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[Albion] Our 2nd Half of the Season .....



Uh_huh_him

Well-known member
Sep 28, 2011
11,109
Putting all his eggs in the Mitoma, Estupinan, Adingra and March basket, with no Plan B was clearly our downfall.

Never recovered from Wolves in the FA Cup and Roma away.
I keep on hearing this plan B shit...

What exactly are you after?
A bit of hoofball up to a non-existent big man, with a fox in the box feeding off him?
That still would have required recruitment.

We've been watching a plan B for the past 2 months - with no pace or width in the squad, it's the relentless side to side of Potterball.
It's all we have left available.

It can work, but it needs a lot of quick quality passes and good movement.
More often than not decent, Prem teams can nullify it.
 




Wardy's twin

Well-known member
Oct 21, 2014
8,543
Not strengthening in January really cost us and I think it's one of the key reasons RDZ left. He knew we would struggle with the injuries we had.
and not being able to finish chances which in early part of the season we put away, particularly Adingra (not blaming him just don't thing he kicked on as I expected post AFCON) but pretty much all the players and their lack of confidence (or maybe over confidence we can pass it into the net) when in the final third. We should have scored more against Chelsea and MUFC and taken points and there were a few other games like that. Forget Luton away ( they were up for it and caught us early) there were other games when we were in it but just couldn't score.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
60,318
The Fatherland
I don't think he failed to motivate the team at all, it's nonsense - how could players not be inspired to play for him?!
Trossard, Sanchez?
 










tigertim68

Well-known member
Sep 3, 2012
2,420
RDZ really struggled to motivate the team in the latter half of the season. I do believe his constant talking to the press about whether he would stay or not, how the squad was not good enough etc undermined the players somewhat. I appreciate we had injuries but I believe the teams we put out could have got better results had the man-management of the team been better.
Didn’t have much to select from , the players he did have left to select from were nackered
 


Jimmy Grimble

Well-known member
As ever it’s a combination of injures, RDZ’s tactics and poor recruitment which caused it.

I’m leaning more and more towards poor recruitment as the main issue. It’s why I’m surprised some people think we only need a couple of signings in the summer. We need 4 or 5 to be competitive in the top half again.
 




Terry Butcher Tribute Act

Well-known member
Aug 18, 2013
3,338
As ever it’s a combination of injures, RDZ’s tactics and poor recruitment which caused it.

I’m leaning more and more towards poor recruitment as the main issue. It’s why I’m surprised some people think we only need a couple of signings in the summer. We need 4 or 5 to be competitive in the top half again.
Could not agree more. If we only sign 2 it wouldn't be a surprise to see us in a similar position to that second table. Not good.
 


Cornwallboy

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2022
473
The injuries and Roma Away broke us. We were a busted flush and to be honest I do wonder if Roberto was subconsciously halfway out the door and this transmitted itself to the players.
To be fair after Roma away we did then beat Forest at home and Roma at home, so it didn't signal a total collapse, our form post Spurs at home was pretty poor and I don't think can be totally attributed to getting well beaten in Rome.
 


maltaseagull

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2009
13,106
Zabbar- Malta
Not strengthening in January really cost us and I think it's one of the key reasons RDZ left. He knew we would struggle with the injuries we had.
Not sure what happened but I remember Tony saying that we would have several players back from injury in February or March. In fact not many came back and some others joined the list.
Was he misinformed?
Is that why we have a new head of medicine?
 












Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
65,388
Withdean area
If you’re motivated you perform better, this is pretty much a given.

Also. I’m not saying it’s the sole reason, more it must have contributed.

I’m also not “knocking” him, I’ll forever be grateful to RDZ for giving me some amazing times. He’s not beyond comment and maybe criticism though.

The club literally had no centre midfielders with pace and bite who could turn in 90’ performance each week. With hopeless replacements for the injured Velts and Estupinan, bar a few great weeks with Hinshelwood. Add no Enciso, Mitoma and Solly, plus lengthy Pedro absences.

A recipe for shit PL form, under any manager. And so it came to be.

A car crash. A few here spotted all this in real time, whilst others thought everything was marvelous wooed by a coming visit to Roma. When the **** hit the fan, the happy-clappers overnight blamed Roberto for everything. Why the hell didn’t they speak up during the summer or winter transfer windows, or during Oct to Feb?
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Listening to Lallana’s final interview, he mentioned how much harder it is to play on a Sunday as opposed to a Saturday, and also mentioned the draws which we should have won, as we were playing well.
it’s so easy, as fans, to pontificate about motivation, tactics, plan B etc etc but none of us really know what does affect a professional team.
 


Pliny the Gull

Active member
Mar 4, 2024
105
Think everyone one expected if we ride the storm in January, all will be good come Feb 1st regarding injuries. Where as it was, injuries got worse.
The Roma away game epitomised how inflexible we became in not adapting style of play for the opposing team.
I'm certainly no expert, but some team line ups, even accounting for injuries appeared baffling, and looked as if they were decided by way of a dartboard.
UTA
 


portslade seagull

Well-known member
Jul 19, 2003
17,723
portslade
Our 2nd half of the season was relegation form and if repeated next season would probably see us drop as I cannot see three teams being worse than the relegated teams this year
 




Weststander

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Aug 25, 2011
65,388
Withdean area
Listening to Lallana’s final interview, he mentioned how much harder it is to play on a Sunday as opposed to a Saturday, and also mentioned the draws which we should have won, as we were playing well.
it’s so easy, as fans, to pontificate about motivation, tactics, plan B etc etc but none of us really know what does affect a professional team.

It’s obvious.

For years I’ve watched English clubs with UEFA Thursday night football who the. fail to win on the following Sunday. Their PL opponents having 8 days of rest, prep and tactics about one opponent.
 
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