[Albion] Simplistically, what do you think is our biggest problem?

[Barham's tash]

I’ll try to simplify my thinking as much as possible:

When someone - either Lallana or Trossard plays behind a front two were fine going forwards. When they don’t we don’t fire.

Defensively our issue is Ryan (sorry but it’s true and the club know it hence the link to Martinez and the Turkish chap) and zonal marking. We’re not cute enough to do it.

 

[portslade seagull]

Where's the option for 'Ongoing lack of investment in proven EPL-level quality players'?

We had 1 player last night Welbeck. We are just not PL savvy. Palace (yuk) sign experience players and can handle it better when in a slump. I worry for us with the youngsters. How many did Southampton have last night Ings, Walcott, Redmond, Walker Peter's

 

[stewart_weir]

Not converting the chances is the biggest issue. VAR got in the way of last night and that could have gone either way. It would appear that this season Shampton are going to be a top 10 club at least so some perspective last night should be that as well. Our problems though remain as they always have been and that's converting a greater number of chances but also leaking more this season as well. I still have faith that we will finish mid table assuming VAR is on our side.

 

[London Irish]

My gut feel from watching our games is that we just don't convert enough of our dominance into good chances, and not enough of our good chances into goals. In short, it feels like our main issue is at the attacking end of the pitch.

Stats, however seem to suggest the absolute opposite.

In the first 11 games of four Premier league seasons, we've never scored more than this season, and also never conceded more.

So, keeping things simple, at which end of the pitch is our main issue currently??

I think conceding sloppy goals. This is not the amount of goals we concede, as while it's much higher rate than last season, I still felt even then across BOTH seasons that too many of them were the stereotype "bad" goals to concede.

I know we don't take a lot of chances but I think that's the nature of where we are and what strikers we can afford. I just feel the defensive problem is more "fixable" if Potter had his priorities right

 

[Wrong-Direction]

We dont shoot enough, even though I read somewhere we are one of the top shooting teams... shoot more!

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[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

We are set up to play a more attacking style in which more goals are likely to be conceded in our defence than when our focus was on not conceding at all costs and hope we grab a goal.
I think if we factor in the differing styles of play with formations,tactics,players,etc then the stats show what we would expect to see but the problem is we are not converting all the extra goal scoring opportunitys we are now creating.
The defence is not doing a bad job,we are not getting spanked 5-0 everygame but we are wasting an incredible amount of chances at the other end.
Its poor finishing that's the issue as I see it and also passing the ball to someone else when we are in a shooting position.

 

[maltaseagull]

Where's the option for 'Ongoing lack of investment in proven EPL-level quality players'?

That is only a valid response if there are unlimited funds available and the club has a way around FFP.

Perhaps you would like to fund a £30million striker? (And then find a way around FFP like Citeh can)

 

[Insel affe]

Our shooting is hideous. Connolly & Maupay missing the target entirely from inside the box (positions that I can guarantee opposition strikers would put away against us) happens far to regularly for my liking.

This is the major problem.
I had high hopes for Maupay, and I feel he could possibly turn it around, but I think his confidence is waning
As for Connolly I at first thought he would never make it in the Premier league and he then played a blinder against Tottenham, ever since then he has flattered to deceive, lots of effort and chases, worries defenders and generally gives them an uncomfortable game without sadly any end product.

The real question is would either of these players get into another Premier League team that is not struggling ?

If Murray or Zamora were still here in their pomp would we be at least 6 points better off, probably we would and that possibly tells you just where we need strengthening more than anywhere else.

Sent from an idiot behind a keyboard....

 

[southstandandy]

Unfortunately we are having problems at both ends to state the obvious.

We can't keep conceeding an average of nearly 2 goals a game and hope to win that many, especially with us struggling to put our own chances away at the other end. A recipe for relegation? Who knows, but certainly you'd be a brave person to bet on anyone other than 3 of the current bottom 5 to go down this season.

What has happened to our defence since last season? Personally I feel Ryan is a weak link but I suspect I'm in the minority as he seems to have his own fan club out there.

 

[Deleted member 2719]

Scoring goals.

As an ex defender, I would say that. But the issues with forwards or midfielders come to that is they want a million touches on the ball. One or 2 touches and move it or shoot is the way I like it, but you have to have runners to keep this going.

As we get in the opposition box a lot if we are not going to shoot we need to move the ball quickly and draw even more pens. We have the players to do that Maupay, Lamptey, Trossard, Connolly and March as they all have quick feet.


Shoot your lot is what I say, and leave those defenders alone.

 

[Balders]

Played Golf with a Leeds fan this morning (not an arrogant one) and his first question when I owned up to being a Brighton fan was "can we sign Ben White" please. Discussed Ben at some length and his view was that Bielsa realised that the holding midfield role just wasn't for him.

I find it frustrating that Ben is obviously a real talent, yet we are playing games with 4 centre backs and to accommodate a current Dutch International, our very own Lewis and Webster, Potter has decided 4 Centre Backs is the way to go in this formation. Biss is going to be a monster but where's the dynamism, the killer ball etc... With Gross and Lallana, although gifted, there just isn't any pace in the middle of the park and our play is sooo slow. It was obvious we lost the middle of the park, for whatever reason, in the 2nd half last night.

Lewis isn't playing at his normal level and for me, Webster is looking to be a bit of a liability with the ball at his feet - drop the latter, "accommodate" Ben at Centre back and try and get some pace and guile to complement either Gross or Lallana (not both) and we may just become a little more dynamic?

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Not winning.

 

[JOLovegrove]

I know at the moment it feels like we are in a torrid run of form, especially at home, and last nights farcical penalty seemed to be the straw that broke the camle's back on here but I think we can all agree we really aren't far from a decent team. When you look back at all 11 league games this season, I would say we have only truly been outplayed in 1 (Everton) maybe 2 (Chelsea) games this season. I understand that it is a results business, and Potter and the fans knows we haven't won enough games, but you do feel it will click at some point. The Newcastle and United games show that. I also understand we lost that United game, but if we played that game 100 times, you would feel we would have got something out of it 90 or so times. After the tough trip to Leicester, we then have those 2 huge games away at Fulham then at home to Sheffield United. You feel Fulham may play into our hands slightly knowing how many they like to concede, and then the game against the Blades is simply a must win considering the form they have been in.

If we were slightly more clinical, I know that's easier to say, we would start blowing teams away. It's goals for me, and all over the pitch is where we need to improve. A goal from a corner would feel like a complete accident at the moment, a decent effort from it would be a good start.

Also, when you look at who we've played, and I understand they may not be there if they had lost to us, but we've played 5 of the top 6, and 4 of them were at home.

As someone else also said, I really can't see us going down this season. There already seems to be a bottom 4 emerging, and 1 win would pull us up to the teams above. Sheffield United look doomed, and you feel West Brom and Fulham will be down there for the whole season scraping it out. We just need to keep our heads above water.

 

[trueblue]

I think the service is fine. Lack of killer instinct in front of goal with players wanting too many touches in the box. And an inability to make the best of and defend set pieces.

Not much wrong with the manager in my opinion. He just needs more players that are further into their development.

 

[vagabond]

Simplistically?

We don’t have a good enough goalkeeper for this level.

 

[Dave the OAP]

We think we are better than we are and flatter to deceive!

 

[vagabond]

And also some of our fans are unrealistic and don’t see the bigger picture.

 

[Withdean11]

We need a centre back who can dominate in the air in both boxes whilst being good with the ball at his feet. Someone like Vestergaard.

 

[razer]

Scoring 100%.

Not taking our chances then has a negative effect at the other end. As an example last night, we really should have been at least 2 up by half time. If we had been, Southampton might have been more demoralised and not then scored themselves just before half time. We're keeping teams in the game that they shouldn't be by not taking our chances giving them confidence.

Also, if we did take our chances, the opposition would have to take more risks to get back into the game then freeing us up to hit them on the counter.

I think we do need an upgrade in goal but other than that, I'm not overly worried about our defence. It's all about creating and taking more clear cut chances.

Spot on.

I also think the consistently missed chances and consequent game losses (or points losses) has created a confidence issue amongst the team hence the apparent inability to shoot on sight and the sometimes way too tentative passing resulting in the ball being given away.

I hope and pray that a couple of decent wins on the trot will see confidence levels, and with a bit of luck, points start to make their way skywards.

 

[Reddleman]

We have scored in every game this season except one. We have scored two goals against Man United and Everton and didn’t get a point. We have scored in every other game we have lost.

If we could keep clean sheets we would be top eight easily.