[Albion] Fab OUT

[Kalimantan Gull]

The people who make the decisions at the club love him, and I don't think that's going to change soon.

Good.

For all the talk of 'I don't like Fab's football' that you read on here, when it has worked like during the recent run of 6 in a row, or the comeback wins against City and Spurs, or the United games, I think its looked really really good. I think it is a slow burner and will take time for us to fully get there, and probably the most underrated skill of RDZ was getting his style and tactics drilled into the squad so quickly and effectively. I guess RDZ benefited from a squad full of the most football-intelligent players we have ever had - Mac Allister, Gross, Lallana, March, Welbeck - but it was impressive. For Fab, he is not only learning about how to manage a PL squad, not only learning how to put a team up against some of the best managers and players in the game, he is learning how to get his ideas across in training and learning all the time about his tactics and how to best structure his team. Its a heck of a lot for someone to take on, and to get us on track for our second best season ever is pretty damn good

I think so much of the commentary about him is couched in this idea that we wanted to get back into Europe, challenge the top 5 and win a Cup. Well, we all want to do that, and maybe Fab wasn't the right coach to deliver that this season. But in isolation, considering who he is and where he has come from, the work that Fab has done is very impressive.

Really I am just in huge admiration of what that man is doing at such a young age and I truly hope he stays with us for a long time to really fulfil his promise. Great the club's management love him.

 

[jackalbion]

Or post on NSC! I know that's the point of a messageboard, but once you've committed your feelings or opinions to print, it's potentially there forever! Hence why people get so sniffy about being called out for something they've written in the heat of the moment.

I would never post on here in the heat of the moment...

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

I do find a lot of people who tweet during games contribute, if I managed to get enough signal or could be bothered to get my phone out to tweet what I thought during a game, I think it would be described as Toxic, but I generally keep that to myself, and have a beer on the train home and rationalise it. surely 90 minutes during the football is enough time to stop browsing social media for once. Far too many just say their opinion without a second thought during the game, and realise what stupid thing to say that was in hindsight (reaction to Webster mid game at Chelsea for example).

I am up their with the happiest of happy clappers, but during a game I am effing and blinding and moaning and getting so frustrated - and then we'll do something good and I'll be exalting our skills. Its the extremes that make this sport amazing.

But as much as I will swear at Minteh fecking up a chance or Pedro losing the ball in a dangerous area or Adingra messing up control when about to shoot, I will never make it personal on them, its so great to support a team where all the players are trying their hardest to be successful and we haven't always had that. So I really hate all the post-match commentary laying into the players, there is exceptional talent there and we just need to help give them the conditions to bring it out on a matchday

 

[jackalbion]

I think so much of the commentary about him is couched in this idea that we wanted to get back into Europe, challenge the top 5 and win a Cup. Well, we all want to do that, and maybe Fab wasn't the right coach to deliver that this season. But in isolation, considering who he is and where he has come from, the work that Fab has done is very impressive.

I do think this is a very interesting point, I do think if we do change things in the summer, it will be for a different type of manager with this in mind. Which is why I don't think there will be a change, I think the club are happy with him, and to a certain extent I am. I think what expectations have been for this club, from both the manager and the club have been muddied, and rightly so, it shouldn't be for the world to know. I really would like to find out what those expectations are.

 

[pigmanovich]

Itll be an interesting Summer window for sure, whoever’s in charge when it opens, were we to lose JPvH, Baleba, Mitoma &/or Joao Pedro, and IF we are to ship out Buonanotte, Barco & Enciso that’s a considerable hole out of the 1st team squad ready players and no matter if quality replacements are found it would hardly be conducive to challenging for a European place next season.

Why are we talking about Facundo leaving permanently? He signed a new contract before going to Leicester Totally different situation to Enciso (unhappy with his minutes and running down his contract) and Barco (had years left on his contract but for whatever reason had no future with us).

 

[Greg Bobkin]

When did football become so toxic? War years aside, I remember the days when gallows humour ruled and most would agree football was a good afternoon of drinking punctuated with 90 mins of tedium. When, and why, did this change?

Just another thought on this – I think people's attitudes to the conclusion of any given situation having being black or white (or 'right' or 'left', or wrong or right) comes into this. There seems to be fewer opportunities for reasoned debate – conversations very quickly end up in a shouting match and neither 'side' really listening to the other one.

In the context of football, we see this with mananger in/out polls, player opinions, team selections and all sorts. It's very easy to get caught up in the emotions of it all and not take a step back and realise that, at the end of the day, it's just a game of football – but also that these are people with lives, families and responsibilities, just like the rest of us. Toxic is a good word to describe society at times – and that includes football fans.

 

[boik]

No I didn't; winning six games in a row is quite an achievement for any club in any league. That's part of the reason why I'm predicting we won't win our next six. (That's before you take into account the quality of the opposition, our current form and injuries).

Do you think we will?

No, but it wasn't me that was saying it was predictable. You didn't predict it because it was unpredictable.

 

[5Ways Gull]

IMHO 2 games against a Forest team that I really dislike have screwed our season up. The away league result wasn't that surprising, but the scoreline obviously raised a lot of concerns. Thought we bounced back really well the following 7(?) games. The QF really messed us up though, losing Rutter and Webster in particular. If those 2 were available think we would have got 5-7 points from the subsequent 3 games rather than 1. If Forest didn't exist we would have had a great season and everyone would be saying FH was an inspired choice.

 

[pigmanovich]

IMHO 2 games against a Forest team that I really dislike have screwed our season up. The away league result wasn't that surprising, but the scoreline obviously raised a lot of concerns. Thought we bounced back really well the following 7(?) games. The QF really messed us up though, losing Rutter and Webster in particular. If those 2 were available think we would have got 5-7 points from the subsequent 3 games rather than 1. If Forest didn't exist we would have had a great season and everyone would be saying FH was an inspired choice.

Prescient, then, that I called Nuno our panto villain of the season on a pod back in January, even before the 7-0!

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I do find a lot of people who tweet during games contribute, if I managed to get enough signal or could be bothered to get my phone out to tweet what I thought during a game, I think it would be described as Toxic, but I generally keep that to myself, and have a beer on the train home and rationalise it. surely 90 minutes during the football is enough time to stop browsing social media for once. Far too many just say their opinion without a second thought during the game, and realise what stupid thing to say that was in hindsight (reaction to Webster mid game at Chelsea for example)

I feel that the nature of opinions has changed as well, opinions seem a lot more direct and critical (sometimes at other fellow fans) , sometimes with anger and sometimes real toxicity….it used to be more jokey. I guess it more a societal thing as opposites to a football thing. As I say , an afternoon drinking with some football to punctuate the day.

Just saying.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I would never post on here in the heat of the moment...

After 4 pints and/or at 3am isn’t a good idea either.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

PS I am not immune. I have overstepped the mark a number of times in the political threads but I feel I have enough self-awareness to realise this even if it is too late on occasion.

 

[US Seagull]

Bloom has a company betting millions on its predictability

People that make money on betting don't make it by predicting who will win. They make money by recognizing when bets are under or over valued. They treat it like a market and bet on outcomes where the odds are longer than their model suggests they should be. They lose some, they win some, but they place enough bets to cover the losses from the ones they lose.

Betting companies will try to convince you that you'd make money if only you had some secret sauce to analyze games and predict the outcome. But that's not really how it works. That's a mugs game.

 

[Hiheidi]

I think what expectations have been for this club, from both the manager and the club have been muddied, and rightly so, it shouldn't be for the world to know. I really would like to find out what those expectations are.

From Naylor today "Their ambition at the start of the season was to try to qualify for Europe again"

"Missing out on Europe this season would be a disappointment, but certainly not the end of the world if they end up 10th or 11th in the table."

Andy Naylor, The Athletic: How Brighton have evolved under Fabian Hürzeler

The Athletic’s Andy Naylor explains how Brighton and Hove Albion - Brentford’s opponents in the Premier League on Saturday - have evolved under head coach Fabian Hürzeler; Naylor: “Brighton still try to play, but they are also prepared to go a bit more direct at times. The mantra really with...

www.brentfordfc.com

 

[Pliny the Gull]

In equal measures FAB & RDZ have served our club well.
IMO Fab is about the team collective, seldom talks about the individual good or bad. Great results in games this season.
RDZ got a song out of the individual as is well documented. MCallister, Colwill, Solly, Moder as well. Great results last season.

 

[Albion my Albion]

After 4 pints and/or at 3am isn’t a good idea either.

NAILED IT!!!!

 

[Brovion]

No, but it wasn't me that was saying it was predictable. You didn't predict it because it was unpredictable.

Ok, so trying to de-cipher that, you don't think we'll win the final six either. By definition then it is predictable. Of course we might do and then both our predictions will be wrong, but I'm betting the smart money, (from the people who make a living out of predicting these things) will agree with us.

 

[boik]

Ok, so trying to de-cipher that, you don't think we'll win the final six either. By definition then it is predictable. Of course we might do and then both our predictions will be wrong, but I'm betting the smart money, (from the people who make a living out of predicting these things) will agree with us.

OK. I'm saying that football is unpredictable, and you seem to be saying that the unpredictability is predictable.

Time to leave it there I think.

Have a good day.

 

[Machiavelli]

From Naylor today "Their ambition at the start of the season was to try to qualify for Europe again"

"Missing out on Europe this season would be a disappointment, but certainly not the end of the world if they end up 10th or 11th in the table."

Andy Naylor, The Athletic: How Brighton have evolved under Fabian Hürzeler

The Athletic’s Andy Naylor explains how Brighton and Hove Albion - Brentford’s opponents in the Premier League on Saturday - have evolved under head coach Fabian Hürzeler; Naylor: “Brighton still try to play, but they are also prepared to go a bit more direct at times. The mantra really with...

www.brentfordfc.com

Thanks for sharing. I'm not trying to claim that either you or @jackalbion are guilty of this, but one thing that has irked me this season is that I think ambition is different to expectation, whereas others treat them as synonyms. Naylor's explanation helpfully distinguishes between the ambition of Europe and the expectation of finishing in eleventh place or above.

 

[The Optimist]

Thanks for sharing. I'm not trying to claim that either you or @jackalbion are guilty of this, but one thing that has irked me this season is that I think ambition is different to expectation, whereas others treat them as synonyms. Naylor's explanation helpfully distinguishes between the ambition of Europe and the expectation of finishing in eleventh place or above.

A good point. The ambition is to qualify for Europe but not achieving that won’t mean sacking Hurzeler. A bit like Man City’s ambitions were probably to win the league and Champions League but they won’t sack Guardiola.