[Albion] Positives from today (Villa away)

[Titanic]

No I wasn't there, I watched it on a screen, bit like our analysts, coaching staff and players normally does (maybe not now due to the hectic schedule) when they want deeper insight to what was going on on the pitch.

I'm not interested in what Aston Villa (or Brighton fans or Troy Deeney or Garth Crooks or Tutankhamun or Boris Johnson or Moder Teresa) "think/feel/find under the couch", I'm interested in how we played (which can only be understood through ignoring the emotional impact from the positive end result) and both the numbers and what I saw indicate that we were poor.

Teams performing at our level yesterday generally lose the game. If we play like yesterday for 38 games, we will lose the vast majority of them. And thats why I see little reason to be overly happy about anything than the nice point.

I think you are WRONG. How many saves did Bart have to make? They would have struggled to score the THREE goals which they would have needed to beat us, based on the quality of the chances they created and the FACT that they were gifted one of the two they did manage to score by the INIQUITOUS re-refereeing from VAR.

 

[Sorrel]

At Leicester and Villa both results were 2-2, but this felt a lot better. Villa were having a go, but we survived, scored and succeeded.

At Leicester we were in control, then threw it away. This was a better day (and it wasn't raining afterwards!)

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

For an hour or so in the middle of the match we 'suffered' as the manager would say. We weren't good, a lot of players went missing, and we were under a lot of pressure, unable to get out at all. I accept the view that was one of the worst patches of the season. But we played so well at the start and end of the game that i don't see how you can judge that as worse than the Palace debacle, or the laughable showing at Stamford Bridge.

Two absolutely brilliant Albion goals is not worst performance of the season stuff.

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

We won't have to endure looking at Tielemans' sweaty moonface for a while.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I like it.

It was a generalisation of my dislike of other clubs

 

[Han Solo]

I think you are WRONG. How many saves did Bart have to make? They would have struggled to score the THREE goals which they would have needed to beat us, based on the quality of the chances they created and the FACT that they were gifted one of the two they did manage to score by the INIQUITOUS re-refereeing from VAR.

I mean it depends on how much you believe in data and statistics perhaps? All of it is science but by no means perfect so I understand those who put high value and those who put less value in it.

Personally I'm more in the former category than the latter and according to most data we lose this game the majority of times. They didn't manage to hit Bart a lot of times but they got into several dangerous positions and blew it outside. And more importantly, we conceded another penalty (wrong call imo but the previous we've had against us haven't been), meaning they get a 0.70 xG opportunity - a 70% chance of scoring in a sport where there's normally only 3 goals.

Julio Enciso's 3 completed passes yesterday might be all time worst record in completed passes/90. Brajan Gruda? 6 completed passes.
I'm not saying that passing is everything but it tells you how little they were involved/we managed to involve them. They had 19 touches each on the ball and both were dispossesed 10+ times.

Meanwhile, Leon Bailey finishes with 55 touches on the ball, literally 9 out 10 dribbles won mainly against Igor and Enciso, has the ball 56 times and only loses it 8. Same on the left wing if you compare Rogers and Brajan.

If your opponents wingers win nearly every duel against your wingers and full backs while your own wingers complete 3 passes in 57 (+12) minutes, you're not going to win a lot of games.

I don't blame these players specifically, because a lot of players weren't good last night (take Igor who won 1 out of 7 duels for another example), and more importantly they were worse than their players in nearly every category - and then its difficult to not lose games. "Simply" we need to be better than yesterday if its not going to go completely tits up. The Brentford game was much better.

 

[Hugo Rune]

You gotta love Minteh's attitude, he's like a greyhound released from trap 6 and the ball is the bunny.

He’ll get there won’t he.

But either he had astro-studs on or Villa overwatered their penalty area at half time to ensure that players lost their footings.

 

[Weststander]

At Leicester and Villa both results were 2-2, but this felt a lot better. Villa were having a go, but we survived, scored and succeeded.

At Leicester we were in control, then threw it away. This was a better day (and it wasn't raining afterwards!)

Scoring last in a draw always feels infinitely better.

 

[Zeberdi]

In all three instances, they were caught offside - in two of them, the actual goal-scorer. Nothing at all fortunate, about those manifestly correct decisions.

True but is the point being made perhaps that we have been ‘lucky’ in that we have won some very marginal offsides and also foul decisions that could have gone either way? Last night, the disallowed penalty was very marginal at best, (although we were perhaps unlucky with the second one) and the disallowed goal against Brentford for example was part of a kneecap etc

Personally, I think VAR decisions might tend to level out over the course of a season with Clubs getting ‘good’ and ‘bad’ VAR interventions - but we do seem to be at the end of more lucky decisions this season whether it’s an illusion or not.

Partly possibly because we are playing a more effective offside trap by playing a higher defensive line - therefore we have more favourable offside decisions this season?

Maybe too, just a guess (without looking at any stats) we have had no penalties this season because we are not getting into the penalty box as much with our final passes but are shooting from greater distances?

 

[Bodian]

I mean it depends on how much you believe in data and statistics perhaps? All of it is science but by no means perfect so I understand those who put high value and those who put less value in it.

Personally I'm more in the former category than the latter and according to most data we lose this game the majority of times. They didn't manage to hit Bart a lot of times but they got into several dangerous positions and blew it outside. And more importantly, we conceded another penalty (wrong call imo but the previous we've had against us haven't been), meaning they get a 0.70 xG opportunity - a 70% chance of scoring in a sport where there's normally only 3 goals.

Julio Enciso's 3 completed passes yesterday might be all time worst record in completed passes/90. Brajan Gruda? 6 completed passes.
I'm not saying that passing is everything but it tells you how little they were involved/we managed to involve them. They had 19 touches each on the ball and both were dispossesed 10+ times.

Meanwhile, Leon Bailey finishes with 55 touches on the ball, literally 9 out 10 dribbles won mainly against Igor and Enciso, has the ball 56 times and only loses it 8. Same on the left wing if you compare Rogers and Brajan.

If your opponents wingers win nearly every duel against your wingers and full backs while your own wingers complete 3 passes in 57 (+12) minutes, you're not going to win a lot of games.

I don't blame these players specifically, because a lot of players weren't good last night (take Igor who won 1 out of 7 duels for another example), and more importantly they were worse than their players in nearly every category - and then its difficult to not lose games. "Simply" we need to be better than yesterday if its not going to go completely tits up. The Brentford game was much better.

So why didn't they win then?

 

[Wardy's twin]

I went and my opinion based on that viewing. At half time thought we were not playing as a team and no clear structure in our play. Thought the front line were a problem with Adringa the best of the 4 , Enciso nothing seemed to come off, Gruda not so sure on performance as he was on far side but nothing to indicate he had a good game , Jao Pedro really didn't seem to have it in(not surprising after he got whacked). This left too much pressure on our midfield 2 against one of the best midfields in League. This continued into second half then the substitutions and some structure , two wingers prepared to go at it , Jao became a different person and we ended the better team.

In terms of play not our best performance but certainly not our worst. Dunk was back to being the player we know he can be when fit and focussed. Lamptey possibly MOTM (could have been Baleba or Dunk) so really need to sort out his contract and even deploy him as a right winger.

The thing that stuck out most is that both goals came from being very direct rather than normal possession game, shots going in when there were only a couple of defenders around rather than the slow build up allowing 10 defenders back.

All a matter of opinions though.

 

[Wardy's twin]

So why didn't they win then?

two very good goals scored on the break ....

 

[empire]

We haven't had a full 90 min good performance as of yet,and I've not missed many home or away games,certainly positive in my camp, it will come and I haven't been expecting us to tare up the league,its next season I'm looking forward too ,when I purchased players this season have had a season

 

[Bodian]

two very good goals scored on the break ....

The thing is - they weren't hugely better than us really. Which is what Swanny is trying to say.

 

[joydivisionovengloves]

Two great goals and a point away at Villa.

 

[Albion my Albion]

The Albion's goal differential.