[Albion] Would this squad be higher with De Zerbi?

[bhafc4eva]

Let's just see the answer?

 

[BluesRockDJ]

It's probably the strongest Albion squad of all time - in terms of depth in every position.

It has been unlucky with injuries.

Would we be doing better under De Zerbi? Probably not. De Zerbi was lucky to have inherited a seasoned squad that Potter built.

Hurzeler does not have that luxury. He is considerably more adaptive than De Zerbi - and less of a prick.

Suspect De Zerbi would be sulking by now and we'd be in free fall.

Would dispute it's the strongest of all time......depends on your age, '78 -'79 promotion squad wasn't too bad, pre influx of international players, might have been a Dutchman or whatever......watching the dour Manchester derby today, how many of them were Mancs ? At least we have three local grown players !

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

The question is moot. Whatever you think the answer is to this hypothetical, the more telling question is do you think RDZ would have have kept his toys in the pram? No.
Do you think he would have taken responsibility for getting knocked out of the FA cup? No.
Do you think he would have seen the opportunity to grow himself as a coach? No.
Do you think he'd have seen a future with the club if he thought we might not qualify for Europe? No.
Do you think he'd align with Bloom and Barber on this summers transfer approach? No.
Does he have more potential than Hurzeler? No.

But apart from all that..... ?

 

[Uh_huh_him]

I maintain that it is probably the best of all time.

We have at least two quality players for every position.

Mitoma, Georginio, Pedro, Minteh, Adringra - we have never had a front line like it, even before mentioning March who is easing his way back into the squad.

I'm sure you could argue that the midfield and defense has been better in the past, but we have NEVER had the depth of quality in every position like we do now.

Palace showed us how much we overrate our players.

Henderson > Verbruggen
Munoz > Hinshelwood
Guehi > Dunk
Wharton > Gomez
Eze > O'Riley
Mateta > Welbeck

Lacroix = Van Hecke
Mitchell = Estupinan

Mitoma and Baleba are the only players we can crow about..
But I would love to have Wharton, Mateta and Munoz in our team to finish the season off.

 

[Sussexscots]

Would this squad have more, or fewer injuries under RDZ is probably the key.

 

[Littlemo]

I maintain that is probably the best of all time.

We have at least two quality players for every position.

Mitoma, Georginio, Pedro, Minteh, Adringra - we have never had a front line like it, even before mentioning March who is easing his way back into the squad.

I'm sure you could argue that the midfield and defense has been better in the past, but we have NEVER had the depth of quality in every position like we do now.

I know you are trying to be positive and supportive and stuff but honestly, this massive overrating of the team does more harm than good.

They are too young and undeveloped in the main, we needed experience and don’t have enough of it. This kind of hype simply adds pressure to them. You make them sound like they are Man City but so far they all look firmly midtable.

We lack quality. That’s what I mean about depth not just being about quantity of players. Those who come in need to be ready. You can carry a couple of developing kids, for example Wharton as mentioned, but you can’t carry half a team of them.

 

[Pliny the Gull]

But apart from all that..... ?

Yes. Well possibly, will check.

 

[Mustafa II]

I know you are trying to be positive and supportive and stuff but honestly, this massive overrating of the team does more harm than good.

They are too young and undeveloped in the main, we needed experience and don’t have enough of it. This kind of hype simply adds pressure to them. You make them sound like they are Man City but so far they all look firmly midtable.

We lack quality. That’s what I mean about depth not just being about quantity of players. Those who come in need to be ready. You can carry a couple of developing kids, for example Wharton as mentioned, but you can’t carry half a team of them.

We're still ninth despite losing two in a row. What exactly are your expectations??!

Mid-table is the minimum, anything above that is exceeding expectations.

We have numerous wonderkids - yes, they're inexperienced, but they are QUALITY and will go on to sell for many millions each, unless we are lucky enough to keep them.

I know as a football fan there is an overwhelming desire to see IMMEDIATE success, but we're not that way because it is not a sustainable way to run a football club of our size.

Our club full of young starlets and wonderkids requires patience - you need to find the thrill in watching them develop, over time, as we become stronger every season - while being forgiving of their inexperience when they don't put on elite performances every week.

If you want immediate success, and find it frustrating that we don't have the seasoned players in their prime - then you're probably following the wrong football club, frankly.

 

[GT49er]

6th place - how so many people’s memories are short

I remember that season. We had a flying start, Caicedo and Mac Allister running the midfield, Pascal Gross, Dunk still in his prime - and for 60% of the season a GK who actually made game saving/winning saves.
Should we be asking, would RDZ have done better than Fab with our current squad - or would Hurzeler have done better than RDZ with the squad that he inherited?

 

[AmexRuislip]

It'll officially start falling apart when FH invites some of the squad around for Schnitzel and sauerkraut!

 

[Littlemo]

We're still ninth despite losing two in a row. What exactly are your expectations??!

Mid-table is the minimum, anything above that is exceeding expectations.

We have numerous wonderkids - yes, they're inexperienced, but they are QUALITY and will go on to sell for many millions each, unless we are lucky enough to keep them.

I know as a football fan there is an overwhelming desire to see IMMEDIATE success, but we're not that way because it is not a sustainable way to run a football club of our size.

Our club full of young starlets and wonderkids requires patience - you need to find the thrill in watching them develop, over time, as we become stronger every season - while being forgiving of their inexperience when they don't put on elite performances every week.

If you want immediate success, and find it frustrating that we don't have the seasoned players in their prime - then you're probably following the wrong football club, frankly.

I don’t have the smallest idea how any of that rant applies to anything I’ve said here. I said we had a midtable team that has too many undeveloped youngsters and not enough experience. We are exactly where I’d expect to be given that, we are doing ok, not bad, not great.

You are the one making out we basically have Real Madrid's B team sitting on our bench, I’m simply pointing out you are completely wrong. In fact if you really believed that we have our best ever squad, packed with all this talent, then you surely would be expecting better than and up and down season and being 9th. That would be totally illogical.

 

[Guinness Boy]

The whole squad would be injured.

The question in the OP is moot and I agree with Jack, definitely time to move on. But this is a slightly odd take given our injury record this season with “German training”. We’re likely to line up against Leicester with either Cashin or a midfielder in the back four, Hinshelwood at right back and Gruda or O’Riley at 10. If no one else breaks at Lancing this week…,

 

[Luke93]

Tricky one. De Zerbi was a better manager but he got found out. He’s got history of falling off after a successful period.

 

[5Ways Gull]

I think whoever our manager was, the loss of Rutter, Webster and Giorgino last Saturday would gave screwed us.

 

[jackalbion]

I think whoever our manager was, the loss of Rutter, Webster and Giorgino last Saturday would gave screwed us.

Losing the same person twice would be devastating tbf

 

[ac gull]

No - because he would refuse to manage them as all too young overall
Though wouldn't bet against him returning at some point and admitting our data trumps his personal picks for transfers

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I have now had a good think about this question.
My conclusion.......is.....that....
It depends who has the best chronic long for blaze.
My money is in funky Fab.

 

[Brian Fantana]

I'm going to say yes.

 

[Justice]

Tricky one. De Zerbi was a better manager but he got found out. He’s got history of falling off after a successful period.

He weren’t getting found out with a fully fit squad at the beginning of the season. Are people really that thick?

 

[London Irish]

Achieved with a better, fitter squad, which had yet to be found out by the rest of the league

Incredible excuses being found to talk down our great achievement. RDZ derangement syndrome in full flow, always happens when anyone crosses Bloom and becomes a non person

 

[Flounce]

6th place - how so many people’s memories are short

We’d be better than that with Ali Mac and Caicedo in midfield imo