[Albion] Fab's pre-Villa presser

[Uh_huh_him]

Losing Webster and Rutter is a blow. However the potential opportunities for Gomez, Gruda and Weiffer in the middle is pretty exciting. I'm sure Dunk will relish the chance to reclaim his place and lead the team when we most need it.

Webster is potentially the bigger blow.
JPVH looks better next to Webster and Webster himself is in a much better moment than Dunk.

It may be that the change in defensive tactics are actually a bigger factor in the improved displays, and Dunk will slot in seamlessly.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

When you're trying to determine the depth of an injury crisis, look at the likely bench and work out if you could cover two positions should another two get injured as they did against Forest. It's a bit like the principle in cricket where if you're not sure if you're team is batting well, you add two wickets and ask yourself if it's still a good total.

So Assuming a team like ....

Verbruggen
Hinsh Van Hecke Dunk Estpinan
Gomez Baleba
Minteh Pedro Mitoma
Welbeck

That all looks fine, but then the bench is something like ....

Rushworth / Cashin / Tasker / Slater / Ayari / Knight / Gruda / Adingra / O'Riley

Not horrendous as we can cover most positions except full back with senior players if we rejig.

But if we keep on losing players at this rate, we might find we're having to give young players a full debut at Selhurst. Far from ideal

 

[Brian Munich]

Not sure we've got another two game week beyond this one. If we do, there's only one.

We don't. After Palace game we have a 6-8 day rest before each of the final 7 fixtures.

I noted on another thread (can't remember which) that after losing the semi at Wembley in 2023, we still had 9 games to get through in only 5 weeks. We really struggled in some of the mid-week games then.

 

[Justice]

No great surprise.

A journo that can’t spell

 

[US Seagull]

Gutted for Rutter. He's such a joy to watch on and off the field.

 

[aolstudios]

The cramp annoys me.
There is a simple prevention for cramp.
1500 mg of potassium supplement daily.

I was getting cramp every day before I started on the potassium.
Now I NEVER get cramp.
Never.

Used to drink a pint of salt water before a game in my later, less fit playing days

 

[Guinness Boy]

When you're trying to determine the depth of an injury crisis, look at the likely bench and work out if you could cover two positions should another two get injured as they did against Forest. It's a bit like the principle in cricket where if you're not sure if you're team is batting well, you add two wickets and ask yourself if it's still a good total.

So Assuming a team like ....

Verbruggen
Hinsh Van Hecke Dunk Estpinan
Gomez Baleba
Minteh Pedro Mitoma
Welbeck

That all looks fine, but then the bench is something like ....

Rushworth / Cashin / Tasker / Slater / Ayari / Knight / Gruda / Adingra / O'Riley

Not horrendous as we can cover most positions except full back with senior players if we rejig.

But if we keep on losing players at this rate, we might find we're having to give young players a full debut at Selhurst. Far from ideal

Never underestimate Mile Oak

 

[Milano]

When you're trying to determine the depth of an injury crisis, look at the likely bench and work out if you could cover two positions should another two get injured as they did against Forest. It's a bit like the principle in cricket where if you're not sure if you're team is batting well, you add two wickets and ask yourself if it's still a good total.

So Assuming a team like ....

Verbruggen
Hinsh Van Hecke Dunk Estpinan
Gomez Baleba
Minteh Pedro Mitoma
Welbeck

That all looks fine, but then the bench is something like ....

Rushworth / Cashin / Tasker / Slater / Ayari / Knight / Gruda / Adingra / O'Riley

Not horrendous as we can cover most positions except full back with senior players if we rejig.

But if we keep on losing players at this rate, we might find we're having to give young players a full debut at Selhurst. Far from ideal

You've missed out Wieffer and March, FH stated today that both are available for tomorrow, I expect both to be on the bench.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Never underestimate Mile Oak

A trap into which we can all too easily fall

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

You've missed out Wieffer and March, FH stated today that both are available for tomorrow, I expect both to be on the bench.

March I think we need to give up on getting serious minutes this season. A 5 or 10 minute cameo seems to leave him needing a month off. Let's look to get him right for a proper pre season.

Weiffer, fine then. We may be able to get 20 mins out of him so this will add to our depth

The point I was making was less about what team I would play but more that the injuries are continuous and seem to be coming at a consistent pace. So we might get the odd player back in the coming weeks or months, but it's fanciful to suggest that they will just stop occurring.

In our squad planning we need to assume min 6, more likely 10 injured at any one time, as that's been the reality this season and the last

 

[oldboyroy]

Nice to hear Fab Not moaning about the injuries (unlike his predecessor). Says the players coming in have to step up and keep the run going. Just means our bench won't be as strong as it has been.

 

[Albion my Albion]

Rabbit's feet, clovers and lucky pants out everyone.

Bringen Sie Ihre Glücksbringer mit

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Used to drink a pint of salt water before a game in my later, less fit playing days

Not sure that would help....

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

I agree with those who’ve said we’re going to need some tactical tweaking.

Gruda put in a decent shift on Saturday as Forest afforded him more time on the ball than any of our other forwards, but he is not a like for like replacement for Rutter or Pedro as a 10.

Our tactics recently have been fairly reliant on going direct to Pedro/Rutter/Welbeck who are all capable of holding their own physically, winning duels, bringing others into play and carrying the ball forwards. Gruda is not that type of 10. Likewise O’Riley if he is asked to play there.

If it is Gruda or O’Riley as a #10, then our build-up is going to have to look different if we want to get the best out of them. It may mean going back to being less direct.

I doubt there’s enough time to work on those tactics this week, so it’ll be interesting to see how Gruda/O’Riley get on against Villa. They will feature one way or another as there’s no way both Welbeck and Pedro will do 90 with another game shortly after.

I suspect it’ll be a rotation of Pedro/Welbeck/Gruda/O’Riley across the front over the next two games. I also think Mitoma and Minteh need some kind of rest/rotation. Adingra scored at Villa Park so would make sense for him to come in to give Mitoma a break. Hopefully Solly has 30 minutes in him as well to ease Minteh’s workload.

 

[jackanada]

Big chance for Gruda to step up in the 10 now. I thought he was brilliant when he came on Saturday. I’d give him a run of games, he seemed to have that natural ability to find the pockets of space between their midfield and defence

Have to have Welbeck in with him as while I agree on his skills he doesn't have georgios hold up ability.

 

[Mellotron]

Webster & Lamptey out for the season by the looks of it.

If only there was some way we could've seen this coming.

 

[Albion my Albion]

while I agree on his skills he doesn't have georgios hold up ability.

or Rutter's or Georginio's or this Dylan Joseph explanation of hold up play (could he be more robotic?)

 

[Mellotron]

Gutted for Rutter. He's such a joy to watch on and off the field.

You can still watch him off the field at least, I guess.

 

[Mellotron]

I assume we started with Welbeck on the basis of easing Pedro back in after a long journey, and that against Villa Pedro will start with Welbeck on for the last 25 mins - I always like Danny W coming on late, dunno why, always feels like a big boost.

 

[dazzer6666]

The cramp annoys me.
There is a simple prevention for cramp.
1500 mg of potassium supplement daily.

I was getting cramp every day before I started on the potassium.
Now I NEVER get cramp.
Never.

Not that simple in my experience........suspect a professional athlete sweats a bit more than you might...........

I used to suffer horrific cramping both during and after running events - trying to balance minerals and hydration, depending on the weather conditions, can be very difficult. My 'baseline' used to be one SCap an hour plus a minimum half litre of water, but could easily need to double this on hot and/or humid days (plus the salt from whatever food I was eating en route which was typically salty too). I also took pot/mag supplements.