[Albion] Rumours of Unrest - received wisdom, or a reality?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I can't trust anything that involves nothing but soundbites...

Or clichés.
Spot on!
Way to go!

 

[tigertim68]

Think this is what irks me the most. I can't see any style of play or any new ideas in the pitch.

We seem to just build up slower, get to the edge of the box and have no idea what to do next.

Under RDZ we had an identity of playing high press, quick transition football. Under Hughton we played defence first policy.

Under Fab, I just don't see anything obvious.

And our performances have got worse as the season progresses

 

[Flounce]

So if Fabsy says "Interrogo exertus", he'll be ianuam ostensum est?

He’ll be heading towards an Ides of March end

 

[WSU Dilettante]

Think this is what irks me the most. I can't see any style of play or any new ideas in the pitch.

We seem to just build up slower, get to the edge of the box and have no idea what to do next.

Under RDZ we had an identity of playing high press, quick transition football. Under Hughton we played defence first policy.

Under Fab, I just don't see anything obvious.

I feel like there a fair bit of recency bias at play here. We had the same problem with breaking teams down under RDZ (and Potter). As soon as teams stopped falling for the foot on the ball trick, we were done for.

 

[pigmanovich]

I feel like there a fair bit of recency bias at play here. We had the same problem with breaking teams down under RDZ (and Potter). As soon as teams stopped falling for the foot on the ball trick, we were done for.

And by the end of the RDZ era our transition was anything but quick. We scored one goal on the break all of last season FFS

 

[chaileyjem]

And our performances have got worse as the season progresses

Our performances against Villa, Arsenal, Norwich, United and Ipswich had lots to like about them
- and were all since er, Xmas.

 

[Gabbiano]

What is strange is how we were told he was such a footballing revolutionary at St Pauli, with endless videos discussing quick transitions bypassing midfield and a deep lying midfielder dropping in to a back 3.

Where is that supposed tactical ingenuity? He tried a very high line for a few weeks, but otherwise we play the same 4-2-3-1 as before, just less organised (apart from against Forest of course).

 

[boik]

Well I can't believe it. Looks like Pep has also lost the dressing room. Must be catching!

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

I feel like there a fair bit of recency bias at play here. We had the same problem with breaking teams down under RDZ (and Potter). As soon as teams stopped falling for the foot on the ball trick, we were done for.

I do find this a little baffling. A problem we've had under the previous 2 managers is suddenly only a Hurzeler problem.

Then we have the even weirder comparisons with Sami Hyypia...

 

[dazzer6666]

Our performances against Villa, Arsenal, Norwich, United and Ipswich had lots to like about them
- and were all since er, Xmas.

Two weeks is a long time in football, evidently

 

[Machiavelli]

What is strange is how we were told he was such a footballing revolutionary at St Pauli, with endless videos discussing quick transitions bypassing midfield and a deep lying midfielder dropping in to a back 3.

Where is that supposed tactical ingenuity? He tried a very high line for a few weeks, but otherwise we play the same 4-2-3-1 as before, just less organised (apart from against Forest of course).

Maybe he's waiting for being able to field a consistent line-up or a certain set of players before introducing a preferred formation. There has been tactical flexibility away from the 4231 you mention, including playing five at the back to protect a lead, eg at Newcastle, and even going for a 4141 versus Forest. That proved disastrous but, if you believe what FH tells us (and I appreciate that that's not the done thing currently), he had three fit midfielders, all of which he could only expect to play for 45 minutes.

 

[METALMICKY]

Or clichés.
Spot on!
Way to go!

Exactly. I avoid cliches like the plague!

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Exactly. I avoid cliches like the plague!

And I have told you a million billion times to not exaggerate.

 

[METALMICKY]

And I have told you a million billion times to not exaggerate.

Cliches to me are like red rags to a bull

 

[jackalbion]

Maybe he's waiting for being able to field a consistent line-up or a certain set of players before introducing a preferred formation. There has been tactical flexibility away from the 4231 you mention, including playing five at the back to protect a lead, eg at Newcastle, and even going for a 4141 versus Forest. That proved disastrous but, if you believe what FH tells us (and I appreciate that that's not the done thing currently), he had three fit midfielders, all of which he could only expect to play for 45 minutes.

With all respect, with the one midfielder on saturday, that was probably closest to his St Pauli system, what worries me is that the game I've identified we've played most similar to his style we lost 7-0.

 

[Talby]

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Dunk was a rather unhappy chap on Saturday night.

There’s a concern about the lack of experience and odd decisions & substitutions (Webster vs Everton). If he loses the club captain then that’s no good.

I have that from a reliable source.

I await the ‘no shit Sherlock’ and ‘who is your source?’ responses.

 

[jackalbion]

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Dunk was a rather unhappy chap on Saturday night.

There’s a concern about the lack of experience and odd decisions & substitutions (Webster vs Everton). If he loses the club captain then that’s no good.

I have that from a reliable source.

I await the ‘no shit Sherlock’ and ‘who is your source?’ responses.

No shit Sherlock and who is your source?

 

[Talby]

No shit Sherlock and who is your source?

I saw it in my tea leaves.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I saw it in my tea leaves.

Was that at Dave’s cafe?

 

[Mancgull]

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Dunk was a rather unhappy chap on Saturday night.

There’s a concern about the lack of experience and odd decisions & substitutions (Webster vs Everton). If he loses the club captain then that’s no good.

I have that from a reliable source.

I await the ‘no shit Sherlock’ and ‘who is your source?’ responses.

‘Leaks’ no doubt come when the players aren’t that bothered that their thoughts are becoming public. It’s not a good look for the club though.
You just had to look at Dunky’s face during that post match interview and his carefully worded ‘thoughts’ about the performance and his dismissive body language towards Fabian to get an insight into what he thinks.
It wasn’t Dunky’s best game and I don’t think FH’s helter skelter style suits him at his age.
It does look like things are unravelling pretty quickly.