[Albion] Time for Knockaert to be dropped?

[sussex_guy2k2]

yes i realise he plays march on the left - was referring more to Knocky and Jose - but whatever way you cut it its not really working is it. Especially as March hasn't had a good game for weeks if not months. And thanks for being so patronising.

No problem. Glad to be of service.

 

[Bwian]

You Solly March haters probs loved him last season too. Its the step up in quality that we are finding hard. Was always gonna be the case. Get off of the players backs. We need to fight this battle together. We knew it would always be this way.

You mistake a realisation that Solly March isn't having a great season with hating him. What do we do? When a player loses form does the manager keep him in the side or try somebody else? Not all players can make the step up successfully-doesn't mean we hate them ffs!

 

[Bwian]

All the negative posters pipe up when the chips are down. When we are clear of relegation, they will be lovers again. Then the cycle will start again. I can’t understand some people especially when you see what goes on at other clubs.

What, like scoring goals you mean?

 

[graz126]

No I realised when I put that hate wasn't the right word. But then I have seen plenty getting on his back even when he is doing ok like away at newcastle. And home to Watford. I actually thought he was 1 of our better players on the day against Watford. Yet heard loads moaning about him. He is doing fine but as We know it's tougher in this league.

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[Moshe Gariani]

No I realised when I put that hate wasn't the right word. But then I have seen plenty getting on his back even when he is doing ok like away at newcastle. And home to Watford. I actually thought he was 1 of our better players on the day against Watford. Yet heard loads moaning about him. He is doing fine but as We know it's tougher in this league.

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I wouldn't apologise too much for defending Solly. People on here have been far too quick to go negative about him. He can still be brilliant for us and as fans we should be backing him and supporting him - hoping that he can find that bit extra back again in his performances.

 

[Icy Gull]

No I realised when I put that hate wasn't the right word. But then I have seen plenty getting on his back even when he is doing ok like away at newcastle. And home to Watford. I actually thought he was 1 of our better players on the day against Watford. Yet heard loads moaning about him. He is doing fine but as We know it's tougher in this league.

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In fairness he had a very good last 10 mins but looked out of his depth for most of the game before that. Maybe the encouragement of the North stand chanting his name in the last 1/4 hour gave him a fillip? Knocking and shouting abuse at him is certainly not going to help a player who seems to have fragile confidence though.

 

[Turkey]

No. He's always been an emotional player who plays with his heart on his sleeve. He still works hard for the team despite the lack of attacking threat.

Away from home it's almost 4 centre backs and two wings backs at times, given how deep our wide midfielders are. I get that this is Hughton's philosphy, defence first and I'm not saying we should change that but what it does do is make it harder for our wider players to impact the game.

What we do do well, is get into positions to either put a cross in or put a free kick into the box but our delivery has been poor. We need better quality from our full backs and wide midfielders in that respect.

 

[Left Footer]

Keep him in for home games.
In all honesty he rarely performs away from home even when we were in the Championship.
Bring him on for last 20 minutes away to run at tired defences.

 

[djentist]

He's certainly not been good enough lately, but we just don't have anyone else on the right hand side other than March that could fill in, and he's been badly off form as well. Our depth on the wings is paper thin, one injury and we have absolutely no rotation unless we're including Skalak in this (I'm not)

 

[LVGull]

What, like scoring goals you mean?

No, like having a club run by idiots. You should go and support Sunderland or Leeds. It may make you happier.

 

[brakespear]

Not dropped. Rotated.

It's time for us to be varying our play.

Voted 'yes' but really this is the option I would like I suppose, just seems not to be working at the moment for Knocky so maybe time to try something else and let him come on as a sub for a couple of games maybe.

 

[SockMonster]

just play him on the left and get him to go past people. don't understand why CH is so obsessed with playing wingers on their wrong side and cutting in.

Could be because a winger who has to defend will do better on his favoured foot if played on the "wrong side" so to speak. In other words a right winger on the left when tackling back will be tackling on his right or am I going mad? I realise this may make no sense but hopefully someone will understand my garbage.

 

[West Upper Seagull]

It’s a yes from me. He’s conceding possession too often either by running with the ball into trouble (not releasing an early pass or cross when it’s on) or he attempts passes without even looking (witnessed at WBA). He also seems to be coming in too central too often and is then not out on the wing when we need that outlet. Both Knocky and March should be used as impact subs for a bit. When people say we haven’t got a good alternative, we do - replace the wingers with Kayal and Baldock. Kayal would stiffen up the midfield and he is so effective at quickly closing down the opposition, and play Baldock and Gross behind Muzza on either side. We’d benefit from the creative passing from Gross and Baldock running in behind defenders, allowing Muzza to be far more effective as a target man if he’s got better support to feed off him.

 

[jabba]

Keep him in for home games.
In all honesty he rarely performs away from home even when we were in the Championship.
Bring him on for last 20 minutes away to run at tired defences.

I've thought that he performs much better at home for a while. Trouble is that he's been built up as our talisman who can provide a bit of magic. From that to being dropped for "disciplinary issues" probably has had an unsettling effect on the team.

Frustrated for Solly. I had hoped that this would be his breakthrough season and be knocking on the door for England selection. Lacking confidence at the moment, still hoping will perform great things for us.

 

[Brighton Mod]

You do realise he’s played March on his “correct side” for most of the season. I’d argue March’s best games for us have always come on the right where he, like Knocky, appears to have more strings to his bow.

Still, if you can’t understand why managers use inverted wide men in the modern era, then you probably should learn more about this football thing we’re all on about. It’s a fairly regular occurrence after all...

I remember Solly scoring a couple of great goals from the right, one against Norwich a couple of seasons ago. He has a better and more powerful shot than AK from outside the box. But surely for our predicament we should be changing our offensive stratgey even if a little. The opposition knows exactly what Knockheart does and likewise with Solly when comes on, we're easy to play against.

 

[Spicy]

Oh goody, another poll.

Its a 'no' from me.

"So many polls, so little time." Now who said that? Of yes the Mae West of NSC.

PS I also voted "no".

 

[The red pepper kid]

we are struggling in this division no doubts, however other than shooting our entire squad or threating to slay their friends/close relatives I don't know what the solution is , AK attitude is due to frustration- caused by wanting to do better !
we need faith and if we slip down -so be it - ive supported this club in league 2 including when only Doncaster being so woefull it saved us slipping into non league .

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I remember Solly scoring a couple of great goals from the right, one against Norwich a couple of seasons ago. He has a better and more powerful shot than AK from outside the box. But surely for our predicament we should be changing our offensive stratgey even if a little. The opposition knows exactly what Knockheart does and likewise with Solly when comes on, we're easy to play against.

For sure. But part of that is about what your expectations of your wide men is. We ask ours to do A LOT defensively. Which often means that when they do receive the ball, it's often around or before the half way line meaning that they regularly have to try and drive forward over 30-40 yards, often with at least a couple of defensive players around them. It's a bit of a lose lose situation isn't it. What we could try, and possibly should have tried already, is pushing our wide men further up in support of a central striker (allowing them less defensive responsibility) and then reinforcing our midfield with an extra player i.e. Kayal or by pushing Gross back. That would hopefully allow at least one of the three more room to support the front three with late runs in to the box.

But I don't see such tactical tinkering happening. It really isn't Hughton's thing. So our wide men will probably continue to struggle.

 

[rippleman]

I wouldn't drop him because he is the best we have. He may be a little short of PL quality but he is certainly a trier.

He is being asked to do a lot of defensive work and when he does get to break, our central midfielders don't make the penetrating runs into the box (which Kayal did so effectively last season). I think it all stems from the defensive mindset we have adopted this season where Propper in particular (who plays in a more advanced role for the Dutch AND scores goals) is anchored in a defensive position nearly all game, every game.

 

[Glawstergull]

No. We are a poorer side without him.