[Albion] What's missing?

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I don't see this as a statistical anomaly that can be explained by a small sample size. This pattern has been going on for a while.

I agree with those saying, "we'll we're beating the top sides over a long period as well"

I suppose this is the next step for us. It's that ruthlessness of champions, which we don't have, which means we don't currently have a chance of being champions. It's that game after game. Putting a run of 5, 10, 15 wins together, is what gets you to that level.

But you know, my mate sent me a picture today of where we were in the league 28 years ago, so I guess i'm not throwing my toys out of the pram about it. Equally, it's frustrating as, so I wouldn't be calling out anyone posing this question

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Expecting to beat lower Premier League sides is the problem.

All lower half sides are well drilled in defending for a draw away from home.
If we aren't 100% on it - we won't win these games.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

I thought overall we were very poor on Friday and it does not need to be anything more then that.

 

[Gabbafella]

At least we aren't losing to them.
Picking up one point is better than nothing.

Maybe being the underdog in the bigger games works for us better than being favourites. The expectation from the crowd, media etc potentially plays a large part.

 

[dazzer6666]

Other bloody teams, turning up and stealing our points. It's NOT FAIR

 

[Machiavelli]

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.

FH brought on Dunk, Wieffer and Adingra on 72 mins, on Friday

 

[dazzer6666]

I thought overall we were very poor on Friday and it does not need to be anything more then that.

This. Mostly a young team with a still-new manager, some games we'll be better than than others

 

[Machiavelli]

I thought overall we were very poor on Friday and it does not need to be anything more then that.

Agreed. Bad day at the office. Lots of people saying that we had the opportunities to put the game to bed in the first half. I can only really think of the early Mitoma miss from distance, and the Rutter effort that hit the post. Rutter certainly made the most of that situation, so it seems harsh to characterise that one as a lost opportunity. Mitoma, I can accept. Not sure their goalie was forced into making a difficult save first half either.
Second half we weren't quite on it and, again, didn't force their keeper into anything outstanding. We just weren't on it, and Joao Pedro was probably the most guilty -- which kind of says it all, as he and Baleba seem to be our talisman (with Rutter and Mitoma not too far behind).

 

[BNthree]

I don't see this as a statistical anomaly that can be explained by a small sample size. This pattern has been going on for a while.

Feels like we did this under Potter, under de Zerbi and now under Hurzeler. That's with various different players too. Not sure how it can be mentality when we've had so much change of personnel.

 

[Silverhatch]

I thought overall we were very poor on Friday and it does not need to be anything more than that.

If finishing is a (the) key component of playing well… yep, we were poor.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

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

Rumour has it, this is one of the original lines cut from the climax of Blade Runner.

 

[CheeseRolls]

FH brought on Dunk, Wieffer and Adingra on 72 mins, on Friday

Yep I am not making that much sense today, but that was a bit more bite at the back, some fresh legs in midfield and then a shuffle around up front, followed by two more changes up front as the clock ticked down.

These are the forward changes.

• Number 9, João Pedro S. Adingra 72', substituted for S. Adingra at 72 minutes
• Number 18, D. Welbeck (c), Captain E. Ferguson 79'
• Number 14, G. Rutter Y. Minteh 88', substituted for Y. Minteh at 88 minutes

and it is this tinkering I was referring to. A rugby union style swap out the entire front row, might have been more decisive.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Feels like we did this under Potter, under de Zerbi and now under Hurzeler. That's with various different players too. Not sure how it can be mentality when we've had so much change of personnel.

Unless maybe the difference between a player like, for example Gakpo and Adingra is not ability, it's elite mentality vs very good mentality.

With the money Liverpool, and previously City etc pay, they get elite mentality and that wins titles.

Just a theory like

 

[brighton_tom]

Mentality. The teams that win trophies know they have to perform EVERY week. You dont win the league by turning up for 4 out of 5 games, and giving away the other. The best teams maintain that winning, focused mentality every single game. Its easy as a player to be pumped up and motivated when playing a good team. Its that ability to also be motivated when playing the lesser teams that will have you doing well over a season. And im not saying that there's games where we've been terrible (well maybe there has been) but in the Prem the difference between giving 95% and being 95% focused, instead of 100% is what means you drop points. The overall quality in the league is so good that being 5% off it means a Southampton will sniff that opportunity to gain an advantage over you.

Against the lesser teams we seem to not work QUITE as hard, not be QUITE as focused, not be QUITE as ruthless, as we do against the top teams. We dont become lazy, its only small margins, but its just that slight drop in levels that counts for so much on the pitch.

But, saying all that, a lot of our ups and downs this season im putting into the category of 'new young manager, with new young players, all learning the league'. We're still well within the period where we need to be patient.

 

[Weststander]

Baleba, Veltman/Ferdi.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

Mac Allister - now if TB could clone him then we would definitely be in Europe for the next 5 years.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

The one half thing is not just an Albion issue. It's just logical.

If you play brilliantly in the first half of a game, the half time break allows the other team to regroup, change players, formation, decide to shut up shop or whatever. How many times do you see a team go several goals ahead in the first half and you think "this could be double figures here" only for the final score at 90 minutes to remain the same, or with only one additional goal? Happened with West Ham and Arsenal the other day: 5-2 at h/t with Arsenal all over them, and finished 5-2. Very few teams destroy opponents for two halves of a game. Sometimes the players on the winning side subconsciously let their foot off the pedal too.

On the other hand, if we have a poorer first half, which can happen to any team while you're figuring out the opponent, we're usually better in the second.

It doesn't mean we lack mentality. It's not just us who has the ability to affect games: it's our opponents too....

 

[Bodian]

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

Not sure that would have made much difference. We just would have gone the goal up earlier than we did, then eased off earlier than we did. Same end result.

 

[Justice]

It could be worse Ipswich took 3 points at Spuds. People go on about millions spent haven’t Spuds spent millions. Forest are on our tails maybe a fair result. Wolves was a shit show from FH some of the worst subs I’ve seen for a while.
Saints FH simply didn’t react to a formation change and personnel changes didn’t make sense. He put Adingra on the right fair enough and when Minteh came on he looked lost and played for 15 minutes trying to find a position.
The game was crying out for Enciso to do something different he can take players on and win fouls around the box yet Fabian seems not to rate one of our star players.

 

[GT49er]

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.

Conference League (although I know it's not as prestigious as the CL and Europa) would be a brilliant outcome for us! Chance to cut our teeth properly in European competitions (and maybe even win one!) and then - with luck - move on to bigger stuff the next season.

"Oh sh!t - we're in the Conference"? Mental!