[Albion] Brighton 4 Man U 0 - is it best team we have ever fielded?

[Reddleman]

For no apparent reason I started thinking about when we beat Manchester United 4-0. To remind myself I looked up the team that day.

Looking at the side it got me thinking, is this the best side we have ever fielded. I knew the following season we achieved greater things but that team is almost flawless.

It does also emphasise how light we are in powerful midfielders. To think, Mwepu didn’t even make the squad for this match. We really need to get busy in the summer.

Is this the best team we have ever put out or am I missing one from last season?

 

[Simster]

It probably is. All 11 of those players would probably feature in a list of our best 30 players of all time.

Obviously I'm not including players who joined us well past their best (Worthington, Corrigan, Bridge, Vicente, Gotsmanov etc)

 

[hans kraay fan club]

That midfield 4, of Bissouma, Caicedo, Groß and MacAllister wouldn't lose many games against any opposition. The rest barely matter.

 

[Reddleman]

It probably is. All 11 of those players would probably feature in a list of our best 30 players of all time.

Obviously I'm not including players who joined us well past their best (Worthington, Corrigan, Bridge, Vicente, Gotsmanov etc)

Yeah that’s a good point. Thats without doubt the best midfield four we have ever seen. Just ridiculously good.

 

[Ⓩ-Ⓐ-Ⓜ-Ⓞ-Ⓡ-Ⓐ]

Certainly looks the best to me!

 

[Reddleman]

That midfield 4, of Bissouma, Caicedo, Groß and MacAllister wouldn't lose many games against any opposition. The rest barely matter.

Looking back it’s barely believable we have those four at the same time.

 

[HeaviestTed]

f***ing Chelsea

 

[Farehamseagull]

Yes.

(And the best coach )

 

[Simster]

That team is a top class finisher away from being the backbone of a title winning squad. But we've seen this sort of thing before. I'm sure Southampton fans probably have their own version if you go back 10-15 years.

 

[Guinness Boy]

That midfield 4, of Bissouma, Caicedo, Groß and MacAllister wouldn't lose many games against any opposition. The rest barely matter.

Yep. Been saying that on a couple of other threads re the relative strength of that midfield versus today. RDZ, on the other hand, has had to play more matches with injuries to key attackers and a midfield of Gross (who has often had to move out of the midfield to cover defence), Gilmour, Baleba, Dahoud and Milner (when not deployed as a full back with the relative pace of an arthritic elephant).

People point out Potter's golden spell but it coincided with us having our best midfield ever and him finally playing Caicedo.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Looking back it’s barely believable we have those four at the same time.

Mac Allister, Groß, Bissouma and Caicedo all featured in the Albion side on just SIX occasions. These are the results:

Arsenal 1 - 2 Albion
Spurs 0 - 1 Albion
Wolves 0 - 3 Albion (Groß only as a late sub)
Albion 4 - 0 Man Utd
Leeds 1 - 1 Albion
Albion 3 - 1 West Ham

But for a really poor late miss from Danny Welbeck at Elland Road, would be a perfect 6 from 6, despite some really tough fixtures on paper. Incredible Albion midfield (Mwepu also featured in games 1,2,3, and 6 of that run).

 

[Wozza]

Was thinking about the Arsenal (away) line-up just the other day.

Switch Welbz for João Pedro, and put RDZ in charge and well....

 

[Hotchilidog]

Yep. Been saying that on a couple of other threads re the relative strength of that midfield versus today. RDZ, on the other hand, has had to play more matches with injuries to key attackers and a midfield of Gross (who has often had to move out of the midfield to cover defence), Gilmour, Baleba, Dahoud and Milner (when not deployed as a full back with the relative pace of an arthritic elephant).

People point out Potter's golden spell but it coincided with us having our best midfield ever and him finally playing Caicedo.

A bit mean about Potter there. It's one thing having good players, it's quite another to get them working together. From the Arsenal away win on the Potter penny had finally dropped with the players and we had a scintillating few months that was just as goal heavy as RDZ's opening spell.

Your second point does stand though, RDZ does not have anywhere near the same level of talent available to him in the midfield and what he has achieved has been remarkable.

 

[Albion Robster]

26 months later and 6 of the starting 11 have been sold on...for huge profits though.

 

[Sheebo]

For no apparent reason I started thinking about when we beat Manchester United 4-0. To remind myself I looked up the team that day.

Looking at the side it got me thinking, is this the best side we have ever fielded. I knew the following season we achieved greater things but that team is almost flawless.

It does also emphasise how light we are in powerful midfielders. To think, Mwepu didn’t even make the squad for this match. We really need to get busy in the summer.

Is this the best team we have ever put out or am I missing one from last season?

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Great thread and really good points. Although I’ve kind of forgotten the game so will go and watch the highlights now to remind myself. I think that’s the strongest we’ve put out that I can see.

Edit - reminded myself of the game - had hazy memories - f*** knows why! Sad thing is 6/11 of those players aren’t with us now. We need to try keep hold of players for longer - although that may be next to impossible.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

There's going to come a time when it'll be barely believable that we had a midfield four of Bissouma, Caicedo, Ally Mac and Gross.

 

[BRIGHT ON Q]

Was confident going away anywhere and getting a result with that team, not so much now but hopefully it will come again.

 

[Guinness Boy]

A bit mean about Potter there. It's one thing having good players, it's quite another to get them working together. From the Arsenal away win on the Potter penny had finally dropped with the players and we had a scintillating few months that was just as goal heavy as RDZ's opening spell.

Your second point does stand though, RDZ does not have anywhere near the same level of talent available to him in the midfield and what he has achieved has been remarkable.

Yes, he got them working together but to do that they had to play.

If we look at the 2021/22 season from 15 Feb to 2nd April we scored one goal and took one point in a Hughton-esque 0-0 draw v Norwich. We then went on an amazing run that was started away at Arsenal, when Potter packed the midfield full of his talent, repeating the trick in a glorious afternoon at Spurs. The midfield in the Norwich game was Gross / MacAllister / Trossard. Against Arsenal it was Caicedo, Mwepu, Gross, MacAllister, Bissouma and the same at Spurs, with Trossard used as a False 9.

Now that was a very innovative answer to a problem that became almost existential for him, and no one really saw it coming (remember having some jerk chicken with my son outside the Spurs ground, seeing the team come in and wondering what on earth the actual formation would be) but to me it was a throw of a dice to end a dire run of form.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

A bit mean about Potter there. It's one thing having good players, it's quite another to get them working together. From the Arsenal away win on the Potter penny had finally dropped with the players and we had a scintillating few months that was just as goal heavy as RDZ's opening spell.

Your second point does stand though, RDZ does not have anywhere near the same level of talent available to him in the midfield and what he has achieved has been remarkable.

If nothing else, over the last few months Chelsea have shown that it's not the case that any manager can just throw Caicedo into their midfield and instantly turn them into a winning, top 10 side.

 

[Disco Snr]

Those that have left, Mwepu aside, Sanchez - Inconsistent, Cucurella - not the same player, Bissouma - Often injured, in and out of the team at Spurs, Trossard - remains inconsistent at Arsenal like at BHA - 1 brilliant game, 2 ok and 2 anonymous. Macallister - Maturing into the great player we know he'll be/is. I think that 6 game spell we were really fortunate to have those players just breaking though and hitting form all at the same time.