[Albion] You Win Nothing With Kids (Except Maybe a £123m profit)

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

I think with RDZ, as with - say - Bazball in the cricket - there is only one way to play. The moment you start a “Plan B”, you undermine the philosophy. So, we all moan when Joe Root gets out reverse-sweeping in the 5th over of a test match, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try it again next match. Plan Bs just end up confusing the players.

Those endless intricate triangles in our own 18 yard box last night were all risk for no gain against the likes of Man City. Or would be against anybody really

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I think with RDZ, as with - say - Bazball in the cricket - there is only one way to play. The moment you start a “Plan B”, you undermine the philosophy. So, we all moan when Joe Root gets out reverse-sweeping in the 5th over of a test match, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try it again next match. Plan Bs just end up confusing the players.

But we did so well under Potter, changing formation every ten minutes.

Didn't we?

Errrrm....

 

[MJsGhost]

Are you saying you know that mojo is low or that you are confident that it's low? What I saw last night was resolute professionalism and commitment (I missed most of the first half) and a decent positive and proud manager in the post match interview.

I know nothing, just making the point that given the circumstances, it would be reasonable (expected?) to see a dip in confidence/morale/atmosphere/mojo/vibes/whatever we're calling it.

It seems others saw lacklustre football, hangdog expressions at final whistle, and an ashen-faced supremo in the post match interview, looking like he'd just come back from an 18 hour first aid shift in a Gaza hospital.

I don't think RdZ has been that downbeat per se, just less upbeat than he has been in the good times. Hence a 'dip' rather than VIBES falling off a cliff like the 'others' you mentioned.

I apparently lack empathy so I guess it's me that's failing to read the runes, vibes and the space between the lines....

Don't worry, I understand.









(HONK!)

 

[nwgull]

ts a hard fact that like so many other English sides, we may never win a major trophy and a lot of EPL fans understandably wonder what they are getting out of staying in a league where ultimate glory is always for the chosen few

Let's be honest, that incomprehension is mainly from the tedious African 'fans' of top-6 clubs infesting Twiiter/X with their paid-for-blue-tick accounts meaning that their tweets get prominence. And these guys have zero understanding of English football culture.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Thinking about a football club in terms of eras rather than seasons seems some protection against this melancholy.

I like your post. In particular this sentence.

The reason why, is that I don't think Tony Bloom views things in seasons either. Maybe we need to think in Tony timescales a little more

 

[maltaseagull]

I think with RDZ, as with - say - Bazball in the cricket - there is only one way to play. The moment you start a “Plan B”, you undermine the philosophy. So, we all moan when Joe Root gets out reverse-sweeping in the 5th over of a test match, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try it again next match. Plan Bs just end up confusing the players.

But often Root tries it again with the same outcome. So what does that mean for the future?

 

[Stato]

Thread title makes no sense. Only the accountants (and yes, yes it is a figure of speech, no need to state the bleeding obvious re TB) will rejoice in a £123m profit if it means ripping the engine room out of the team. Only so often that trick can be repeated if the club wishes to retain its EPL status

You read 'rejoice', but I didn't write it. I just stated that the business model relies on developing kids and that we're doing that.

 

[dazzer6666]

I like your post. In particular this sentence.

The reason why, is that I don't think Tony Bloom views things in seasons either. Maybe we need to think in Tony timescales a little more

Yep, 100%. Too many fans looking for linear progression. Never going to happen.

 

[Hiheidi]

Yep, 100%. Too many fans looking for linear progression. Never going to happen.

Totally agree, but it's interesting that - apart from once - we haven't dropped more than two places each season.

 

[The Mole]

I think with RDZ, as with - say - Bazball in the cricket - there is only one way to play. The moment you start a “Plan B”, you undermine the philosophy. So, we all moan when Joe Root gets out reverse-sweeping in the 5th over of a test match, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try it again next match. Plan Bs just end up confusing the players.

I think there is a simila in these approaches - Bazball got found out in India and we didn’t have a plan b or a means to tweak it. It feels as though DeZerbiball is in a similar place.

i also wonder whether playing so much high intensity football is harder on the younger players - have they developed physically to cope with this?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yep, 100%. Too many fans looking for linear progression. Never going to happen.

Too true blue. Let's bank £123m, drop down a league next season and consider our options. "We'll Bounce Straight Back Up!" Said every relegated team ever

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

I think there is a simila in these approaches - Bazball got found out in India and we didn’t have a plan b or a means to tweak it. It feels as though DeZerbiball is in a similar place.

i also wonder whether playing so much high intensity football is harder on the younger players - have they developed physically to cope with this?

Bazball didn't get "found out" in India, England got beaten by a very good team in their home conditions. Exactly like they have over there an all but about 4 occasions in the last 50years.

If there's a similarity, it's that it bears out that when you're playing teams who are just better (or you're missing half your players in critical positions) there's only so far that tactics or mindset can take you.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Totally agree, but it's interesting that - apart from once - we haven't dropped more than two places each season.

We went from 6th to 20th that season. We then finished 3rd the season after followed by promotion.

This time we're going from 6th to? So based off of the evidence we're almost definitely winning the league next year or worst case scenario finishing 2nd or 3rd.

That'll do I suppose.

 

[Machiavelli]

I think with RDZ, as with - say - Bazball in the cricket - there is only one way to play. The moment you start a “Plan B”, you undermine the philosophy. So, we all moan when Joe Root gets out reverse-sweeping in the 5th over of a test match, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t try it again next match. Plan Bs just end up confusing the players.

Agreed, but must be factored in that he's experimented with formations this season. This has largely been imposed on him by the injury situation and, at times, playing without (m)any positions, eg wide forwards, full backs and once IIRC CBs too.
I'm not entirely sure what people want that think he's 'stubborn': hoofball?
With more or less stopped scoring and the thing that I'd like us to work on currently is that, when we break through the lines, we need to make the most of it. Of late, we've been going backwards too many times when we've had the opportunity to exploit the counterattack.

 

[Quebec Seagull]

Villa face Fonseca's young Lille built to entertain

Paulo Fonseca will take a young Lille side to face Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League that is built to entertain.

www.bbc.com

If De Zerbi goes, Fonseca from Lille would be ideal..
Had to rebuild the Lille team after their best players were all sold for big profit
Has a young team / debuts young players
Lille operate on a tight budget
Wants his team to dominate / play with courage

A quote from the BBC article:
"To me the players don't have age, they have quality," says Fonseca, who also handed 16-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi his debut this season. "Because here we don't have the possibility to buy very expensive players, we find a way to make the young players grow."

Geez, if you want to pillage my Lille some more, go for Jonathan David, as well -- he'd be the first French-Canadian in the EPL. He's at least as good as Pedro, and a better all-around striker/player than Ferguson.

.

 

[dazzer6666]

Bazball didn't get "found out" in India, England got beaten by a very good team in their home conditions. Exactly like they have over there an all but about 4 occasions in the last 50years.

If there's a similarity, it's that it bears out that when you're playing teams who are just better (or you're missing half your players in critical positions) there's only so far that tactics or mindset can take you.

100% this.

 

[GT49er]

But we did so well under Potter, changing formation every ten minutes.

Didn't we?

Errrrm....

We finished 9th. in the PL, our highest ever position, and got off to a rip-roaring start the next season, so yes, I'd say we did do well under Potter.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

We finished 9th. in the PL, our highest ever position, and got off to a rip-roaring start the next season, so yes, I'd say we did do well under Potter.

I agree, and I was being factious.

We did very well under Potter.

And we can do well changing things every few minutes, and also not changing things.

I have enjoyed this season, despite having things to moan about, if I feel in the mood to moan, which I don't. Called: being a Boomer, or something

 

[Flounce]

But we did so well under Potter, changing formation every ten minutes.

Didn't we?

Errrrm....

In fairness we did avoid regular thumpings because of it. I thought his ability to get the players to change thing based on how the game was going pretty impressive, if only RDZ could implement something similar as we get ripped apart on occasion

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

In fairness we did avoid regular thumpings because of it. I thought his ability to get the players to change thing based on how the game was going pretty impressive, if only RDZ could implement something similar as we get ripped apart on occasion

I agree.

And yet.... I enjoy watching RDZ football much more than Potterball.

At least that's what my current perspective is. I am getting increasingly suspicious of my perceptions and perspectives. I think we all do massive amounts of after timing, and confirmation bias is my best mate. I'm as guilty as anyone

So.....to quote the great man.....it is what it is