[Albion] Fitness levels and a passive manager.

Mo Gosfield · Mar 6, 2021

It happens over and over again. Bright first half, fade badly in the second. Tonight, you visibly saw players flagging. Lallana was knackered early in the second half and his tired mistake led to their first goal. Concentration levels dip at the end of games and we play the price. The manager rarely reacts to the opposition making changes and by the time he does, we have lost a grip on the game. Players should be changed more quickly. Lallana should have been off by the hour mark and the decision to leave the ineffective and wasteful Trossard on for the whole game, defies belief.
Our defence, solid and effective in the first half, pulled all over the place after the interval. Leicester employ a higher line, we fail to react. Sanchez will be blamed but he wasn't helped by motionless defenders, losing concentration again, around him.
Another bright start snuffed out. Sad and predictable. Five PL games without a win and I worry that nothing seems to change in our game management.

Ethelwulf · Mar 6, 2021

2nd half was terrible I said to my wife at 1-1 we will lose 2-1 to a error or a freak goal it’s just so bloody predictable

blue-shifted · Mar 6, 2021

Yeh, Lallana clearly flagged badly, as you would expect from someone who hasn't played much.

Very "surprising" substitutions today

stss30 · Mar 6, 2021

Good post, agree completely. We were playing a side who were given a tough test by Burnley in the week and we looked the more fatigued side at the end. We completely handed the impetus to Leicester after half time by trying to contain them and always looked destined to get picked off, it’s just so predictable. For all the ‘pretty football’ we play under Potter there have been so few games where we’ve really impressed for a full 90, just not sustainable if we want to stay in the Premier League.

Mo Gosfield · Mar 6, 2021

Ethelwulf said:
2nd half was terrible I said to my wife at 1-1 we will lose 2-1 to a error or a freak goal it’s just so bloody predictable

Its down to concentration levels and thus to fitness. We switch off too often, late in games.

TottonSeagull · Mar 6, 2021

Ethelwulf said:
2nd half was terrible I said to my wife at 1-1 we will lose 2-1 to a error or a freak goal it’s just so bloody predictable

This is so true. We very rarely play well 2nd half if we have had a decent first half. Maybe GP is as dull in his half time team talk as he is in his after game interviews! You can’t be unlucky for a whole season! We let so many late goals in. Are we fit enough both physically and mentally?

Not Andy Naylor · Mar 6, 2021

Mo Gosfield said:
Its down to concentration levels and thus to fitness. We switch off too often, late in games.

Exactly. Poor game management late on. Palace was just one example, Leicester in the Cup, even Manchester United at home after the equaliser.

-gully- · Mar 6, 2021

It’s the marking still letting us down at set plays.

RandyWanger · Mar 6, 2021

Neil has had more than enough chances now, him starting this one was baffling. More passes behind his target and offside more times than muzza. Alzate coming on, okay Mac took a beating but even Pröpper would have been a better choice. Ali J, seriously. Tau and Zeqiri not even being used is baffling

Lallana called it well, we were passive. It’s the managers job to change things and yet again he’s let us down. Trossard had another poor game but what options do we have. Izquierdo probably not ready.

The Fits · Mar 6, 2021

stss30 said:
Good post, agree completely. We were playing a side who were given a tough test by Burnley in the week and we looked the more fatigued side at the end. We completely handed the impetus to Leicester after half time by trying to contain them and always looked destined to get picked off, it’s just so predictable. For all the ‘pretty football’ we play under Potter there have been so few games where we’ve really impressed for a full 90, just not sustainable if we want to stay in the Premier League.

A team that the pundits were saying were knackered at HT.
Shocking the way we faded, and we had energy on the bench. Tau and Moder in particular must be very fresh.

Charity Shield 1910 · Mar 6, 2021

Mo Gosfield said:
It happens over and over again. Bright first half, fade badly in the second. Tonight, you visibly saw players flagging. Lallana was knackered early in the second half and his tired mistake led to their first goal. Concentration levels dip at the end of games and we play the price. The manager rarely reacts to the opposition making changes and by the time he does, we have lost a grip on the game. Players should be changed more quickly. Lallana should have been off by the hour mark and the decision to leave the ineffective and wasteful Trossard on for the whole game, defies belief.
Our defence, solid and effective in the first half, pulled all over the place after the interval. Leicester employ a higher line, we fail to react. Sanchez will be blamed but he wasn't helped by motionless defenders, losing concentration again, around him.
Another bright start snuffed out. Sad and predictable. Five PL games without a win and I worry that nothing seems to change in our game management.

Interesting thoughts. certainly I expect professionals - all of them in the squad to last 90 minutes and not be knackered half way through the second half. If there is anyone who cant, well, he would be in at 6 a.m. and leaving at 9 p.m. playing practice games on top of normal training, until he could play 90 minutes. less cotton wool and more kick up the backside if they are unfit. Injured is one thing, unfit unprofessional.

Swansman · Mar 6, 2021

Both against CP and WBA the team looked a lot better in the second half. Last game is everything though, I guess.

Mo Gosfield · Mar 6, 2021

Swansman said:
Both against CP and WBA the team looked a lot better in the second half. Last game is everything though, I guess.

You've got a very short memory. We have faded badly in a lot of second halves this season.

A1X · Mar 6, 2021

Not Andy Naylor said:
Exactly. Poor game management late on. Palace was just one example, Leicester in the Cup, even Manchester United at home after the equaliser.

Newport in the cup too

Swansman · Mar 6, 2021

Mo Gosfield said:
You've got a very short memory. We have faded badly in a lot of second halves this season.

My memory is great.

I agree that in many (too many) games only one of the halves were good, but whether its been the first or the second is pretty much a different story every week.

timbha · Mar 6, 2021

I’m not sure what Potter thinks Ali J will add to the game by bringing him on. If it’s a safety net to protect a point it’s not working.

Not sure what Trossard is creating. He beats a player two or three times but then either loses it or gives a sloppy pass than forces us to go back.

Jeremiah · Mar 6, 2021

It is strange that we flag so often in the second half.

Lallana had an excellent game and should have scored his second goal in the second half but clearly ran out of puff after about 60 minutes. Trossard & Gross disappeared and Welbeck looks slow and unfit - that's quite a bit of weight for the others to be carrying in a second half.

I don't get Potters lack of emotion and subs. It does little to endear himself to us watching. He has had a really easy ride without spectators in the stadium - can you imagine 1 home win all season and 28k Albion supporters in the ground - he would certainly know how many felt about the results.

Charity Shield 1910 · Mar 6, 2021

Swansman said:
Both against CP and WBA the team looked a lot better in the second half. Last game is everything though, I guess.

The complaint is that our best player looks unfit to last 90 minutes (Lallana). If injured that's one thing, if unfit then boot up the backside is needed. One thing I will never criticise Maupay for is lack of effort, just talent at scoring goals.

Mo Gosfield · Mar 6, 2021

timbha said:
I’m not sure what Potter thinks Ali J will add to the game by bringing him on. If it’s a safety net to protect a point it’s not working.

Not sure what Trossard is creating. He beats a player two or three times but then either loses it or gives a sloppy pass than forces us to go back.

He is a lightweight luxury that we cannot afford, particularly at the moment. You can't go through 90 minutes continually giving the ball away. Great if you are 3-0 up and safe from trouble. Absolutely not the answer if you are in a muck and bullets relegation struggle and every tackle won and pass made counts.

portlock seagull · Mar 6, 2021

We're just not a very good side if you're honest enough to admit this and understand football is about 90+ mins and sticking the ball in the net more than your opponents i.e. winning games. Alternatively, you can put it down to bad luck, like some medieval peasant citing god to explain now known scientific facts. Like Ali J isn't a PL footballer.

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