[Albion] Was it the the domestic cups that did for us last season?

[Johnny RoastBeef]

Looking at our 3 most disappointing league performances last season,

6-1 away to Villa, 4-0 away to Luton and 3-0 away to Fulham

Each of those matches was preceded by an FA cup or League cup game a few days before, in which we played a strong lineup.

The Fulham result was double dirty because we had to play Roma away a few days later, losing 4-0, and effectively putting the kibosh on our European tour.

In hindsight, De Zerbi warned us that the extra European games were going to be an issue, so should we have played our U23 in the domestic cups, and rested the first team?

 

[Peacehaven Wild Kids]

I take a very simplistic view on this, personally I’d expect professional athletes on seven figure salaries at the prime of their life to be able to manage two matches in a week. Every time we get knocked out of The Rumbelows Cup and we’ve “rested” x,y and/or z I feel short changed.

[i’m putting my tin hat on now]

 

[SIMMO SAYS]

I take a very simplistic view on this, personally I’d expect professional athletes on seven figure salaries at the prime of their life to be able to manage two matches in a week. Every time we get knocked out of The Rumbelows Cup and we’ve “rested” x,y and/or z I feel short changed.

[i’m putting my tin hat on now]

Can I have my tin hat back now

 

[Washie]

They're competitions only the big clubs win. Whenever a smaller club gets to the final, they either get relegated that season or the next two. Leicester recently, then Watford. Palace have to continue to be Palace. Villa got relegated the season after, as did Hull. Wigan got relegated the season they won it and have faced financial issues ever since. Then Stoke were okay but had to watch Pulis ball. We all know what happened to Portsmouth.

 

[Han Solo]

Nah. They just knew what to do.

Carlo Ancelotti:
"To have only one identity of your team is a limit. We played a game in the UCL against Shakhtar. Very good team, Roberto De Zerbi was their coach. What he was doing with full backs, and different positions, really good.
But I said to my players, they want you to press. Don’t press. If you press they will pass the ball around you. Don’t press, and they will give the ball to you. We didn’t press — and we won 5-0."

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

Transfer windows for me.

We plainly needed reinforcements to compete in any competition, didn't get them, then lost our best 'plan B' player (Hinshelwood), our best attacker (Mitoma), our goalscorer (Pedro) and had to wait ages for Enciso to get fit (even then I'm not sure he truly ever was). Dahoud was a flop but we didn't replace him either.

If we'd started the season with the squad that played the majority of the second half of the season I think we'd have been relegated. I think it was great management by RDZ to pick up as many points as we did in the winter once the injuries started racking up, but I'm not surprised he was found wanting in the Spring. The squad wasn't good enough. RDZ knew it but should never have started talking about it in public. As soon as he questioned the Board he was finished

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Nope

It was selling/not replacing Caicedo that did for us