[Albion] Carlos Baleba SINGS a 5-year deal

[Han Solo]

Carlos is a ball-winner and a lot better without the ball than with it. After Nketiah got sent off, Baleba had too much of the ball and he really isn't a playmaker. You could see Solly approach him to tell him he needed to make the ball switch sides faster.

Van Hecke is our playmaker normally, he is up there in the top 10 most progressive passers along with Ödegaard and some other fancy people. Dunk is also good at this. Balebas job is usually to win the ball and allow the CBs to make the initial pass through the lines or to the wings.

So when their whole team falls back into their penalty box, our playmaking happens 30-40 meters further up the pitch, some way into their half where you don't want to put your CBs, and rather than the straight ball from the CB you circulate the ball in midfield until there's an opening. And those situations it would be nice with a bit more Gilmour/Mac Allister than a Baleba/Bissouma.

 

[Motogull]

He has developed this idea that hoofing the ball up into the air is a good idea.

Not entirely sure what he is trying to achieve, but he seems to do it 3 or 4 times a match recently.

It's never a clearance, or any reason to get rid, just a fairly mindless hoof, IMO.

has anyone else noticed this?

Me.

At the Villa game, one came down very close to where he hoofed it from.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Me.

At the Villa game, one came down very close to where he hoofed it from.

It's weird isn't it?
It's like he gets bored with the way we're supposed to play and wants to inject some chaos.

I can kind of understand it, but it's still very odd to watch.

 

[martin tyler]

It’s easy to forget he is 21 and with around
50pl games at a guess is our most experienced PL midfielder.
He has Ayari playing alongside him most weeks who is also 21 with 25-30 PL games under his belt, Gomez who is 22 and played less than 10 games and Hinchelwood who has prob played 30 games at a guess.
We expect a lot from him because he can be brilliant but maybe it is to much to expect a 21 year old to do so much.
Other great players like Caicedo had other great CM that had experience around him like Ali McAllister, Gross, Bissouma, trossard and Mwepu who bar Mwepu had started clocking up PL minutes over a few seasons.
This current group is starting to clock up the minutes and will get better and better.

 

[albionalex]

Goes to show he needs another season with us before he's ready for a top club.

 

[aolstudios]

Goes to show he needs another season with us before he's ready for a top club.

At least

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

He has developed this idea that hoofing the ball up into the air is a good idea.

Not entirely sure what he is trying to achieve, but he seems to do it 3 or 4 times a match recently.

It's never a clearance, or any reason to get rid, just a fairly mindless hoof, IMO.

has anyone else noticed this?

This, and this is exactly what I was referring to when I said his decision making at times was bordering on moronic. He did this 5 minutes into injury yesterday when March and Gruda had about 30 yards of space on the right, it was an easy nothing to think about pass, so,so basic I don’t get it

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Too short.
Get rid.

(this is the right sort of response, innit?)

 

[Mustafa II]

Goes to show he needs another season with us before he's ready for a top club.

Disagree. At least five seasons.

...and by then, we will be a top club.

 

[Weststander]

Decent read. Behind paywall, I know some can get round that.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...interview-brighton-hard-work-midfield-talent/