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[Albion] Did the break do us a favour?



Doc Lynam

I hate the Daily Mail
Jun 19, 2011
7,200
Did the enforced break do us a favour, allowing the team to digest the huge shift in play that’s been asked of them?

I’m a great believer in stepping away from things can help you process and adjust, maybe this is what the team needed?
 




Steve in Japan

Well-known member
NSC Patron
May 9, 2013
4,456
East of Eastbourne
Definitely the whole league is reset, and what matters is which teams adjust quickest and best to the new environment. Very encouraged by yesterday, mainly for 2 reasons....

1. We got better as the game went on. Arsenal got worse.
2. We had quality on the bench to come. Arsenal didn't.

Time will tell, but I think we showed yesterday that we are very resilient and can adapt quickly.
 


el punal

Well-known member
I think you might be right. Give it a couple more games though to get a true reflection. A lot of positive points from certain players performances yesterday, for starters Bissouma, Maupay, Propper and Dunk (as always). Alexis McAllister could be our ace in the hole for the remaining games. Personally, I’m more optimistic than I was a couple of days ago - amazing how a hard earned 3 points cheers you up!
 




Pogue Mahone

Well-known member
Apr 30, 2011
10,744
I think you are right.

We were heading for relegation before that break, bereft of confidence, or any idea of how to turn things around. That mindset seems to have been forgotten, and after this weekend's features I am confident we will stay up. I wasn't, back in March.

Villa, Bournemouth and West Ham alll look awful. We've got this.
 






jessiejames

Never late in a V8
Jan 20, 2009
2,701
Brighton, United Kingdom
What I think may help is the changes in the substitution rules, allowing 5 sub' s to be made, and a manager who seems to get the substitution right. Most managers in our position yesterday would have settled for the draw.
 


dingodan

New member
Feb 16, 2011
10,080
No question about it. When you are on a bad run of form, there is nothing you want more than a break, an opportunity to regroup and a restart later. Likewise, when you are on a good run of form, there is nothing you want less than that.

Our situation just before the break meant that we were particular beneficiaries of the break in the season.
 






Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Aug 8, 2005
26,551
Hard to say after one game but on the face of it yes. We were on free fall and others were picking up points. I was fairly certain we were heading down. The break has enabled us some thinking time, a chance to start afresh and lose the baggage of the dreadful run we were on.
 


nwgull

Well-known member
Jul 25, 2003
13,769
Manchester
I expected the 15 week break to throw up all sorts of strange results due to fitness and potential motivational differences, but I was wrong. Nothing has changed: the teams below have continued to lose; the teams above us continue to pick up points; and we beat Arsenal, again.
 




PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
18,704
Hurst Green
We weren’t on a terrible run of performances just results. We had some good points but dropped some we shouldn’t have
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,894
Did the enforced break do us a favour, allowing the team to digest the huge shift in play that’s been asked of them?

I’m a great believer in stepping away from things can help you process and adjust, maybe this is what the team needed?

Maybe we just need to play Arsenal more often ?
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Mar 27, 2013
52,468
Burgess Hill
We had drawn 6 of our last 10....we were not in ‘free fall’ as some claim. We played particularly well against Wolves and SU away - decent performances against very good teams. I think we’ll be fine and the break and rule changes has helped us more than some other teams.
 




Luke93

STAND OR FALL
Jun 23, 2013
5,030
Shoreham
Definitely the whole league is reset, and what matters is which teams adjust quickest and best to the new environment. Very encouraged by yesterday, mainly for 2 reasons....

1. We got better as the game went on. Arsenal got worse.
2. We had quality on the bench to come. Arsenal didn't.

Time will tell, but I think we showed yesterday that we are very resilient and can adapt quickly.

Might want to check that Arsenal bench again. Ozil and Martinelli players we can only dream of!
 


PILTDOWN MAN

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Sep 15, 2004
18,704
Hurst Green
Having watched most games really don’t see us having too much to worry about. There’s been a lot of dross apart from Man City
 




Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
59,567
The Fatherland
My take all along is that given the players have had the longest break in their careers, and return to alien surroundings adaptability and intelligence and professionalism with fitness will play as much a part as technical ability. We have a very shrewd and bright young coach, who will have realised this and prepared the team according. So to answer the OP’s question, yes it did, because non technical things will give us an advantage over less smart teams.
 
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Icy Gull

Back on the rollercoaster
Jul 5, 2003
72,015
What I think may help is the changes in the substitution rules, allowing 5 sub' s to be made, and a manager who seems to get the substitution right. Most managers in our position yesterday would have settled for the draw.

The fact that our squad has been used throughout the season and is interchangeable without any star players is a big plus with the ability to use 5 subs imo. The whole squad can be considered first team players, not many of the other relegation candidates have that luxury.
 


Live by the sea

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2016
4,718
We have a fairly decent squad that is totally interchangeable and we don’t over rely on one or two players in the way that some other teams in the bottom 8 do .

I think 37 points will be enough . One more win and a couple of draws. We will be in the PL next season i believe .
 


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