[Albion] Saudi regime buying Dan Ashworth: the undelying cause for our collapse in form?

[Guinness Boy]

Not surprising a kneejerker like you moans about someone referring to the past... because usually it makes you look silly.

Hardly surprising that people have "knee-jerk" reactions when our long term plan Director of Football lasted less than the cycle between World Cups.

However, given that we've lost the last 6 in a row, scoring one goal, it's been surprisingly lack of knee jerk around here. No Potter Out chants at games, 93% support for him on Icy's post Liverpool poll. People do understand that you might struggle to beat Liverpool and Spurs when you're playing the likes of March and Duffy. It's exactly the issue CH had.

 

[Barham's tash]

I just think we are too nice...

We need toughen up both on the pitch and off it... We are far too accommodating and friendly....

I’ve ALWAYS thought this about us. Even the promotion side which had Dunk, Stephens, Duffy and potential axe murderer Skalak in it felt light in the borderline psychopath stakes.

Maybe it’s a southern thing but we really need to have a bit about us. We’re all just a bit too nice about everything aren’t we?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Hardly surprising that people have "knee-jerk" reactions when our long term plan Director of Football lasted less than the cycle between World Cups.

However, given that we've lost the last 6 in a row, scoring one goal, it's been surprisingly lack of knee jerk around here. No Potter Out chants at games, 93% support for him on Icy's post Liverpool poll. People do understand that you might struggle to beat Liverpool and Spurs when you're playing the likes of March and Duffy. It's exactly the issue CH had.

Stances will crystallise massively if Norwich result offers no respite to crap home form. Cosy little managerial 'Project' may well end right there, right then, with GP f*cking right off back to the level where he belongs and Billy Reid appointed caretaker manager for last couple of games to try and at least instill some backbone back into the side

 

[el punal]

Yes - it cannot be co-incidence that our form downturn pretty much matched the timing of with the Saudi money ramraid on our resources. We look/ed shell shocked on and off the pitch and are struggling to recover.

How do we look shell shocked off the pitch? That’s weird, unless you’ve sat in the dressing room or players lounge.

Mind you it could be just simply that we’ve hit a bad run of form, which happens to all teams good or bad. Let’s wait until after the Norwich game to get a more realistic assessment. A two week break might be a blessing for the players and GP to get things sorted out.

 

[boik]

Stances will crystallise massively if Norwich result offers no respite to crap home form. Cosy little managerial 'Project' may well end right there, right then, with GP f*cking right off back to the level where he belongs and Billy Reid appointed caretaker manager for last couple of games to try and at least instill some backbone back into the side

Any chance of you disappearing off to the level where you belong?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Any chance of you disappearing off to the level where you belong?

Happy to levitate to NSC_Plus just as soon as it's up and running Can't really be doing with this dumb "I'm Team Potter IN But..." echo chamber anymore. It's beyond pathetic

 

[portlock seagull]

Not buying DA departure as cause of slump. Clueless manager, maybe. On the beach millionaires lacking motivation, quite probably!

 

[Razzoo]

I think there should be a clause in the player's contracts. If the team lose 6 or more in a row none of the first team get paid again until they win. It's not like they are going to be left destitute after all.

 

[TottonSeagull]

Nope. Not having it at all. I know they are disappointed with his leaving, and obviously if he is as good at his job as his reputation suggests then it will have an effect on us. But that effect will be felt later - in regards to recruitment, contract negotiations, etc.

He’s not the manager. He’s not a coach. He’s not a player. Hanging the current run of dreadful form on his leaving, is a lazy cop out.

Completely correct! Except for Burn, we have the same players as before he left. Ashworth leaving has nothing to do with us not having a shot on goal, our dull and boring possession based dirge or our ridiculously poor home form.
The current form is Potter’s responsibility and affect that Ashworth leaving will be seen in future recruitment!

 

[attila]

Back on the road, greetings from Manchester, four gigs in the NW around the City game. (40 years of linking gigs and games: it is so hard now. Ah, City's 3pm Sat, brilliant,I thought - not Friday night, not Sat 1.30 pm or 5.30 pm, or Sunday 12.30 or 4.30, or Monday. But......it gets postponed because of a reserve team kickabout. So I'll be at FC United, the original community club.)

Good debate. My point is that although Ashworth doesn't pick or motivate the first team, the palpable bond forged between him, Potter and Barber was broken in a really depressing way and this has really damaged us. I have talked to people who know Potter and just have a gut feeling that this has really taken the wind out of his sails. He's trying to recreate the Ostersunds story in the PL, was doing a great job of getting players to play way above their level and enjoying doing so: he's a cerebral, sensitive man and the gutpunch of having a friend and colleague lured away like that has affected him.

My view of Potter is sadly that his immense tactical skills will be best appreciated when (and he will be, mark my words!) he is manager of one of the top teams in the world. I had a tiny hope that could us. Leicester and all that. But Leicester was a one off. A tactical genius can't beat money. Hope he stays and continues to try to though.

USG season ticket holder at my gig last night, gushing about Undav. But my Dutch friends gushed about Ali J. We'll see!

 

[Motogull]

Can we start by moving the away fans to a sh*t part of the ground, in keeping with most other PL clubs do to us as away fans.

I'm not being sarky, but where is a shit part of the ground?

 

[portslade seagull]

Makes me wonder if BDB was tapped up by Ashworth for the potential of moving to his hometown club in the weeks b4.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Makes me wonder if BDB was tapped up by Ashworth for the potential of moving to his hometown club in the weeks b4.

Burn was an obvious target for a player with 1 year left with his hometown club desperate to shore up their defence with a load of money to spend. I very much doubt that deal needed any tapping up.

 

[tigertim68]

Not so Ashworth but giving Burn to a rival , biggest mistake the club has made since not giving Glen Murray a new contract when we first moved to the Amex

 

[Gilliver's Travels]

I'm not being sarky, but where is a shit part of the ground?

The away dressing room was, once.

 

[Saunders]

Yes, I'd like us to be part of something far, far better, like the Bundesliga, where money still plays a role, but not to such a ludicrous extent, and ticket prices are affordable to all. It's eminently possuble with the right political wiil, which is obviously on gardening leave with Dan Ashworth.

A league dominated by one rich club to the extent that they can just weaken all opposition with money. Nah I am out.

 

[dazzer6666]

I'm not being sarky, but where is a shit part of the ground?

All of it at the moment according to some of our fans

 

[drew]

A league dominated by one rich club to the extent that they can just weaken all opposition with money. Nah I am out.

I fail to see what this bizarre love affair is that some have for a German system that has seen one team win the league 16 times since 2000!

 

[Swansman]

I fail to see what this bizarre love affair is that some have for a German system that has seen one team win the league 16 times since 2000!

Its also the system in Sweden with 10 different winning teams since 2000.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

I don't buy the idea that Ashworth's departure has affected the team on any level at all.

It wasn't Ashworth who failed so dismally to anticipate Burnley's tactical approach or adjust while there was still time.

It isn't him taking all those extra touches when an early pass is required.

He doesn't shoot too high from ten yards.

He's not responsible for Adam Webster's lack of fitness or Dunk's loss of form following his injury.

It hasn't been his decision to keep playing an unfit Lallana.

He hasn't disposed of Bissouma's mojo.

There are many reasons for our atrocious run, but his departure is low on the list if it's there at all.

If he is culpable in any way, it's not finding us any better attacking players before he left.