[Albion] Solly March - now's the time

[sydney]

This post is 15% accurate.

oh i'm sorry he's brilliant ....the best thing since sliced bread ....absolutely ace.....

 

[Whoislloydy]

I love Solly, but still couldn't tell you what his actual position is.

I think he should train for the LWB role

 

[Icy Gull]

Is 77.64% 'around' 15%

Official 2019/20PL stats for March:

Appearances 19
Passes 492
Pass % 77.64
Passes forward 134
Passes backwards 136
Touches 840
Through balls 1
Crosses 67

Blocks 4
Interceptions 20
Tackles 25
Clearances 10
Headed Clearances 5
Arial battles won 15

I would LOVE to know how many of those 67 crosses arrived on an Albion players head or were in reach of their feet. That is a genuine question because I really am struggling to remember many good ones. In his defence the friends who sit on either side of me don’t feel the same way as me about him.

If we are counting the 2 to Lamptey I’ll concede that they were quality but I am thinking more about “reach the touchline and put in a threatening cross” This is the main reason for me championing giving Ali J a few games over March. He can and does put in quality balls from the wings. Does not defend as well though but it’s a bit Hughtonesque to expect a winger to be a better defender than winger.

 

[Questions]

He is Vegimite.
Still needs to get up to Marmite standard I reckon.

 

[Icy Gull]

You clearly did not watch the goal of the season video then?

I did say many not any!

But please carry on and enlighten me of the others. You do have 66 (or 64 if we are counting the cross FIELD balls on Sunday to chose from

 

[Icy Gull]

Also to answer your question: if you bothered to look at the stats his crossing success rate is 19% so 12 or 13 (depending on how they rounded the % value) made it to our players. Happy?

Also, before you go waffling on about how that should be higher, a few random players for reference: David Silva - 9%, Fabinho - 44%, Oxlade-Chamberlain - 14%, Lingard - 0%.

How many of those players are WINGERS? Just the one?

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Needs to watch and rewind and watch again lamptey skinning his man and putting an inch perfect cross on maupays head.

 

[Javeaseagull]

I don’t get all this hate for Solly. Are they hoping for a team of 22 superstars? There is room for a versatile, young,HGP player in any squad. I think he could be a useful LWB in 3 5 2 which Potter likes.
I suppose we haven’t had a whipping boy for a while. OK maybe Dale Stephens who I like as well!
Get of his back!

 

[Icy Gull]

How many times has March played as a winger this season? How many games have those other players played as a winger this season? Why are you moving the goalposts all of a sudden?
Are you saying you will ignore any facts on the matter unless they are crossing stats by players who made the crosses as wingers during that part of the game? If that is the case I suggest you go through and watch all the relevant games and work it out.

Can’t be arsed to argue with you any further but I certainly don’t recall March playing midfield which all except one of those players do. I wonder if any only played just one through ball, so yes when March goes over the halfway line he does it as a winger. The fact that midfield players of other teams make a similar number or more crosses says it all for me.

No problem with him in our half but as a winger he doesn’t pass muster if we are looking to improve

Obviously just imo, you and others don’t agree, that’s fine. This is a football forum, how boring if we all had the same opinion on all things Albion.

 

[tigertim68]

I like Solly but if the last 3 seasons have shown that he is a very good Championship player

 

[Medwayseagull]

I don’t get all this hate for Solly. Are they hoping for a team of 22 superstars? There is room for a versatile, young,HGP player in any squad. I think he could be a useful LWB in 3 5 2 which Potter likes.
I suppose we haven’t had a whipping boy for a while. OK maybe Dale Stephens who I like as well!
Get of his back!

What do you consider young ? He is 26 years old now.

 

[Pavilionaire]

He appeared in virtually every Prem match under Hughton but only 19 matches under Potter, and now Lallana has arrived. This tells you where he is - a versatile bench player with a good brain, but unlikely to be a starter, but that's OK.

Contrast that with Ali J who only appeared in 10 Prem matches for us.

I know who I'd ship out first.

 

[Javeaseagull]

What do you consider young ? He is 26 years old now.

So what? Do you think he can't get better?

 

[Perkino]

Solly is a wonderful professional who can play a number of positions and will regularly give you a solid 6 performance wise. He seems to be able to follow the managers tactics and is selfless in doing what is asked of him. No matter what formation we could set up with I don't think he would be in the first 11 regularly as the 'best option' but I never worry about seeing him included in a starting line up. He also seems very content with being involved and I cannot see him pushing for a move away, there are at least 5 players I would rather see leave before March. We would need a severe overhaul to see March leave

 

[Medwayseagull]

So what? Do you think he can't get better?

Shame you just didn't say what your definition of young was - that is how you described him.

 

[LamieRobertson]

You are allowed an opinion of course, no one is trying to deny you that. Where the line needs to be drawn is stating things about players "as opinions" that are false. March has a decent cross success percentage for a premier league midfielder. That is not my opinion, but it is fact. To say otherwise is false.

Just out of curiosity what’s the source of the fact

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I like Solly but if the last 3 seasons have shown that he is a very good Championship player

I agree with this. It's time for him to move on for him as well as the club.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

I think he’s looked good since the restart too.

I’m always pleased when Solly starts as I think he’s a really decent player with a lot of ability. In my opinion he never lets us down. To step up to that next level though I just desperately want him to nail down one position and keep playing there and practising to get better at it.

The one thing he really needs to work on is his decision making. If he could make better decisions with his final ball/passing just once or twice in a match, I think the negative opinions on him would dramatically change. It’s fine margins.

 

[zefarelly]

The Premier League.
https://www.premierleague.com/stats

I think you'll find its Pascal Gross you're referring to

 

[Milano]

He needs to play on the left of a midfield 4, that’s it. Anything else is pointless IMO. He’s not a left back and he’s not the pace or finish to play in a front 3 (See Palace as a classic example). However he adds much needed balance in a 4-4-2. We looked very good in spells on Sunday and he played his part in that.