[Albion] De Zerbi Thoughts?

[Bold Seagull]

All this was said as we went into Spring when so many thought the only thing we faced was relegation when we lost 6 on the bounce.

Some of you just cannot escape the vortex of dark thoughts dragging you into an inevitable abyss. We’ve lost to a title contender and a very decent team on their own ground. Pull yourselves together. Performances are still decent, spirit still seems very good. This side always comes back swinging. Have a little faith, not everything has to be doom and gloom - leave that to the economists!!

 

[Swansman]

All this was said as we went into Spring when so many thought the only thing we faced was relegation when we lost 6 on the bounce.

Some of you just cannot escape the vortex of dark thoughts dragging you into an inevitable abyss. We’ve lost to a title contender and a very decent team on their own ground. Pull yourselves together. Performances are still decent, spirit still seems very good. This side always comes back swinging. Have a little faith, not everything has to be doom and gloom - leave that to the economists!!

We're all gonna die.

 

[Mackenzie]

Ah it’ll be fine. It’ll all sort itself out in the end.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

What were Potter's first few results? I don't recall them being particularly good, but memory fades.

 

[LamieRobertson]

What were Potter's first few results? I don't recall them being particularly good, but memory fades.

Won away at Watord
Drew at home to West Ham
Lost at home to Southampton (Andone red mist game?)

 

[jessiejames]

Potter has gone, hes not comming back, we needed a new manager, We have our new manager, RDZ Is the right choice, given TIME he will be just as good as Potter.

FFS, its early back the club, back the players and back the manager.

 

[Surf's Up]

An

It’s going to be a very tough few months, tough by PL standards anyway... I think we’re all guilty of hyper analysing Roberto’s style vs our perception of GP and his tactical preferences... ultimately we’re hugely in transition and it’s showing.

We’ve lost a huge player in Biss and game changer in Mwepu a PL goal scorer in Maupay and a brilliant wide player in Cucu and we’ve lost the coach (or coaches) who made our remaining best players tick...

Expecting 8th, 7th or 6th... was, even under GP a fantasy... it might have happened I guess, but now we’re dealing with reality. If we steer clear of a relegation battle we will have over achieved... given our losses in terms of players and coaching stability etc.

Lack of investment, expecting players with one decent season in Belgium to slot in and kick on for relative peanuts simply isn’t realistic. As for expecting a coach with an up and down track record, zero experience of English football not to mention English as a second language to maintain 4th-6th in this division (again) is Roy of the Rovers levels of fictional wishful thinking.

I like Roberto, he’s full of passion and clearly has a very strong work ethic... but the club need to be prepared to change/upgrade the squad to match his philosophy, rather than expecting him to be Graham and work with the squad as if he’d built it himself... are we prepared to do that? I have serious doubts tbh, and that might undermine Roberto and make his time a massive anti-climax.

If the players are starting to ‘miss’ or ‘pine’ for GP then we have a problem as they need to move on, we all do... it’s hard, as clearly GP is a truly brilliant coach and therein lies the rub... you can’t simply replace that, just ask those poor souls at Old Trafford ... (slight joke) BUT I suspect we’re going to have to deal with the down on the upside ... expecting to beat Forest is dangerous, we have no right to beat anyone... obviously I hope we do, but for me it’s about 38-40 points and that’s it.

I’m also hoping we (finally) bring in a striker to support Welbz as Undav is not really up to this level ... he’s too slow, makes Hemed look like a 20 goal a season player... Ferguson is raw, but talented but by God we need our Toney or someone who we think (he’s going to score, not miss) and fast.

Fingers crossed we stabilise the ship and get at least a point on Tuesday

Albion

An excellent assessment of our current situation.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Just going to have to take the rough with the smooth.

At least the European qualification fantasists have shut up.

As long we stay 17th or above.

 

[jcdenton08]

I expect us to win on Tuesday night.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I expect us to win on Tuesday night.

That’s torn it, thanks for that.

 

[boik]

There seems to be an awful lot of certainty on hear that the last two results are down to the manager. Don't forget that Potter himself was more than capable of getting performances like that on a pretty regular basis , including his penultimate match.
If most of our players play at or near the very top of our game then we can get some great results. If just a few are below par then last night happens. Players are human with all sorts of human things going on in their lives, which make affect their performance. Also, if one player is a bit off then it affects their ability to receive a pass and their ability to play a pass making others look worse.

No reason to panic, the nature of our squad means that runs of good and not so good results are pretty inevitable.

 

[banjo]

Gotta give him a chance.

 

[Machiavelli]

I don’t think anyone sane is saying the last three games have been a disaster.
Just some worrying signs that we are heading backwards for the time being.
Dicking around with it in defence, being predictable and attacking too slowly, won’t cut it.

Really don't think there are 'worrying signs that we are heading backwards'. As others have said, our March-August form was the exception not the norm, and also agree with those saying that we wouldn't necessarily be shining if Potter was still here.
If you don't like the 'dicking around with it in defence', I strongly suspect you're not going to enjoy the RDZ regime. On this, two points. First, we 'dicked around with it in defence' under Potter. Second, agreed, the way we 'dick around with it in defence' under RDZ is different, and riskier, but that's the way he sets his side up to play -- and that's why he's been hired by Bloom and the board. I just happen to trust Bloom and the board to make good decisions, and will just enjoy the ride and hope it works out.
That said, the Forest game all of a sudden has upped in significance, particularly given what comes after combined with the forthcoming unusual mid-season break.

 

[Machiavelli]

There seems to be an awful lot of certainty on hear that the last two results are down to the manager. Don't forget that Potter himself was more than capable of getting performances like that on a pretty regular basis , including his penultimate match.
If most of our players play at or near the very top of our game then we can get some great results. If just a few are below par then last night happens. Players are human with all sorts of human things going on in their lives, which make affect their performance. Also, if one player is a bit off then it affects their ability to receive a pass and their ability to play a pass making others look worse.

No reason to panic, the nature of our squad means that runs of good and not so good results are pretty inevitable.

Agreed, one of my bugbears is those that can't see that when we play it's not just down to us (whether players and/or manager), there's also an opposition -- "football is a simple game, complicated by the opposition" (Shankly) -- and, yesterday, Raja made a few great saves.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Really don't think there are 'worrying signs that we are heading backwards'. As others have said, our March-August form was the exception not the norm, and also agree with those saying that we wouldn't necessarily be shining if Potter was still here.
If you don't like the 'dicking around with it in defence', I strongly suspect you're not going to enjoy the RDZ regime. On this, two points. First, we 'dicked around with it in defence' under Potter. Second, agreed, the way we 'dick around with it in defence' under RDZ is different, and riskier, but that's the way he sets his side up to play -- and that's why he's been hired by Bloom and the board. I just happen to trust Bloom and the board to make good decisions, and will just enjoy the ride and hope it works out.
That said, the Forest game all of a sudden has upped in significance, particularly given what comes after combined with the forthcoming unusual mid-season break.

I think what you see as a purple patch earlier this year I see as closer to gained ground. Mainly because Potter improved his tactics, in particular attacking with more urgency and not so much taking of unnecessary risks in defence with a poor risk/reward. Potter is a far better manager now than when he joined Albion imo. He will do well at Chelsea.
As for RDZ - it will be fun. We will lose a few but we’ll destroy a few teams as well especially if we strengthen the forward line.
And yep, big game Tuesday. Forest are lost and on their knees but do have some decent players and will get results at some point. A horrible, boring , scrappy one-nil win would be lovely.

PS Nice that you’ve defended Tony Bloom although not sure why you felt the need. He’s little short of a god in my eyes.

 

[SeagullsoverLondon]

Gotta give him a chance.

With the draw against Liverpool, he's still doing better than Liz; she is literally pointless.

Seriously though, I don't see too much difference from Potter so far. GP would have played much the same teams, probably with similar results.

Have to wait to after the world Cup to see if things are really looking up

 

[studio150]

I think Tottenham and Brentford have shown how to defend against us, two deep lines at the edge of the penalty area taking away the space between the lines and we are left shooting from outside the box, as we have limited options to get behind out wide.

Fully expect Forest to do the same given their need to get a result.

 

[dazzer6666]

I think Tottenham and Brentford have shown how to defend against us, two deep lines at the edge of the penalty area taking away the space between the lines and we are left shooting from outside the box, as we have limited options to get behind out wide.

Fully expect Forest to do the same given their need to get a result.

Agree, but also both fascinating and exciting to see how DeZ looks to counter that approach - he’s way too smart to keep trying the same thing without success.

 

[ROBS BROTHER]

Strange in some ways to see Tottenham and Brentford bracketed together.
Given that Roberto has now witnessed two games where this tactic has been employed I am looking forward to a goal fest on Tuesday

 

[Weststander]

I think Tottenham and Brentford have shown how to defend against us, two deep lines at the edge of the penalty area taking away the space between the lines and we are left shooting from outside the box, as we have limited options to get behind out wide.

Fully expect Forest to do the same given their need to get a result.

Exactly.

Against Manure Brentford went for all out attack, they could’ve won 6-1, 7 or 8 players thrown forward from start to finish.

Last night Frank seemed obsessed with a deep lying defence in vast numbers even before the opener. A couple of players ready to counter.

Interesting the completely different approach against modest budget Albion with a new to the EPL coach.

Basically copying negative Conte.