[Albion] Can we talk about Sanchez ?

[Farehamseagull]

You're right we don't - although Sanchez was on the bench for Forest, Man U and Everton, so probably correct to assume it was his response to not being reinstated after Everton.

We also don't know that Sanchez refused to play, do we? Everyone has just assumed this. It could well be that he's communicated his wish to move this summer and RDZ has decided that it wouldn't be best to have a want-away keeper as back up.

Well actually yes we do. RDZ has clearly stated it was Sanchez who decided he didn’t want to be on the bench. Unless you think RDZ is having us on?

 

[WATFORD zero]

Don't know how 'friendly' the agreement between RdZ and Sanchez not to travel and be on the bench is - but it does look as if Sanchez has rather been chucked under the bus.
My way or the highway - does that look a bit like RdZ's strategy? Well, that's fine - strong management .................






.............. up to a point. Webster next?

Are you suggesting that RdZ should let Sanchez pick the team instead, and Trossard before that

What's a GK supposed to do to get back in the side though? Not much you can do sitting on the bench.

Well if he has been told that Steele is getting the nod because he makes better decisions with the ball at his feet, he could work on his decision making with the ball at his feet. We pay all the coaching staff big money to help improve him and it's hardly going to make him a worse keeper or hold back his career is it


Besides which, the season ends in a couple of weeks. What possible reason would you have to make yourself unavailable for selection 2 weeks before the Summer transfer window. Even if you want a transfer, how the f*** will that make a team more likely to sign you? It is truly stupid

 

[nwgull]

Well actually yes we do. RDZ has clearly stated it was Sanchez who decided he didn’t want to be on the bench. Unless you think RDZ is having us on?

I didn't know this.

 

[METALMICKY]

I feel a bit sorry for Sanchez tbh. I know this is going massively against the grain but I felt that when he dropped him initially for Steele, RDZ made a bit too much of Steele being his best choice and the most competent playing out etc. it may have been said to boost Steele but it seemed largely at the expense of Sanchez and publicly slating a keeper who hadn’t really done much wrong was harsh.

Sanchez comes in against Man U in the semi-final and plays well, gets dropped back to the bench. He watches Steele drop the kind of performance he did at Everton and yet still doesn’t get back in? At that point he must be seeing that there is no pathway back to the first team for him.

Players on the bench need to see that there is a pathway into the first team for them or they become disheartened and usually leave. I think this is what’s happened here, Sanchez can’t get back in either by playing well or by Steele playing badly. I don’t think he’s gone about it the right way by throwing a strop, I can understand his being frustrated.

Can someone please remind me how all the Everton goals were down to errors from Steele thereby supposedly justifying Bob's strop at not getting reinstated?

 

[Springal]

I didn't know this.

It was in RDZs press conferences (twice) and there’s an article on The Athletic with details today

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Can someone please remind me how all the Everton goals were down to errors from Steele thereby supposedly justifying Bob's strop at not getting reinstated?

Well, I read about it on here, is that good enough for you?!!!

 

[nwgull]

It was in RDZs press conferences (twice) and there’s an article on The Athletic with details today

And?

 

[GT49er]

Are you suggesting that RdZ should let Sanchez pick the team instead, and Trossard before that

No.

 

[WATFORD zero]

No.

RdZ picks Steele over Sanchez and says this is because he believes his decision making with the ball at his feet is better.

Sanchez could take this on board, and use the highly paid and highly skilled coaching team who are there specifically to help improve his goalkeeping and help him improve any 'perceived' weakness, making him an all round better keeper whether at the Albion or elsewhere.

Instead, Sanchez decides to make himself unavailable for the most important two week period in the whole of the history of Brighton and Hove Albion.

What do you think RdZ should have done different

 

[The Wizard]

I know the ego must take a hit as a goalkeeper, of which I’m guessing Sanchez has a substantial one but if you’re dropped from the team for a specific reason you’d think the best course of action would be to get out on the training pitch and work your bollocks off every day getting better at it.

It’s hard to understand what goes through someone’s head to make them think the best course of action is just to down tools and basically not bother

Not saying it’s easy to swallow your pride but you’re being paid a lot of money, it’s really disappointing from Big Rob, I hope he stays I really do as he’s a phenomenal keeper for his age.

 

[sparkie]

Will he be on the bench v Southampton or Man City to wave goodbye to the Amex or just sulk his way out the door ?

Just 9 days until the end of the season.

Sort yourself out, Bob.

 

[Robinjakarta]

He's not getting back in the side this season.

After being dropped again after the Man U game, it was clear that Sanchez was not getting back into the side anytime soon ..

Not if Steele got injured? Sick?

 

[Robinjakarta]

I know the ego must take a hit as a goalkeeper, of which I’m guessing Sanchez has a substantial one but if you’re dropped from the team for a specific reason you’d think the best course of action would be to get out on the training pitch and work your bollocks off every day getting better at it.

It’s hard to understand what goes through someone’s head to make them think the best course of action is just to down tools and basically not bother

Not saying it’s easy to swallow your pride but you’re being paid a lot of money, it’s really disappointing from Big Rob, I hope he stays I really do as he’s a phenomenal keeper for his age.

Footballers, innit. Obviously, like, not the sharpest tools in the box, like.

 

[Baldseagull]

We are all guessing at the nature of the problem, assuming he is just pissed off at being dropped, but he may be saying I can't be backup because my confidence is shot, he may be deflated by having spent ten years here developing his reactions and positioning for shot stopping and is now being told that however good he is at that, he needs to be an extra outfield player first. Whatever is going on, De Zerbi doesn't seem to be calling him out as unprofessional, so I am not going to think any worse of him for his apparent reaction to a situation I don't know much about.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Footballers, innit. Obviously, like, not the sharpest tools in the box, like.

More specifically, goalkeepers are a bit weird.
It's why all the posts demanding "proper competition" for whoever we happen to have in goal at the time are such nonsense*.
*Well, one of the reasons.

 

[LamieRobertson]

The answer is yes

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Depends who replaces him. Given the club's recruitment over the past few seasons, I'm excited!

Adiós Big Bob and thanks for the memories

That’s fair. At the moment it’s Steele though

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Which of last night’s goals are you putting down to Steele’s keeping ?

I don’t have to put a specific goal down to it, although I’m yet to see him really make a save that isn’t painfully straight forward. The two he did make last night he pushed back into dangerous areas too, and against Arsenal he was incredibly lucky that the two errors he made with his feet weren’t punished. I don’t think we’re as well organised with him there - we looked all at sea last night, as we have in quite a few games lately. He doesn’t seem to inspire confidence and he doesn’t collect anything aerially.

Let’s put it this way, it doesn’t surprise me that we’re starting to regularly concede big amounts of goals in games since we’ve switched to Steele in goal. And yes, there are other variables, but we concede more regularly with him in goal. And I just don’t see that stat changing anytime soon.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

He isn't 'aggressively going after what he wants'. That would be working his arse off and forcing his way into the side and getting all the big clubs to take notice and come for him. He is throwing his toys out the pram like a spoilt child, and in the process is disrespecting his team mates, thousands of fans who pay to see him play, and the guy who pays him tens of thousands of pounds a week. The are 4 games to go for God's sake, is it really that much to ask for him to make himself available, as per his contract?

Bizarrely he is literally outside my window right now, I just saw as I was typing this. That is extremely weird.

How do you know any of this as a matter of fact?

 

[Springal]

How do you know any of this as a matter of fact?

Refusing to be on the bench is a fairly good starting point as a fact