[Albion] Gut feeling - RDZ staying or going after this season?

[Ooh it’s a corner]

I love RDZ and what he’s done has been fantastic. But I am losing a bit of faith with football and the premier league - especially when you’re an upper mid table side like we kind of are now.

To be considered a well remembered and liked legend as a general rule, means 3+ years minimum service I feel. Unless you’re Lloyd Owusu of course.

It just seems he’s only been here 5 mins and already everyone’s talking of his future including him. It just seems to be worse than ever now - I feel the likes of Chelsea are to blame.

I’m finding I blame Chelski for most things now!

 

[Home and Away]

He's right about one thing. We can't keep selling our best players if we want to compete on the higher level.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

The debate appeared to be why we were bloody awful at scoring. Slow, predictable build up play from Potter, or inept ACM’s/forwards due to Bloom.

Pretty sure that debate crops up and has cropped up every time we've had a poor game since Potter came in*, including matches under De Zerbi.
When we've had a good squad with relatively few injuries we've pretty consistently done well. The first couple of seasons under Potter and for large parts of this season we've been much less consistent because at the end of the day whoever you are you need the players to put the ball in the net.

*Because we had completely different and much worse problems in the PL before that.

 

[Bry Nylon]

I thought Romano copied Sky, in this case.

Poch is overrated, so this could be on.

If Poch is overrated, what does that make de Zerbi?

The bloke is massively overrated and whilst he is an interesting coach, his lack of humility will always hinder his potential.

The Cult of de Zerbism has been strong on here the past 18 months or so; frankly, I'm not bothered if he fucks off tbh - he's too much like hard work for me.

 

[Weststander]

He's right about one thing. We can't keep selling our best players if we want to compete on the higher level.

We had a good run. Losing MacA and Caicedo was a step too far on the playing side, but great for the bank balance. No club would match its previous results if it simultaneously lost two world class CM’s in their prime.

 

[Weststander]

If Poch is overrated, what does that make de Zerbi?

The bloke is massively overrated and whilst he is an interesting coach, his lack of humility will always hinder his potential.

The Cult of de Zerbism has been strong on here the past 18 months or so; frankly, I'm not bothered if he fucks off tbh - he's too much like hard work for me.

We’ll soon find our next season when, as looks likely, he’s at a club with a bigger budget.

Personally I’ll refrain from downgrading Oct 22 to May 23. The greatest Albion team, style of football, results at the highest level in my 48 years of Albion. Such a rarity, we shed our inbuilt Albion caution as we walked to the park n ride predicting “we’ll win” …. then we did. On repeat.

 

[Farehamseagull]

If Poch is overrated, what does that make de Zerbi?

The bloke is massively overrated and whilst he is an interesting coach, his lack of humility will always hinder his potential.

The Cult of de Zerbism has been strong on here the past 18 months or so; frankly, I'm not bothered if he fucks off tbh - he's too much like hard work for me.

Yep. His latest comments again show nothing but disrespect for Tony and the club as far as I’m concerned. Massively over rated ego maniac. He can get f***ed for all I care, I’d be quite happy if Tony got rid tomorrow, I think it might give the club and players a bit of a boost for the run in to be honest as I don’t think he’s helping the players confidence at all at the moment.

The only thing that stops me wanting Tony to get rid is I want the club to get compensation for putting him on the map.

 

[Bry Nylon]

We’ll soon find our next season when, as looks likely, he’s at a club with a bigger budget.

Personally I’ll refrain from downgrading Oct 22 to May 23. The greatest Albion team, style of football, results at the highest level in my 48 years of Albion. Such a rarity, we shed our inbuilt Albion caution as we walked to the park n ride saying we’ll win …. then we did. On repeat.

Yes, last season - great. This season? Relegation form for much of it. That, in and of itself, doesn't bother me; I don't expect or demand we win every game, obviously. But the whole goalkeeper rotation nonsense, the indifference towards defending and letting his ego dictate that we play the first leg of a 2-legged tie like it was 'winner-takes-all' irritates me.

 

[Silverhatch]

He's right about one thing. We can't keep selling our best players if we want to compete on the higher level.

Conundrum: WE CAN’T sign elite/wanted talent unless we commit to selling said talent when their agent starts squawking

 

[Home and Away]

Conundrum: WE CAN’T sign elite/wanted talent unless we commit to selling said talent when their agent starts squawking

That is the challenge. Too many see us as a "spring board" and not a club to commit to, to make a career at or challenge for titles.

 

[tstanbur]

He's right about one thing. We can't keep selling our best players if we want to compete on the higher level.

What do you suggest instead? Forcing players who want to leave, to stay?

The club clearly don’t want to sell the players and have no financial need to.

They don’t really have a choice once a player wants to move on. And at that point the club excel at getting the best deal.

 

[Weststander]

Yes, last season - great. This season? Relegation form for much of it. That, in and of itself, doesn't bother me; I don't expect or demand we win every game, obviously. But the whole goalkeeper rotation nonsense, the indifference towards defending and letting his ego dictate that we play the first leg of a 2-legged tie like it was 'winner-takes-all' irritates me.

Agree about PL form, October to now has been rubbish. If anyone touched on this like me just 6 weeks ago, they were jumped by folk who thought it’d been a great PL season. People who went to EL group away games were clearly enthused by that . Apparently we were going to make the Dublin final and fight for a CL place.

Where we differ is that our 2023/24 squad is huge downgrade on last season imho. Our CM painfully slow in body and mind. RB another gaping hole for an age, thank god belatedly for Hinshelwood, LB too. Potter struggled (vast non winning runs) until near the end when he started playing three in CM with powerhouses ….. that’s always been my preference going back many years. Potter with Gilmour-Gross and either Milner/Baleba in CM would revert to non winning football too.

Whoever the manager is next season, I wonder what Bloom will do with our CM. We’re crying out for pace, power, nous at destroying attacks.

 

[El Presidente]

I am not convinced very big clubs will want to take the risk given RDZ’s record is good but also has some fairly excruciating defeats.

i am not convinced moderately bigger clubs will want to pay the £11m release clause.

So it is a stay from me.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Well if RDZ wants a top job, he can improve his CV by getting a depleted squad to go on an unbeaten run between now and the end of the season. I am looking forward to it.

 

[Bry Nylon]

Agree about PL form, October to now has been rubbish. If anyone touched on this like me just 6 weeks ago, they were jumped by folk who thought it’d been a great PL season. People who went to EL group away games were clearly enthused by that . Apparently we were going to make the Dublin final and fight for a CL place.

Where we differ is that our 2023/24 squad is huge downgrade on last season imho. Our CM painfully slow in body and mind. RB another gaping hole for an age, thank god belatedly for Hinshelwood, LB too. Potter struggled (vast non winning runs) until near the end he started playing three in CM with powerhouses ….. that’s always been my preference going back many years. Potter with Gilmour-Gross and either Milner/Baleba in CM would revert to non winning football too.

Whoever the manager is next season, I wonder what Bloom will do with our CM. We’re crying out for pace, power, nous at destroying attacks.

No, I fully agree with you. Albion v23/24 is a completely inferior beast to Albion v22/23.

When we started dropping points last autumn in what was supposedly an ‘easier’ run of fixtures, there were loads of posts on here calling each successive game “just a bad day at the office,” when the reality was that the office was now being staffed by temps and work-experience kids.

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I'm getting that sinking feeling after his press conference. Let's be honest, there is a financial ceiling for us. We've had to become accustomed to players moving on because others will pay them more money. I totally believe RDZ when he says that his motivation is football not money, but accept that he needs to be able to buy into a plan that motivates him. He and his squad performed such miracles last year that it was tempting to believe that further progress was possible without re-writing the plan. Injuries have put paid to that optimism this term.

We know that Tony Bloom will not break the wage cap to keep players and my guess is that is what would be necessary to satisfy RDZ's ambition. I can't blame him any more than we blamed any of the players for moving on. I'm in full support of Tony's approach for the club and have to accept that, in the same way it is predicated upon developing young players, it's also going to involve giving young coaches the chance to impress the big boys and then move on. RDZ seems to be indicating that his ambitions go beyond player development and, given his talent, I can't really blame him for that. I hope I'm wrong, but if not, as always, we move on to the next adventure.

Agree with this.

To be honest RDZ has the potential to go onto bigger and better things.

And Bloom aiming for top 10 rather than anything more extreme is very sensible financially when you look at other clubs who chase the dream.

I just hope the crowd doesn't turn sour because we have a clever chairman and a bright, young and ambitious manager.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I’m still ‘stay’.

"I have the contract, but I want to speak with [owner] Tony Bloom and my club to understand their plan. Then we'll take the decision together." RDZ

However, if we don’t give him the squad he requires (we’re really not far off) then it will be arrivederci.

TB WILL give him that squad though.

 

[Weststander]

No, I fully agree with you. Albion v23/24 is a completely inferior beast to Albion v22/23.

When we started dropping points last autumn in what was supposedly an ‘easier’ run of fixtures, there were loads of posts on here calling each successive game “just a bad day at the office,” when the reality was that the office was now being staffed by temps and work-experience kids.

We’ve very slowly lost enthusiasm this season, any excuse to bung the tickets on the Exchange. Bloody awful eg Wolves second half at the Amex where we ceded the entire 45 to them …. weird, unfathomable.

Did you post against RDZ then on a non-goalkeeper matter? I can’t remember one person breaking rank on other facets.

I hope I’m not bitter and twisted when RDZ leaves. I’m more interested in something a bit different, I’d like TB to give a manager a go who does clean-sheets to suck the will out of the opposition, defensive midfield, a couple of pacey players left near the centre circle as insurance when we pile forward. Marko Silva recently was once again able to take the p1ss as we left 10 players upfield …. why does it have be 10?

In short, live move on.

 

[oldboyroy]

Beleba will become a very good player then the club will be happy because they can sell him.

Without doubt it seems a pop at Bloom.

 

[Stato]

A few over-reactions here. We all know that if the monied teams come for our staff, they are generally gone, because we cannot and will not pay inflated salaries to keep them. We have a manager who is attracting the attention of those clubs because our progress, in a very short space of time, has been remarkable. He's frustrated because he wants to compete and this has become much harder because of the talent drain and subsequent very bad luck with injuries. He's been honest in saying that his contract is secondary to him and Tony discussing the club's plans for the future and correctly stated that whatever happens in the future, won't change last year's history making.

Cue posts about disrespect and ego. It's just a statement of fact. Gus Poyet actually did show disrespect and ego, but that didn't change the record books from us strolling League One against the odds. Chris Hughton was an absolute gentleman. The fact that Bloom felt he had to sack him doesn't alter the fact that he got us promoted into the EPL. What is to come in the future doesn't change the achievements of the past.

My impression is that he'll be gone because he will want guarantees that Tony won't give him, but that conversation is for the future. At the moment he's just gutted that we're out of the cups and have to finish the season without quite a few of our best players. We are all feeling a bit the same and it's easy to take it out on him because he's admitted out loud that putting up with the inherent inequalities might be a choice for him. For us it's a permanent fact of life.