[Albion] The physicality of these europa teams

[Herr Tubthumper]

Last night my troupe were discussing how AEK and OM both seem far stronger than us, and at times just seem to brush us of the ball. Yet, we finished 6th in a league which is supposedly physical. What gives?

 

[Hotchilidog]

We lost our most physical player.

I do however agree we seem incredibly lightweight, and it is a problem for us.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

We don't have pace in the central areas.

 

[Guinness Boy]

We don't have pace in the central areas.

The pace OR the strength. He's at Chelsea now.

 

[Safe.]

I also felt that the ref was giving a foul anytime we were phsyical though but marseille did what they pleased mostly. Was shocking refereeing. Welbeck was clean through, didn't touch their cb, he fell to the floor and ref gave a free kick.

 

[Mellotron]

Last night my troupe were discussing how AEK and OM both seem far stronger than us, and at times just seem to brush us of the ball. Yet, we finished 6th in a league which is supposedly physical. What gives?

Also how I felt watching Newcastle bully PSG the other night. We do look small and weak compared to some high level sides.

 

[Bodian]

Villa were the same. Bullied us off the ball.

 

[Machiavelli]

Last night my troupe were discussing how AEK and OM both seem far stronger than us, and at times just seem to brush us of the ball. Yet, we finished 6th in a league which is supposedly physical. What gives?

Last night, we struggled with the pitch. Someone will pop along and say two teams had to play on it, but our game requires a perfect surface. Credit to RDZ and the team, as we adapted to it, which for me is what helped us turn things round in the game. There's a case to be made that in the first half they looked more physical than us, but don't think that applies to the second half.
Agree that, overall, AEK were more physical, but they just had a fair bit of luck in that game, and we weren't very good either. We were worse last night in the first half, but came good in the second half.

 

[scooter1]

Last night, we struggled with the pitch. Someone will pop along and say two teams had to play on it, but our game requires a perfect surface. Credit to RDZ and the team, as we adapted to it, which for me is what helped us turn things round in the game. There's a case to be made that in the first half they looked more physical than us, but don't think that applies to the second half.
Agree that, overall, AEK were more physical, but they just had a fair bit of luck in that game, and we weren't very good either. We were worse last night in the first half, but came good in the second half.

I thought we struggled with the ball
We've not been cute/cunning enough for a while, and that was noticeable against both AEK and OM

 

[Uh_huh_him]

We have lost a lot of our physicality.

Caicedo and MacAllister both very strong.
A lot of our newer players haven't been through the same levels of "beefing up" that the club have often put our new players through.

Need to get Igor into the middle of the park until Baleba gets up to speed.

 

[Machiavelli]

Also how I felt watching Newcastle bully PSG the other night. We do look small and weak compared to some high level sides.

PSG didn't have a midfield against Newcastle. They started with four attackers and a box-to-box midfielder. Mbappe didn't turn up either, and when he doesn't turn up he stinks the place out because he doesn't put in the yards (they had 3 attackers like that before Messi left and they shipped the show pony out). It's quite easy to bully opponents when they have no midfield.
Mind you, I thought Newcastle bullied us at SJP in April (we had Moises then), but couldn't a few weeks back at the Amex.

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought we struggled with the ball
We've not been cute/cunning enough for a while, and that was noticeable against both AEK and OM

Agree, but I thought we struggled with the ball in the first half, because we struggled with the pitch.

 

[East Staffs Gull]

Last night, we struggled with the pitch. Someone will pop along and say two teams had to play on it, but our game requires a perfect surface. Credit to RDZ and the team, as we adapted to it, which for me is what helped us turn things round in the game. There's a case to be made that in the first half they looked more physical than us, but don't think that applies to the second half.
Agree that, overall, AEK were more physical, but they just had a fair bit of luck in that game, and we weren't very good either. We were worse last night in the first half, but came good in the second half.

Maybe we should do some of our training on poorer pitches.

 

[Napper]

Dahoud looking the lightest weight player since Wendy Wilkins doesnt help

 

[veuve]

Last night my troupe were discussing how AEK and OM both seem far stronger than us, and at times just seem to brush us of the ball. Yet, we finished 6th in a league which is supposedly physical. What gives?

Selling our two best mid fielders and not replacing them.Hopfully the new boy comes good.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

The pace OR the strength. He's at Chelsea now.

Exactly this - yes, he wanted to go and we got a LOT of money for him, but we've replaced him with someone who isn'yt yet 'PL ready'

Until he gets up to speed, we are going to struggle in CM

We've lost Moises, Ali Mac, Colwill and have Enciso injured - that's four big players not available from last season's starting 11

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Last night, we struggled with the pitch. Someone will pop along and say two teams had to play on it, but our game requires a perfect surface.

Very true, whilst watching I thought - get them on our pitch and we'd batter them - guess that's what happens when you play football on a pitch that's being used for rugby.

 

[MJsGhost]

We have lost a lot of our physicality.

Caicedo and MacAllister both very strong.
A lot of our newer players haven't been through the same levels of "beefing up" that the club have often put our new players through.

Need to get Igor into the middle of the park until Baleba gets up to speed.

I agree with this to an extent, but I reckon a lot (most?) of it is due to being slightly off the zippy, clever passing. It's hard to physically dominate a team if you can't get near the ball because you're being bamboozled by DeZerball.

The turnover of players (new arrivals, injuries and rotation) is making it harder to get those passing patterns ingrained, particularly as there's less time between games. It's fine margins, but it gives more opportunity for teams to bully us and is also leading to more mistakes that concede possession in dangerous areas.

Moises hasn't looked so physically solid for Chelsea, which perhaps illustrates the point.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Exactly this - yes, he wanted to go and we got a LOT of money for him, but we've replaced him with someone who isn'yt yet 'PL ready'

Until he gets up to speed, we are going to struggle in CM

We've lost Moises, Ali Mac, Colwill and have Enciso injured - that's four big players not available from last season's starting 11

While agreeing with your central point, your last paragraph is not strictly true.

Enciso started 7 games in the PL last season and Colwill started 13.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

I would say the match really turned at the start of the second half with two or three crunching tackles, (Veltman and Lamptey in particular). There players did not like them. The fact that neither were actually fouls seem to annoy them as well, and it disrupted their flow.
In the first half, we were crying out for some cheap, niggly fouls to disrupt their midfield