[Football] Potter OUT!

[blockhseagull]

Ben White is the perfect player to take over the Stevens role IMO but are we saying we now do not need a holding midfielder ? Having said that i would always like to see Alzate playing as i think he very talented . He lost the ball in midfield against Everton and they scored but he is still a young player .

No reason why Alzate can’t play that role

 

[Sue1983]

I would like to see Molumby get a run out in that role.

 

[Granny on the wing]

No reason why Alzate can’t play that role

Agree he could ,he is a better technical player then Stephens IMO .Would prefer Alzate and Bissouma .GP might be getting worried how opponents are getting through our defence lately hence trying a different keeper ,maybe GP thinks BW will protect the back four better .We are not a settled team ,he likes to change things around a lot .

 

[Insel affe]

I would like to see Molumby get a run out in that role.

Not against a ruff and tumble Burnley I wouldn't, we need someone calm and established otherwise Douche will set his team up to hassle him into making mistakes.

too much of a crucial role in a crucial game.

 

[blockhseagull]

Agree he could ,he is a better technical player then Stephens IMO .Would prefer Alzate and Bissouma .GP might be getting worried how opponents are getting through our defence lately hence trying a different keeper ,maybe GP thinks BW will protect the back four better .We are not a settled team ,he likes to change things around a lot .

Agree

But he seemed very happy to play Alzate at RB and LWB last season so he can’t be worried about his defensive abilities.

 

[Sue1983]

Not against a ruff and tumble Burnley I wouldn't, we need someone calm and established otherwise Douche will set his team up to hassle him into making mistakes.

too much of a crucial role in a crucial game.

I agree that Burnley is not the game to give him for he's 1st Premier League start, but I would like to see him included in matchday team some time soon.

 

[tronnogull]

I know we all know this already, but there is something that I don't see mentioned so far in this thread.

Potter has been worth tens of millions to the Albion because he has been willing to blood academy players. Maybe he can't claim that it was brave to play Lamptey or White but he certainly can for Connolly, Alzate, Sanchez. He has also produced full value from Webster and Burn.

I'm totally team Potter and so much more enjoy the matches now. He continues to miss the critical knack of getting the points possibly deserved from nice performances but surely enough of them will come. I'll admit that I thought we would be comfortable this season but so long as we stay up then its ok if it takes a little longer.

But whatever happens he is creating value from the academy which is probably enough to ensure a great deal of patience from TB.

 

[GT49er]

Not against a ruff and tumble Burnley I wouldn't, we need someone calm and established otherwise Douche will set his team up to hassle him into making mistakes.

too much of a crucial role in a crucial game.

Actually Molumby is likely to positively relish a rough and tumble with Burnley - why do you think he was such a hit with Millwall supporters? Agree though that he needs to be brought in gradually vire the bench and a few cameos when we're three up (or three down!) with five minutes to go. So, no, I wouldn't start him against Burnley either, but not for the same reasons as you.

 

[Weststander]

Ben White is the perfect player to take over the Stevens role IMO but are we saying we now do not need a holding midfielder ? Having said that i would always like to see Alzate playing as i think he very talented . He lost the ball in midfield against Everton and they scored but he is still a young player .

Gary Stevens?

 

[SimpKingpin]

I know we all know this already, but there is something that I don't see mentioned so far in this thread.

Potter has been worth tens of millions to the Albion because he has been willing to blood academy players. Maybe he can't claim that it was brave to play Lamptey or White but he certainly can for Connolly, Alzate, Sanchez. He has also produced full value from Webster and Burn.

I'm totally team Potter and so much more enjoy the matches now. He continues to miss the critical knack of getting the points possibly deserved from nice performances but surely enough of them will come. I'll admit that I thought we would be comfortable this season but so long as we stay up then its ok if it takes a little longer.

But whatever happens he is creating value from the academy which is probably enough to ensure a great deal of patience from TB.

Definitely. Attractive football & developing young players is great for business!
Beyond selling players on, we also grow our global recognition and fanbase (so important these days, particularly with COVID).

On top of that, we become a more attractive destination for players in the transfer market.
We can't offer them Europe but we can offer them a style of football and a vision they can get on board with.

But, as you say, I'm just so much happier watching our football these days.
I don't want to spend the next 5 years (or whatever) playing boring football just to stay up.
I'm fully on board with Bloom, Barber & Ashworth's vision.

I think Potter has been a bit of a victim of his own success...or should I say, he's given us glimpses of what we can be - and raised expectations.

Sadly I do think we missed out on some transfer targets this window (Nunez the big one) and then reeled it all in financially because of the increasing impact of COVID.
So I think our goal probably changed from "mid-table" to "just stay up", this year.
And maybe January onwards, depending on our position, we will see some cautious and less interesting football like last season.

Anyway, I think this thread was supposed to be a joke thread? Shame about the title and it being on the front page everyday...

(and yes we need results - that's the most obvious statement anyone can make - ideally we can do it the way the club has envisioned)

 

[Granny on the wing]

Gary Stevens?

Well spotted should always check post and not rush . Now that you mentioned Gary Stevens if my memory serves me well he played in central defence but could also play in midfield like Ben White .Not sure where he played in the Cup Final though but scored to make it 2-2.

 

[Machiavelli]

for me the worrying signs are:
1) We may be in the same position as this time last year but we have less points
2) The PL is much more open this year and average teams are beating good teams but we arent....
3) All the way down to palace in 14th teams are averaging 1.5 points per game - and there is only 3points between them and 4th -good enough at the end of the season to be top 6 !! but below them we are already being cut adrift. To need two wins (and assume everyone above us loses!) to close the gap after just 7 games is worrying.

On the positives:
1) We are no longer being hailed as "anti-football" and most commentators love the way we play but just lack the killer instinct
2) We certainly have a squad good enough to get us out of trouble, with one caveat...

Personally, im holding my breath over the Burnley match. If we thrash them then all well and good. Lose and we will be in the relegation zone for the first time ever and then i could see our performances plummet.

Please explain how you've come to this conclusion (and I'll leave aside the minor point that we have been in the relegation zone right at the start of our first season in the PL).

 

[Weststander]

Well spotted should always check post and not rush . Now that you mentioned Gary Stevens if my memory serves me well he played in central defence but could also play in midfield like Ben White .Not sure where he played in the Cup Final though but scored to make it 2-2.

And a classy fullback.