to sell why assume it’s be White. We have others ahead of that queue. Close thread.

 

[chaileyjem]

The striker issue Albion have is depth - worries about Maupay and Connolly being injured / out for the long term - not quality. Potter is rightfully pleased about how that front two are developing.
The cost issue Albion have is value for money - and protecting their wage structure . - That doesn't mean they're "strapped for cash". Turning down £m bids for our players, buying up half of Europe's best teenagers and handing out new contracts to half a dozen players suggests otherwise.

 

[Justice]

How would we all feel if we had spent £30m on White? A work in progress naive at times, not sure I’ve seen a £30m CB tbh.

 

[vagabond]

It is too early to say for certain.

If White develops into an England international, and you sell him for seventy million in the future then it will have been a good decision.

If I were making the decision though, which obviously I'm not, I would have thought I don't have the information to know for sure, so it is a balance of probabilities. He might develop and appreciate in value or he could get a career ending injury next week. The £30 million though, that is cold hard cash. That is something certain. And that is money I could spend on a top notch striker which I need far more than a central defender of which I have too many.

He is a ball playing centre back, he is fantastic supporting the attack, which is why he was so prized by Bielsa, but he has severe limitations defensively, as you now know. Leeds could be taking the consequences of that, and have pissed thirty million down the drain. Which you have used to buy (say) Ollie Watkins, who would be transformational for you in a way White frankly will not be.

As for not helping a relegation rival, I am sorry to break it to you but Leeds will not be relegated. That is just not going to happen. You may want it desperately, but the wish is father to the thought. So that part of the decision was predicated on a false premise.

Would your lot be happy if you sold Ben White for £25m?

Exactly, I doubt it.

Come on, for old times sake give us a #freebenwhite [emoji24]

 

[sydney]

I'll correct you this one last time, but then I can't be arsed and will just leave you your inane ramblings of random words and lines of full stops

It's Ryan who shouts 'away'

nah.

 

[sydney]

So, the reason that we are dumb as **** at set pieces this season is because we don't have Duffy adding his physical presence and organising things like he did last season ?


FROM THE BENCH

he didn't organise much but he got his head to a lot ....condescending bell end, you not Duffy or Mr.Potter

 

[Stato]

Would your lot be happy if you sold Ben White for £25m?

Exactly, I doubt it.

Come on, for old times sake give us a #freebenwhite [emoji24]

FFS, Don't ask him questions! I'm starting to think he'll still be here posting his overlong and tedious concern trolling posts after young Ben White has hung up his boots after a twenty year career. Its like he has an alert set up for any time that anyone on here mentions Leeds or Ben White. 'They'll be needing a schooling' he thinks and, despite being less welcome than a Simon Hooper VAR intervention, he arrives, Latin dictionary under his arm, burbling another long winded and uncalled hagiography of a manager who is such a genius that he failed to get an Argentina team with Samuel, Batistuta and Veron in it through the group stage of a World Cup.

 

[SI 4 BHA]

Agree with a lot of this, but Duffy played less than a third of games last season, and I don't recall us struggling so much against set pieces last year ? Again Murray and Stephens were important defensively, but Murray hardly played last season and Stephens played less second half of the season. BDB was an ever present and may be a more significant miss defensively this season from last.

We have bought in White, March, Lamptey in defence, none of which are particularly big or physical and even though Montoya wasn't big, he had been around a long time and knew how to 'block' bigger attackers on set pieces.

For me, I think the biggest change is that White, Lamptey, Bissouma and Alzate simply don't have the experience at this level and may be a little naive at set pieces. Murray, Duffy, Stephens and BDB weren't. (And being units helped ).

Maybe it's something we will have to suffer to a degree while they get the experience and coaching.

According to the stats, Murray played 24 times last season, he rarely started, but was a regular late substitute who could hold the ball up, generally take a bit of pressure of the defence towards the end of a game and was a physical presence when opponents had free kicks and corners late in the game.

Similarly, Duffy appeared 25 times, almost always late in the game if we needed to shore things up a bit. In addition, Stephens appeared 34 times, starting some, coming on as a late sub in other games, playing a holding midfield role and we really don't have a player in the squad with enough discipline to play that role.

Unfortunately we don't now have anyone like these three in the squad anymore, experienced pros who could help with game management and weren't scared to get in where it hurts. Now we have some brilliantly talented footballers, but they haven't yet learn't that there is more to the game than just being great to watch on the ball. Hopefully it will come, but they need to learn quickly.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

If Albion really are that strapped for cash would we not have been better off selling White and spending the money on a striker?

I guess all will become clear by the close of the window but given how we were well stocked with CBs before the season started it’s a thought isn’t it?

FWIW I really like White and have been impressed with his skill on the ball but all three centre backs currently look awful at defending set pieces. Maybe Potter could have considered adapting things and keeping Duffy whilst letting White go and signing a striker

Go gently on me, it is just a thought

If we do end up signing a decent striker maybe a mod would be kind enough to delete this thread please

You are assuming we haven’t signed a striker because of money. Decent ones that guarantee goals are hard to find and will have many options. Maybe our preferred targets couldn’t be persuaded to join and it’s as simple as that.

 

[Eeyore]

Here is a good stat. We conceded 60 goals in 2018/2019 (Dunk & Duffy, played every game I think?)

Last season we conceded 54 goals. Duffy hardly played. So why are we all now convinced that Duffy is the answer to our defensive problems (based off Everton putting 4 past us)

Retrospective team selection is always fun. You never lose the match.

Any striker coming in would not be here for every match game time. so there are considerations:

1) Such a player is unlikely to be an accomplished top flight scorer (fee would be too high)
2) Only a younger and less experienced player would want to come in all likelihood
3) This is why we landed Swiss Andy. There is a budget.

Difficult situation for the club at present. I won't pretend I have a clue as to the solution. But eight goals in four matches is a good start.

Ironically, it's a well stocked defence that has made the errors. But not due to the system, just awful set piece play and those errors.

There is always this blind faith that a new striker solves the issue. They rarely do, unless a club has gazillions to spaff.

 

[One Love]

The striker issue Albion have is depth - worries about Maupay and Connolly being injured / out for the long term - not quality. Potter is rightfully pleased about how that front two are developing.

Whilst your point about depth is valid, I think you're being unrealistic about our current two strikers.

I'm sure Potter is happy about how they are developing as are most of us but I'm sure the ideal situation would have been for this season that Maupay develop his game as a support striker and Connolly learn his trade in the Championship.

IMHO we are missing a striker but not below them which you seem to be inferring but in front of them in the pecking order.

 

[Icy Gull]

You are assuming we haven’t signed a striker because of money. Decent ones that guarantee goals are hard to find and will have many options. Maybe our preferred targets couldn’t be persuaded to join and it’s as simple as that.

You may well be right, so where does that leave us? We play great football, we are in the PL, we have a highly rated manager and decent strikers don’t want to join us when they would get pretty well guaranteed playing time.

 

[Springal]

Whilst your point about depth is valid, I think you're being unrealistic about our current two strikers.

I'm sure Potter is happy about how they are developing as are most of us but I'm sure the ideal situation would have been for this season that Maupay develop his game as a support striker and Connolly learn his trade in the Championship.

IMHO we are missing a striker but not below them which you seem to be inferring but in front of them in the pecking order.

Dream on. Look at the scorers above Maupay last season in the PL. Every single one of them is out of our budget, except perhaps Pukki.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Here is a good stat. We conceded 60 goals in 2018/2019 (Dunk & Duffy, played every game I think?)

Last season we conceded 54 goals. Duffy hardly played. So why are we all now convinced that Duffy is the answer to our defensive problems (based off Everton putting 4 past us)

Not all. I suspect it has more to do with BDB not playing and Dunk going a bit off the boil. Last season he must have been averaging 7.5 per game. This season I could be as low as 6. That makes White's job so much harder.

 

[SimpKingpin]

From a marketing standpoint I wouldn't sell players like White (or say Lamptey). They bring a lot of attention to the club, generate media and social media, and ultimately recruit & increase our global fanbase, increase our social media presence, sell shirts and merch etc, etc.

Honestly I think that growing our global fanbase is "part" of the reason for moving to attractive football, when you look at the bigger picture.
Although, I think the biggest part is for our own sanity - I don't really want to watch boring defensive football year after year after year as relegation fodder. It's supposed to be entertainment after all.

I'm not even sure we are strapped for cash. But times are uncertain, especially financially. I think at some point (probably just after the gov and FA put the kaibosh on plans to bring fans back - plans spearheaded by "little ol Brighton") we decided on a new financial strategy for the first half of this season which involves continuing to secure our future with young players and doing the best we can with what we have...and maybe, just maybe making a deal for a player that doesn't go all "Locadia" (tits up) - so perhaps a loan with option to buy?

Having said all that, one more striker would be nice, if only to cover injuries. We were very lucky with injuries last year.
And I'd like to see what Zeqiri can bring. Even if you consider his opponents weak his technique looks absolutely bang on when it comes to quickly finding the net.
Bit weird that he consistently played less than 90 mins per game though...

TBH the impact Lamptey and March have had in the wingback formation has had me much more interested in signing a player or two who can offer competition and back up in those positions.
Sessegnon was the one I really wanted.
Michal Karbownik looks tasty (is he going back on loan?).

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lense]

If we hadn't sold Duffy, I'd possibly agree...I do wonder if Potter hasn't quite balanced out the attributes correctly across the back 3.

We do seem massively lacking in physical presence since Duffy and Murray left - both very good in the air defensively.

I wonder if its actually more to do with Stephens/Propper not playing - all 3 CBs are decent in the air but with a physically "big" team against us, the lack of physicality in midfield/attack means we are reliant on player slike Maupay/March having to do far more of a job stopping runners as we don't have enough to go man to man.. Mina, Kean, Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison , Dacoure for example

 

[WATFORD zero]

According to the stats, Murray played 24 times last season, he rarely started, but was a regular late substitute who could hold the ball up, generally take a bit of pressure of the defence towards the end of a game and was a physical presence when opponents had free kicks and corners late in the game.

Similarly, Duffy appeared 25 times, almost always late in the game if we needed to shore things up a bit. In addition, Stephens appeared 34 times, starting some, coming on as a late sub in other games, playing a holding midfield role and we really don't have a player in the squad with enough discipline to play that role.

Unfortunately we don't now have anyone like these three in the squad anymore, experienced pros who could help with game management and weren't scared to get in where it hurts. Now we have some brilliantly talented footballers, but they haven't yet learn't that there is more to the game than just being great to watch on the ball. Hopefully it will come, but they need to learn quickly.

Agree completely. Although Stephens started 28 Premier games, Duffy only started 12 and Murray 7, so we had started to phase them out significantly last season (although, as you point out, knowing you had them on the bench if needed was always good).

I definitely think the transition we are making is the right one, but we do need White, Lamptey, Biss and Alzate to 'wise up' quickly. (It always appeared to me that Murray had done a great job helping Maupay in this area )

 

[GT49er]

Whilst your point about depth is valid, I think you're being unrealistic about our current two strikers.

I'm sure Potter is happy about how they are developing as are most of us but I'm sure the ideal situation would have been for this season that Maupay develop his game as a support striker and Connolly learn his trade in the Championship.

IMHO we are missing a striker but not below them which you seem to be inferring but in front of them in the pecking order.

Great thinking - get a lead striker in to play with Maupay as support, and send out Connolly to the Championship. Then Maupay and the new striker get injured/suspended ................... remind me, how many people on here have been worrying about having no cover if out two strikers get injured?

 

[Swansman]

Whilst your point about depth is valid, I think you're being unrealistic about our current two strikers.

I'm sure Potter is happy about how they are developing as are most of us but I'm sure the ideal situation would have been for this season that Maupay develop his game as a support striker and Connolly learn his trade in the Championship.

IMHO we are missing a striker but not below them which you seem to be inferring but in front of them in the pecking order.

Why loan out a perfectly fine PL striker to the Championship?

 

[One Love]

Great thinking - get a lead striker in to play with Maupay as support, and send out Connolly to the Championship. Then Maupay and the new striker get injured/suspended ................... remind me, how many people on here have been worrying about having no cover if out two strikers get injured?

Can you read my post properly and then reply again?