[Albion] Decision Making - Coaching

[South west gull]

Punished myself by watching MotD tonight as there were so few games that I thought we might get a bit of analysis. Shearer, who I don't usually have much time for as a pundit did a fairly neat bit on our decision making in the final third. They also hinted that this was analysis of Brighton that they could have done many times before. Its easy to follow the received wisdom that goal scoring is instinct and I've long been resigned to the fact that we have a lot of decent ballplayers who just don't have that instinct.

Shearer may generally be a poor pundit, but he was a hell of a goalscorer and his short look at where we went wrong today and have done in so many similar matches rang true. The stuff he was talking about wasn't complicated and seemed to me to be coachable. Given how long the problem has been apparent, and given that there seems to be no sign of it changing, it would seem that either its not something that can be easily coached, or we are not coaching it effectively. Potter talks constantly about hard work and improvement, but this is a glaring aspect of our play where we have seen little or no improvement during his time here.

Do you think that we just have the wrong personnel to make the right decisions often enough to consistently hurt good teams in key areas, or do you think that our coaching of attacking situations should be solving the problem?

I think the problem is Bruno how can he be our attacking coach ? A full back.

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[Drebin]

We scored a last minute equaliser away at Chelsea when Cucu hung up a first time cross for Welbeck to attack. We scored a last minute equaliser away at West Ham when Lamptey whipped a ball into the middle that Maupay scored from. We also got a late equsliser verses Palace at the Amex when Maupay slid a ball into a dangerous area and a Palace player turned it into his own net. There are probably others that I can't recall right now. Plus there have been good headed goals from corners vs Newcastle (away) and Everton (away) when the ball actually beats the first man or doesn't go short and end up with Sanchez.

So we can and occasionally do it. Which makes it even more frustrating that our preferred option in the final third seems to be to paint pretty triangles on the turf. A bit more focus on the ends and not so much on the means may pay dividends

The first two examples are from when we are chasing a game. We never do it in open play when we have control of a game. As Stat Bro mentioned above, the players give the impression that the team must keep possession unless a clear chance opens up.

These rarely do as in my opinion our weakness is being unable to shift the tempo of the ball as we go further up the pitch, giving the oppo defence plenty of time to cover their ground. We play into dangerous areas but can’t play in dangerous areas.

 

[Marty___Mcfly]

This is a key issue. There is a fear of playing the final ball or shooting. On most occasions the Albion players will stop and look around then pass sideways or back.

This is a sickness which goes beyond Albion- I watched Pogba do it like 10 times yesterday against Spurs.

I think it’s a combination of a lack of confidence, and as pointed out above I think they are coached to play the simple safe ball and retain possession as the No. 1 priority.

I think a different approach is needed in the final 3rd - coach them to play incisive balls and shoot - Liverpool and Man City do it and are clearly coached to do so. I know they have better players but we can do similar or at least try.

 

[BNthree]

A lot of talk about Bruno being our attacking coach but anything he is doing is with Potter’s blessing, anything Potter is doing is with the Director of Football’s (previously Ashworth) blessing, anything DoF is doing is with Bloom’s blessing. It isn’t just Bruno going and making stuff up, there are all sorts of analysts and minor coaches involved as well as all sorts of management above Bruno too.

 

[portslade seagull]

Could it be that our attacking players (Midfield and Strikers) are simply not good enough to spot the right pass or have the forethought to take a gamble and get into the right position if the pass actually comes in. Welbeck is the only one who reads the game but is an injury waiting to happen. We need players with proven PL experience and not hopeful punts that do not make the mark

 

[Deleted member 37369]

Holy shit you're right - Liverpool are better than Brighton.


Thanks for the insight.

And thanks so much for unnecessarily taking the p*** out of my comment! Is that how you go about your life in general?

I'm not expecting us to be at the level of Liverpool and other top clubs ... my comment was backing up the general observations on here where even a small improvement might help make a difference.

But hey ... I am not worthy!! FFS!!

 

[Stat Brother]

And thanks so much for unnecessarily taking the p*** out of my comment! Is that how you go about your life in general?

I'm not expecting us to be at the level of Liverpool and other top clubs ... my comment was backing up the general observations on here where even a small improvement might help make a difference.

But hey ... I am not worthy!! FFS!!

You are correct - it doesn't happen often but I felt a bit guilty for that post.
My reply didn't need two footing studs up, knee high, when a simple ankle tap would have been sufficient.


Sorry for not editing - I don't know why I didn't.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Just posted this on the match thread but I had my usual mooch round the stats sites this morning and it's not pretty reading. Our finishing is lousy (who knew?), we shoot far too often outside the box (classic poor decision making) and telegraph far too much through Lamptey.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1...d-Premier-League-2021-2022-Brighton-Liverpool

 

[Bry Nylon]

Just posted this on the match thread but I had my usual mooch round the stats sites this morning and it's not pretty reading. Our finishing is lousy (who knew?), we shoot far too often outside the box (classic poor decision making) and telegraph far too much through Lamptey.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1...d-Premier-League-2021-2022-Brighton-Liverpool

I'd imagine the bloke who does the Brighton analysis for whoscored.com is enjoying his weekends off.

 

[Stat Brother]

It's almost as if we're lacking leadership and emotional intelligence.





Come on you can get titsy about missing open goals & banging one in from 2 yards.

 

[Deleted member 37369]

You are correct - it doesn't happen often but I felt a bit guilty for that post.
My reply didn't need two footing studs up, knee high, when a simple ankle tap would have been sufficient.


Sorry for not editing - I don't know why I didn't.

Thanks ... but your original comment is the reason why I don't post that often on here even though I look at NSC numerous times a day.

Interesting to see that someone added a similar comment after mine, "I think a different approach is needed in the final 3rd - coach them to play incisive balls and shoot - Liverpool and Man City do it and are clearly coached to do so. I know they have better players but we can do similar or at least try' ...

 

[Guinness Boy]

I'd imagine the bloke who does the Brighton analysis for whoscored.com is enjoying his weekends off.

*guffaw*

 

[darkwolf666]

Could it be that our attacking players (Midfield and Strikers) are simply not good enough to spot the right pass or have the forethought to take a gamble and get into the right position if the pass actually comes in. Welbeck is the only one who reads the game but is an injury waiting to happen. We need players with proven PL experience and not hopeful punts that do not make the mark

The only problem with that statement is it means you’ve either got to break the bank in wages to take a player surplus to requirements at a big 6 club, or you are taking hand me downs from one of the also rans, like us, who if were that “proven Premier League” player you seek, probably wouldn’t be available.

There is also the third option, that we have used, and take a gamble on players with an injury history!

Finally, the fourth option, is the belief that some of the young talent we are nurturing come to fruition. I think if we could have put two more wins on the board you may already be seeing some given an opportunity, unfortunately we’re not quite safe enough to play the kids... before anyone says they couldn’t do any worse, just imagine if we did and threw caution to the wind and got relegated because of it. Junior would have a field day!!!

 

[Stato]

Just posted this on the match thread but I had my usual mooch round the stats sites this morning and it's not pretty reading. Our finishing is lousy (who knew?), we shoot far too often outside the box (classic poor decision making) and telegraph far too much through Lamptey.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1...d-Premier-League-2021-2022-Brighton-Liverpool

The comments written in the match summary are nonsense. Liverpool undoubtedly controlled the game, but we are the only team in their 9 league games in 2022 to have more of the ball than them. Argue what you will about the effectiveness of possession, it is obviously one of things that Potter sets his teams up to do and this was ignored when looking at strengths and weaknesses. The weakness part also says that Brighton were aggressive, yet Liverpool committed more fouls than Brighton did. Only West Ham and Chelsea had more goal attempts against Liverpool this calendar year. This was not a bad performance. It was just, yet another, Brighton performance: some great stuff in midfield to get out of tight spaces, defending that was mostly in control against very challenging opposition, a few lapses in concentration that gave away chances and an utter failure to do the right things in the final third.

 

[studio150]

So maybe splashing £50m on a proven goalscorer is not the missing piece in becoming a regular top 10 side, if the final ball is rarely played.

 

[A mex eyecan]

Whilst at the game yesterday the thing that struck me was that the Liverpool players could see the pass that was needed and then they could make that pass with the right accuracy and weight of ball. We just don't manage it in the same way ...

don’t disagree with you at all, but players with that ability and importantly that speed of thought and reaction will always play for the Liverpools of this world and sadly not the Albions….

 

[Deleted member 37369]

don’t disagree with you at all, but players with that ability and importantly that speed of thought and reaction will always play for the Liverpools of this world and sadly not the Albions….

I'm not saying we should have the same ability as Liverpool etc ... but we should have aspirations to improve and look at those that are successful.

The theme of this thread is coaching ... which is all about improvement. Otherwise do away with coaches and just do the same week in week out.

 

[Icy Gull]

Sanchez needs to start releasing the ball quicker and long when we defend a corner he claims and players bust a gut getting upfield. I wanted to run onto the pitch and push him over a few times yesterday

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm not saying we should have the same ability as Liverpool etc ... but we should have aspirations to improve and look at those that are successful.

The theme of this thread is coaching ... which is all about improvement. Otherwise do away with coaches and just do the same week in week out.

Now I'm really confused.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I watched it too.

He showed incredibly simple final passes in our counter attacks, typically 18 yards out (Liverpool men down), that should’ve been made for imho near certain goals for the recipients.

In the examples March, Maupay and Mac Allister blowing simple killer passes.

Mac Allister’s young and talented enough to evolve.

I watched it too.

First, if I stick to my earlier narrarive, that we set up to be hard to beat which included not taking on risky passes near the box that, if intercepted, would have set them up on a counter, then they were simply obeying orders.

If so, this may or may not be the correct approach. This depends on how good our players are, how good Potter thinks they are, and how we set up.

If so, then Potter simply did not say (and maybe has not said) 'right lads, lets go for it and take every chance that presents itself'.

The alternative is that Potter normally (maybe not yesterday) does say 'come on lads, take some risks, go for goal!' but the players freeze, either because they are not that great, or because they are not coached well enough to have the nous or vim to give it the full Robin Friday.

I don't know what the answer is, or if or when Bloom may blink.

But I do remember we were nearly all drooling about the football and the points on the boad not so long ago.

It is possible to over analyse things, and see patterns that don't exist.