[Albion] What's missing?

[Super Sub]

Now I've finally put Friday nights display behind me, I find myself asking, What's missing?

Why are we so poor against the low end sides year on year and why at the moment do we seem to only be able to perform for one half.

For me it has to come down to our mentality. Are we over confident or do we lack confidence? Do we freeze on the big stage when we have a chance to really make a statement? I understand we are 4th and I am of course delighted about this but we all know we could be higher if we weren't so poor against the lower placed sides. It seems to be ingrained now.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

Now I've finally put Friday nights display behind me, I find myself asking, What's missing?

Why are we so poor against the low end sides year on year and why at the moment do we seem to only be able to perform for one half.

For me it has to come down to our mentality. Are we over confident or do we lack confidence? Do we freeze on the big stage when we have a chance to really make a statement? I understand we are 4th and I am of course delighted about this but we all know we could be higher if we weren't so poor against the lower placed sides. It seems to be ingrained now.

Answered your own question, mentality. We go in as either overconfident or nervous because we get bought down to these team’s levels.

It needs to change.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I'd go glass half full, celebrate that a club of our stature is currently in a top 5 including Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Citeh.

 

[NorthstandRacoon]

I'd go glass half full, celebrate that a club of our stature is currently in a top 5 including Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Citeh.

This too!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Injured or suspended players.
Would we have thrown two points away with Dunk playing v Wolves or with Baleba available last Friday?

 

[Anger]

Now I've finally put Friday nights display behind me, I find myself asking, What's missing?

Why are we so poor against the low end sides year on year and why at the moment do we seem to only be able to perform for one half.

For me it has to come down to our mentality. Are we over confident or do we lack confidence? Do we freeze on the big stage when we have a chance to really make a statement? I understand we are 4th and I am of course delighted about this but we all know we could be higher if we weren't so poor against the lower placed sides. It seems to be ingrained now.

One more goal.

 

[kevo]

I think it's about intensity. As you say, we only seem to be able to maintain it for one half. We seem to have spells where we go off the boil for periods and this allows other teams to get back into the game. If you watch Liverpool, they are very good at continually pressing and putting the other side under pressure. It's pretty relentless. We are just not able to do that for some reason.

 

[HCxUK]

Chance creation has been an issue against these sorts of teams this season. Wolves and Forest actually recorded a higher xG than us.

I think mentality is an issue, but it does feel tactical this season whereas previously our games against 'lesser' teams seemed to be an exercise in missing open goals

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Part of the problem is that teams near the bottom don't rock up to the Amex and play like teams near the bottom. Southampton certainly didn't, and neither did Wolves. They seem to sense our vulnerability to a press and it encourages them to keep on doing more of the same, while at the same time largely successfully smothering our own press. More often than not it reaps rewards

 

[Perkino]

We like to play football, such sides often play a low block and get plenty of players back in a defensive shape. We struggle to break down such a set up and we rarely shoot from any great distance. Additionally we a dangerous on the break, a side that is sitting back doesn't leave much space or opportunity for us to launch a fast counter attack

 

[Han Solo]

Fine margins. If that Georginio shot goes inside the post instead, we don't have this conversation.

Over time we get less points in the league because other teams have more/better good players, meaning they provide themselves with wider margins when meeting worse teams. They are better so they mess up less and win more games.

Shit happens. I've seen peak City lose against Sheffield United.

 

[Silverhatch]

Just on Friday… Southampton made one bad mistake at the back (huge improvement from them) and Mitoma missed the chance. Welbeck misses a good header and GR hits the post. They had the best player on the pitch and Baleba wasn’t there to shackle him. FFS. Shit happens like Cuhna’s freak equaliser. We’re not missing much at all.

 

[Peteinblack]

Although I was disappointed that we only drew on Friday night, and it seemed symptomatic both of our repeated failure to beat lower-placed teams, and to kill-off games after going 1-0 up, let's not forget that the previous weekend, Southampton gave Liverpool a tough time, and only lost 2-3 due to a penalty in the 83rd minute.

Maybe I'm clutching at straws, but that makes me feel just a little better about Friday night's result.

 

[Hotchilidog]

Decent finishing in the first half was missing, created more than enough opportunities to win the game in the opening 45.

Second, I am sad to say we just did not seem at the races. Undoubtedly the absence of Baleba was felt but in all honesty we put out a good side that should have been able to see the game out. Southampton played with increased confidence in the second half and put us on the back foot, we lacked a little physicality which given the leniency of the referee was going to hurt us.

Another learning experience and I am confident we will learn from it.

TLDR. We are good, just maybe not as good as we think we are. Not overly concerned yet, we are still trending the right way with seven points out of the last nine secured.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Although I was disappointed that we only drew on Friday night, and it seemed symptomatic both of our repeated failure to beat lower-placed teams, and to kill-off games after going 1-0 up, let's not forget that the previous weekend, Southampton gave Liverpool a tough time, and only lost 2-3 due to a penalty in the 83rd minute.

Maybe I'm clutching at straws, but that makes me feel just a little better about Friday night's result.

I watched that game and thought although they would be annoyed at getting nothing out of the game, it must have given them confidence in their next game!

 

[WhingForPresident]

Now I've finally put Friday nights display behind me, I find myself asking, What's missing?

Why are we so poor against the low end sides year on year and why at the moment do we seem to only be able to perform for one half.

For me it has to come down to our mentality. Are we over confident or do we lack confidence? Do we freeze on the big stage when we have a chance to really make a statement? I understand we are 4th and I am of course delighted about this but we all know we could be higher if we weren't so poor against the lower placed sides. It seems to be ingrained now.

We haven't actually won a PL game by more than one goal since Everton, which is a bit of a weird anomaly. I guess it doesn't really matter as long as we win, but maybe that comes as a result of tactical changes when we go ahead. Something needs tweaking anyway.

If we don't get at least five points out of the next three games I don't think we'll be leading the Europe pack anymore. So be it if this doesn't turn out to be a return to Europe this season, I'm happy with TB's judgment and giving FH time to learn and adapt on the job and almost treating this season as a bit of a transition, but it would be a bit disappointing to not get Conference League given how strong our squad is.

 

[Peteinblack]

I watched that game and thought although they would be annoyed at getting nothing out of the game, it must have given them confidence in their next game!

Yes, I also feared that they would be 'fired up', coming to us after scoring two goals against Liverpool, and almost holding them to a draw.

 

[Kosh]

It's a funny one, but I suspect fatigue has played a small part, injury too, naivety (Wolves) and latterly suspension... The PL this year too, for me there's no Sheff Utd, who were utterly abysmal last season... Saints are tactically naïve, but have way more belief and quality than the Blades did last time around. The league is a congested mess, with Liverpool and Southampton being the extreme bookends... but, the overall quality is either as equally low and/or high depending on your perspective... for me, we're still punching in spite of our £200 million spend, something we needed just to float about 11th, following the exodus of talent preceding it... Remember, many of our big buys were still untested at PL level, although the numbers suggest they were a cut above from whence they came... We're not miles better than Saints on paper, but we are a well drilled close knit team with an ethos that we do belong, (yes) we're a wee bit more hardened by our PL experience, but far from safe at the beginning of each season, much like 12-14 other clubs... so, we're going to come unstuck or not beat all and sundry on reputation alone, we need luck and an arrogance that will take decades to become the norm...

I think we're doing well and this Wolves, Ipswich, Saints thing... it's not great but we're not losing like we have before on many an occasion, therefore the trend is probably improving vs previous seasons... In time, if we stay the course perhaps we will regularly destroy those we consider the new kids/lesser lights... although we need to remember where we came from if we want to avoid returning there all too quickly.

Overall, not losing these games home/away is key to a top half finish... the top 4 thing would simply be a HUGE bonus if it transpired although we're up against Villa, Newcastle, Spurs, (possibly Forest), and (let's face it) Man Utd, one of Chelsea and City (on current form) the other two spots surely heading to Liverpool and Arsenal... if we hit top 8 this year, with a young rookie coach... I mean, WOW... Also in the cold light of day, I'd take beating City et al than nice little 2-0 wins at home against the likes of Saints followed by the 5-0 loss to Liverpool stuff...

Not sure I've actually made a point tbh lol, but for me... we're doing okay... Beat Fulham and I'll get excited... if we avoid absolutely SUCKING against them that'll be a nice change of pace... let's just see... nil desperandum.

 

[CheeseRolls]

A minor criticism, but Hurtzeler seems to like to trickle change his substitutions. In the home games where we have dropped points it seems to result in a loss of momentum. I wonder if a little more chaos might be more effective? I would like to see a triple substitution with 20 minutes to go, so that the opposition have no idea who they should be picking up.

 

[billhems]

Beating City instead of Saints not only feels good, it's more efficient, taking points off our rivals. If we'd drawn with City and beaten Saints, we'd have the same points but be fifth instead of fourth.