[Albion] We're too passive

Machiavelli · Dec 13, 2020

We're too nice. We like playing the ball around the middle third of the park, breaking through the lines gradually. We're not up to much in the final third. There have been mistakes in our own third. Both of those tend to be features of teams in the bottom third of the league.
But the thing that stands out to me is that we're too passive. We rarely play with intensity. When we do, we're good. We need to do more of it. That's the only way we'll get through this in my view, but interested to hear what others think.

Ethelwulf · Dec 13, 2020

Agree with this.

Also we have no leaders on the pitch no nasty ****ers in the refs or other sides face and have no one playing the dark acts etc.

Potter is just too bloody nice he is a chap from the 1870s old eton days

trueblue · Dec 13, 2020

Ethelwulf said:
Agree with this.

Also we have no leaders on the pitch no nasty ****ers in the refs or other sides face and have no one playing the dark acts etc.

Potter is just too bloody nice he is a chap from the 1870s old eton days

Was he nice when he bombed out Duffy, Andone, Murray? Does shouting and screaming do anything to motivate 11 millionaires? Is coaching and improving players like Bissouma and March a better way to progress as our wallet's a bit smaller than most of our competitors?

Ethelwulf · Dec 13, 2020

trueblue said:
Was he nice when he bombed out Duffy, Andone, Murray? Does shouting and screaming do anything to motivate 11 millionaires? Is coaching and improving players like Bissouma and March a better way to progress as our wallet's a bit smaller than most of our competitors?

I don't disagree but sometimes just wish he would show some raw emotion or passion. It rubs off on both the players and fans.

I loved CH has was a gentleman and a sportsman but he could lose his rag or be a nasty ****er if needed . Potter in my view is just too bloody nice

blue-shifted · Dec 13, 2020

Machiavelli said:
We're too nice. We like playing the ball around the middle third of the park, breaking through the lines gradually. We're not up to much in the final third. There have been mistakes in our own third. Both of those tend to be features of teams in the bottom third of the league.
But the thing that stands out to me is that we're too passive. We rarely play with intensity. When we do, we're good. We need to do more of it. That's the only way we'll get through this in my view, but interested to hear what others think.

Re being nice. Well yes, when you saw the "intelligent" fouling Leicester were doing it did make me think, we could be a bit nastier.

Re the intensity. We've got 2 or 3 who can't cover the ground well or don't have the physicality. Not going to name names, I don't need to.

Lamptey coming back in will make a huge difference.

macbeth · Dec 13, 2020

I've theorised about this for years, as I completely agree. I came to the conclusion that that the 'no dickheads' transfer policy ended up leaving us with a squad lacking in personality and quite mentally weak.

The way that the likes of Knocky, Anyone, Duffy ect. were frozen out worsened this (though I would add that I don't think any of them are at the level we need). We lack any sort of swagger about us, and our naivety allows teams to make mistakes against us and go unpunished time and time again. And even though we are too nice, we simultaneously have one of the less good disciplinary records. The lack of character breeds naivety and the naivety breeds recklessness and frustration and the cycle continues. We're complete pushovers.

The signing of Maupay, Lallana has changed this, players with a little bit about them and in the case of lallana, a good leader. But I think that the lack of bite in our squad can only be addressed by a change in recruitment policy.

Though in fairness, even if we were too soft in terms of character, just signing better quality players would at least partly mask that

Springal · Dec 13, 2020

Potter kind of strikes me as one of these new breed of coaches. Fairly clever, got his badges and in theory talks a good game. But I am not convinced this necessarily translates to the players or the actual game.

A bit like Southgate

trueblue · Dec 13, 2020

Ethelwulf said:
I don't disagree but sometimes just wish he would show some raw emotion or passion. It rubs off on both the players and fans.

I loved CH has was a gentleman and a sportsman but he could lose his rag or be a nasty ****er if needed . Potter in my view is just too bloody nice

I agree that a manager needs a bit of an 'edge'. I'm just not sure you can ascertain whether he has that by assessing his behaviour on the touchline - it's what's said at the training ground and the dressing room that counts. The absence of Connolly and Maupay a few games back would suggest it's not a given the players will get an easy ride.

vagabond · Dec 13, 2020

I think this is a fair criticism.

This is Potters style isn’t it, he doesn’t want moaning, criticising of officials and so on. That’s his way, time will tell if that serves him at this level.

blue-shifted · Dec 13, 2020

Ethelwulf said:
Agree with this.

Also we have no leaders on the pitch no nasty ****ers in the refs or other sides face and have no one playing the dark acts etc.

Potter is just too bloody nice he is a chap from the 1870s old eton days

We're not short of leaders. It's not discipline we lack.

About the nastiness, well yes, you're right, but how would you feel if we had a mega cheating culture like Villa? Maybe there's a happy medium to find

HP Seagull · Dec 13, 2020

Machiavelli said:
We're too nice. We like playing the ball around the middle third of the park, breaking through the lines gradually. We're not up to much in the final third. There have been mistakes in our own third. Both of those tend to be features of teams in the bottom third of the league.
But the thing that stands out to me is that we're too passive. We rarely play with intensity. When we do, we're good. We need to do more of it. That's the only way we'll get through this in my view, but interested to hear what others think.

I totally agree. Not enough intensity or aggression, defensively or in attack.

Icy Gull · Dec 13, 2020

Too nice but we top the league in fouls committed don’t we? How does that work?

Ethelwulf · Dec 13, 2020

trueblue said:
I agree that a manager needs a bit of an 'edge'. I'm just not sure you can ascertain whether he has that by assessing his behaviour on the touchline - it's what's said at the training ground and the dressing room that counts. The absence of Connolly and Maupay a few games back would suggest it's not a given the players will get an easy ride.

I just want to see that passion on the touchline that being manager of our great club means something to him.

Never once seen him get angry or show any thing . Can you imagine if that pen last week had been given when Micky was in charge or Gus they would of gone ape shit

Ethelwulf · Dec 13, 2020

Icy Gull said:
Too nice but we top the league in fouls committed don’t we? How does that work?

Easy Refs see us a soft touch we never moan or complain easy to give against .

Harry Wilson's tackle · Dec 13, 2020

This is what we need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skUgegwkX9I

macbeth · Dec 13, 2020

Ethelwulf said:
I don't disagree but sometimes just wish he would show some raw emotion or passion. It rubs off on both the players and fans.

I loved CH has was a gentleman and a sportsman but he could lose his rag or be a nasty ****er if needed . Potter in my view is just too bloody nice

This is probably true. That said, if we just had more bite in the squad, Potter being too nice wouldn't matter nearly as much as it does. Now, don't get me wrong, we all know how much of a **** Mourinho can be, it's one of his defining features, but just watch what he says here about having proper leaders in the dressing room:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv4xLyBDgqM

timbha · Dec 13, 2020

60 minutes into the game and getting tonked and we’ve not committed one could worthy of a yellow card.

89 minutes on the clock, 3-0 down and on our knees and we’re rushing to get the ball to the Leicester player so he can take a corner.

It might not be pretty but we’ve get to play ugly sometimes.

raymondo · Dec 13, 2020

blue-shifted said:
We're not short of leaders. It's not discipline we lack.

About the nastiness, well yes, you're right, but how would you feel if we had a mega cheating culture like Villa? Maybe there's a happy medium to find

I think we ARE short of leadership on the pitch. Even the pundits were saying they couldn't hear the Brighton players shouting anything to each other on the pitch. That is so poor IMO.

tigertim68 · Dec 13, 2020

The team reflects its manager , passive , no backbone , no enthusiasm, no idea , ponderous , no sense of urgency, and no cutting edge

timbha · Dec 13, 2020

tigertim68 said:
The team reflects its manager , passive , no backbone , no enthusiasm, no idea , ponderous , no sense of urgency, and no cutting edge

.... but a nice and polite bunch of lads

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