[Albion] Potter on why he played a young team

[Thunder Bolt]

I'm not talking about shocks. I'm talking about competitive matches - a reasonable expectation if you're paying to watch a cup game.

I'd say 'throwing' a match, as the Albion did on Wednesday, is rare.

How many players had or were recovering from tonsilitis?

 

[Wozza]

How many players had or were recovering from tonsilitis?

Oh God. *awaits health record of every player ever associated with the Albion*

 

[TSB]

Why exactly are you on here?

 

[Mackenzie]

But if/when the lads get a chance of first team football it won't be the same set-up as Wednesday night. You'd be playing with 8/9 senior players so making any assumptions about Wednesday night can't be guaranteed. Seeing how the players integrate into the senior team like Connolly & Alzate have done this year is a much better indication.

I agree we wouldn't do that in a league match, but the exposure to first team football, the build up as well as the game, will have been a steep learning curve for the youngsters and given them an idea of what is required. They now have a better idea about where they stand in their development and what they'll need to improve to get to the first team squad. It's also given Potter an indication of who he could use if necessary, Haydon Roberts has helped his cause for example. It was a good opportunity to have a look at these lads against strong opposition especially given the injuries we have at the moment.

I'll take the positives.

 

[Bold Seagull]

By all means blood two or three young players in cup ties such as this, but not a complete team of them!, add in a few squad players, and two or three regular first teamers at the very least.

It was totally unfair on the youngsters not to include a few more players with first team experience, (yes l know we allegedly had injury problems), and the poor kids were rudderless.

Very much this.

Absolutely nothing wrong with drafting a handful of academy players into the squad for one of these fixtures. But by fielding almost an entire team of them, they'll have learned precious little by getting given the runaround from a half-paced PL team.

INTEGRATION is the key, not "sink or swim". They needed to be alongside more of our senior pro's and some fringe players so we could actually stand a chance of making a game of it.

I suppose the flip side to this is that it is a bit early to question Potter's methods? You guys clearly have an idea of what should be done with young players and when, which is a traditional way of looking at things. However has Bloom not hired Potter to look at things differently from a traditional approach? Didn't he sack Hughton for wanting something a bit different and more positive?

I'm not saying either of you are wrong, or that Potter is right, but at the moment, we've got to have a bit of trust in his methods and decisions? I don't think he's picked a side just to piss the fans off, or just protect the first team players. I think this is part of perhaps a bigger picture, a more profound integration of the youth players with the first team. At this point I don't know, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt he knows what he's doing, and it's this type of left field thinking we've hired him for.

 

[Easy 10]

I suppose the flip side to this is that it is a bit early to question Potter's methods? You guys clearly have an idea of what should be done with young players and when, which is a traditional way of looking at things. However has Bloom not hired Potter to look at things differently from a traditional approach? Didn't he sack Hughton for wanting something a bit different and more positive?

I'm not saying either of you are wrong, or that Potter is right, but at the moment, we've got to have a bit of trust in his methods and decisions? I don't think he's picked a side just to piss the fans off, or just protect the first team players. I think this is part of perhaps a bigger picture, a more profound integration of the youth players with the first team. At this point I don't know, but I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt he knows what he's doing, and it's this type of left field thinking we've hired him for.

All fair points, and to be clear I am very much still TEAM POTTER. I think considering how early we are into the project, the players have adapted remarkably quickly to his system and methods. I actually don't believe we've put in a bad performance yet this season in the PL. Other than the City game, we've fallen on the wrong side of some very marginal calls, and with a little more luck could have had at least a couple more points on the board.

He clearly knows what he's doing. I still don't like how he treated the Villa game, I think he could've included several more senior players without upsetting the applecart, but thats just my inconsequential opinion. This game will be long forgotten if results pick up from here on (at least until another Cup game comes round, anyway).

 

[Albion Prem]

This. Absolutely this. End of thread.

We need to rest our top players and Cup matches gives an opportunity to try out squad players,no problem

 

[Albion Prem]

We all have different opinions, glad you enjoyed it and thought it was fine to play a cup game where the club showed zero ambition.

I am very pleased I wasn’t able to make the game in retrospect

Have to add though that I have loved the way we have approached every other game this season

Its sad really that people have nothing better to do than attend minor cup games

 

[LamieRobertson]

We need to rest our top players and Cup matches gives an opportunity to try out squad players,no problem

Aye and so many were moaning that youth wasn’t being given a chance

 

[marlowe]

This thread appears to be being reported on in Brighton and Hove Independent...
https://www.brightonandhoveindepend...ection-that-lost-to-aston-villa-1-9086915/amp

 

[Invicta]

If you were a 17-18 year old footballer with not senior experience playing against a side of mainly PL experienced players and "only" lost 3-1, would you feel "shit I'm bad" or "shit I'm actually not that far from this level, they arent aliens"?

Are you a Swansea fan still on GP's side or a Brighton fan ? If the former, maybe let it go ?!