[Albion] Albion fans’ gripes

rippleman said:

Last season I was laughing at those Norwich fans. Now I'm beginning to see what they meant. We have a far better squad this season with more quality in depth, and yet we are playing nowhere near as well..

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Bold Seagull said:

Not sure you can say that at this point. None of our signings have really made an impact yet, we are relying on what we had last season, and our best players from last season have been out injured, or coming back. So in theory yes, we spent a load of money and should be better, but the reality is I think is that we're relying on last season's strengths. Hopefully it will come to pass that yes we have a far better squad, but not sure you can say that just yet.

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Bold Seagull said:

Not sure you can say that at this point. None of our signings have really made an impact yet, we are relying on what we had last season, and our best players from last season have been out injured, or coming back. So in theory yes, we spent a load of money and should be better, but the reality is I think is that we're relying on last season's strengths. Hopefully it will come to pass that yes we have a far better squad, but not sure you can say that just yet.

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sussex_guy2k2 said:

All valuable points, just not really related to my point. Although I'd actually argue that the tactical change was dropping Solly a bit deeper in the second half as an out-ball but also to cover Neves and Moutinho. The issue in the first half was that, to compensate for their dominance in the wide areas, Stephens and Kayal were often pulled into wide areas unnaturally. This left Wolves an easy out ball into one of their two central midfielders who were happy to face the play and switch play quickly to overload us on the opposite side. With Solly and Murray often isolated too far forward, this meant we couldn't stop them dictating the game. In this sense, whilst I thought Solly actually played well on Saturday, we missed Gross' natural understanding of that 10 position and his ability to intelligently press both in deep zones and higher zones, and to manipulate space depending on where the team needed him to be.

Nonetheless, statistically we're becoming much more like Burnley last season. We are allowing teams on to us (which is a choice by dropping deeper and deeper and by forcing our wide men to be so deep at all times) and we're allowing them into specific zones that we clearly believe are less advantageous to them offensively. That's all fine and well, but we're currently creating the second fewest chances in the whole league and conceding one of the highest number of shots on goal and on target. Whilst things are going for us, as they have the last 3 games, that's fine. But sooner or later, conceding lots of chances and barely having any of your own will cause you issues (we can't rely on Murray to score 6 goals from every 14 shots, or whatever it is, consistently throughout a season, for example). And eventually, if you sit back, inviting pressure on as we do so readily, you get to a point where the offensive outlets that you have become harder and harder to find as our team becomes entrenched against good opposition on the edge of our own box. This just isn't sustainable if we wish to progress because most teams at this level will have enough to break through us.

The last point I'd like to debate is actually the first one you made. I think you're right to say that it's not an on/off switch to attack or not insofar as most teams set up with a specific mentality and it's hard to break from that in the middle of the game. And what's clear is that we're set up to defend well first and foremost and hope to get goals on the counter (which is much more effective now that Izzy is back). In this sense, setting the team up with a natural inclination to defend first and attack later, we end up with a team that suffers at this level because better teams can pen us in, particularly if our starting position is 10-15 yards from our own box. It's clear that these are CHs instructions (anyone pretending that he sets the team up to be offensively minded is kidding themselves) and he's obviously a naturally pragmatic coach (and he's getting good results, so as a BHA fan, I'm very happy), but I think now, and I've always thought this, that the players we have at our disposal are better footballers than the current system gives them credit for and consequently, I don't personally think we'd suffer that much from being a more front foot team i.e playing higher up the pitch, leaving key attacking players in areas where they can hurt the opposition and playing a more attractive passing style, but you're more than welcome to disagree. But that won't happen with CH here and whilst he's getting the results, I can overlook the lack of great football as I appreciate where we've come from, and I can appreciate that attacking football won't just be switched on and off when we want it.

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Tom Hark said:

2018: NSC would look a very different place this afternoon if even 2 of Wolves' 25 shots had gone in. It was a piss-poor home performance by the Albion whichever way you look at it. Well, apart from the 3 points, obviously. At some point sometime our heroic defenders deserve some kind of respite from being human shields. Our attacks are increasingly few and far between. Those desperate 1-0's playing much the same side as we had in the Championship won't see us comfortably through the season. We're riding the very edge of our luck currently.

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amexer said:

Had to stop read this when saw March played well

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Dale Jasper said:

Fair points - new signings have on the whole been disappointing - but it’s worth remembering the league is even more competitive this season. It was always going to be a challenge not to fall back, even with new signings.
I think AJ will become more influential. Hopefully one or two or andone, Bernardo and Locadia will come good.
The real test will be when Murray needs replacing, and one of the two Ds moves on to better things.
With this is mind, it could be several seasons before we are beyond the point where anything other than survival counts as success.

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dazzer6666 said:

Not sure I agree they've been disappointing - too early to tell in some cases. They way they've not been able to force their way in has perhaps been disappointing - I'd like to have seen maybe Locadia or Andone replace March in the no10 role perhaps (but then I know **** all and don't see them all in training every day). As for the signings :

Montoya looked assured, will do well - he's quality
Bernardo too as long as he's on the left, although needs more time to show what he can do
Balogun is very unlucky to be behind possibly the best CB pairing in the division - he looked excellent
AJ shows promise
Andone hasn't played yet

I think we'll develop as the season progresses. Grinding out the three ugly wins has been a massive bonus when we've been well under par further up the pitch.

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Dale Jasper said:

Forgot about Montoya , who has looked well up to premier league level. Balogun has indeed been unlucky
When I say disappointing I mean that for various reasons none of them have made headlines and stamped their authority on the team. I’m not writing them off.

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Dale Jasper said:

1997: “We don’t have a ground. Our owners have completely shafted us. We are losing every week in the fourth division. We are going out of business. We are destined for the Vauxhall Conference”

2018: “We’re not winning Premier League matches in a manner that is easy on the eye”

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Dale Jasper said:

Fair points - new signings have on the whole been disappointing - but it’s worth remembering the league is even more competitive this season. It was always going to be a challenge not to fall back, even with new signings.
I think AJ will become more influential. Hopefully one or two or andone, Bernardo and Locadia will come good.
The real test will be when Murray needs replacing, and one of the two Ds moves on to better things.
With this is mind, it could be several seasons before we are beyond the point where anything other than survival counts as success.

Click to expand...