[Albion] Starting XI for Bournemouth

[empire]

Absolutely destroyed us last season,take a draw

 

[OvingdeanSeagull]

Gruda hasn’t impressed at all , still yet to see what he has to offer , does not Seem to have that much pace , hasn’t gone passed anyone , crossing not great , doesn’t look like he is going to score many goals

Ridiculous shout, he's played about half an hour total and looked promising in each cameo.

 

[pigmanovich]

Doubt Pervis starts after playing 90 mins last night - who plays left back if Ferdi & Hinsh are both injured?

Igor? Lamptey, assuming he's fit after his recent injury? Baleba, as at QPR in the summer?

I assume we will not be so desperate (or complacent) as to use Imari Samuels.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Me too but hey. It can't be worse than last season.

it can

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Verbruggen
Veltman-Hecke-Igor-Estupinan
O’Reily-Baleba
Adingra-Welbeck-Mitoma
Pedro​

That would be nice, but with international games for Estupinan, Adingra & Mitoma suspect it will be something like :

Verbruggen
Veltman-Hecke-Igor-Kadioglu
Hinshelwood-Baleba
Rutter-O’Riley-Pedro
Welbeck
​

Which is a ridiculously good team, when you consider the number of players we can afford to rest.
Other than the 3 mentioned, that includes Ayari/Ferguson/Gruda/Wieffer/Moder/Enciso/Minteh/March/Milner all being able to be rested

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Igor? Lamptey, assuming he's fit after his recent injury? Baleba, as at QPR in the summer?

I assume we will not be so desperate (or complacent) as to use Imari Samuels.

Pretty sure Kadioglu was a minor concern and expected to be back.

 

[pigmanovich]

Pretty sure Kadioglu was a minor concern and expected to be back.

I hope so, just engaging with the question @HCxUK posed which assumed it was more serious.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I reckon this will be a really good test of where we're actually at.

From a players perspective Bournemouth away at the arse end of November is just about the least glamorous game of the season. It's easy to be up for games against the big six but harder for the smallest club playing in the smallest ground on a cold late autumn day with the floodlights coming on before the game's finished.

But they're a a decent team who on their day are excellent. If we're not fully on it we'll come away with nothing.

So, a great test. Are we a mid table team or one genuinely capable of challenging/qualifying for Europe?

 

[Triggaaar]

I’ll take a point. We never seem great after international breaks

I'm surprised to see they're quite strong favourites for this, so I guess a point would be good. But I can't help feel that if we want Europe, it's a game we need 3 points from.

 

[seagull_si]

I think there is a chance Mitoma starts and plays 45-60 mins and then is replaced with Adingra. Both didn't play the full 90 in the second game of the break.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think there is a chance Mitoma starts and plays 45-60 mins and then is replaced with Adingra. Both didn't play the full 90 in the second game of the break.

Mitoma played c30 minutes yesterday lunchtime. If he's not back already, it'll be imminent. Not sure this will affect his ability to start -- but we'll see.

 

[Machiavelli]

I reckon this will be a really good test of where we're actually at.

From a players perspective Bournemouth away at the arse end of November is just about the least glamorous game of the season. It's easy to be up for games against the big six but harder for the smallest club playing in the smallest ground on a cold late autumn day with the floodlights coming on before the game's finished.

But they're a a decent team who on their day are excellent. If we're not fully on it we'll come away with nothing.

So, a great test. Are we a mid table team or one genuinely capable of challenging/qualifying for Europe?

Spot on. And as you mention Europe it recalls the debates on the 'Top 4' thread. One oft-repeated comment there is that we'll need to do better at teams lower down the table who play the deep block and on the counter-attack. Whatever they are, Bournemouth won't be that team on Saturday. They're really good and the quality of opposition they've beaten at home already this season is a sign of that. They're also inconsistent because they go for it. Should be an entertaining game, and a test of us.

PS how are you getting on with FH tactics -- and 'intensity' several games further down the line?

 

[dwayne]

I'm surprised to see they're quite strong favourites for this, so I guess a point would be good. But I can't help feel that if we want Europe, it's a game we need 3 points from.

Nah I think a draw is good enough to keep the Europe run going. Bmuff very very good at home

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I'm surprised to see they're quite strong favourites for this, so I guess a point would be good. But I can't help feel that if we want Europe, it's a game we need 3 points from.

Yep this.

in all reality a point is a decent result. But on current form they are pushing for where we want to be at the end of the season.
Taking 3 points from them would put down a sizeable marker.

 

[Change at Barnham]

Mitoma played c30 minutes yesterday lunchtime. If he's not back already, it'll be imminent. Not sure this will affect his ability to start -- but we'll see.

Yesterday lunchtime was Tues 8pm in China. He'll likely fly for over 14 hours today and get back to London early on Thursday.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Spot on. And as you mention Europe it recalls the debates on the 'Top 4' thread. One oft-repeated comment there is that we'll need to do better at teams lower down the table who play the deep block and on the counter-attack. Whatever they are, Bournemouth won't be that team on Saturday. They're really good and the quality of opposition they've beaten at home already this season is a sign of that. They're also inconsistent because they go for it. Should be an entertaining game, and a test of us.

PS how are you getting on with FH tactics -- and 'intensity' several games further down the line?

I'm getting there!

There seems to be less chaos and more structure. I'm not sure if that's down to him tweaking, the players becoming more accustomed to the tactics, more players coming into the team who are better suited to what he wants to do or a combination of all three.

I enjoyed the one off pragmatism against Newcastle and the second half against Spurs and first against Liverpool were as enjoyable as peak RDZ. If less chaos, more control and slick attacking football are the truer representation of his tactics, I'm all the way on board.

 

[Jeremiah]

Bournemouth have players missing as well - from their fans forum -
AFCB Team News
Unfortunately Ryan Christie is suspended for this game. Latest injury addition is Antoine Semenyo, reported to have withdrawn from the Ghana squad do to an injury, also Milos Kerkez withdrew from Hungary squad due to knee problems. Julian Araujo has undergone surgery on his hamstring. Hopefully Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez and Dango Ouattara will be fit for this game.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Bournemouth have players missing as well - from their fans forum -
AFCB Team News
Unfortunately Ryan Christie is suspended for this game. Latest injury addition is Antoine Semenyo, reported to have withdrawn from the Ghana squad do to an injury, also Milos Kerkez withdrew from Hungary squad due to knee problems. Julian Araujo has undergone surgery on his hamstring. Hopefully Antoine Semenyo, Milos Kerkez and Dango Ouattara will be fit for this game.

Semenyo and Kerkez both completed all 97 minutes v Man City, and 98 minutes v Brentford, before THEN discovering they were too hurty to travel to play for Ghana and Hungary.

If I were a betting chap, I'd wager they just MIGHT recover in time for Saturday's game.

 

[ChickenDipper]

I'm surprised to see they're quite strong favourites for this, so I guess a point would be good. But I can't help feel that if we want Europe, it's a game we need 3 points from.

I was surprised then I looked at their home record. It’ll be a tough one.

 

[Machiavelli]

I'm getting there!

There seems to be less chaos and more structure. I'm not sure if that's down to him tweaking, the players becoming more accustomed to the tactics, more players coming into the team who are better suited to what he wants to do or a combination of all three.

I enjoyed the one off pragmatism against Newcastle and the second half against Spurs and first against Liverpool were as enjoyable as peak RDZ. If less chaos, more control and slick attacking football are the truer representation of his tactics, I'm all the way on board.

I differ a little on the Newcastle game to your lovely description of 'one-off pragmatism' somewhat. We were pushed back in the first half to such an extent that it wasn't really viable to know whether the players were instructed to play a high (or what FH calls an active) line. In the second half, we were protecting a lead, and did so quite brilliantly whilst looking really dangerous on the counter-attack. It was only in the last 15/20 mins of that half that we really went into defensive mode when FH brought on another CB and we played five at the back. This is another way of saying that we never had the initiative to play a high/active line.
We've been pushed up in most other games when we can. There is still the chaos, but it's when and how it's used that seems to be key. Related to this, there are a few video analysts circulating the view that we play without a midfield (which would be about the definition of chaos in football AFAIAC) and there's something in that, but it applies to when we're on the front foot, eg second half versus City.