[Albion] Yes we have injuries but tactically that was garbage, again.

[Reddleman]

We were so poor tonight. Too slow, laborious and lacking ambition. If we win tonight we go 7th. Instead we went backwards, sideways and never tried to take on a man.

People will point to possession stats and shots and RDZ will say we deserved to win but we didn’t.

In the last six games we have scored 3 goals. Two individual wonder strikes and an own goal.

Yes we are short of attacking players but pace of play, tactics and formation are on the coach and tonight just didn’t work, as with too many games recently.

This is not a RDZ out post, nowhere near, but if that had been Potter he would have been slaughtered. We needed a win, we didn’t ever look like getting one and it wasn’t good enough.

 

[A1X]

Bar Mitoma and March, we don’t even have that many injuries TBH

 

[Napper]

Potterish in many ways

Buonotte and adingra not at it and no one else to take anyone on wide

 

[Jim in the West]

The problem, as we all know, is that the RDZ way involves two attacking wingers to make the pitch wide and create space in the middle. Unfortunately we don't really have a Plan B. The lack of Mitoma (and March) has been a serious handicap this season.

 

[Hugo Rune]

It’s very difficult to break down a very well organised team playing for the draw. Did Brentford’s full backs ever make it out their box? The vast majority of teams in the EPL would have drawn that one unless they’d got a bit of luck (which we never do).

 

[heathgate]

Of course we looked like winning, Wellbeck had two great chances late on, one great challenge, one just past the post.... not a great set of goal attempts, but there was only one team in it.

 

[John Byrnes Mullet]

We held possession well. As per normal we had no quality in the final 3rd. If we had Mitoma, March, and a fully fit Pedro playing it would have been an easy 3 points.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

No brilliant chances, but easily enough half chances that we should have scored.

It's the finishing rather than the tactics that cost us

 

[BevBHA]

It does make me wonder is RDZ is a great manager or just a good manager who had great players last year?

 

[macbeth]

do not think it was tactically garbage at all. think we actually set up very well tonight and toney was fairly limited in terms of the damage we know he can cause us. not sure what else roberto could’ve done.

adingra has absolutely zero confidence right now, lallana plays an important role but next to no end product and joao pedro was isolated. the reason we are probably not making europe is because when you look at newcastle and west ham, they have their game-winners available (isak, gordon, kudus, paqueta). our one game-changing player is out for the season, and it’s tough for pedro to carry that can on his own every week.

i also think the experienced players were very disappointing going forward. veltman was infuriating and killed every attack down that side, groß was far from his best and did one cruyff turn too many, too often. and lallana somehow has absolutely zero composure in the 18 year area despite being very composed everywhere else

 

[Sheebo]

It’s very difficult to break down a very well organised team playing for the draw. Did Brentford’s full backs ever make it out their box? The vast majority of teams in the EPL would have drawn that one unless they’d got a bit of luck (which we never do).

Yes, I think there’s a line here. They were turgidly defensive and stuck so many behind the ball - we were so static and slow and lacked the class and pace to break it down. They were abysmal - we were poor. At least we went for the win / goals when we could eh!

 

[Silverhatch]

This lot had 80+ touches in United’s box at the weekend. They had about 6 in ours tonight. They were 10 times more cautious against our club than Manchester f***ing United. Calm the f*** down.

 

[Berty23]

Of course we looked like winning, Wellbeck had two great chances late on, one great challenge, one just past the post.... not a great set of goal attempts, but there was only one team in it.

It was three great chances. One blocked by the defender where welbz didn’t do much wrong but then the header and the late one with outside of boot rather than inside. Bizarrely poor technique.

Dreadful match and we really need wingers.

 

[Berty23]

This lot had 80+ touches in United’s box at the weekend. They had about 6 in ours tonight. They were 10 times more cautious against our club than Manchester f***ing United. Calm the f*** down.

Exactly this. They parked the bus a few days after attacking United. How much does that say about how we are viewed these days?

 

[Weststander]

Frank literally played 7-3-0, except for rare counter attacks. The 7 glued to a ‘line’ 20 yards out.

Watching Villa lose just now, lots of similarities between the games.

The difference; Foden, Rodri.

Albion teams through all the ages, even under Saint Potter, rarely beat mass low blocks. Fact.

 

[Stat Brother]

No brilliant chances, but easily enough half chances that we should have scored.

It's the finishing rather than the tactics that cost us

For a team that struggles to score gilt-edged open goal tap ins what possible reason can you have for thinking they'd tuck away a half chance?

 

[The Optimist]

It does make me wonder is RDZ is a great manager or just a good manager who had great players last year?

Definitely the latter. I like RDZ and I hope he stays. But in a season where Mac Allister, Caicedo, Mitoma and March were available to play most games (along with the likes of Dunk etc, just highlighting those we’ve missed this season) we were a bloody good team.

 

[The Fits]

It's not about tactics or personnel. It's about mentality.
What's happened to those balls?

 

[BevBHA]

Everyone agrees we need wingers for RDZ’s style of play. Joao Pedro has been excellent out wide or in the 10 role every time he’s played there. Put Pedro and Adingra on either side and start Evan for every single one of the last 8 games. What do we have to lose?

 

[timbha]

A fit Mitoma would have allowed us to attack with pace down both flanks. They blotted out Adingra leaving us nothing out wide