[Albion] Horrible Performance Coupled With Heroic Defending...

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

They were better than us today, but really, we're on a path of improvement in the premier league and I'd rather take 3 points whilst on that path than lose games as we go along

No they weren't. They were more flamboyant than us. Like Larry Grayson compared with Michael Aspel. I know who I would rather have, reading the news.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It seems to be supported by a fair few though.

Nowhere near as many as who support Palace. Or Trump.

Anyway, yes, football is all about Opinions. Not 3 points. Certainly not.

I will try to warm my sorry hovel with those meagre 3 points this evening, envious of those Wolves fans, basking in their Attacking Flair experience

 

[Stat Brother]

Nowhere near as many as who support Palace. Or Trump.

Anyway, yes, football is all about Opinions. Not 3 points. Certainly not.

I will try to warm my sorry hovel with those meagre 3 points this evening, envious of those other club fans, basking in their Attacking Flair experience

Whilst deriding many of the players that have 3 successive victories and clean sheets to their names.

 

[mreprice]

Been terrible without Gross. Like playing with ten men. In fact AJ came in it has been like playing with 9. No wonder with have been completely outplaying the last two weeks.

 

[sydney]

very jittery performance ....we seem to really struggle in the final 3rd.....thank god for muzz , dunk, duffy and bruno , matty . the rest are pants at the moment

 

[Captain Sensible]

Sat too deep, allowed their midfield too much space especially their no.28. There was no pressure on the ball. We just left them have it. Bong was having a shocker until Izquierdo dropped deeper and then we couldn’t get forward. When we did get the ball we couldn’t pass and there was no coherent ideas. We got very very lucky. Still I’ll take it. But we can’t keep playing all the teams in the PL as if they are Man City.

 

[El Presidente]

Mike Bailey was sacked in 1982 when people voted with their feet and attendances fell below 10,000 in the top flight.

 

[El Turi]

We are grinding out ugly wins but there are a few obvious problems to be solved.

We are sitting off teams far too much and showing too much respect. Hughton has always played like that away but the last 2 games are the first time I’ve seen us set up like that at home against a team outside the top 6. It’s no coincidence that our best performance was against Man Utd when we pressed them high up the pitch.

Propper is our best centre midfielder at keeping possession. Without him we give the ball away far too easily.

Gross is the only player we have who can play the number 10 role. March is completely ineffective in that position. I would have thought a better option when he’s missing is to play Andone or Locadia and revert to the successful formation of the Championship. As long as they drop in when we don’t have the ball (like Baldock used to) then we shouldn’t get too overrun.

 

[Chijeff]

Total agreement. What has March got on C H to always get in the starting line up.
Good Championship player when he puts his mind too it. Premier never.
If he does make a break he seems to panic, ball get rid of it, cross it, never checking to see who’s around.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Sat too deep, allowed their midfield too much space especially their no.28. There was no pressure on the ball. We just left them have it. Bong was having a shocker until Izquierdo dropped deeper and then we couldn’t get forward. When we did get the ball we couldn’t pass and there was no coherent ideas. We got very very lucky. Still I’ll take it. But we can’t keep playing all the teams in the PL as if they are Man City.

Their effectively 3-4-3 just left too many of our team without their normal jobs to do. It rendered Stephens & Kayal without men to pick up and kept the entire back 4 occupied allowing their wing backs, particularly Doherty to force our wingers back. Wasn’t until 2nd half when presumably a lot of tactical stuff was sorted out and our wingers played much higher up the pitch and as well as scoring we had our best 15mins or so of the game. We did sit too deep but I think that was a result of not getting to grips with their shape and us not keeping the ball well enough rather than tactical design.

 

[Icy Gull]

It occurs to me that CH set up like he did as Wolves pace would have picked us off on the counter attack if we had set up to attack them. Maybe this explains why we sat so deep nearly all game? Having slept on it it feels wrong to be disappointed when you look at the table though

We have a manager who is 100% sure about what he is doing and is not even vaguely swayed by fan pressure.

 

[Billy the Fish]

We're this season's Burnley - concede possession, lots of last ditch defending, nick a goal with our clinical big man up front, not much quality going forward but win 1-0.

That's exactly what they did last season, ultimately it works over the course of a season of you have the players to do it. Think we we really miss Gross's ability to pick a forward pass, Solly March's brain is too slow for that position.

 

[Bold Seagull]

It occurs to me that CH set up like he did as Wolves pace would have picked us off on the counter attack if we had set up to attack them. Maybe this explains why we sat so deep nearly all game? Having slept on it it feels wrong to be disappointed when you look at the table though

Perhaps too many people believed the comparison with Barcelona at Stoke last season!?

How can anyone be disappointed!? With the money Fulham & wolves have thrown at this season, I was expecting to be in the bottom 5 scrap, not looking down 9 points above it, knowing we can improve and be a lot better. Delighted is the feeling I’m having!

 

[Icy Gull]

Perhaps too many people believed the comparison with Barcelona at Stoke last season!?

How can anyone be disappointed!? With the money Fulham & wolves have thrown at this season, I was expecting to be in the bottom 5 scrap, not looking down 9 points above it, knowing we can improve and be a lot better. Delighted is the feeling I’m having!

I think, as a fan, it is disappointing to see your team play like the away team in a home game against the mid table teams. 9 points from three games is frankly amazing though and that does delight me

 

[Steve Foster]

We got lucky today, the performance was terrible. I am mystified why we set up as the away team and gave them so much space. Dreadful to watch and a little worrying imo. If they had players who could finish, we’d have been thumped.

But hey ho three wins on the bounce but please don’t let this be our surival plan this season. I should feel thrilled about the result but I feel we have ridden out luck for three games now. Where is the attacking intent and hard pressing we were supposed to be adopting this season?

Sorry to be a miserable killjoy but that was not entertaining in the least imo and I just cannot understand why we were so fearful of them.

...... this could be as good as it gets. The one & only season in the top flight when we were comfortably mid table playing like this & the crowds dropped off. The next 30 years we paid the price!

 

[Bold Seagull]

I think, as a fan, it is disappointing to see your team play like the away team in a home game against the mid table teams. 9 points from three games is frankly amazing though and that does delight me

It is but we have been so spoiled at home for 3 years that perhaps we’ve forgotten to enjoy a not playing well rear guard battle to win a game. I actually enjoyed yesterday for that reason, it’s not pretty, but I just revel in our commitment, organisation and determination to get the job done. I’m hopeful things will improve going forwards, but it’s not stopped me enjoying the last 2 home games.

 

[BN41Albion]

...... this could be as good as it gets. The one & only season in the top flight when we were comfortably mid table playing like this & the crowds dropped off. The next 30 years we paid the price!

It doesn't have to be like this though to be comfortable in the Prem! See: Bournemouth, Wolves themselves, etc.

Ill take it for now, and 3 wins on the bounce is brilliant, but I'm pretty sure CH doesn't want us playing like that at home. The quality in possession has really dropped off this season, but when you are camped so deep in your own half it a) makes you panic when you do win it back and b) gives you little outlet anyway.

Lots to improve on, but it's bloody good to be sat 9 points above the drop zone saying that rather than in or around the bottom 3.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I think losing Propper and Gross has been a slight issue for us, Kayal wasn't involved last season, others are having to try to fill the no.10 role, Jahanbakhsh is having to adjust to the intensity of this league. Ideally we would be continuing to develop our understanding carrying on from last season, but circumstances have conspired against us to mean that that is not currently possible. Taking that into account and considering that we have won 3 on the bounce with 3 clean sheets I think we can be pretty pleased with what we are achieving against the odds.

With our defense the way it is we only have to get some confidence and understanding going between the midfield and the forward line and we are sorted. It's not fun to watch with only the defense working 100% perfectly, but having that part down is nothing to sniff at. The rest will come and when it does we look in great shape to become a very solid PL side ready to push on and establish ourselves as a top half side. We just have to be patient, half the job is done, and I would say probably the most important half when it comes to maintaining our place in this league.

That's all far too sensible.

 

[Bold Seagull]

...... this could be as good as it gets. The one & only season in the top flight when we were comfortably mid table playing like this & the crowds dropped off. The next 30 years we paid the price!

I think you have to look at Watford and Bournemouth who have come up, survived and evolved into exciting teams to watch. We’ve bought some exciting players in the summer, but they may require some time to have an impact. More exciting times to come I feel.

 

[sydney]

We're this season's Burnley - concede possession, lots of last ditch defending, nick a goal with our clinical big man up front, not much quality going forward but win 1-0.

That's exactly what they did last season, ultimately it works over the course of a season of you have the players to do it. Think we we really miss Gross's ability to pick a forward pass, Solly March's brain is too slow for that position.

Perhaps too many people believed the comparison with Barcelona at Stoke last season!?

How can anyone be disappointed!? With the money Fulham & wolves have thrown at this season, I was expecting to be in the bottom 5 scrap, not looking down 9 points above it, knowing we can improve and be a lot better. Delighted is the feeling I’m having!

agree with both of these ......but it does not change the fact that we have allowed ourselves to be over-run in our last 3 games and have really rode our luck , some players are guilty of giving the ball away far too easily , if we can get a bit more confidence and shape/cohesion going forward then, like everyone keeps saying , someone is going to get a pasting soon .....considering we missed 3 guilt edged sitters yesterday it could have been wolves....if you ignore the heroics around our penalty box....it's a funny old game ....!!