[Albion] Potterball, your opinions so far?

[Brightonfan1983]

I presume you were there then at the Emirates just like me to help cheer the Albion on to a deserved victory??

Aaaah! Perhaps not as you posted this soon after the final whistle you keyboard warrior

I kinda agree with your observation earlier that we seem a bit "ponderous" at times; on Saturday's MotD they highlighted how West Ham constantly tried to move the ball forward and I noted how we don't seem to do that as much. I didn't go to Arsenal but did shout at the TV a few times as three and four touches were taken when one or two would have been better.

But it's also about beating who's in front of you. Arsenal looked, and are, individually more skillful than us; we do have a tendency to give the ball away quite a bit, so perhaps on the pitch, a more considered approach was called for? Judging by everyone's comments on the match threads, being there is more illuminating than watching it online, so this was just my view from my sofa (eg. I rarely see how good Dale Stephens is, but I trust in the people who can vouch for him. GP certainly greets him and Propper with a big a hug and smiles after games)...

 

[whosthedaddy]

I kinda agree with your observation earlier that we seem a bit "ponderous" at times; on Saturday's MotD they highlighted how West Ham constantly tried to move the ball forward and I noted how we don't seem to do that as much. I didn't go to Arsenal but did shout at the TV a few times as three and four touches were taken when one or two would have been better.

But it's also about beating who's in front of you. Arsenal looked, and are, individually more skillful than us; we do have a tendency to give the ball away quite a bit, so perhaps on the pitch, a more considered approach was called for? Judging by everyone's comments on the match threads, being there is more illuminating than watching it online, so this was just my view from my sofa...

You are spot on

Mooy was our forward thinking leader on the pitch, he drives at the opposition and panics them, which is what I want to see more of from the rest of our midfield. Positive approach play and better ball retention is going to be the key going into the next games, I want to see this happen more often as it would show us to be progressing nicely into a much more dangerous team that opposition players fear and respect.

 

[Stat Brother]

Hey 'game edit dudes' - I have a quest for you.

Please find, edit and give it's own thread to the move ending with Connolly getting the ball trapped under his feet.

It started with Alzate and Webster making room for themselves at the top right corner flag.
Before the ball was quickly worked across midfield,
Then forward onto Aaron about 25 yards out.

I'd love to see it again.
I have the feeling it'll be a GIF I would return too, frequently.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

 

[Icy Gull]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

Good post! My only gripe, and I’m sure there’s a reason for it that I don’t see, is that we are often slow in getting the ball forward with our slick passing.

 

[Dick Swiveller]

Am I the only one wondering if the OP's wife has answered the plaintive question in his username?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Good post! My only gripe, and I’m sure there’s a reason for it that I don’t see, is that we are often slow in getting the ball forward with our slick passing.

I think that will come with more confidence. My take on it is that we work so hard when we lose the ball, that once we lose the ball a few times, we get into a mode of keeping hold of it for longer and are less inclined to go for the risky but slick move forwards.

We had to fight so hard at the start of the second half to wrestle control of the game back, and we did, it was amazing to see. They had the crowd, the momentum, the goal, but it lasted 15mins at most. And we didn't just sit back and soak up pressure, it was impressive defensive minded play but carrying a threat, and slowly that threat turned back into panic for Arsenal as again we found ourselves in all the spaces they were leaving.

So back to your first point, I do think it's all about how often we give the ball away. If we can give it away less in those more simple moments, I think we'll then take more risk with the ball getting forwards. Our play at the moment means really we have to be the team with more possession. We can't do what we're doing that high up the field without the lion's share of the ball. Cut out the more basic mistakes and we'll take more of those attacking risks I feel.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

Excellent post and I agree. The last ditch Alzate tackle near the end summed up the movement bit to me. The Bearded Man Child caused them loads of problems and when he learns to look up and maybe not so single minded will reap even more rewards for this embryonic but exciting team.

We must be good because even Alan Shearer was impressed...

TNBA

TTF

 

[Stat Brother]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

They're UNLEASHED.

 

[Bold Seagull]

They're UNLEASHED.

They are, but it is so much more as well. There is genius at work Stat, genius.

 

[Stat Brother]

They are, but it is so much more as well. There is genius at work Stat, genius.

Yeah I know, GPott's not to shabby either.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Good post! My only gripe, and I’m sure there’s a reason for it that I don’t see, is that we are often slow in getting the ball forward with our slick passing.

The thing is, I don't think our game is necessarily about getting the ball forward quickly per se, but more about engineering positions where we are able to out-number / our manoeuvre the opposition.

Take the short goal kick routine. This is the aspect of the way we play that gets the most vocal criticism at games I attend, and I must admit it does raise the pulse as we attempt to pass our way out. However, this is a microcosm of the philosophy. The aim in doing this is to force the opposition to commit players to a press, which once broken gives us a numerical advantage in the midfield or out wide.

Applying this approach further forward, the aim again is to bypass the opposition's midfield, and give our more attacking players space to work in. This worked beautifully last night as Arsenal's press evaporated time after time, and we ended up 4 v 4 or 3 v 3 in their half.

So, my point it, I don't think our style of play is ALL about getting the ball forward for the sake of it, but the aim is to isolate and bypass groups of players, to give us an advantage further forward. We DO get it forward quickly at times, as we did for the winner last night, but even then, Trossard and Mooy were able to take 2 Arsenal players out of the game with some lovely inter-play and we ended up with 5 players in the box for the cross.

It's a JOY to watch.

 

[oldboyroy]

We under potter are completely different to previous seasons we attack we play good stuff and yes we make mistakes but last night was classic example we were super 1St half then we struggled for 20 mins but and a huge but last season we would of been camped in our own 18 yard box defending for our lives and probably gone on to lose the match. Not now we don't we just try to win the game as proved last night. We are in as much as a shout as anyone else of going for a European place but likewise could get relegated. The top 3 are ahead of anyone else the rest including us are bloody good sides other than Watford who look doomed

 

[rippleman]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

Marvellous assessment. I'm loving this season and the style of football Potter has delivered for us. It's fun and it's exciting; what football should be. Long may it continue.

 

[Icy Gull]

Yeah I know, GPott's not to shabby either.

We are looking so good that you seem to have ended your campaign for GP to get himself a groovy haircut!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I'm simply in awe of what Potter has achieved in the space 4 months. He's smashed my expectations and preconceived notions of what a new manager can achieve with a similar squad.

I can be prone to hyperbole, but we are witnessing a footballing revolution under Potter. Forget your ideas of what wingers, no.10s, no.9s, CAMs are etc. Potter is rewriting the rule book. Arsenal weren't marking shadows in the analysis after because they weren't working hard enough, our movement is so dynamic, with players that should be restricted to particular patterns of play are popping up every where. They simply couldn't get to grips with the positions our players were taking. It's incredibly brave, bold, inventive and bloody great to watch.

My wife doesn't often watch football with me, but kept laughing as I excitedly or deliriously exclaimed "look they've got the ball and we still have 6 players in their half" over and over again.

Yeah, we still make mistakes, misplaced passes, could do things a little better, but that all misses the point of how much confident these players have, some of our play was stunning, I mean seriously top quality.

We still have the odd poor performance in us, but I go into Sunday massively excited. Viva La Revolution!

It is dynamic, it is bold and it is exciting. Watch Maupay's goal again. Its the 80th minute of a game away at Arsenal, we're drawing 1-1, a fine result in itself. Mooy swings the ball into the box and Maupay scores. But look behind Maupay. Who's waiting in the centre of the box for a higher cross? - its the left back, Dan Burn. What the hell is he doing there? Sowing confusion in the mind of Luiz, who can't decide who to mark and is just too late getting across to Maupay. Look behind Burn, who's waiting for at the back of the box for a deeper cross? - its the right back, Steven Alzate, occupying another defender. Meanwhile Davy Propper is in space behind the penalty spot waiting for a cut-back, who draws the defender that was originally marking Maupay, and Trossard is sprinting across Mooy to the byline bringing two defenders with him and giving space for the low cross.

That's six players, including Mooy and both full-backs, inside the box in the 80th minute away at Arsenal in a game we're drawing. That's six players demonstrating that any defence can be pulled apart by sheer numbers of attackers with fluid movement. That's so bold, that's so brave, that's so very very good to watch.

Yeah, I think Potterball is OK

 

[Icy Gull]

It is dynamic, it is bold and it is exciting. Watch Maupay's goal again. Its the 80th minute of a game away at Arsenal, we're drawing 1-1, a fine result in itself. Mooy swings the ball into the box and Maupay scores. But look behind Maupay. Who's waiting in the centre of the box for a higher cross? - its the left back, Dan Burn. What the hell is he doing there? Sowing confusion in the mind of Luiz, who can't decide who to mark and is just too late getting across to Maupay. Look behind Burn, who's waiting for at the back of the box for a deeper cross? - its the right back, Steven Alzate, occupying another defender. Meanwhile Davy Propper is in space behind the penalty box waiting for a cut-back, who draws the defender that was originally marking Maupay, and Trossard is sprinting across Mooy to the byline bringing two defenders with him and giving space for the low cross.

That's six players, including Mooy and both full-backs, inside the box in the 80th minute away at Arsenal in a game we're drawing. That's six players demonstrating that any defence can be pulled apart by sheer numbers of attackers with fluid movement. That's so bold, that's so brave, that's so very very good to watch.

Yeah, I think Potterball is OK

Another considered and good post

We really are living the dream and there’s a good chance it will get even better. Signing GP up for a long time is already looking to be wise business. Big teams will be starting to hone in imo. Imagine what GP could do with top talent. Frightening.

 

[Stat Brother]

We are looking so good that you seem to have ended your campaign for GP to get himself a groovy haircut!

Nah still in the afterglow of Davy's heft.

 

[jimhigham]

Big teams will be starting to hone in imo.

Possibly. We'll have a lot clearer picture on that at the end of the season when we know our finishing position. We've spent years speculating that a top club would come in for Eddie Howe but it never happened (that could still change). Is Potter sexy enough to satisfy the rabid entitlement of the biggest clubs? Hopefully the shallow way that big clubs appoint managers could work in our favour.

 

[goldstone]

It is dynamic, it is bold and it is exciting. Watch Maupay's goal again. Its the 80th minute of a game away at Arsenal, we're drawing 1-1, a fine result in itself. Mooy swings the ball into the box and Maupay scores. But look behind Maupay. Who's waiting in the centre of the box for a higher cross? - its the left back, Dan Burn. What the hell is he doing there? Sowing confusion in the mind of Luiz, who can't decide who to mark and is just too late getting across to Maupay. Look behind Burn, who's waiting for at the back of the box for a deeper cross? - its the right back, Steven Alzate, occupying another defender. Meanwhile Davy Propper is in space behind the penalty spot waiting for a cut-back, who draws the defender that was originally marking Maupay, and Trossard is sprinting across Mooy to the byline bringing two defenders with him and giving space for the low cross.

That's six players, including Mooy and both full-backs, inside the box in the 80th minute away at Arsenal in a game we're drawing. That's six players demonstrating that any defence can be pulled apart by sheer numbers of attackers with fluid movement. That's so bold, that's so brave, that's so very very good to watch.

Yeah, I think Potterball is OK

Great analysis. We look so comfortable on the ball. It is indeed great to watch.