Doonhamer7
Well-known member
- Jun 17, 2016
- 1,448
Pointless having theses votes I expect GP is here whether we’re in PL or championship
Pointless having theses votes I expect GP is here whether we’re in PL or championship
We will probably not have Lallana/Welbeck next year (regardless of whether we stay up) so they need replacing too if we stay up.
I'm not sure. There are a couple of decent young managers with good experience in the jobs market at the moment. Wouldn't surprise me if Bloom isn't thinking about someone like Lampard.
I don’t think he is going anywhere even if we go down. Bloom will stick with him in the championship and I don’t have a problem with that as hopefully we will do a Norwich and bounce straight back up. The one thing that has stood out to me is that he has stuck to underperforming players and has not given a chance to others to see what they can do. Examples are Zeqiri. He has been on the bench for every game since he signed and still only played 86 premiership minutes when we have struggled to score. If he is not good enough why have him on the bench. The same applies to Tau. In the last two games our midfield has tired at 60 minutes and cost us points. Moder came on for four minutes In one game and nearly set up a goal. The next game he is left on the bench while the midfield is dead on their feet. Trossard has been poor for weeks and stays on. Potter has gone backwards in this regard. When he first came it was noticeable that he changed shape during a game and made changes when required. Now he is frightened of his own shadow and won’t make those game changing decisions. He still gets the team to play good football but we might as well have three subs on the bench because that’s all he needs. He seems to not trust his players. He is morphing in to CH without the dire football but won’t take risks when nothing else is working. We are sleep walking into the championship.
The one thing that has stood out to me is that he has stuck to underperforming players and has not given a chance to others to see what they can do. Examples are Zeqiri. He has been on the bench for every game since he signed and still only played 86 premiership minutes when we have struggled to score. If he is not good enough why have him on the bench. The same applies to Tau.
This is a joke, right? The Lampard bit
Is this just your frustration? No player is better for a fan than when they haven't really seen them and they haven't really played. I suspect all of us feel Moder / Zeqiri / Tau are worth a go – because we haven't seen them day to day. If I was stood on the training ground all week, I might conclude GP is playing it right with what he has.
I'd take Lampard over Potter any day. Played at the highest level, finished in a champions league spot with a Chelsea team relying heavily on youth, did well with Derby in his first managerial season, knows the game at the very highest level and the personalities/egos that go with it.
I'd take Lampard over Potter any day. Played at the highest level, finished in a champions league spot with a Chelsea team relying heavily on youth, did well with Derby in his first managerial season, knows the game at the very highest level and the personalities/egos that go with it.
It’s not just Fulham. Newcastle and Burnley very much in the mix. Newcastle were poor today, very little intent. We have a massive game coming up against them. The quintessential relegation 6 pointer.
Still, just about Potter in.
But, Trossard needed to be subbed at halftime, he was obviously having ‘ one of those’ games. I can’t remember him actually passing to a teammate.
Lallana was knackered after an hour, he should have been subbed. I would like to have seen Modor.
Maupay going off was what lost us the game, he was running his legs off, pressing in their first third so well, Welbeck came on , and sauntered around a bit.
If Izzy was fit enough, he should have replaced Trossard, if not him, Zeqiri.
The
If Maupay had to come off, ( but later than he did)Tau should have replaced him.
Easy, this management lark.
Don't rate Lampard - think he is full of bluff and bluster. He got both jobs because he was a good English footballer (like Rooney and Gerrard). Of the three I think Gerrard is the most likely to succeed - but to be honest, winning a title in Scotland with Rangers when Celtic were in freefall is nothing more than padding the CV.Jury is out on Lampard I feel. His replacement appears to have really improved Chelsea which is an immediate indication things weren’t going well for some reason for there to be an immediate improvement.
Yes - the WBA squad is shite - but that doesn't mean that Allardyce cannot save them.West Brom on the other hand don’t appear to have changed that much changing managers leading to the conclusion their plight is more about the squad than the management.
Don't rate Lampard - think he is full of bluff and bluster. He got both jobs because he was a good English footballer (like Rooney and Gerrard). Of the three I think Gerrard is the most likely to succeed - but to be honest, winning a title in Scotland with Rangers when Celtic were in freefall is nothing more than padding the CV.
Yes - the WBA squad is shite - but that doesn't mean that Allardyce cannot save them.
WBA's last 5 games
1-1 Man U
0-0 Burnley
1-0 Brighton
0-1 Everton
0-0 Newcastle
Brighton's last 5 games
1-1 Burnley
0-0 Villa
1-2 Palace
0-1 WBA
1-2 Leicester
It should be noted that WBA have conceded 2 goals in 5 games - Brighton have conceded 6 in the same. When you are fighting relegation then not conceding is crucial - you draw games and you can snatch the occasional win. Furthermore, Brighton conceded in the 87min against Leicester, 95min against Palace, and had 80mins to get a goal against WBA (and before that conceded in 91min against Wolves - 82min against West Ham - 81min against Southampton). Unlike WBA, this Brighton team cannot hold on to a lead when they have it and have a habit of conceding at the end of a game - that is a pattern that sees draws instead of wins and losses instead of draws (or wins). Allardyce has solidified WBA while Brighton have this soft underbelly - and while WBA might not make it, Allardyce will keep them fighting until the very end.
Yes - and I pointed that out on the Leicester matchday thread
Newcastle are poor - although not quite as poor as Brighton at the moment (5pts compared to 2pts over the past 5 games) - but poor. It should be noted that Newcastle have had a shiteload of players out injured - hardest hit in the PL - Dubravka, Lascelles, Saint-Maximin, Schar, Fernandez, Fraser and now Wilson, Manquillo and Almiron as well. They are badly missing Wilson who is scoring a goal every other game. The injuries have begun to clear up and that will strengthen Bruce's hand - although Wilson is still 2-3 weeks from being fit (and could miss the Brighton game). Newcastle play Villa and Brighton before Spurs and Burnley.
Burnley have only lost once in seven, although five of those have been draws, and have climbed from the bottom of the table earlier in the season . I think they will continue to pick up points regularly. They play Everton and Southampton before their Newcastle game.
Fulham have a few tough games coming up - Man City and Leeds before Villa and Wolves. I would expect them to get beaten by City, but they do have momentum and they know they can dig out results. I think Parker has done a remarkable job, the team is playing good football, is resilient, and, unlike Brighton at the moment, does not appear to have a soft underbelly. I would rate the job that Parker has done as higher than Potter so far.
Brighton currently have the worst form in the PL - 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5. The team has only won once at home this season and after a run of 3 home wins at the start of last season, have only won twice at home since the beginning of November 2019 (2 home wins in 17 months). You have to win your home games - they determine where you end up in the league. Like last season, it looks like opposing managers have figured out how to beat (or draw) with Brighton, despite the team dominating possession and playing pretty, passing, entertaining football. The same thing happened last season and Potter was saved by the lockdown. At the time of the lockdown last year Brighton hadn't won in ten - before getting 7 pts in 4 games to create a sufficient gap to stave off relegation (while 15th they were only 2pts ahead of Bournemouth in 18th before ending up 7 pts ahead of 18th).
The next two games are crucial - away to a Southampton team that was on a major slide before beating Sheff Utd this weekend - and then a crucial home game against Newcastle. As you say - it is a massive game and a win is absolutely vital. In reality a minimum of 4 pts are needed from these two games to try and recreate the gap to Fulham and put Newcastle between the club and Fulham (and a win against Newcastle is crucial to this). Unfortunately, the way things are going I can see Southampton winning because Hasenhüttl is smart enough to exploit Brighton's weaknesses - and I wouldn't be surprised if the Newcastle game ended in a draw. This would be the normal pattern - losing to Southampton when they should draw or win and drawing with Newcastle when they should win.
By the looks of it, it is going to be a dogfight against relegation for the rest of the season - after the 10pts in 4 games that shouldn't have happened. And of the teams at the bottom I think that Brighton are the least equipped for the dogfight. Dyche knows what he is doing, Bruce has been here before, he has managed Birmingham, Wigan, Sunderland and Hull in the PL before Newcastle. He has battled relegation on several occasions (and got relegated a couple of times) - he knows what is needed. This doesn't mean that Bruce can keep Newcastle up - but he does know what is needed to do it. Lastly, you can never write of a Sam Allardyce team as long as they have a mathematical chance of survival. He kept Bolton in the PL against the odds in their first two seasons, dug Blackburn out of a hole, kept Sunderland up, and then did the same at Palace. It could be argued that WBA is the toughest challenge he has had - but it should be noted that in the last 5 games WBA have 1 W (against Brighton) and 3Ds - and a loss to Everton. They play Palace next and a win there puts them on 21pts. WBA will continue to grind out results for the rest of the season and it will likely be only on the last day that we will know for sure that they are going to be relegated.
Potter has two winnable games to show that he can pull the team out of the rut it is in - it really is getting to 'put up or shut up' time. There is still 11 games to go - but these next two will likely determine what will happen for the rest of the season.
Should never have sacked Hughton. Lol