[Albion] Fab OUT

[BadFish]

Ayari - Underwhelming Championship loan to good player in the Premier League.
Van Hecke - Inconsistent player with potential who has become a starter for the Netherlands under Hurzeler
Webster - Washed, not good enough, get rid to absolutely key to our defence.
Igor - Awful De Zerbi signing who should be shipped out into a player we massively miss and was doing great for us.
Baleba - Raw talent who ran around like a headless chicken, now one of the world's top defensive midfield prospects who runs the show most games.
Welbeck - inconsistent forward who has never been the starting striker for any club he's played for into an absolute leader who scores crucial goals again and again whilst leading the line.

You're massively letting your Hurzeler bias cloud any reasonable thought, he's improved plenty of players.

You can add Lamptey to that list, from struggling to adapt his game after losing his pace to versatile full back who was showing consistency before another injury.

 

[AstroSloth]

You can add Lamptey to that list, from struggling to adapt his game after losing his pace to versatile full back who was showing consistency before another injury.

Yes true, was thinking of adding him too but decided against it.

I'm sure the retort will be "well De Zerbi improved..." Completely ignoring the fact that players were improving under Potter beforehand as well.

Hurzeler took over a side that limped over the finish line at the end of last season and then was handed a load of kids, most of them forwards who proceeded to get injured.

Yes I'm pissed off about today, but solely blaming the manager isn't the right approach nor is this agenda that he hasn't improved anyone.

 

[BadFish]

Yes true, was thinking of adding him too but decided against it.

I'm sure the retort will be "well De Zerbi improved..." Completely ignoring the fact that players were improving under Potter beforehand as well.

Hurzeler took over a side that limped over the finish line at the end of last season and then was handed a load of kids, most of them forwards who proceeded to get injured.

Yes I'm pissed off about today, but solely blaming the manager isn't the right approach nor is this agenda that he hasn't improved anyone.

I agree, emotions run high though, it's going to be a tough end to the season.

Hopefully our luck with injuries changes soon, our season could have been so different.

 

[Balders]

Not sure about this "we haven't improved at all" agenda. With 21pts to play for, we are on 47pts - last year after 38 games we had accumulated 48pts.

So with 7 games to go, we need 2pts from a possible 21pts to show improvement over last season.

Not guaranteed, but if I were a betting man....... or isn't points accumulated a decent barometer

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I was Fab out after the Forest game.

But he has completely won me over with his ability to motivate players and changing tactics.

Yesterday was completely on the players.
We had enough to win that game, but the lack of intensity and sloppiness in the final third, did for our chances.

Injuries have prevented us from gaining any momentum.

 

[dazzer6666]

I was Fab out after the Forest game.

But he has completely won me over with his ability to motivate players and changing tactics.

Yesterday was completely on the players.
We had enough to win that game, but the lack of intensity and sloppiness in the final third, did for our chances.

Injuries have prevented us from gaining any momentum.

This

 

[Commander]

Has everyone finished now?

We lost a game of football. By one goal.

I’m really sorry to tell you, but we will do it again at some point soon. I hope that doesn’t tip some of you over the edge and you are able to cope with such adversity.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Ayari - Underwhelming Championship loan to good player in the Premier League.
Van Hecke - Inconsistent player with potential who has become a starter for the Netherlands under Hurzeler
Webster - Washed, not good enough, get rid to absolutely key to our defence.
Igor - Awful De Zerbi signing who should be shipped out into a player we massively miss and was doing great for us.
Baleba - Raw talent who ran around like a headless chicken, now one of the world's top defensive midfield prospects who runs the show most games.
Welbeck - inconsistent forward who has never been the starting striker for any club he's played for into an absolute leader who scores crucial goals again and again whilst leading the line.

You're massively letting your Hurzeler bias cloud any reasonable thought, he's improved plenty of players.

I don’t think that many want Fab out, they are just underwhelmed given the quality he is working with.
The results have been good enough to keep his job now, but if we have a poor first few months to next season it needs a proper review.
Can‘t help wondering what a better quality of manager would have achieved this season.

 

[DarrenFreemansPerm]

I just think until we get a player of that quality we are going to struggle to push the top 6. Every game we drop points this season, I think last season who provided the quality to win/draw the game and it was pascal. I just think we’ve attempted to replace that quality and got absolutely nowhere near it.

I suspect the club would have loved to be able to recruit a Pascal regen, but sadly football doesn’t work that way. I personally, and probably wrongly believe that Gruda is the heir apparent to Groß but until he stops running into blind alleys and starts using the ball properly we’ll all be scratching our heads as to what’s he doing.
We’re currently 4 points from the top 6, have a boat load of injuries and have done all season, but you know that already.
The end is not nigh.

 

[Commander]

I don’t think the European challenge is over. Before the game, I said 8-9 from the next four is achievable. I still believe that we can win the next three.

Yes but you must have some incredible God-given wisdom that miraculously enables you to think on longer than 90 minute timescales. If only others could achieve such enlightenment. I realise it’s an incredible ask for some not to completely give up on European qualification when we are currently sat in a position in the table that might well qualify us for Europe, as clearly their whole worlds have just fallen apart because the team has lost 2 games in a row, but perhaps it’s something they could work towards.

The thing that really gets me in all this, is that did people genuinely believe that astonishing run of good form was going to continue until the end of the season? Or perhaps all eternity? I find it utterly astounding that anyone who has ever watched football before thought that.

I have some news that is going to come as a huge shock for some of you- you know that big yellow ball that his been shining in the sky for what feels like forever? It’s going to go away and get replaced with some wet stuff that will fall out the sky at some point soon. Do you all think you can cope with that?

 

[Seasider78]

I don’t think that many want Fab out, they are just underwhelmed given the quality he is working with.
The results have been good enough to keep his job now, but if we have a poor first few months to next season it needs a proper review.
Can‘t help wondering what a better quality of manager would have achieved this season.

I think there are some serious blue and white tinted glasses on with the quality he apparently has had to work with. Most of the signings made are either injured, young and experienced at this level or struggling to adapt to the league. What he has is potential that is learning and that combined with injuries means he has players or inconsistent quality which creates unsettled performances and results (even across halves as well as games).

I think given this is also his first season he is doing wonders to keep us in the mix with what he been juggling

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

Ayari - Underwhelming Championship loan to good player in the Premier League.
Van Hecke - Inconsistent player with potential who has become a starter for the Netherlands under Hurzeler
Webster - Washed, not good enough, get rid to absolutely key to our defence.
Igor - Awful De Zerbi signing who should be shipped out into a player we massively miss and was doing great for us.
Baleba - Raw talent who ran around like a headless chicken, now one of the world's top defensive midfield prospects who runs the show most games.
Welbeck - inconsistent forward who has never been the starting striker for any club he's played for into an absolute leader who scores crucial goals again and again whilst leading the line.

You're massively letting your Hurzeler bias cloud any reasonable thought, he's improved plenty of players.

This is a stretch. Baleba has benefited from simply playing regularly. He’s been running games for us all season, often on his own, so that can’t be down to FH - if anything the manager has made his role more difficult.

Ayari came back that player… that’s been clear again since his first appearance. But has he improved since or did he come back to us as a more fully formed Prem midfielder? His finishing, for example, if still dreadful.

You can’t seriously take credit for Welbeck? He’s been putting such performances in for us for a good couple of years now, he’s just had less competition with Ferguson going off the boil and JP not really a 9.

JPVH - again, he was this good last year. The Holland thing was just a natural progression of where he was already going. If anything, I think we’ve seen more of a dip from him under FH, as he’s had less protection, albeit he’s looking back to his former self again now.

Webster has done as he’s always done - looked really good when he’s got a run of games. This is nothing new - to claim FH has improved him is questionable. I see no area of his game that has improved specifically - he’s what he’s always been, which is a Prem quality defender who needed games.

Igor is the probable exception, but he dropped him the first moment he could, despite his excellent form. And, again, it could be argued he was showing that form because he was getting consistent game time for the first time for us. Lets be honest, it would be really difficult to properly judge him before that stint he had this season as he’d never come close to nailing down a position.

So… I’m not sure I can agree with any of what you’ve said.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

You can add Lamptey to that list, from struggling to adapt his game after losing his pace to versatile full back who was showing consistency before another injury.

Has he improved him, or has he just given him games and he’s returned to the level he was at before, or close to it?

And let’s be honest, if you read NSC, Lamptey’s the worst player that’s ever played for us, so I’m not sure many on here would agree with you.

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

I suspect the club would have loved to be able to recruit a Pascal regen, but sadly football doesn’t work that way. I personally, and probably wrongly believe that Gruda is the heir apparent to Groß but until he stops running into blind alleys and starts using the ball properly we’ll all be scratching our heads as to what’s he doing.
We’re currently 4 points from the top 6, have a boat load of injuries and have done all season, but you know that already.
The end is not nigh.

Starting 6 games, with only one (against Villa) being in your natural position, can’t help though, can it…

 

[willalbion]

He might hear you if you call out the right name

Phonetically it’s near enough correct, if I was writing to him it might be trickier. Which would explain why he hasn’t responded to my creepy letters.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Has everyone finished now?

We lost a game of football. By one goal.

I’m really sorry to tell you, but we will do it again at some point soon. I hope that doesn’t tip some of you over the edge and you are able to cope with such adversity.

The funny thing is that some of the people moaning, groaning and frothing about the defeat yesterday almost certainly thought we would lose yesterday. So why bother getting so pissy about it?

Just move on, FFS!

 

[Bold Seagull]

Some people need to get it out of their system. Let them do it.

As a collective we veer from Fab being The best manager ever to him being a tactically naive simpleton. The answer of course is somewhere in the middle and will continue to be so.

The rest of the season is going to be a struggle with injuries and reactionary supports who will ignore them.

Very true, I was really disappointed with the result as I’m sure everyone was but coming on here to read people losing all sense of perspective actually helps because you do end up thinking, hang on a minute, we’re 8th, season is not over, others are losing games around us, 7 games left, a young team finding its feet together, any kind of Europe would be a great achievement.

 

[boik]

I think there are some serious blue and white tinted glasses on with the quality he apparently has had to work with. Most of the signings made are either injured, young and experienced at this level or struggling to adapt to the league. What he has is potential that is learning and that combined with injuries means he has players or inconsistent quality which creates unsettled performances and results (even across halves as well as games).

I think given this is also his first season he is doing wonders to keep us in the mix with what he been juggling

This is so true. A lot of these players are potentially superb. But what you get with young players is inconsistency, poor decision making and a lack of game management . All of which come with experience.

A lot of these players have brilliant spells in some games. That is all at the moment.

 

[DJ NOBO]

This is a stretch. Baleba has benefited from simply playing regularly. He’s been running games for us all season, often on his own, so that can’t be down to FH - if anything the manager has made his role more difficult.

Ayari came back that player… that’s been clear again since his first appearance. But has he improved since or did he come back to us as a more fully formed Prem midfielder? His finishing, for example, if still dreadful.

You can’t seriously take credit for Welbeck? He’s been putting such performances in for us for a good couple of years now, he’s just had less competition with Ferguson going off the boil and JP not really a 9.

JPVH - again, he was this good last year. The Holland thing was just a natural progression of where he was already going. If anything, I think we’ve seen more of a dip from him under FH, as he’s had less protection, albeit he’s looking back to his former self again now.

Webster has done as he’s always done - looked really good when he’s got a run of games. This is nothing new - to claim FH has improved him is questionable. I see no area of his game that has improved specifically - he’s what he’s always been, which is a Prem quality defender who needed games.

Igor is the probable exception, but he dropped him the first moment he could, despite his excellent form. And, again, it could be argued he was showing that form because he was getting consistent game time for the first time for us. Lets be honest, it would be really difficult to properly judge him before that stint he had this season as he’d never come close to nailing down a position.

So… I’m not sure I can agree with any of what you’ve said.

And that’s before you get to those who’ve got worse this season

 

[sussex_guy2k2]

And that’s before you get to those who’ve got worse this season

Quite. Although, again, you can’t put all of that on the manager. Dunk, for example, is just of an age where there was likely to be a drop off eventually.