[Brighton] RDZ post-match

[Jimmy Grimble]

When are Adingra and Mitoma expected to be back?

They are the two wingers I was referring to. Impossible to say for definite, there’s too many permutations.

Adingra could be back on the bench by Saturday if a few results go the right way today/tomorrow. If they don’t go the right way, then he’ll miss Palace at a minimum, potentially more depending on Ivory Coast’s progress.

Mitoma definitely won’t be back until the Palace game at best and even then he’d probably only be on the bench. Japan are the favourites and realistically should get to the semi finals at least. If that happens, we won’t see him until Sheff U away in the league.

Either way their return doesn’t resolve the glaring issue that we have no available left footed wingers…

 

[The Fits]

We know what we are getting with RDZ.
He's passionate and can be a bit clumsy in his pressers but he's clearly dedicated to the cause and I don't think anyone can argue that his time here hasn't been a total success.
BUT we spent over 30 million on JP and got in Dahoud, presumably on decent wages, who RDZ supposedly wanted and has contributed very little. For a club of our size that is being backed. We've also just signed one of the most exciting youngsters in work football.
I err on the side of caution saying this but I do think sometimes it would be more useful if he just got his head down a bit. Maybe worked out how to beat a low block. Maybe focus on our final ball and set pieces in training. It's not just about being given endless cash as a top manager.

 

[Reddleman]

For me the sqaud is unbalanced. Having ‘numbers’ isn’t enough.
For example we have almost unlimited number tens (Gross, Lallana, Pedro, Buonanotte, Fati, Ensico) but no PL ready defensive midfielder.

We have four/five centre halves all at a high level but no fit right winger.

All this talk of having two many first team players if we signed a few misses a key point. You really want two players competing for each position, we have positions where we have none.

 

[Beanstalk]

It's a really strong top ten this year. The Albion, West Ham and Villa are all really competitive additions to an incredibly moneyed big 7 (including Newcastle in that due to their completely non-problematic ownership). The reality is, if you stay in that top 10, you're only a run of form at the end of the season away from sneaking into a European place. Stay in the mix over multiple seasons and the opportunities to finish higher will open up as other teams run into individual issues.

 

[Springal]

For me the sqaud is unbalanced. Having ‘numbers’ isn’t enough.
For example we have almost unlimited number tens (Gross, Lallana, Pedro, Buonanotte, Fati, Ensico) but no PL ready defensive midfielder.

We have four/five centre halves all at a high level but no fit right winger.

All this talk of having two many first team players if we signed a few misses a key point. You really want two players competing for each position, we have positions where we have none.

Agreed - our recruitment hasn’t been as good since Ashworth & Winstanley left despite what some will say.

 

[Hiheidi]

Saying what was spent in the Summer ignores the fact that when he took the job the team he looked at included Mwepu, Trossard, Mac Allister, Caicedo and Sanchez. Have they been replaced adequately to his mind?

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Signing a winner seems a nobrainer in succession-planning world. Fati will go, Mitoma could go, Buonanotte is not a winger, Enciso isn't either albeit decent there. Milner is approaching retirement. Leaves Adingra, March who we hope will be back for August, Sarmiento who may or may not be good enough for the PL and Barco who may or may not be able to play there. And Lamptey who I think is a winger but still untested there.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

They are the two wingers I was referring to. Impossible to say for definite, there’s too many permutations.

Adingra could be back on the bench by Saturday if a few results go the right way today/tomorrow. If they don’t go the right way, then he’ll miss Palace at a minimum, potentially more depending on Ivory Coast’s progress.

Mitoma definitely won’t be back until the Palace game at best and even then he’d probably only be on the bench. Japan are the favourites and realistically should get to the semi finals at least. If that happens, we won’t see him until Sheff U away in the league.

Either way their return doesn’t resolve the glaring issue that we have no available left footed wingers…

They are the two wingers I was referring to. Impossible to say for definite, there’s too many permutations.

Adingra could be back on the bench by Saturday if a few results go the right way today/tomorrow. If they don’t go the right way, then he’ll miss Palace at a minimum, potentially more depending on Ivory Coast’s progress.

Mitoma definitely won’t be back until the Palace game at best and even then he’d probably only be on the bench. Japan are the favourites and realistically should get to the semi finals at least. If that happens, we won’t see him until Sheff U away in the league.

Either way their return doesn’t resolve the glaring issue that we have no available left footed wingers…

Solly March is left footed but he plays on the right wing where Adingra can cover. I’m not sure I understand your concern about left footed wingers. Back up Mitoma?

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

If we cannot meet his expectations he will be off in the Summer. Need Europe and or a cup win

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Solly March is left footed but he plays on the right wing where Adingra can cover. I’m not sure I understand your concern about left footed wingers. Back up Mitoma?

RDZ predominantly plays inverted wingers. We need a left footed winger to play on the right. Adingra can cover there but he’s not naturally left footed. He’ll also get run in to the ground again and be liable to injury (as has already happened this season) because there is no out-and-out wideman alternative to him. Therefore we need a left footed winger to rotate with him.

In an ideal world it would be.

LW - Mitoma or Adingra
RW - March or A. Nother

Without A. Nother Adingra plays RW and we have no genuine alternative winger option on either side.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

RDZ predominantly plays inverted wingers. We need a left footed winger to play on the right. Adingra can cover there but he’s not naturally left footed. He’ll also get run in to the ground again and be liable to injury (as has already happened this season) because there is no out-and-out wideman alternative to him. Therefore we need a left footed winger to rotate with him.

In an ideal world it would be.

LW - Mitoma or Adingra
RW - March or A. Nother

Without A. Nother Adingra plays RW and we have no genuine alternative winger option on either side.

I’d never really thought of this. I can see your point, but If a player is playing “inside” does it really matter which foot the use?

 

[martin tyler]

It’s a tough one - we are clearly light in certain areas. You would have said at the start of the season wingers was not one of the areas but it’s become a problem. It is also a problem that should slowly resolve itself over the next few weeks. We added an additional full back but there is still a massive hole in DCM.
Can only see a loan deal for this tbh if right player comes available.
RDZ is likely to get additions in the summer if he stays. But club shouldn’t just buy someone now who will not be needed by the summer or that unbalances the books.
Personally 10th and 2 good cup runs would be a great season in hindsight

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

He'll be very disappointed. He wabts 4th. Club happy with top 10. The lack of reinforcements coming in leaving us with no wingers is very disappointing, it's negative from Bloom if it doesn't happen.

All very strange

Kind of agree.

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I’d never really thought of this. I can see your point, but If a player is playing “inside” does it really matter which foot the use?

If they’re playing as an inverted winger, they need to be good enough to shoot well with the foot they cut inside on. It’s why RDZ has exclusively played Mitoma on the left, so he can cut in on his right. As well as giving the shooting option, I think RDZ prefers the passing angles an inverted winger offers up. i.e a full back overlapping, a one-two with a central 9/10, a switch to the other side. Again, all of these options are actions you’d want your winger doing with his stronger foot.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Agreed - our recruitment hasn’t been as good since Ashworth & Winstanley left despite what some will say.

I think that's harsh.

We know what's missing - width - and at the moment we have 5 players injured/away (Mitoma, March, Enciso, Ansu Fathi and Adringa) all of which would add to the team.

As far as DCM is concerned, let's see how Baleba progresses - let's remember what some fans first thought of both Biss and Moises...

 

[Littlemo]

Saying what was spent in the Summer ignores the fact that when he took the job the team he looked at included Mwepu, Trossard, Mac Allister, Caicedo and Sanchez. Have they been replaced adequately to his mind?

That depends on what he actually wants. Everyone assumes he wants like for like Mac Allister and Caicedo replacements and views the clubs business through that lens but maybe he has something different in mind? Maybe he doesn’t want to replace them? We don’t actually know what he wants.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

There's a risk we will struggle to get top 10, Wolves and Bournemouth looking very strong.

 

[um bongo molongo]

Agree with this (although Dahoud might be with us longer than you/RDZ wants). The larger point I was trying to convey is that our current squad looks decent enough for the remainder of the season. The areas you identify are those that we need to strengthen, but it's more likely we'll do it in the summer when there's more availability rather than this window.

Yep, we’re agreeing. My concern is that I think RDZ is less happy/understanding than we are!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If they’re playing as an inverted winger, they need to be good enough to shoot well with the foot they cut inside on. It’s why RDZ has exclusively played Mitoma on the left, so he can cut in on his right. As well as giving the shooting option, I think RDZ prefers the passing angles an inverted winger offers up. i.e a full back overlapping, a one-two with a central 9/10, a switch to the other side. Again, all of these options are actions you’d want your winger doing with his stronger foot.

Maybe. I have always thought we are more fluid than this so the choice of foot means less. When players play inside the can, and do, go into some quite central areas. As for Mitoma, he has played all his career on the left and also for the national team …maybe this is just his optimal position?

 

[Jim in the West]

Agreed - our recruitment hasn’t been as good since Ashworth & Winstanley left despite what some will say.

Not sure that’s the case….we’ve brought in Gilmour, Pervis, Milner, Bart, Baleba, Pedro, etc since Ashworth left. Most of those are performing really well. Of course we don’t know when the club started scouting them…but I think we’re pretty sure it’s the analytics that are key, not so much the recruitment team itself.
Of our two most recent successes (Caicedo and Mac Allister), the former we were tracking well before Ashworth arrived, and we bought Mac Allister a couple of years before Ashworth.