[Albion] RDZ recent interviews

[Dibdab]

I commented on how RDZ looked during the post Bournemouth match interview, pointing out how we are concerned about the players wearing out, but no one seems to worry about the manager. So he looked stuffed during that one, but no where near as bad as after Villa, I know we had just been pulled inside out, but he looked beaten. Its got me thinking the kind of pressure he will be under, Three matches every week, three teams to analyse, three match ups to make, new players to train etc and him being such a perfectionist. I know the other managers pull this off year in year out, but they have larger squads, probably more back room help and much more experience. No real question just putting my thoughts out there wondering how the rest of you see the situation.

We've only played one extra match. All this talk about exhaustion is starting to annoy me.

 

[The Wizard]

That's what pre-season is for. Plenty of clubs play with a very specific style which contains numerous and finite details about how to play each role on the pitch. City are the most obvious yet, come the final few months of the season, they have little opportunity to train because they're playing two games a week for months.
It's actually more difficult for a Potter-style manager, who is adaptive and fluid in his approach, and sets the team up with the opposition in mind. Pep and RDZ have a clear and rigid way of playing, so that's been coached into the players.

Pep can rotate his entire midfield and team and still field an entire team of world class players pretty much, not be forced into playing an 18 year old debutant, most of the bigger clubs have bigger squads.

For me watching us the last few games we’ve looked shaky, that extra split second caused by tiredness or fatigue or lack of training can make the difference when you’re playing those risky passes.

 

[dwayne]

We've only played one extra match. All this talk about exhaustion is starting to annoy me.

Yer emery seems positively chilled. I know villa have a better squad than us but we are not far off them.

rDZ not being able to handle the pressure may work in our favour in terms of bigger teams nicking him. He has no hope at a man u or Chelsea if he can't take Brighton.

 

[ozzygull]

We've only played one extra match. All this talk about exhaustion is starting to annoy me.

That is true, but I think RDZ is playing the long game, which is why he keeps switching the team up. That's why he is probably knackered he want's perfection every game, but does not want injuries and fatigue to effect the later part of the season.

 

[nickjhs]

We've only played one extra match. All this talk about exhaustion is starting to annoy me.

Ok, I get your point, so how do explain how absolutely stuffed he has been in the last couple of interviews?

 

[Weststander]

Yer emery seems positively chilled. I know villa have a better squad than us but we are not far off them.

The media talk about Emery being a football obsessive, every waking moment planning for the next game, watching videos of the opposition.

 

[Dibdab]

Pep can rotate his entire midfield and team and still field an entire team of world class players pretty much, not be forced into playing an 18 year old debutant, most of the bigger clubs have bigger squads.

For me watching us the last few games we’ve looked shaky, that extra split second caused by tiredness or fatigue or lack of training can make the difference when you’re playing those risky passes.

No one should be tired. Like I said we've only played one extra game and we've already rotated more than ever. If anything its the rotation causing the problem, and potentially even talking ourselves into feeling tired rather than it being a reality.

 

[Dibdab]

Ok, I get your point, so how do explain how absolutely stuffed he has been in the last couple of interviews?

He hates losing and playing badly and we've lost 3 out of 4 and played badly in the one we did win. IMO he is creating his own pressure and I think over engineering our rotation strategy.

 

[Icy Gull]

I am 100% team RDZ. I can live with our current struggles and will continue to back him, even if things get worse.

I will moan but I’d not change him for anyone else

 

[Mellotron]

I think most are agreed that it would take a HUGE amount for us to start to question RDZ as manager.

It might be a case of short term pain for long term gain as he beds in this bigger squad for the challenges of the next season or two.

If we can get to Christmas and still be competing on the major fronts (I would take qualification from the EL group and Top 8-10 in Prem all day personally) I think that would be very, very positive.

 

[Dibdab]

If we can get to Christmas and still be competing on the major fronts (I would take qualification from the EL group and Top 8-10 in Prem all day personally) I think that would be very, very positive.

I think failure to secure European football next season would almost certainly mean RDZ gets taken from us this summer. Does Europa Conference stretch to 8th place this year?

 

[Billy the Fish]

I reckon I'd still do the long hours for a couple of mill a year ££££

 

[Mellotron]

I think failure to secure European football next season would almost certainly mean RDZ gets taken from us this summer. Does Europa Conference stretch to 8th place this year?

You could argue the opposite - if we do really well in Europe he will become VERY in demand and it might become impossible to keep hold, as much bigger jobs come up.

An underwhelming season would more likely see us hold onto him for longer IMO. But who knows, I remember having similar conversations about Potter on here.

My understanding is that the finishing positions this season will likely be;

1st - Champions League
2nd - Champions League
3rd - Champions League
4th - Champions League
5th - Champions League
--
6th - Europa League
7th - Europa League
--
8th - Europa Conference League

This is based on the English Champs League sides performing at par or better this season.

 

[Machiavelli]

Pep can rotate his entire midfield and team and still field an entire team of world class players pretty much, not be forced into playing an 18 year old debutant, most of the bigger clubs have bigger squads.

For me watching us the last few games we’ve looked shaky, that extra split second caused by tiredness or fatigue or lack of training can make the difference when you’re playing those risky passes.

You were speaking about the lack of training. I responded by pointing to the fact that other teams have been faced with similar situations and get by.

And as to City, Pep is notorious for having a relatively small, tight squad. He doesn't rotate as much as certain people think, as the answer to the following question will indicate -- which PL footballer played the most minutes (across all football) last season?

 

[oldboyroy]

Funnily enough looking at this thread a villa fan, after all the stick I got this morning, then said "I reckon it's the beginning of the end for your manager De Zerbi. He won't stick around when you sell you're best players and don't give him the funds to replace em". He went on to say that Roberto looks like he's struggling to cope with the extra games as we haven't given him decent quality players to cope with European football. I replied simply "nah, he just demands more from his players and Saturday they didn't show up", Roberto won't go anywhere!

 

[amexer]

De Zerbi is outstanding but have to admit do get bored when he keeps going on about number of games. Clubs have been doing this for years and in championship most of time play twice a week and have already played 4/5 more league
I have little time for Moyes but dont remember him using European games as an excuse for poor league form I think they played 12 games in Europe

 

[nickjhs]

I reckon I'd still do the long hours for a couple of mill a year ££££

Its one thing to get the money and expect to do the hours, its entirely another thing to be able to do the hours.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Much depends on the 2 big games coming up against Marseille and Liverpool. Should we get 2 good results, everyone, RDZ included, will be buzzing again. If we lose both (not unlikely), that’ll mean 5 defeats in 6 games and some will be panicking, with City away to come. Roberto obviously knows far far more about the players and their physical and mental preparedness than I do, but I wonder sometimes if he’s over-cautious with rotation. We pride ourselves on the youthfulness of the squad. I’m sure that these 18-20 year olds are well capable of playing 2 games in 4 days. I’d like to see a stronger core of a first-choice team instead of this habit of making 6 or 7 changes. It may be good for the players' longer term development but the Villa game showed how risky a strategy it can be.

 

[The Optimist]

We've only played one extra match. All this talk about exhaustion is starting to annoy me.

Possibly not even one extra. No Europe and we would have played an extra league cup game (assuming we didn’t lose the first game).

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

How do you add an in or out poll to a thread?