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

[jackalbion]

I wonder why you wonder. THE fateful day was beating Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates after a run of 7 games, 1 point and 1 goal. That was Caicedo's debut; we went on to take 16 points from final 8 matches and nearly qualified for Europe. Potter's part in that? He admitted later that he should have played Caicedo earlier.

All RDZ has done is inherit a team that had MC and Mac in it as the core of talent, add a lot of hot air and let it rip. He did get some improvement in players, notably Solly, but frankly has done little else substantively. Faffing at the back is buzzy but it doesn't really work; the good teams just shrug their shoulders and get on with their business, and the rubbish teams sit back and wait for a cock up.

IMO he is like Bielsa; one who can make a difference short-term but whose 100% dedication to the job becomes overpowering. I hazard a guess that he has pushed some players too far too quickly, perhaps even bringing about some of the injuries indirectly.

This is a crazy amount of revisionism. This is our first average spell under De-Zerbi, it’s because we’ve lost arguably our two best players without a same level replacement and our third best player is injured. I can’t believe people didn’t see this season going exactly like this, I’m frustrated with that performance but to call it tactically inept is hyperbole. We would have won that if we had Foden and Haaland level quality but we don’t. As for the potter revisionism, have you been on Mars for the last year and a half? Potter would have done that every game and we would have missed out on Europe because of it.

 

[crookie]

Proves the value of the OP (if I do say so myself). When a team has parked the bus and you steal possession high up or get a turnover of the ball and break, take advantage of the unexpected space. Instead we turned back and slowed the ball down over and over and allowed Brentford back in position to re-park the bus.

The most screamingly frustrating aspect of the whole night. Happened time and again. Changed a bit with the subs, Enciso and Welbeck driving forward at pace late on. Worst I can recall when Veltman won possession in their half, drove towards the byline, were about 4 of ours running into the box for the cross, and he stopped and passed it back. So frustrating

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Arsenal would drop Trossard like a hot coal for Mitoma can’t agree with that one.

But that’s irrelevant to the point I was making. I’d rather have Mitoma of the two in the long run but last night was exactly the sort of game we could have done with him.

I’d like both ideally! - see Chelsea at home last season!

 

[atomised]

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

oh excellent. Hinshelwood was just wandering the away end for a laugh then

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

Trossard certainly had his moments, but last nights game was nothing like the one two seasons ago, and Trossard as he frequently did (as did the wider team of that period) would have struggled against the Brentford tactics.

As I say, he’s always been under appreciated by Albion fans generally even now he’s an important part of a title challenging team.

He regularly came up with inportant away goals against stubborn teams. In addition to the above see also Norwich away and Liverpool away x 2. When we needed a bit of inspiration he would regularly provide it. We don’t have a player like him anymore.

 

[macbeth]

We played in the capital. Unlike your post.

whatever

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

oh excellent. Hinshelwood was just wandering the away end for a laugh then

Not to mention one of our players of the season, Billy Gilmour.

Lamptey and Welbeck not being able to do 2 x 90 mins a week really hinders us i think

 

[portslade seagull]

I wouldn't call 26 shots with 11 being on target bad tactics but just poor finishing

 

[A1X]

Gilmour, Hinshlewood, Milner and Ferguson- Also I don’t think Enciso is fully fit yet

Having a few players injured doesn’t make it an injury crisis, we are only actually short of options in one area which is on the wings. We have options in CM (Gross, Lallana, Baleba, Moder) and up front.

 

[el punal]

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.

Admittedly it was a poor, lacklustre first half. The second half improved as the game went on and the last twenty minutes we were well on top. Brentford were awful and to all intents and purposes were there just to stop us playing football. We were unlucky/wasteful (take your pick) in front of goal. The fact that Brentford’s main tactic was the long throw in order to score was mind numbing - I thought that disappeared with Stoke City.

Regarding us, we are never going to repeat last season‘s stellar performances this time around with so many key players injured. I left the ground last night accepting that but safe in the knowledge that we will be much improved with our long term injured players returning and the introduction of Barco and Osman, and others, into our ranks.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Anyone that thinks we played well last night needs their head examined. Brentford sat back and allowed us to pass the ball sideways all night. Potterball at its best.

I agree with that, but our speed in both build up and transition was limited by having almost no pace and width, which in turn results from injuries and recruitment.

The criticism of RDZ totally fails to understand that we cannot suddenly go pure Dyche ball, especially when we would have just had a day's training with Monday being mostly recovery. And even Dyche ball needs pace on the break, a bit of strength and someone who can win headers up front.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

This is a crazy amount of revisionism. This is our first average spell under De-Zerbi, it’s because we’ve lost arguably our two best players without a same level replacement and our third best player is injured. I can’t believe people didn’t see this season going exactly like this, I’m frustrated with that performance but to call it tactically inept is hyperbole. We would have won that if we had Foden and Haaland level quality but we don’t. As for the potter revisionism, have you been on Mars for the last year and a half? Potter would have done that every game and we would have missed out on Europe because of it.

Precisely this.

Honestly, some of the bollocks on NSC at the moment is breathtaking.

it's like reading people's explanation for exactly how God created the universe in 7 days, complete with diagrams and costings.

We know absolutely f*** all about what goes on behind the scenes. We have not had disaffected players weeping in the arms of 'journalists', or making veiled comments on twatter.

Christ.

 

[Krafty]

I never feel excited when we attack anymore.

I preferred Brentford's style of play, more direct which gets you on the edge of your seat.

That's how I used to remember Brighton.

 

[Exilegull]

We played exactly like they knew we would in attack passing the ball around with no urgency until all 11 of them were back in theyre own penalty area. Did like how our defending was set up because on paper Wissa and Toney are the kind of physical strikers we struggle with but kept quiet last night

 

[WSU Dilettante]

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?

Those 8 games.

Evan hasn't scored or even looked like scoring in months.

 

[el punal]

I wonder why you wonder. THE fateful day was beating Arsenal 2-1 at Emirates after a run of 7 games, 1 point and 1 goal. That was Caicedo's debut; we went on to take 16 points from final 8 matches and nearly qualified for Europe. Potter's part in that? He admitted later that he should have played Caicedo earlier.

All RDZ has done is inherit a team that had MC and Mac in it as the core of talent, add a lot of hot air and let it rip. He did get some improvement in players, notably Solly, but frankly has done little else substantively. Faffing at the back is buzzy but it doesn't really work; the good teams just shrug their shoulders and get on with their business, and the rubbish teams sit back and wait for a cock up.

IMO he is like Bielsa; one who can make a difference short-term but whose 100% dedication to the job becomes overpowering. I hazard a guess that he has pushed some players too far too quickly, perhaps even bringing about some of the injuries indirectly.

RDZ has been with us for little more than a year. We started to play our attractive brand of football, and get the results, at the start of 2023. Sure, RDZ took over Potter’s team but has improved them no end. You’re being rather harsh when you state the RDZ has done little else substantively - our forays in Europe have proved that, our long term injuries to key players have affected our style of play but we’re still in with a shout for another European tour.

If you’re going to pass judgement on RDZ’s qualities it should be on next season’s performances rather than a knee jerk one on this term’s.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I wouldn't call 26 shots with 11 being on target bad tactics but just poor finishing

This is exactly the way I see it.

It wasn't a sparkling performance, but away from home against a side happy to defend and take a point, to create that number of chances to win the game wasn't bad. I see why De Zerbi says we played well.

To me the conversation should be about why the goals have dried up rather than what the tactics are

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Those 8 games.

Evan hasn't scored or even looked like scoring in months.

If the message to the wingers, is to not turn back, get on the ball, take on your man, get to the line, fire it across, I think Evan would get the goals

Sure we would have less possession, we would be more vulnerable to counter attacks, but we would also earn more free kicks, corners and maybe a few more pens

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

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

Yes, our two best wide players.

 

[Hotchilidog]

It's difficult to beat an 11 man defence. It was so much the speed of play that frustrated me, it was was the lack of width. We relied to heavily on Adingra and we needed to switch it around a lot more which we seemed to do the more the game went on.

Ajer defended Welbeck's first opportunity superbly, but the second chance was one that Danny should have either taken or squared across the box.

A disappointing result, but I am not disheartened by the performance. Against Arsenal we'll look a lot more dynamic.