[Albion] The Rayo Vallecano friendly?

[BNthree]

We used EDF park and ride today. It’s the easiest ever pre/post match trip to the Amex I’ve ever had. 10k of day trippers and families makes for a rubbish atmosphere but getting there and back was a delight.

 

[southstandandy]

Thought Adingra looked lively when he came on.

 

[macbeth]

The last one of those we had was Ooh Aar Richard Carpenter non?

haha most probably. can anyone remember how many fee kicks spanish dave scored for us other than the obvious palace one?

 

[amexer]

Have to say passing out from back is in general well done and great to watch. Worry is More and more sides know we will do this even if we have no free players.

 

[LamieRobertson]

I enjoyed that for my first live football in 12 months.

Positives:

Joao Pedro. He looks like hesgoing to be a big player for us.
Dunk back.
Van Hecke. Looked the second best of the centre backs.


Negatives

Dahoud looks lightweight.
Steele. Jittery.
No caicedo. I know we dominated but there was a big caicedo shaped hole imo.

I wasn't overly impressed by Igor but he only had 30 minutes or so and he's only been with us a week so I can't judge him too harshly.

I very much enjoyed milners cameo. Got into fights with half their team, got in the ref and linos ear and just got involved.

Also on one occasion kinda stopped Enciso’s theatrics in their infancy which I found pleasing

 

[timbha]

We used EDF park and ride today. It’s the easiest ever pre/post match trip to the Amex I’ve ever had. 10k of day trippers and families makes for a rubbish atmosphere but getting there and back was a delight.

At 5.15 there were 6 buses at the Amex bus park sitting there empty. No queues. Not sure where 10k fans disappeared to

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Also on one occasion kinda stopped Enciso’s theatrics in their infancy which I found pleasing

Yes, I forgot about that.

He also looks like he's chiseled from rock/granite.

He might be my new cult hero.

 

[trueblue]

Have to say passing out from back is in general well done and great to watch. Worry is More and more sides know we will do this even if we have no free players.

Knowing it and stopping it are different things, as Brentford discovered in the US. Despite some early success, they pretty soon abandoned their high press as we cut them open time and again. Push up too much and we go long.

 

[Bodian]

Knowing it and stopping it are different things, as Brentford discovered in the US. Despite some early success, they pretty soon abandoned their high press as we cut them open time and again. Push up too much and we go long.

See Declan Rice's interview after their defeat. To paraphrase 'we knew exactly what they were going to do, tried to stop it, and couldn't'

 

[Kosh]

Had a brilliant day… loved it !

 

[ozzygull]

We used EDF park and ride today. It’s the easiest ever pre/post match trip to the Amex I’ve ever had. 10k of day trippers and families makes for a rubbish atmosphere but getting there and back was a delight.

I had planned to do that but as the weather today looked like the only dryish day ever this summer, I thought I would ride down from Reading. Getting to park at the Amex and no issues getting away was a massive bonus as was managing to avoid rain there and back.

enjoyed the game, especially Milner’s taking no prisoners tackle.

 

[Dave the hatosaurus]

Before i went to the game today my feeling was that the eleven who started this match would, in all probability, also be the starting eleven versus Luton. Now, however, i am not so sure. The first half we looked rusty and jittery, especially in defence, but i thought that the introduction of Veltman and JP van Hecke seemed to improve the team in that regard. JPVH in particular looked very good with his positioning and tackling, on one occasion covering admirably behind Igor (when Igor was caught out by being too far upfield) being quick to see the danger and snuff it out. Regarding the new boys it is hard to comment too much on such a small amount of play but both Pedro and Adingra looked lively and Milner came on late and treated us to a cameo performance including a superb tackle right in front of us. Was a little disappointed by Dahoud but to be fair he was being closed down very quickly. Igor (what a unit!) was ok passing around at the back but a couple of times he tried to pass forward went straight to the opposition.
On the way to the match it struck me looking at the squad numbers that FIVE of the players who are wearing the numbers 1-11 i had never seen play live in an Albion shirt till today! Cannot think of that happening before (he says fully expecting some bright spark to point out a previous event or two!)

 

[Colonel Mustard]

We used EDF park and ride today. It’s the easiest ever pre/post match trip to the Amex I’ve ever had. 10k of day trippers and families makes for a rubbish atmosphere but getting there and back was a delight.

What/where is the EDF P+R? Is this additional to the usual ones?

 

[BNthree]

What/where is the EDF P+R? Is this additional to the usual ones?

Never seen it used before today but is in Portslade (the EDF offices there). Doubt it will be a regular spot, probably only room for 100 cars max

 

[AZ Gull]

We have given away far too many soft goals in the pre season games. A little worrying

That's quite some take

For our second against Chelsea, we were playing with 10 men and had Gross and Veltman at CB and Adingra and Hinshelwood as the fullbacks.
Gross and Hinshelwood were then taken off and for the 3rd and 4th goals we had development squad leftback Imari Samuels playing at CB with midfielder Jensen Weir playing at left-back.

And for the two late goals against Newcastle our CBs were Turns and Samuels with Lamptey at left-back and Weir at right-back.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say those defences will never, ever feature together in a meaningful match!

 

[Icy Gull]

That's quite some take

For our second against Chelsea, we were playing with 10 men and had Gross and Veltman at CB and Adingra and Hinshelwood as the fullbacks.
Gross and Hinshelwood were then taken off and for the 3rd and 4th goals we had development squad leftback Imari Samuels playing at CB with midfielder Jensen Weir playing at left-back.

And for the two late goals against Newcastle our CBs were Turns and Samuels with Lamptey at left-back and Weir at right-back.

I'm going to stick my neck out and say those defences will never, ever feature together in a meaningful match!

That is a fair point!

 

[GrossTurn]

haha most probably. can anyone remember how many fee kicks spanish dave scored for us other than the obvious palace one?

Scored a nice one away at Doncaster, I think, in a 3-1 win.

 

[tigertim68]

I hope the match yesterday against an average Spanish team, will make people realise who hard it will be in Europe this season

 

[Is it PotG?]

I hope the match yesterday against an average Spanish team, will make people realise who hard it will be in Europe this season

Even the ones convinced we'll be heading to Dublin with Liverpool?

 

[CheeseRolls]

Before i went to the game today my feeling was that the eleven who started this match would, in all probability, also be the starting eleven versus Luton. Now, however, i am not so sure. The first half we looked rusty and jittery, especially in defence, but i thought that the introduction of Veltman and JP van Hecke seemed to improve the team in that regard. JPVH in particular looked very good with his positioning and tackling, on one occasion covering admirably behind Igor (when Igor was caught out by being too far upfield) being quick to see the danger and snuff it out. Regarding the new boys it is hard to comment too much on such a small amount of play but both Pedro and Adingra looked lively and Milner came on late and treated us to a cameo performance including a superb tackle right in front of us. Was a little disappointed by Dahoud but to be fair he was being closed down very quickly. Igor (what a unit!) was ok passing around at the back but a couple of times he tried to pass forward went straight to the opposition.
On the way to the match it struck me looking at the squad numbers that FIVE of the players who are wearing the numbers 1-11 i had never seen play live in an Albion shirt till today! Cannot think of that happening before (he says fully expecting some bright spark to point out a previous event or two!)

Someone has to go for the OTT opinion based on nothing more than a run out in a pre-season friendly. (hint don't take this too seriously)

Dahoud has that youthful Wilkins hair and seems to be a blend of Butch's crab style passing, Dean's tackling and heading ability and Graham's talent. He may settle find a role and a more expansive passing game in the side, it won't be as the defensive midfield shield unless he is saving all his tackles for when the season starts.

Happy with all the other new starters, some of whom do need more time to get to know their teammates and new roles. De Zerbi has a tough job if Caceido does go and there is no one else to come in.