[Albion] Rico Henry

[CheeseRolls]

I understand the question, but am unsure as to why you're asking it as I didn't mention Lamptey. (You might have had an exchange with another poster(s) on this.)
I can offer a view on the question, but was trying to be very specific.

Err, err just a conversational turn of phrase posted on a message board. The sort of thing humans do on a Friday afternoon, before cracking open a bottle of something. If that justifies the question.

 

[schmunk]

The sort of thing humans do on a Friday afternoon, before cracking open a bottle of something.

Before...??.

 

[Gwylan]

I agree with much of what you're saying here, but I'll just offer that BDB isn't very good in the air. Sure, he's effective at those Ryan goal kicks to the touchline, but he really isn't up to much at heading in either box. I can't recall m/any towering defensive headers that Duffy excelled at, Dunk is brilliant at, and Webster performs far more regularly than most credit. Even more, I can't recollect BDB connecting forcefully with a ball from an attacking set-piece.

I agree with this. For a big man, BDB is surprisingly less than dominant in the air.

 

[SimpKingpin]

A Lamptey on the left, assuming you still want to play a Lamptey on the right, would seriously unbalance the side.

Why?

Serious question.

 

[Frankworthington]

That’s not at all what he said... He said we don’t need a LWB...!

This

You disagree.As you say its all about opinions.

There is a set amount available for transfers,i feel it should be spent elsewhere.

 

[Sheebo]

This

You disagree.As you say its all about opinions.

There is a set amount available for transfers,i feel it should be spent elsewhere.

Difficult to comment on that without a magic ball with budget / cost of player etc - we’ve made dozens of millions so far in this window on sales and prob trimmed wage bill a bit. More than enough for 2 strikers and a LWB is my guess. But it’s all guess work!

 

[Sheebo]

A Lamptey on the left, assuming you still want to play a Lamptey on the right, would seriously unbalance the side.

I get that Dan Burn is not the silkiest full back on the over lap, but he is vital for keeping possession, whether with his head or with the ball at his feet he is exceptional at retaining possession, which gives us the option to attack more on the other flank.

We have just released our most capable centre back in the air. The three we have all have strengths, but none stand out at defending corners. Big D again adds another dimension. It isn't just about our formation though. In a league where many teams can afford better players, a 6ft 7 wing back forces the opposition to adjust the way that they play. I really wouldn't be surprised to see this continue this season.

Was Potter also "mental" all of last season? There are at least three other options he could deploy there without raiding the transfer market. I am not going to complain if he decides he does want another full back, but huge priority is overstating it, I think.

I view the side as very unbalanced as it is with predictably most play coming down the right. I feel it would balance it out having the same on the left. I get that you mean we can’t just bomb on down both flanks but it’s a case of good decision making by the wing backs and the back 3 keeping on top of it verbally too. We totally disagree on the balance basically! We shall see.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

West Ham friend of mine is convinced they're going to get Bernardo from us on a loan to buy and we're gonna get Rico Henry. He said they need a defensive left back and we need an offensive wing back therefore it all makes sense. To me this also makes sense. However, just checked twitter and almost every west ham fan on there is fuming with this idea..

That’s it then all sorted.

 

[Nameless]

I view the side as very unbalanced as it is with predictably most play coming down the right. I feel it would balance it out having the same on the left. I get that you mean we can’t just bomb on down both flanks but it’s a case of good decision making by the wing backs and the back 3 keeping on top of it verbally too. We totally disagree on the balance basically! We shall see.

People seem to forget Lamptey is pretty solid defensively too. Another one of him on the otherside would be perfect especially with 2 holding midfielders and a 3 at the back system somebody would be covering defensively when he bombs forward.

 

[Sheebo]

People seem to forget Lamptey is pretty solid defensively too. Another one of him on the otherside would be perfect especially with 2 holding midfielders and a 3 at the back system somebody would be covering defensively when he bombs forward.

Totally agree. 3 CBs can usually cover it. That’s where White and Webster’s roles are so key - cover each flank. They just have to talk. I hear Webster is a decent talker (Albion Roar - Paul Camilin)

 

[Frankworthington]

Difficult to comment on that without a magic ball with budget / cost of player etc - we’ve made dozens of millions so far in this window on sales and prob trimmed wage bill a bit. More than enough for 2 strikers and a LWB is my guess. But it’s all guess work!

Sure.

There may be enough in the pot to cover all 3 positions.If Propper leaves for Ajax and Bernardo goes that frees up more funds.Newcastle were reported to be interested in March.

As you say its all guess work.I just think it we be madness to go through the season with only 2 strikers.

 

[Machiavelli]

Err, err just a conversational turn of phrase posted on a message board. The sort of thing humans do on a Friday afternoon, before cracking open a bottle of something. If that justifies the question.

My cracking open won't happen for an hour or two, but it's a big question.
Broadly, I'd say no, Burn is not better than Lamptey. Certainly, in terms of what they achieve in their career, I predict Lamptey will do far more. Currently, I think Lamptey is better, but I'll caveat this, because I'm obviously not seeing certain things at LB that Potter sees. (I know many on NSC will say that Potter is wrong, but I'm of the view that he knows far, far more about football than I do.)

RE LB, I've always been impressed with Bernardo, but have to note that CH didn't use him consistently, and Potter uses him sparingly. In addition, from what I see, for a long time I've said I'd rather pick Bernardo than Burn. I suspect I'm wrong on this now (I wouldn't necessarily have said it six months ago), and the best explanation I've had of this has been offered by [MENTION=38333]Swansman[/MENTION], who (I think) hadn't seen Bernardo in 2018/19 and pointed to the spell when Burn was out and Bernardo started regularly last season, and also pointed to the results.
In addition from his heading, Burn lacks pace (compare with Bernardo, for instance). So what does BDB bring? It's not immediately obvious to me, but I'll go for: consistency; good reading of the game; decent tackling; good on the ball, rarely gives it away; commitment and team work.
I also think that Potter doesn't like symmetry so much, by which I mean he'll often play very different players at LB compared to RB (or wide left compared to wide right) and, in this, Lamptey and Burn look like perfect specimens for asymmetry.
It'll be interesting how much game time BDB gets this season, and where he plays (ie LB, LWB, CB, others?), and the answer to this question may well lie in the title of this thread or indeed Solly March (but probably not Bernardo).

RE RB, there was a time when many on here claimed that Calde was a better RB than Bruno. That was and is tosh, and I doubt too many would express that now. Calde was decent, but Bruno is one of the best handful of players we've had over the last decade. This is another way of saying that we've been blessed in the RB position. Well, I think Lamptey looks like (which is different from saying is) a worthy heir to the number 2 shirt, and it wouldn't surprise me if he transpires to be a better player.

In sum, Potter has made me think that I don't understand LB, but I feel more comfortable with RB.

 

[CheeseRolls]

As a squad we now have quite a number of shortish players. The top teams like to play the ball on the ground, but they are also not averse to playing it in the air, if it gives them an obvious advantage.

I think Lamptey is most effective playing as a full back, but I also expect we will see him playing a lot as a right sided midifeld player, he has skill and pace and can do this. Chelsea's loss is our gain, they chose a thug over an artist, he just happens to be slightly taller. You can't get away from it. Man United came down recently and I think their shortest player was about 6ft 1. It isn't just about Lamptey, we do need to be able to defend set pieces in the air.

When we bought Shane Duffy, plenty on here couldn't understand why we would pay so much for a fourth choice centre back (it worked out a bit better than that). Ultimately it was Goldson who gave way. He was a decent defender and comfortable on the ball, but him and Dunk could stop Keane then at Burnley from burying a late and undeserved equaliser from a corner. Balance is often about small margins.

 

[casbom]

We don't have a pacey LB to complement other members in the team. BDB served a purpose very well as the LB, but he has no pace and I can recall plenty of opportunites for the opposition came down that flank.
March is pacey, but is not a very good defender for this level.

So we need a someone who can defend but also is pacey (aka another Lamptey). This way we can keep the opposition guessing about how we're going to attack, whether on the counter or down either flank.

 

[b.w.2.]

Their manager just attempted to put up the not for sale sign. Personally I think Henry would be a brilliant signing, although a target man is more important


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[Machiavelli]

As a squad we now have quite a number of shortish players. The top teams like to play the ball on the ground, but they are also not averse to playing it in the air, if it gives them an obvious advantage.

I think Lamptey is most effective playing as a full back, but I also expect we will see him playing a lot as a right sided midifeld player, he has skill and pace and can do this. Chelsea's loss is our gain, they chose a thug over an artist, he just happens to be slightly taller. You can't get away from it. Man United came down recently and I think their shortest player was about 6ft 1. It isn't just about Lamptey, we do need to be able to defend set pieces in the air.

When we bought Shane Duffy, plenty on here couldn't understand why we would pay so much for a fourth choice centre back (it worked out a bit better than that). Ultimately it was Goldson who gave way. He was a decent defender and comfortable on the ball, but him and Dunk could stop Keane then at Burnley from burying a late and undeserved equaliser from a corner. Balance is often about small margins.

We do, and that's been a massive transformation since the giant CH days. That said, I'm not so sure height in itself is that important, and will offer BDB as an example. City take the Ewok-philosophy to the limit but despite being vertically challenged, their players are outstanding athletes which nullifies the height disadvantage. Granted, City don't concede many corners but, when they do, they don't concede many goals despite being Ewoks, and that's because they can nullify height through athleticism. In fact, returning to the Lamptey vs Burn corner that you've forced me into, height vs athleticism would be as good a way of characterising it as I can: under CH, we were about height, but Potter favours athleticism, and we're seeing more athletic players in how are squad is evolving: Lamptey, Bissouma, Alzate, White, Webster, Connolly, Maupay certainly all fit into that (Bernardo, in my view, does too, but that just goes to highlight that his negative attributes are probably things like positional play, passing, etc).

 

[SimpKingpin]

Kai Havertz is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the German national team.



Our wealth of left-backs will shut this guy down no problem...

 

[CheeseRolls]

Kai Havertz is a German professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Premier League club Chelsea and the German national team.

View attachment 128041

Our wealth of left-backs will shut this guy down no problem...

Worth sharing this with Paul Barber. First game Chelsea spend £70m on a right winger we spend £75m on a left back. Then if Many City spend £50m we just need to spend £55m on a centre forward. Before we know it we will have this league sewn up, its just common sense really.

 

[saafend_seagull]

Jamal Lewis going to Newcastle per twitter bid accepted


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[The Fits]

Jamal Lewis going to Newcastle per twitter bid accepted


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That's a bugger. Feels like we've gotten a little sleepy re: transfers.