[Albion] De Zerbi: 'We deserved to lose...I understood the problem in January!"

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Our complete defensive squad isn’t fit tho. Veltman and Lamptey have had injuries and are still being time managed to get back to full fitness. RDZ said Dunk isn’t capable of 90 mins twice a week at the moment so his time is being managed too. Hinshelwood, Milner and March who have been defensive options at points this season are all out which makes managing game time for those that can play even harder. I’d also argue that Pervis isn’t fully fit yet either.

It isn’t as simple as player is available that means they are fully match fit.

Sorry but most of that is an excuse for poor positional play. Our defence exposes itself constantly. If Pervis is not fully up to speed why play him in an advanced role that is exposing him. Two goals Saturday were a perfect example but there's been many others, Luton, Sheffield Utd in the cup come to mind. We leak goals but nothing is done, ever, to stop it.

The management team's job is to adapt tactics to the available players and their strengths. Fergie, for example is barely engaging in play, no movement, no chasing down, he looks uninterested. Something is wrong. RDZ needs to stop bemoaning the lack of investment etc, his miserableness is affecting the team.

 

[raymondo]

Football teams lose football matches whether they go all out attack, or sit back low block, or approach a game more conservatively.

Amazed that so many on here think with the injuries and absences we are suffering, that the silver bullet would be to just keep it tight so to speak. I dare say we could have lost 0-3 on Saturday playing Hughton-ball, Potter-ball or De Zerbi-ball.

The fact is, this squad and the present club setup and all involved in it haven't gone into a game as big as Thursday. Not even the FA Cup semi finals are up there with Roma away. And no matter how hard you convince yourself to only concentrate on the next game, that game is now upon us. And we have a shed load of injuries and absences to deal with as well.

I'm not with all this 'safer approach' talk, loving our identity as an all out attacking team. If that means Fulham away happens in the midst of an injury crisis, safely in the top half with a European knock out tie to play - so be it.

I'll certainly take the Fulham defeat if it helps us get a result in Rome.

 

[dwayne]

So Mitoma, Pedro, March, Milner, Hinshelwood, plus niggles to Welbeck, Gross isn't a shed load...

Plus Fati, Moder, Webster, Veltman, Estupinan etc. only just back from injury layoffs.

I suppose the question is how big is your shed!!??

Hmmm

The second lot of players have been training for a while now

Hinshelwood is a youth player

So really only 4 out but granted important players. Still …. Don’t want to hear these excuses anymore

 

[Stato]

Hinshelwood is a youth player

Incorrect. Jack Hinshelwood has been in the first team squad since the start of the season. RDZ stated this a while back in answer to a press question.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Hmmm

The second lot of players have been training for a while now

Hinshelwood is a youth player

So really only 4 out but granted important players. Still …. Don’t want to hear these excuses anymore

It's not an excuse, it is just the reality. Where do you think we should be, top 6? Is there no difference in aspiration whether our best players are available or not? Or are your expectations, like others always going to be one step ahead of the reality?

Our squad spend and wage bill is more like bottom 7 than top 7.

But what you and others prove, is that no matter how well you can be doing, how much improvement you can make, some will always want more and prefer to be in a perpetual state of disappointment. I think it's just a condition many fans prefer to be in.

2 seasons ago people were dreaming of not being in relegation battles. Now look at the boards, borderline mutiny against a manager who has us safe in February, Europa League knock-out stage in March. Yeah, don't want to hear these excuses...jeez.

 

[dwayne]

It's not an excuse, it is just the reality. Where do you think we should be, top 6? Is there no difference in aspiration whether our best players are available or not? Or are your expectations, like others always going to be one step ahead of the reality?

Our squad spend and wage bill is more like bottom 7 than top 7.

But what you and others prove, is that no matter how well you can be doing, how much improvement you can make, some will always want more and prefer to be in a perpetual state of disappointment. I think it's just a condition many fans prefer to be in.

2 seasons ago people were dreaming of not being in relegation battles. Now look at the boards, borderline mutiny against a manager who has us safe in February, Europa League knock-out stage in March. Yeah, don't want to hear these excuses...jeez.

Our form over the last 21 games is borderline relegation…… and we’ve been thrashed by some very average teams. I don’t expect much but I expect , maybe , mid table form with our squad.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Our form over the last 21 games is borderline relegation…… and we’ve been thrashed by some very average teams. I don’t expect much but I expect , maybe , mid table form with our squad.

Even with the Europa League, Cup, and injuries, even over those 21 games we'd be 14th and well clear of any talk of relegation.

Like I said, some people just prefer to be unhappy with their team. Something you've demonstrated over years of posting on here.

 

[chaileyjem]

Our form over the last 21 games is borderline relegation…… and we’ve been thrashed by some very average teams. I don’t expect much but I expect , maybe , mid table form with our squad.

we were thrashed by some very average teams last season. - Forest, Burnley, Everton - your point being ?

 

[dazzer6666]

This is meaningless without context - what was the question he was answering? I'll guess it was yet another boring question along the lines of "how will you cope with the injuries?" or "are you going to be here next season". If I was RDZ I'd 100% hide behind the language barrier right now. There are certain reporters who are apparently BHA fans who need to start acting like it......

This all day long. Also way too much 'in depth' analysis and interpretation of throwaway lines delivered in a second language by someone who'd rather not be doing pressers at all.

 

[LamieRobertson]

we were thrashed by some very average teams last season. - Forest, Burnley, Everton - your point being ?

Blimey Burnley did exceptionally well to thrash us last season whilst In the Championship

 

[tigertim68]

Sorry but most of that is an excuse for poor positional play. Our defence exposes itself constantly. If Pervis is not fully up to speed why play him in an advanced role that is exposing him. Two goals Saturday were a perfect example but there's been many others, Luton, Sheffield Utd in the cup come to mind. We leak goals but nothing is done, ever, to stop it.

The management team's job is to adapt tactics to the available players and their strengths. Fergie, for example is barely engaging in play, no movement, no chasing down, he looks uninterested. Something is wrong. RDZ needs to stop bemoaning the lack of investment etc, his miserableness is affecting the team.

we Are letting in lots of goals for one main reason , we have no defensive midfield players who can help protect our defence,
actually we are very light weight in midfield, we have no power , strength or great ball winners,
we lost our dynamic duo plus Mwepu last season and not been replaced, and indeed we don’t have any players who can fulfill that defensive position
And of course starting the season with only 2 full backs plus Lamptey who is nearly always injured, does not help ,
If I remember correctly we were playing Milner as a full back at the beginning of the season, he was awful , unfortunately he does not have the pace to be a full back,
And of course all our injuries has not helped either

 

[Jim in the West]

I saw this quote from PBOBE in the Athletic: “For Brighton, two top 10 finishes in its history is great progress, but it cannot be enough. We need over a decade to be finishing in the top 10 five, six, seven times for it to be achieved. Once that is achieved, then you look at a higher vision. We are realistic enough to know the Premier League is highly competitive. If you stand still, you go backwards." It sounds rather like a long wait until we match up to RDZ's idea that we should be targeting top 6 now. I'm a realist, by the way, which means I'm VERY happy with the journey PB is describing. Also, I can't imagine we'd come out as a club and publicly say we're aiming to be a top 6 club now. I don't think that's our style.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

I saw this quote from PBOBE in the Athletic: “For Brighton, two top 10 finishes in its history is great progress, but it cannot be enough. We need over a decade to be finishing in the top 10 five, six, seven times for it to be achieved. Once that is achieved, then you look at a higher vision. We are realistic enough to know the Premier League is highly competitive. If you stand still, you go backwards." It sounds rather like a long wait until we match up to RDZ's idea that we should be targeting top 6 now. I'm a realist, by the way, which means I'm VERY happy with the journey PB is describing. Also, I can't imagine we'd come out as a club and publicly say we're aiming to be a top 6 club now. I don't think that's our style.

Albion Roar is worth a listen this week, they have Paul Camlin on and he talks about Lallana being the player that takes defeat the hardest and was the player that got rid of the negative attitude so to speak playing top six sides by having the belief we can beat them, it explains why he looked and sounded deflated on Saturday after Fulham.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

we Are letting in lots of goals for one main reason , we have no defensive midfield players who can help protect our defence,
actually we are very light weight in midfield, we have no power , strength or great ball winners,
we lost our dynamic duo plus Mwepu last season and not been replaced, and indeed we don’t have any players who can fulfill that defensive position
And of course starting the season with only 2 full backs plus Lamptey who is nearly always injured, does not help ,
If I remember correctly we were playing Milner as a full back at the beginning of the season, he was awful , unfortunately he does not have the pace to be a full back,
And of course all our injuries has not helped either

I'm highlighting one specific area from where we have conceded a lot of goals just recently.

 

[Weststander]

The Times is fairly reliable, they’re reporting that the club fear RDZ will depart once this season’s over. Destination Barca or Chelsea.

The latter would make NSC even more lively.

Behind paywall.

 

[AZ Gull]

The Times is fairly reliable, they’re reporting that the club fear RDZ will depart once this season’s over. Destination Barca or Chelsea.

The latter would make NSC even more lively.

Behind paywall.

Is it wrong of me to secretly hope that he DOES go to Chelsea, and in their unveiling of him he says "It is a great honour to come to a big club like Chelsea, they ABSOLUTELY have been able to buy my soul and my spirit".

 

[The Fits]

And so it begins, again.

 

[Weststander]

Is it wrong of me to secretly hope that he DOES go to Chelsea, and in their unveiling of him he says "It is a great honour to come to a big club like Chelsea, they ABSOLUTELY have been able to buy my soul and my spirit".

I left out Liverpool, as they’re well run (like the Albion), just been enhanced by reappointing Michael Edwards this time as Football CEO. RDZ is very much a work in progress with so much to learn imho. I can see RDZ succeeding with a better squad, would that naturally deal with the empty half of the pitch when his team attacks and any flexibility of tactics when low block teams pinch a couple of counter attack/set piece goals?

 

[Farehamseagull]

What’s he whinging about now?!

 

[Bry Nylon]

Wouldn’t be a surprise. He’s been rumbling on about it for months and he doesn’t seem to stick around anywhere for too long. It’s almost as if his ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to games and opposition follows the Law of Diminishing Returns…

Should he chose to follow the well-trodden path from Brighton to Stamford Bridge, the followers of the Cult of de Zerbism on here would most likely self-combust.