[Albion] Attacking Options

Guinness Boy · Jan 15, 2022

(yes this again, no one forced you to open it and you don't have to comment if you don't want to)

If ever a game showed why the recruitment team should be looking to add an attacker this window for US and not to go on loan it was last night. Another frustrating game where we were by far the better side but also never really looked like scoring (missing a pen and fouling in the box are not going to get you an actual goal). But we have some very specific issues to deal with now:

1) Crosses. Sticking Tariq on to terrorise them down our right was a stroke of genius but no one looked like getting on the end of them until Welbeck came on after TL.
2) Penalties. We need a regular, reliable penalty taker and we need one now. I'm aware that there are midfielders and the odd defender who do or did this brilliantly but most penalty takers are attackers.
3) Options. Very clear that if either Maupay or Welbeck get injured long term we're screwed and will spend the rest of the season squeezing out the odd draw and finishing closer to 40 points (again) than 50.

I feel like b.w.2 but, honestly, how can we be so good and yet so toothless?

Stat Brother · Jan 15, 2022

I'm not so sure.
It all feels a bit out there, blue skies thinking.

The wake of palace hardly seems like the right time to come out with a whole new way of thinking.

Put a pin in it, give it a couple of windows, then we'll see where we're at.

Biscuit Barrel · Jan 15, 2022

Hold the front page.

Guinness Boy · Jan 15, 2022

Stat Brother said:
I'm not so sure.
It all feels a bit out there, blue skies thinking.

The wake of palace hardly seems like the right time to come out with a whole new way of thinking.

Put a pin in it, give it a couple of windows, then we'll see where we're at.

Biscuit Barrel said:
Hold the front page.

Thanks chaps. I probably should have bolded the bit in brackets.

I don't think the lightbulb's gone on at Ashworth Towers, do you?

Icy Gull · Jan 15, 2022

It is frustrating but I genuinely believe we are holding out for the holy grail of a striker (Sarmiento/Ferguson whisper it Connolly?) coming good or finding a young gem who will come in and get up to speed over a season. We are not going to splash more than we can afford and the final part of the jigsaw is proving elusive.

We will get there though, even more patience needed and if watching this Albion side is frustrating it is still thrilling and It’s a part of the journey I hope.

Guinness Boy · Jan 15, 2022

Icy Gull said:
It is frustrating but I genuinely believe we are holding out for the holy grail of a striker (Sarmiento/Ferguson whisper it Connolly?) coming good or finding a young gem who will come in and get up to speed over a season. We are not going to splash more than we can afford and the final part of the jigsaw is proving elusive.

We will get there though, even more patience needed and if watching this Albion side is frustrating it is still thrilling and It’s a part of the journey I hope.

Ferguson is very young though. I also have high hopes for him (my son knows one of the Academy keepers who has trained with him who said he's the best player he's trained against with an ability to absolutely thrash it into the top corner at will - but that's against other kids) but he's not going to solve the crossing and penalty issues this season is he?

Stat Brother · Jan 15, 2022

Guinness Boy said:
Thanks chaps. I probably should have bolded the bit in brackets.

I don't think the lightbulb's gone on at Ashworth Towers, do you?

Bought Chris Wood.

#TrustAshworth.

Icy Gull · Jan 15, 2022

Guinness Boy said:
Ferguson is very young though. I also have high hopes for him (my son knows one of the Academy keepers who has trained with him who said he's the best player he's trained against with an ability to absolutely thrash it into the top corner at will - but that's against other kids) but he's not going to solve the crossing and penalty issues this season is he?

Nope and patience is needed, it is unlikely to be solved this season unless we pull something out of the bag this window. Unless of course you are suggesting that Potter is setting us up wrong?

There were a fairly large number of people making very negative remarks on here when the team was announced which really surprised me :shrug:

Javeaseagull · Jan 15, 2022

Palace(spit) have spent a fair bit on strikers in recent years but scored through an on-loan midfielder. Just saying.

Stat Brother · Jan 15, 2022

Guinness Boy said:
Ferguson is very young though. I also have high hopes for him (my son knows one of the Academy keepers who has trained with him who said he's the best player he's trained against with an ability to absolutely thrash it into the top corner at will - but that's against other kids) but he's not going to solve the crossing and penalty issues this season is he?

I'm as perplexed by talk of Ferguson as I am by shouts of "shoot" 20 yards from goal, !Jocko aside)

What are people seeing that I'm not?

The Albion stink with strikers.
The Albion really stink with their own strikers.

With all that's happened with Connolly, why do so many people under 23's to Premier League is a step for just turned 17 year old Ferguson?

Stat Brother · Jan 15, 2022

Javeaseagull said:
Palace(spit) have spent a fair bit on strikers in recent years but scored through an on-loan midfielder. Just saying.

Plus ALL £40m strikers are Joelynton.

Mellotron · Jan 15, 2022

Careful. I really upset Andy Naylor on Twitter by suggesting having 1.5 senior strikers wasn’t “fantastic strength in depth”. He obviously disagreed.

Swansman · Jan 15, 2022

Trossard and Moder had the best chances, which is quite common when you play against someone who played like Palace did last night. Not sure a different striker would have made a massive impact.

But from the last few press conferences from Potter I really do get the impression that they would want another striker coming in before the end of the window. But obviously its only going to happen if they find the right guy and there's not too many strikers who are "the right guy" = someone who needs to be able to improve but is good enough now yet would probably need to accept some bench time. Also needs to have the right personality and playing style.

Think it is 50/50 it will happen or we'll have to wait to the summer. As long as Maupay and Welbeck are fit there's no crisis.

jackanada · Jan 15, 2022

Remember how we and said we needed a quality LB / LWB but we just kept not signing one.

And then we bought Cucurella.

Hopefully one day we'll recall how we all kept saying we were clearly light upfront.

Amexarmadillo · Jan 15, 2022

Probably the fifth window now that it’s been obvious we have needed another established striker and Incompletely expect none to arrive yet again. I know Welbeck was recruited but he was always going to be out half the time hence him being a post window freebie.

Thunder Bolt · Jan 15, 2022

Gary Neville made this point after the match. Maupay is good but the type of striker we’re wanting is going to cost £50-60M. Even then the top 6 will attract that striker more than us with European football and far better wages.

WATFORD zero · Jan 15, 2022

I don't think we are going to sign one (but hope to be proven wrong).

I believe that we will wait until one (or more) of Ferguson, Zeqiri, Connolly or Sarmiento are ready.

Guinness Boy · Jan 15, 2022

Icy Gull said:
Unless of course you are suggesting that Potter is setting us up wrong?

Well, let's unpack that.

Potter is now our long term coach. He's not a rookie any more and has had the time that new coaches need, In that time four things are consistently true.

1) We rarely score very many goals or thrash anyone. This season we've only scored three in a match once and that was away.
2) We normally underperform against our xG. And often we actually get three points when our xG is lower.
3) We rarely win at home and this IS going to end up frustrating people. I went with a mate last night who is a STH and used to go away a fair bit too, but has been unable to make as many game this season as normal. The last time he saw us win was against Leicester. We were both saying on the train home that we almost never leave the Amex these days with the warm glow of happiness that comes with a win.
4) Potter has NEVER beaten Palace as a coach.

These are not one off things, these are three year trends. So he is either not being given the tools, not asking for the tools or not using the tools and I think that's why there is still discussion on here about him that you might think he doesn't deserve.

Last night FWIW I thought he was great (mostly) and so were the team. We GOT that it was our rivals. We were WAY better than Palace. The stats show we should have murdered them, Yet we didn't. Again. While Gross was poor that was down to the player IMO - GP can't take penalties for him - so the only real issue for me was the aforementioned sticking on Lamptey to cross and leaving the crossing target on the bench till later.

maltaseagull · Jan 15, 2022

Icy Gull said:
It is frustrating but I genuinely believe we are holding out for the holy grail of a striker (Sarmiento/Ferguson whisper it Connolly?) coming good or finding a young gem who will come in and get up to speed over a season. We are not going to splash more than we can afford and the final part of the jigsaw is proving elusive.

We will get there though, even more patience needed and if watching this Albion side is frustrating it is still thrilling and It’s a part of the journey I hope.

That makes far more sense than splashing £40-50 million on one player and paying more wages than any other player who could easily get injured and miss the rest of the season. (It happens!)

I think Ferguson is a real prospect and hope he gets more game time this season.

b.w.2. · Jan 15, 2022

Javeaseagull said:
Palace(spit) have spent a fair bit on strikers in recent years but scored through an on-loan midfielder. Just saying.

So what?

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[Albion] Attacking Options

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