[Albion] Fab's pre-Leicester presser

[Official Old Man]

I think the Dutch van Hecke fan club are also in town this weekend!

But I'm guessing they knew a week ago he was not playing. Perhaps he could sit in amongst them

 

[chaileyjem]

No Mitoma!

He's a doubt and having a late fitness test - or rather they will see how he is in "training today" is i think Fab's official line. So maybe.
But he's recovering from that kick at Selhurst.

 

[ROSM]

If we've admitted to Mitoma being a doubt then I suspect his head must have fallen off in disbelief at bald prick's (sorry, Antony Taylor's) free kick against him last week.

I mean, we all remember that Milner's latest absence started as a minor niggle

 

[Bring back Bryan wade!!]

Back on topic, Hurzeler also said a change of formation is under consideration.

I guess that could mean Cashin does come in, but as one of a three, presumably with Wieffer as well, allowing Baleba to keep doing what he does best further forward.

Could be unless he plays Hinsh on the right of a back 3 with Dunk and Wieffer?

 

[Hugo Rune]

I always thought that Moder would have made a decent central defender, tall, ball player, bit of pace..

Unfortunately, his defensive instincts aren't there though. There were a few occasions earlier in the season where his tracking back and blocking were abysmal.

Potter, De Zerbi and Hürzeler all had the option to play him a lot deeper but never tested him properly in the defensive positions because of this I imagine.

He seems to be thriving in Holland at central midfield now although they have played him at AM and DM a few times.

 

[Han Solo]

If Cashin isn't seen as good enough to start against Leicester you have to wonder why on earth we have bought him. Why didn't we just keep McConville?

Cashin may be seen as good enough. Manager might just not want to start a player who we've had zero chance to ease in and thus has very limited experience in this league. Cashin has played 20 minutes of football since arriving in late January. It isn't common or normal to then get thrown into a game that a team must win to keep things going. Even if Fabian thinks "this guy is going to be peak Paolo Maldini" he might opt for players who have actually proven themselves in the league.

Like most young players signed from lower divisions, the guy needs time and then starting playing in cups or doing sub appearances, and right now I don't think we have room for abandoning the sensible way and just throw this guy into the mix out of nowhere.

 

[portlock seagull]

Back on topic, Hurzeler also said a change of formation is under consideration.

I guess that could mean Cashin does come in, but as one of a three, presumably with Wieffer as well, allowing Baleba to keep doing what he does best further forward.

5-1-4? Worked well last time we played this against an East Midlands side!

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I think it will be Dunk and Cashin at the back

Adingra I guess comes in to replace Mitoma

Mitoma's likely absence makes some sort of 3 at the back option more plausible than it otherwise would have been, but I doubt it, in a home game we must win

 

[Greg Bobkin]

This next defence could be clean-sheet defining. These are an experimental defence.

 

[Hotchilidog]

I get the feeling it will be Weiffer or Baleba deputising for JPVH now, with the other being the anchor in midfield. O'Riley's impressive performance last week (really the only one) augurs well for another start for him this week.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

Cashin may be seen as good enough. Manager might just not want to start a player who we've had zero chance to ease in and thus has very limited experience in this league. Cashin has played 20 minutes of football since arriving in late January. It isn't common or normal to then get thrown into a game that a team must win to keep things going. Even if Fabian thinks "this guy is going to be peak Paolo Maldini" he might opt for players who have actually proven themselves in the league.

Like most young players signed from lower divisions, the guy needs time and then starting playing in cups or doing sub appearances, and right now I don't think we have room for abandoning the sensible way and just throw this guy into the mix out of nowhere.

You could very well be right that he won't start.

But there aren't any cup games to try Cashin in, and centre backs are changed in game much more rarely than forward players. If Cashin doesn't start, it will be because the manager just doesn't rate him rather than a match fitness thing

 

[jackalbion]

Cashin may be seen as good enough. Manager might just not want to start a player who we've had zero chance to ease in and thus has very limited experience in this league. Cashin has played 20 minutes of football since arriving in late January. It isn't common or normal to then get thrown into a game that a team must win to keep things going. Even if Fabian thinks "this guy is going to be peak Paolo Maldini" he might opt for players who have actually proven themselves in the league.

Like most young players signed from lower divisions, the guy needs time and then starting playing in cups or doing sub appearances, and right now I don't think we have room for abandoning the sensible way and just throw this guy into the mix out of nowhere.

He's been here for 3 months, why are we easing him in still? Why didn't we leave him at Derby for the season. He is 23 not some 19 year old. Wieffer and Baleba are not experienced in this league in this position and Wieffer has made under 20 apps in this league all around, and has clearly struggled with the pace of it this year. We can't be spending £9m on a 23 year old, to develop him. He was brought in as an option for centre back for the rest of the season, this EXACT scenario if three centre backs get injured. If he's not an option because of his experience, then we should have sought after a more experienced player given our Centre Back injury issues. This to me seems like a complete waste of time all round. Feel for the lad if he doesn't start, and he's probably wondering why he came here.

 

[jackalbion]

You could very well be right that he won't start.

But there aren't any cup games to try Cashin in, and centre backs are changed in game much more rarely than forward players. If Cashin doesn't start, it will be because the manager just doesn't rate him rather than a match fitness thing

He's been brought in for this exact scenario, if the manager doesn't trust him then, then you have to wonder whether he just doesn't rate him.

 

[Han Solo]

You could very well be right that he won't start.

But there aren't any cup games to try Cashin in, and centre backs are changed in game much more rarely than forward players. If Cashin doesn't start, it will be because the manager just doesn't rate him rather than a match fitness thing

We will play games in the pre-season and there will also be cup games next season.

He's been here for 3 months, why are we easing him in still? Why didn't we leave him at Derby for the season. He is 23 not some 19 year old. Wieffer and Baleba are not experienced in this league in this position and Wieffer has made under 20 apps in this league all around, and has clearly struggled with the pace of it this year. We can't be spending £9m on a 23 year old, to develop him. He was brought in as an option for centre back for the rest of the season, this EXACT scenario if three centre backs get injured. If he's not an option because of his experience, then we should have sought after a more experienced player given our Centre Back injury issues. This to me seems like a complete waste of time all round. Feel for the lad if he doesn't start, and he's probably wondering why he came here.

Because he's been here for 3 months? Maybe some sort of eternity to you but not to people in general.
There were several reasons (obviously) he was brought in.

One of those reasons was, like you say, probably in case of injury emergency. If Igor had been fit, I imagine Cashin would not arrive until the summer.

And that made a lot of sense. Get some injury or suspension in February and we could say "well, this guy has no PL experience but at least played elite football a few weeks ago so we'll go with that". Or at least give him some sub appearances when we had nothing to lose. Unfortunately for him and perhaps fortunately for us, those things didn't happen. And the guy got stuck at the bench and now he's had 20 minutes of professional football in three months. He is probably less match fit than Diego Gomez was when he wasn't considered match fit enough to start against Nottingham despite us having Baleba and Ayari out.

Mats W is a good example of this btw. Every week I read "Wieffer needs to start!!!" here and every week I say "Mats has not been playing football and isn't match fit, so the coach will start another player". Then he's injured for 1-2 games after playing ten minutes of football and we're immediately back to "Wieffer needs to start!!!". But he doesn't, and unlike with Cashin, people don't automatically jump to the conclusion that Wieffer is worthless and not "fancied" by the manager. The entire reason for this is Wieffer being a few centimetres taller than most midfielders and Cashin being a little bit shorter than most defenders, so one is percieved as great whatever he does or doesn't do and the other one is considered shit. That's how British football forums work.

Obviously, Cashin is a gamble signing. He only costed £9m, which normally gives you the armpit of a PL defender these days. He may not be good enough and perhaps will be sent on loan. But its impossible to tell at this point. The manager possibly not starting a severly match unfit rookie in a game we desperately need to win really says nothing, even though people are very keen on reading a lot into it because they simply don't like the player.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Like I said in the Team against Leicester thread I find it highly unlikely that we'll start a non-match fit CB, who has only played some 20 minutes at this level, in a game we must win.

It will be Wieffer or Baleba.

The facts he’s even suggested Wieffer and Baleba tells me Cashin isn’t starting.

It will be Wieffer with Carlos staying in midfield, I’m pretty sure

 

[Han Solo]

The facts he’s even suggested Wieffer and Baleba tells me Cashin isn’t starting.

It will be Wieffer with Carlos staying in midfield, I’m pretty sure

We'll see. I'm still quite firmly in the "Baleba will play CB and Gomez/Ayari in the middle" camp, with Wieffer on the bench.

Either which way, will be interesting to see.

 

[Zeberdi]

Red Leicester?

Red Fox to be more specific!

 

[Javeaseagull]

The facts he’s even suggested Wieffer and Baleba tells me Cashin isn’t starting.

It will be Wieffer with Carlos staying in midfield, I’m pretty sure

I had the opposite takeaway. Just listened to the presser and it sounded like obfuscation to me. I reckon Cashin starts and he just didn't want to say so.

 

[Eric Youngs Contact Lens]

If Cashin hadn't got thrown in vs Villa, I guess we would all be saying "this is why we bought him" and assuming he would play. A bad experience (it was only 20 mins) vs. Villa can't change that. He's a young CB, inexperienced at this level but ultimately has been bought in for this kind of scenario? I would be very surprised if he doesn't start. That said, Its a big test, made bigger with more pressure heaped on becuase of his debut experience and the subsequent form of the team that had sections of our fan-base waving the players away at Palace. A nervous, anxious Amex can turn negatively, and that can be the only reason not to give him another run. If he doesn't play then it makes throwing him on vs Villa even more bizarre, assuming some or all of the alternatives being suggested would have been possible at that time

 

[Mancgull]

Think we’ll play wingbacks and a back three. Adingra on the left and Hinsh on the right. Back three of Pervis, Dunk and Baleba or Weiffer.