[Albion] A list of everything that's wrong and who is to blame

[Luke93]

Relegating Murray to a bit part player last season was a mistake. I’m aware of his record, 20 appearances that season with 2 goals (one in cup) and I can only recall 1 assist away to Saints. But that season he was criminally underused and was mostly a sub to save a lost cause. For 2 seasons under Hughton in the same division he was a reliable goal scorer. The exact type of player we need now.

I appreciate the fact he’s old. It didn’t work at Watford either but under his old manager at Forest, he looks like the player we once had. I get that transition was needed to freshen up the side, and that’s generally been done well in most areas with young and dynamic players. But I still question Potter’s decision to almost write off our top goal scorer for 3 seasons before. With the power of hindsight from my sofa it’s easy to say this, but clearly not working for any of our strikers right now.

 

[Guinness Boy]

No. We learned from Sheff Utd. We created much more against Palace and West Brom who also operated a low block. Up until this game, we also learned to deal with set pieces better.
Now we need to learn how to take penalties.

It's always something though, isn't it?

We'll have to learn how to defend set pieces. Well done children, you've got a B+. Let's move on. We'll have to learn how to create chances against a low block. Marvellous. A+. Now, let's work on them being good ones. Oh, whoops. B. And now, scoring them. Aggh. C- (perhaps the exam board won't notice). And so on......

This is Premier League football not Shoreham effing Academy.

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

I blame the xG too.
It must play on the strikers mind when they are in a(what we would call)goal scoring position.
Is XG subconsciously causing negative thoughts when a player has a shooting opportunity?
Are there instincts saying shooooot but there mind is saying"xG says you can't score from here,you need to pass it,YOU WILL NOT SCORE".
I am starting to think so.
The players are becoming real life computer programmer versions of themselves,seemingly unable to live in the moment and apply thier skill,instinct and experience in that split second when a shot is available.

 

[Guinness Boy]

1) We have no penalty taker. Not one. At least CH always had a penalty taker. We seem not to have one in the squad let alone the starting XI.

You need a player with balls to take pens. Groß is normally very good and I clearly our No.1 but even he has succumbed to this horrific disease of missing.

2) We have no one who can hit a good free kick from around the box except Dunk, and he can only do it if allowed to take early. How many goals is Ward Prowse worth? Again CH knew the value of a set piece taker.

These players are few and far between at the top level. I agree that we should pick one player and put all our stock in their basket. Mac Allister is the man for me. We chop and change too much.


3) We still cannot defend set pieces against big sides.

You could see the opportunity today with the Sun blazing in our defensive eyes. Dunk makes another I’ll judged decision not to Sky himself and the obvious happens. We were untroubled without the Sun as we have been since Wolves.

4) Connolly - not good enough. Should have been loaned.

Agree. Too much too soon for the lad.


5) No left back in the whole squad. Burn is not a left back.

Agree. Burn is useful for certain situations but we need someone of the quality of Wayne Bridge to put on steady performances.

6) Still taking the poor percentage shots from the wrong place. But maybe because.....

This goes against a central but wrong pillar of Potter Out Campaign rhetoric that we overplay and try and pass the ball into the net. We generally don’t overplay, We just don’t have the quality when it comes down to shooting, I don’t think it’s a case of ‘when we shoot’ more likely ‘how we shoot’.

7) There isn't a player in the side who could finish a boiled egg.

I have no argument with this. Every player is convinced we can’t score as are the referees who blow up even if we get it in the net, confident that it really couldn’t have happened legally.

8) Performances prioritised over points. The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

I’m happy about this. Change the philosophy now and we’ll become the quivering wreak of our side that we were at the end of Hughton’s era, camped in our penalty area taking big beatings off the likes of Bournemouth & Cardiff and not looking like scoring ever through a lack of creating any chances whatsoever.

9) Absolutely rotten luck. Terrible refereeing decisions almost constantly, both wingbacks out long term injured, a fixture list order that really doesn't suit us.

Agree.

Thanks. A good set of answers. But....

"This goes against a central but wrong pillar of Potter Out Campaign rhetoric that we overplay and try and pass the ball into the net. We generally don’t overplay, We just don’t have the quality when it comes down to shooting, I don’t think it’s a case of ‘when we shoot’ more likely ‘how we shoot’."

I'm not sure if you count me in that camp (I'm fairly much on the fence right now) but my frustration is exactly the opposite. We overplay at the back from time to time, which slows the game down and allows the opposition to get into shape, but when that happens we shoot from too far out and often off balance. When we break quickly we get in the area, set up a really great chance and miss it anyway.

 

[The Clamp]

We are a pretty good team with lots of passion who sometimes get the formula correct and have a good season/half season. We will drop in and out of the PL for as long as we exist. IMHO.

 

[Husty]

We have an international leftback, we've just paid to cut short his loan. He played for the U23s last night.
If he isn't better than Burn at LB then God help us indeed.

He's a right back, not a left back. He was playing at left back in Poland due to injury. Whether the recruitment team realised this when we signed him is anyone's guess.

 

[Guinness Boy]

2) We have no one who can hit a good free kick from around the box except Dunk, and he can only do it if allowed to take early. How many goals is Ward Prowse worth? Again CH knew the value of a set piece taker.
- MacAllister, Gross and March can all take free kicks. Just a shame March is injured

They can't score them. Spanish Dave could. Knocky could.

4) Connolly - not good enough. Should have been loaned. - in your opinion. He was unlucky to get injured during his best game of the season (Wolves). We don’t have other options, why would you loan him. Remember he’s 20 years old

The fact he's 20 is exactly why he should be loaned. He should be playing every week in The Championship and getting his confidence up. not playing one in five here and missing from four yards.

5) No left back in the whole squad. Burn is not a left back. - he frustrates me too but he did nothing wrong today. Karbo and March will be in place for next season

I'm going to sound like the dear departed BG here but neither of those players are bone fide LEFT BACKS. We have no option to play a standard back four without flagging a weakness to an opposition coach.

8) Performances prioritised over points. The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result - the performances are creating the chances, we’re just not taking them. No magic wand for that

Not my point. It's not working. What you say above is totally reasonable for up to 10 games but it's a bit more than a vague pattern now, it's defined us for parts of last season and all of this one.

The biggest problem for me is the performances are raising expectation, both with the media and the fans and media. Suddenly everyone expects us to hammer Palace 5-0 and coast to an easy victory away at West Brom. I’m really not sure why. We have a small budget and as a result, limited players. We’re currently 16th and that would do just fine, allowing us to address some issues in the summer..

So why change Hughton specifically for Potter? I totally get that CH's last half season was far from good and I wanted him gone after the B'Muff 5-0. But to bring in someone who will simply raise our level of entitlement without in any way improving the league table position seems to counter productive at best and bollocks marketing window dressing at worst.

 

[The Fits]

He's a right back, not a left back. He was playing at left back in Poland due to injury. Whether the recruitment team realised this when we signed him is anyone's guess.

Someone else said that above.
But, I watched him make his full debut (and play the entire game) for Poland at LB (in a four!).

 

[hoof hearted]

We have a left back in the squad. Karbownik is a left back - that's the postion he's played most of his career and he's comfortable in that position. Doesn't matter if he's stronger on his right foot. I don't know why Potter hasn't played him as LWB yet, seems bizarre considering we are in need of more pace in the team and players that can dribble past opponents.

I agree that Connolly should have been loaned out, maybe if the club didn't bring in an injury prone striker he could have been.

I think defending set pieces has improved recently. Today WBA did well to block off Sancez and stop him coming off his line. The defenders still need to be more dominant in the box though, it was quite a soft goal to concede.

 

[Skaville]

They can't score them. Spanish Dave could. Knocky could.



The fact he's 20 is exactly why he should be loaned. He should be playing every week in The Championship and getting his confidence up. not playing one in five here and missing from four yards.



I'm going to sound like the dear departed BG here but neither of those players are bone fide LEFT BACKS. We have no option to play a standard back four without flagging a weakness to an opposition coach.



Not my point. It's not working. What you say above is totally reasonable for up to 10 games but it's a bit more than a vague pattern now, it's defined us for parts of last season and all of this one.



So why change Hughton specifically for Potter? I totally get that CH's last half season was far from good and I wanted him gone after the B'Muff 5-0. But to bring in someone who will simply raise our level of entitlement without in any way improving the league table position seems to counter productive at best and bollocks marketing window dressing at worst.

Re Free kick taker - you can’t pick one simply on that basis and Spanish Dave was and Knocy only scored them at Championship level as far as I can remember. Gross scored against Everton last season.

Re Connolly - you’re entitled to your opinion but the club and the player in particular clearly disagree. Connolly didn’t want to go on loan and Potter trusts him enough to start him. I think he’ll come good

Re Left Backs - agreed, but we predominantly go with five at the back. We do have a bona fide left back on Bernardo. It’s just unfortunate we loaned him and then March got injured immediately

Re performances - it is working, to a point. We’re on track to stay up. Everyone agrees we’re leaving points on the pitch but at we’ve been in every game. Only soundly beaten once this season. I’d stick with it and refine it because we are damn close to being the best dude we’ve ever had.

Re Potter. Been done to death. Goals are improved style of play, a philosophy, a pathway for the youngsters and development of the existing squad. Hard to argue that that he isn’t delivering on every point, just let down by our lack of composure in front of goal. It’s a six year project. I’m as frustrated as anyone this week but really enjoying the journey

 

[hoof hearted]

He's right footed. He was filling in at left back in Poland. Sound familiar?

Brandon Williams at Manchester United is a right footed left back. There's a few of them out there. Karbownik can play left back, that's a fact, as that's were he's played most of his career. Can he play right back as well? sure and he can also play as a defensive midfielder.

 

[The Fits]

Relegating Murray to a bit part player last season was a mistake. I’m aware of his record, 20 appearances that season with 2 goals (one in cup) and I can only recall 1 assist away to Saints. But that season he was criminally underused and was mostly a sub to save a lost cause. For 2 seasons under Hughton in the same division he was a reliable goal scorer. The exact type of player we need now.

I appreciate the fact he’s old. It didn’t work at Watford either but under his old manager at Forest, he looks like the player we once had. I get that transition was needed to freshen up the side, and that’s generally been done well in most areas with young and dynamic players. But I still question Potter’s decision to almost write off our top goal scorer for 3 seasons before. With the power of hindsight from my sofa it’s easy to say this, but clearly not working for any of our strikers right now.

He would've been a positive force in training also.
I feel exactly the same, it's easy in hindsight, but he WOULD have taken some of these spurned chances.

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Nike are obviously to blame for dumping two of their worst-ever kit designs on us.

As a number of people pointed out after the home effort made its debut at Burnley, it can only bring bad luck to have a kit associated with an FA Cup defeat and the drop back into the second tier after four seasons at the top level.

 

[Guinness Boy]

We have a left back in the squad. Karbownik is a left back - that's the postion he's played most of his career and he's comfortable in that position. Doesn't matter if he's stronger on his right foot. I don't know why Potter hasn't played him as LWB yet, seems bizarre considering we are in need of more pace in the team and players that can dribble past opponents.

I agree that Connolly should have been loaned out, maybe if the club didn't bring in an injury prone striker he could have been.

I think defending set pieces has improved recently. Today WBA did well to block off Sancez and stop him coming off his line. The defenders still need to be more dominant in the box though, it was quite a soft goal to concede.

Let's be crystal clear about this.

If Karbownik is a left back - if - then our head coach prefers a central midfielder and a 6ft 7 mid table Championship centre back to him in that position. So is the issue the players or the coach?

 

[hoof hearted]

Let's be crystal clear about this.

If Karbownik is a left back - if - then our head coach prefers a central midfielder and a 6ft 7 mid table Championship centre back to him in that position. So is the issue the players or the coach?

I honestly have no idea why Potter prefers Burn over Karbownik. I've heard posters on this forum say Potter doesn't like to play inverted wingbacks, but not sure why and where that rumour has come from. Personally, Karbownik already looks a better player than Burn. But then again if it was me, I wouldn't be playing Maupay week in week out when he never looks like scoring, so I don't know what Potter's decision making is.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I honestly have no idea why Potter prefers Burn over Karbownik. I've heard posters on this forum say Potter doesn't like to play inverted wingbacks, but not sure why and where that rumour has come from. Personally, Karbownik already looks a better player than Burn. But then again if it was me, I wouldn't be playing Maupay week in week out when he never looks like scoring, so I don't know what Potter's decision making is.

With the exception that I'd rather sign players with one, strong, regular position than three ones that they're ok at, I think you and I are violently agreeing. Potter's insistence on persisting with Burn is baffling.

 

[Weststander]

This is the only list you need:

1. We need a decent striker.

This.

Plus imho we need to be more savvy in on field game management. Other teams have an ethos of being incredibly hard to break down, especially when in front. Another facet possibly is not chasing a win in big numbers at the end of a match, leaving us vulnerable to the sucker punch. We seem very ‘honest’.

 

[jonnyrovers]

why do JCLs always have to have someone to blame?

Who are 'JCLs'?

Do you have any examples of these 'JCLs' blaming someone?

Is it relevant that you've seen the club 45 minutes from non league football?

I suppose what I'm saying is that there will always be fans that arrived after you did, it seems odd that this might make them any more or less likely to need to blame someone, and that the position the club was in 25 years ago has got absolutely nothing to do with the lack of firepower killing our 4th Premier League season.

Cool story though

 

[hoof hearted]

With the exception that I'd rather sign players with one, strong, regular position than three ones that they're ok at, I think you and I are violently agreeing. Potter's insistence on persisting with Burn is baffling.

I may be wrong, but I think left back is Karbownik's strongest position. He's hardly played at DM and only played a few games at RB. I get what you're saying though and do agree. If Karbownik played mostly left back at his previous club and won the league playing in that position, surely he should be playing there, maybe over Burn (imo he should be) but certainly over the likes of Alzate and others who have been forced to play in an unnatural postion.

 

[Eeyore]

Blue in the face now. So maybe I should stop commenting. A relief to some.

The performances this year have been the avenues to opportunities. And many have been created.

So Potter has done his job. It is up to his personnel to do the last yards.

A change in play patterns (which actually happens quite a lot in our set up) does not make the net any wider.

The problem with being a football fan is the perilous subscription to the idea that every problem has an instant solution. Change the manager, play this option, use this combination.

I call it fans PMT (Post match Tardis). Where having seen all the outcomes they can be righted without testing. A fan is always right because they are never judged on what their magical solution would have done. If he'd have gone with my plan they would have won.

But something is glaring everyone, fan and neutral, in the face. Brighton are a very well set up team who should be far higher than they are now. They just don't like open goals...

And to this, at least for now, there is nothing that can be done by Potter except to hope that something changes.