[Albion] Roberto De Zerbi: "Now we don't have high motivation"

[Stato]

3. Maybe in Leicester's case the decline was due more on their poor decisions while - for us - it has been external forces, i.e. players / manager / back office moving to Big 6 clubs / Newcastle, but we've also made some bad decisions (Dahoud / Fati / Milner signings, MacAllister's pitiful release clause). Selling Mitoma could be disastrous - for me that one would cut deep.

I think it's less about the problems and more about the timing and the available solutions. We've made mistakes. Every club does, but we do not face barriers to solutions that are not faced by our competitors. Leicester's trouble put them in a relegation battle and their FFP position prevented them from making the investment needed to bolster their squad and get them out of it. Rumour was that they couldn't even afford to sack a manager they didn't want. We are not in a relegation battle and, although we don't have a blank chequebook, we have already spent €19.5m on next year's squad by signing Osman. I'm not saying that Osman is going to answer our problems, just that his signing is evidence that the club is in a position to make signings if it feels the need.

I'd agree that we need to do everything we can to keep the current squad together and add to it for next year. However, Tony has previous form for not selling when he doesn't think it's right to. Resisting tens of millions for Mitoma may be on a different scale to turning down Burnley's offer for Dale Stephens, but KM's contract runs to June 2027 and we can say no if we decide that's for the best. His injury, whilst a nightmare for our end to the season, may be a blessing if it cools interest in him over the summer.

 

[Clive Walker]

Leaving you say? Tell me, just who else would employ him at the moment? None of the big boys that's for sure. The likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich et al, all of whom were reported to be keen just a couple of months ago must ahve lost interest by now.

My point is that he advised the players he's off some weeks/months ago......hence the drop in form/motivation/ability to score goals/all other

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

My point is that he advised the players he's off some weeks/months ago......hence the drop in form/motivation/ability to score goals/all other

I agree that that was the catalyst for the loss in confidence.

 

[Insel affe]

Ps sorry I didn’t reply before editing my earlier post - I had you on ignore (I forget why) and didn’t see it until I had signed out.

don’t apologise, for someone so supposedly right on, inclusive and non judgmental, I find that odd.
why folks use ignore is beyond me, even a broken clock is right twice a day, always best to see where folks are coming from. Plus telling me, you had me on ignore, is basically saying you don’t think I have anything of value to say.
but whatever, pop me back ignore, I wont lose any sleep over it.

 

[dazzer6666]

What was the problem when Europe was still achievable then? ie. from October till early April?

Injuries

 

[Zeberdi]

telling me, you had me on ignore, is basically saying you don’t think I have anything of value to say.

Not at all - far from it. I have rarely had a problem with any of your opinions. I just find interactions with certain people on the forum difficult at the moment (like this from you today on this thread). I use the ignore button as a sort of time out to protect myself (and often remove it later) . I have a lot of physical health problems and very high blood pressure at the moment as well as exacerbated autistic symptoms so quite vulnerable to negative or hostile behaviour - I can be ’inclusive’, ‘non-judgmental‘ without subjecting myself to interactions that are upsetting for me - so don’t take it personally if I had put you on ignore. I only mentioned it because you quoted a post that I subsequently edited which I would not have done if I had seen you had already quoted the original. I suspect far far more people on NSC have me on ignore than I of them so don’t worry about it

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

My point is that he advised the players he's off some weeks/months ago......hence the drop in form/motivation/ability to score goals/all other

Sauce please.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Not at all - far from it. I just find interactions with certain people on the forum difficult at the moment (like this from you today on this thread). I use the ignore button as a sort of time out to protect myself (and often remove it later) . I have a lot of physical health problems and very high blood pressure at the moment as well as exacerbated autistic symptoms so quite vulnerable to negative or hostile behaviour - I can be ’inclusive’, ‘non-judgmental‘ without subjecting myself to interactions that are upsetting for me - so don’t take it personally if I had put you on ignore. I only mentioned it because you quoted a post that I subsequently edited which I would not have done if I had seen you had already quoted the original. I suspect far far more people on NSC have me on ignore than I of them so don’t worry about it

I do the same. I put two blokes I like, one of whom I've known for more than 20 years, on ignore, once. Although to be fair, normally when I use the ignore button it's not a temporary thing.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Sauce please.

My own opinion is that rather than telling anyone that he was off, he has failed to give reassurances that he’ll be staying. The vibes to the players would be similar.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

My own opinion is that rather than telling anyone that he was off, he has failed to give reassurances that he’ll be staying. The vibes to the players would be similar.

My failure to announce I haven't shagged Sara Keith-Lucas doesn't mean that I have, though

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

My failure to announce I haven't shagged Sara Keith-Lucas doesn't mean that I have, though

Was it rumoured in the press though?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Was it rumoured in the press though?

Yes.

 

[Weststander]

Must be particular gutting for Dunk. Last season beside him he had Colwill, Mac, Caicedo, peak Veltman and an inform Estupinan. In defensive passages of play, what a unit, our best ever.

Imho that’s where our problems have lay all season, even back to the first 63 minutes at the Amex against West Ham, the writing was on the wall.

 

[Pliny the Gull]

This poor run coincides with a lack of continuity in the team, for many various reasons, well documented by all posts. Injuries, players sold, brought in, integrating into the team. expectations, opponents sussing as out, Europe, inflexibility in changing style for different games etc etc. Any look at any league table proves this. The top sides are settled. It's just a period to ride the storm, all be it disappointing. I am looking forward to next season, reset, and am confident if RDZ is with us. Could be worst, when you listen to the entitled top 4 on phone ins whinging over a VAR. UTA

 

[oldboyroy]

Regardless of what de Zerbi did or didn’t mean to say and how TB and PB see it, I really do a wonder what the bizarre Lallana interview was really all about. Was that following a blow up behind the scenes between manager and players and things have been festering ever since?

Mmmm, it was a very strange and uncharacteristic interview wasn't it. Kept looking away from camera when talking and spoke in a very strained way.

 

[Jim in the West]

Mmmm, it was a very strange and uncharacteristic interview wasn't it. Kept looking away from camera when talking and spoke in a very strained way.

Yes, it was bizarre..I’d love to know the reason. But only a couple of weeks ago RDZ said he wanted to carry on working with both Lallana and Milner next season. If there *was* a bust-up, I’m assuming it’s been patched up.

 

[willalbion]

Must be particular gutting for Dunk. Last season beside him he had Colwill, Mac, Caicedo, peak Veltman and an inform Estupinan. In defensive passages of play, what a unit, our best ever.

Imho that’s where our problems have lay all season, even back to the first 63 minutes at the Amex against West Ham, the writing was on the wall.

Good point, well made.

 

[Right Back]

This season has been the worst for injuries in the last forty plus years that I can remember. For an Albion manager to achieve mid table and last 16 in the Europa league is not easy bearing in mind these injuries. For some it is not good enough and they want him gone.
I would imagine they would also sack every manager in the Premier League if they were a fan of those clubs. Pep won’t win the Champions league so surely needs to be sacked etc.
They will claim they want him gone for his press conferences. If we were still top 6 they wouldn’t be talking about them. De Zerbi did amazing to get us through to Feb in a good position when we felt injuries were clearing up. It has been a hammer blow to the manager, players and fans to be back to 8 or 9 injured. We have had this since October. Could this be the reason De Zerbi and the players are struggling.
If we make the right signings we can challenge for Europe again next year with De Zerbi.

 

[oldboyroy]

1. Not being able to qualify for Europe hasn't stopped Bournemouth from gunning for a top half finish. Or Palace. Or Wolves.

2. And if the manager and players aren't able to recalibrate their goals then God help us if we get into a relegation fight.

3. What worries me are the parallels with us / De Zerbi and Leicester, who went from European football to relegation in 2 seasons, 5th > 8th > 18th. And this was all under Brendan Rogers, a manager who would probably regard himself as elite and be in denial about the how such a slide could possibly happen under his watch.

Leicester actually finished the 2021/22 season strongly taking 10 points from their final 12 to pip us for 8th by one point, but this probably papered over the cracks and they didn't take note of the warning signs.

Good points.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

My point is that he advised the players he's off some weeks/months ago......hence the drop in form/motivation/ability to score goals/all other

Condiment?