[Albion] Potter's best team?

Danny Wilson Said · Feb 27, 2022

In an idle moment, I totted up the players who had appeared in most of the seven Premier League wins this season. Okay, that's an imperfect measure of GP's best team because some players who might have started were unfit or suspended or hadn't been signed (Cucurella), and some draws (Chelsea and Liverpool away) were arguably better than wins. But according to the numbers, Potter's best team is:

Sanchez (7 starts)

Veltman (4), Webster (6), Duffy (4 starts, 2 sub appearances), Dunk 4, Cucurella 5

Lallana (6,1), Bissouma (5,1), Mac Allister (3,3)

Maupay (7), Trossard (6)

Subs: Welbeck (3,2), March (3,1), Gross (3,1). But Moder started two and came on in five so arguably he's the best sub.

Maybe not too surprising but if there's a lesson, it would seem to be that Lallana has to start if fit, and maybe Duffy too. BDB, btw, started two and came on as sub in one. So perhaps not the vital player everyone thought.

Weststander · Feb 27, 2022

Thank you, that’s telling.

Lallana, slagged off by some, gets an instinctive passing game going. Without him, all a bit predictable in painting by numbers.

big nuts · Feb 27, 2022

Danny Wilson Said said:
In an idle moment, I totted up the players who had appeared in most of the seven Premier League wins this season. Okay, that's an imperfect measure of GP's best team because some players who might have started were unfit or suspended or hadn't been signed (Cucurella), and some draws (Chelsea and Liverpool away) were arguably better than wins. But according to the numbers, Potter's best team is:

Sanchez (7 starts)

Veltman (4), Webster (6), Duffy (4 starts, 2 sub appearances), Dunk 4, Cucurella 5

Lallana (6,1), Bissouma (5,1), Mac Allister (3,3)

Maupay (7), Trossard (6)

Subs: Welbeck (3,2), March (3,1), Gross (3,1). But Moder started two and came on in five so arguably he's the best sub.

Maybe not too surprising but if there's a lesson, it would seem to be that Lallana has to start if fit, and maybe Duffy too. BDB, btw, started two and came on as sub in one. So perhaps not the vital player everyone thought.

Probably coincidental, but our win percentage with Lamptey must be poor. We picked up last season when he was injured and have gone backwards since he returned.

He’s a great player, but we typically perform better without him (I think at least). Would be happy to be proved wrong.

Weststander · Feb 27, 2022

big nuts said:
Probably coincidental, but our win percentage with Lamptey must be poor. We picked up last season when he was injured and have gone backwards since he returned.

He’s a great player, but we typically perform better without him (I think at least). Would be happy to be proved wrong.

He’s not yet the player he was 18 months ago eg at SJP where he was unplayable.

Now closely marked too. Quality teams are able to exploit the space that creates elsewhere.

dazzer6666 · Feb 27, 2022

Weststander said:
Thank you, that’s telling.

Lallana, slagged off by some, gets an instinctive passing game going. Without him, all a bit predictable in painting by numbers.

100%. He’s our most intelligent and influential player by an absolute country mile when he’s on it.

Weststander · Feb 27, 2022

dazzer6666 said:
100%. He’s our most intelligent and influential player by an absolute country mile when he’s on it.

When you watch the best CL football teams, midfielders (especially acms’s) are ALWAYS forward thinking, they have a mental picture before the ball reaches them and then drive the team forward with an instinctive pass. Never a backwards pass to a pedestrian CB.

Lallana oozes that quality.

dazzer6666 · Feb 27, 2022

Weststander said:
When you watch the best CL football teams, midfielders (especially acms’s) are ALWAYS forward thinking, they have a picture before the ball reaches them and then drive the team forward with an instinctive pass. Never a backwards pass to a pedestrian CB.

Lallana oozes that quality.

He’s absolutely fascinating to watch (has to be live, TV doesn’t capture it). Constantly ‘scanning’……completely aware of everything that is going on around him, his head spins from left to right all the time. No-one else in our squad does it to anything like the same degree. Then when he gets the ball the first touches, drops of the shoulder and quick turns to create space are unbelievable at times. Levels above…..Alzate is actually closest IMO.

Wardy's twin · Feb 27, 2022

dazzer6666 said:
He’s absolutely fascinating to watch (has to be live, TV doesn’t capture it). Constantly ‘scanning’……completely aware of everything that is going on around him, his head spins from left to right all the time. No-one else in our squad does it to anything like the same degree. Then when he gets the ball the first touches, drops of the shoulder and quick turns to create space are unbelievable at times. Levels above…..Alzate is actually closest IMO.

and Alzate not picked nor used as a sub yesterday after playing some good football a couple of games ago....

One our best moves yesterday was that quick ball out to March which caught them out , similar to the one villa scored from - oh to have a player h ppy to run on goal and shoot (on target)

Weststander · Feb 27, 2022

dazzer6666 said:
He’s absolutely fascinating to watch (has to be live, TV doesn’t capture it). Constantly ‘scanning’……completely aware of everything that is going on around him, his head spins from left to right all the time. No-one else in our squad does it to anything like the same degree. Then when he gets the ball the first touches, drops of the shoulder and quick turns to create space are unbelievable at times. Levels above…..Alzate is actually closest IMO.

Definitely, you have to be there. TV coverage follows the ball.

DarrenFreemansPerm · Feb 27, 2022

Wardy's twin said:
and Alzate not picked nor used as a sub yesterday after playing some good football a couple of games ago....

One our best moves yesterday was that quick ball out to March which caught them out , similar to the one villa scored from - oh to have a player h ppy to run on goal and shoot (on target)

Was that the move when March took an age to fanny about and lost possession on the edge of the box?

Harry Wilson's tackle · Feb 27, 2022

dazzer6666 said:
100%. He’s our most intelligent and influential player by an absolute country mile when he’s on it.

And Lamptey (unsurprisingly) is our least. Out of position when defending, and giddy in attack. But hopefully composure will come with experience.

GT49er · Feb 27, 2022

Best team? Well, start with Sanchez in goal.
Three at the back (now three out of Dunk, Duffy, Webster and Veltman - yes we are light there without Burn). Has to be three at the back because we haven't got FBs. Veltman at RB OK, but both Lamptey and Cucu are definately wing backs, not proper full backs.
Three in midfield from Bissouma (not so much lately), Lallana, with Moder and Mac to provide the 'legs'.
Two out of three up front from Maupay, Welbeck and Trossard.

Mwepu (when fit), Alzate, March and Gross (but never in a CM two with Lallana) on stand-by. Youngsters queuing up for cameo substitutions - Offiah, Roberts, Ferguson and Leonard for a start.

midnight_rendezvous · Feb 27, 2022

DarrenFreemansPerm said:
Was that the move when March took an age to fanny about and lost possession on the edge of the box?

We did it twice. The first resulted in March fannying about, getting his shot off and it going behind for a corner.

willalbion · Feb 27, 2022

Weststander said:
Thank you, that’s telling.

Lallana, slagged off by some, gets an instinctive passing game going. Without him, all a bit predictable in painting by numbers.

And slow. We move the ball so slowly when he's not playing.

Not Andy Naylor · Feb 27, 2022

DarrenFreemansPerm said:
Was that the move when March took an age to fanny about and lost possession on the edge of the box?

That doesn't exactly narrow it down - it's what always happens when March gets the ball.

nwgull · Feb 27, 2022

Thanks for that; they’re genuinely interesting stats. Think that the 2-2 at Liverpool at least should go in there as one of our best performances this season.

Greg Bobkin · Feb 28, 2022

The trouble is, the players that would be considered 'certain starters' are out of form or injured. Bissouma, Veltman, Lamptey, Trossard, Webster, to point out just five.

We know Potter doesn't have a 'best team', he picks players based on the opposition. Trouble is, when those players don't turn up, it doesn't go well.

The Optimist · Feb 28, 2022

Danny Wilson Said said:
In an idle moment, I totted up the players who had appeared in most of the seven Premier League wins this season. Okay, that's an imperfect measure of GP's best team because some players who might have started were unfit or suspended or hadn't been signed (Cucurella), and some draws (Chelsea and Liverpool away) were arguably better than wins. But according to the numbers, Potter's best team is:

Sanchez (7 starts)

Veltman (4), Webster (6), Duffy (4 starts, 2 sub appearances), Dunk 4, Cucurella 5

Lallana (6,1), Bissouma (5,1), Mac Allister (3,3)

Maupay (7), Trossard (6)

Subs: Welbeck (3,2), March (3,1), Gross (3,1). But Moder started two and came on in five so arguably he's the best sub.

Maybe not too surprising but if there's a lesson, it would seem to be that Lallana has to start if fit, and maybe Duffy too. BDB, btw, started two and came on as sub in one. So perhaps not the vital player everyone thought.

For the players that play almost all our games (Maupay, Trossard) the above probably doesn’t tell you much. It is interesting to see how important Lallana is but I’d also add Webster.

Javeaseagull · Feb 28, 2022

I'm surprised that Moder isn't on that list. He seems to start every game lately. Can't argue with the stats though.

Deleted member 37369 · Feb 28, 2022

dazzer6666 said:
He’s absolutely fascinating to watch (has to be live, TV doesn’t capture it). Constantly ‘scanning’……completely aware of everything that is going on around him, his head spins from left to right all the time. No-one else in our squad does it to anything like the same degree. Then when he gets the ball the first touches, drops of the shoulder and quick turns to create space are unbelievable at times. Levels above…..Alzate is actually closest IMO.

Exactly ... I see that from my seat in WSU. He's class and as you say, needs to play when fit :thumbsup:

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