[Albion] Have you ENJOYED this season?

[Kosh]

Not sure you can pick and choose who to include on the injury list.

Yes, I am a fan, home and away but your comment about 'whoever our coach is' couldn't be more wrong. Couldn't stand the narcissist Poyet and once in the EPL, couldn't wait to get rid of Hughton and his negativity. Fab is a young coach and has made mistakes but you can't lose the likes of Pedro, Ferdi, Veltman, Dunk, Julio etc and it not affect our results.

I’m not picking and choosing, I’m saying if you remove two of the most likely and/or perma injured crocks from our total, which isn’t ‘unlucky’ - just true to form… well, we’re thereabouts with several other clubs… it’s difficult to miss players that were unlikely to be there - and Lamptey is really a non entity, Milner (like his best mate AL) a total waste of wages.

The others, yeah it’s been tough… but I stand by my assertion that Fabs is a poor judge of what his best XI looks like and how to create a system that gets the best from the players he does pick… like I say, if he had 40 world class players he’d pick the XI (and the tactical plan with it) least equipped to win a particular game all too often…

 

[Iggle Piggle]

Yeah. Footballs just all year panto. Not to be taken seriously. Winning? Lovely. Losing? Watch people lose their minds.

Always fun

You continue to post - especially when things go bad - that you don't give a shit about football and it shouldn't be taken seriously. Why are you on this site out of interest?

 

[The Fits]

The last 16 months …. no.

With some good moments - the close season, the wins after the 7-0, comeback win over Spurs, wins over Manure.

What’s the one constant that makes it shit 16 months? An unbalanced squad. We kept buying fkn keepers and wingers, often lightweight little players, because only they offered “value”.

This.
Most of this is on Weir.

 

[BadFish]

Not as much as some of the last few but this is what was promised and I am thankful and grateful for it (we used to play in Gillingham you know).

We have cemented our place in the premier league (which is good) and some of our fans have taken to Premier League fandom like ducks to water (which is funny).

Yeah football is good, even when it's only a little better than Par.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

If you take club loyalties out of it I think the seasons been quite poor entertainment wise with the exception of the way Newcastle/Villa/Bournemouth at times play and the occasion purple patches of other clubs now and again


Very rarely do I listen to talk sport and even rarer I agree with Jamie Ohara and Jason Cundy, but I did when they said this season has been pretty devoid of flair/entertainment mostly and all the teams seem to play crab football now.

I don't think there are many stand out flair players in the league anymore, we have very good players, but no Bales/Ronaldos/Hazards/Henrys etc who would get you off your seat every week.

 

[drew]

I’m not picking and choosing, I’m saying if you remove two of the most likely and/or perma injured crocks from our total, which isn’t ‘unlucky’ - just true to form… well, we’re thereabouts with several other clubs… it’s difficult to miss players that were unlikely to be there - and Lamptey is really a non entity, Milner (like his best mate AL) a total waste of wages.

The others, yeah it’s been tough… but I stand by my assertion that Fabs is a poor judge of what his best XI looks like and how to create a system that gets the best from the players he does pick… like I say, if he had 40 world class players he’d pick the XI (and the tactical plan with it) least equipped to win a particular game all too often…

So have you looked at the injury list of the other clubs with which you're comparing us to just to exclude any sicknotes they have on their books?

 

[Kosh]

So have you looked at the injury list of the other clubs with which you're comparing us to just to exclude any sicknotes they have on their books?

I’m not sure what’s wrong ? but you seem to be being churlish for the sake of it, you clearly know what I’m getting at…

Okay (assuming you’re an FH apologist fanboy), fabs has just been unlucky and he’s a top coach, who for example, masterminded a 7-1 defeat at Forest by picking his best possible XI and set us up brilliantly… masterminded two superb performances against Palace and saw us lumber (which is the perfect word) to a 4-2 defeat yesterday…

He’s bang average, and has failed to be pragmatic on too many occasions (when the squad has needed it because of our injuries and his own self inflicted fatigue, see bizarre tactics) on too many occasions.

To suggest it’s ALL down to our injury record is stretching credulity, I say again (which you’ve successfully side stepped in every reply) he couldn’t pick his best XI even if the entire squad was fit and raring, he’d set us up suicidally all too often and we’d be about where we are, it’s his par for the course because he’s an average PL coach at best.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I’m not sure what’s wrong ? but you seem to be being churlish for the sake of it, you clearly know what I’m getting at…

Okay (assuming you’re an FH apologist fanboy), fabs has just been unlucky and he’s a top coach, who for example, masterminded a 7-1 defeat at Forest by picking his best possible XI and set us up brilliantly… masterminded two superb performances against Palace and saw us lumber (which is the perfect word) to a 4-2 defeat yesterday…

He’s bang average, and has failed to be pragmatic on too many occasions (when the squad has needed it because of our injuries and his own self inflicted fatigue, see bizarre tactics) on too many occasions.

To suggest it’s ALL down to our injury record is stretching credulity, I say again (which you’ve successfully side stepped in every reply) he couldn’t pick his best XI even if the entire squad was fit and raring, he’d set us up suicidally all too often and we’d be about where we are, it’s his par for the course because he’s an average PL coach at best.

When he had a settled side we won 9 of 11 games either side of that Forest defeat. He demonstrated with a largely settled team we were consistently winning. Then take both CBs, key forward, no recognised RB, best player out, it’s going to make most coaches look bang average.

 

[oldboyroy]

I've enjoyed parts of it but, too few though, in a season which has been our best chance to make it historic!

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

When he had a settled side we won 9 of 11 games either side of that Forest defeat. He demonstrated with a largely settled team we were consistently winning. Then take both CBs, key forward, no recognised RB, best player out, it’s going to make most coaches look bang average.

Perhaps, but those same coaches bring in players who understand the style, so in a lot of cases, the replacement slots in and perhaps the level drops a little.

This season, the players look to me like the only thing, they’ve been told is “intensity” and “win the ball high up”. Those alone are not enough to win games with replacement players.

Another concession yesterday from a set piece, a replacement full-back pushed so far up, that it puts him at a disadvantage. Carved open by a straight diagonal pass, that is not injuries or replacement players. This is all a lack of basic structure without the ball.

Get the structure right and the injuries have less impact (all IMO)

 

[Kosh]

When he had a settled side we won 9 of 11 games either side of that Forest defeat. He demonstrated with a largely settled team we were consistently winning. Then take both CBs, key forward, no recognised RB, best player out, it’s going to make most coaches look bang average.

I’m not impressed really, that run (for me) was an exception laced with a dash of good fortune and a large slice of the opposition offering sub-par performances… the players, via moments of singular inspiration have also saved Fabs from further justified criticism, in other words… it’s not his tactical genius that’s often resulted in a good result, moreover the players or a player stepping up for the fans and raising themselves above our self inflicted tactical myopia.

It’s clear some people can’t accept he’s just not going to make the grade.

I’m happy to defer to the board and TB, let’s see what they think at the end of the season. It’ll be very interesting one way or another.

As for relentlessly arguing the point that it’s all about injuries, or not (in my case) pointless… much like we might be in the next five games…

Next up…

Fabs keeps talking about learning, the players about working for one another… if we see evidence of pragmatism combined with effort, well, we might get the three points against a piss poor West Ham…

But:

Unless we improve from the lows of recent weeks, GP and co will turn us over…

Let’s see what happens.

 

[Bold Seagull]

I’m not impressed really, that run (for me) was an exception laced with a dash of good fortune and a large slice of the opposition offering sub-par performances…

It’s clear some people can’t accept he’s just not going to make the grade.

I’m happy to defer to the board and TB, let’s see what they think at the end of the season. It’ll be very interesting one way or another.

As for relentlessly arguing the point that it’s all about injuries, or not (in my case) pointless… much like we might be in the next five games…

Next up…

Fabs keeps talking about learning, the players about working for one another… if we see evidence of pragmatism combined with effort, well, we might get the three points against a piss poor West Ham…

But:

Unless we improve from the lows of recent weeks, GP and co will turn us over…

Let’s see what happens.

Our last manager left in a strop with his toys scattered about the place because he didn’t feel the squad had enough depth or experience when injuries hit.

Not only that the players coming in largely have no previous PL experience, so it does take a bit of time if you want to expect squad players to step up.

 

[Kosh]

Our last manager left in a strop with his toys scattered about the place because he didn’t feel the squad had enough depth or experience when injuries hit.

Not only that the players coming in largely have no previous PL experience, so it does take a bit of time if you want to expect squad players to step up.

I agree that recruitment hasn’t really been on it tbf, in spite of spending considerable sums in comparison to previous seasons… it’s not that we didn’t spend, we did… we expanded the squad but seemingly only achieved in bloating our quota of 10s and wide men whilst failing to strengthen in those troublesome RB and CB spots… that’s left us exposed, especially when hiring a head coach with predilection for a system seemingly reliant on pace/options/cover at the back…

Maybe it’s simply a case of square pegs in round holes across the board ? and in that respect fabs is no different.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Our last manager left in a strop with his toys scattered about the place because he didn’t feel the squad had enough depth or experience when injuries hit.

Not only that the players coming in largely have no previous PL experience, so it does take a bit of time if you want to expect squad players to step up.

Maybe he wouldn't have done if he'd been asked to just be a little bit patient and he'd have £200m worth of new toys to play with in the Summer

 

[EliasTaproot]

No. I don't believe we'll have an easier run at qualifying for Europe and we've bottled it with disastrous levels of bad coaching and preparation.

 

[southstandandy]

This season has resembled last season so much with the huge impact of injuries (again) denying us any form of continuity and a few of the 'expensive signings' for whatever reason not really having much of an impact - Kadioglu (injured nearly all season), O'Reily (injured at the start then never got a consistent run of starts), Wieffer (again no regular run of games and hard to justify the price tag from what we've seen), and Gruda (who has shown glimpses at times but again hard to see why he cost so much).

Add that to Milner being injured for the vast majority of the season, Dunky looking well past his sell by date, Solly not being available until the last few games, Verbruggen looking very ordinary - although age is on his side, Cashin - a very strange signing in that Yes we needed more centre back cover but he clearly hasn't impressed the manager as has barely had a sniff and even saw Balaeba play ahead of him last week, and NO consistent right back for the last two years - it's easy to see where we have problems.

Add that to a complete novice of a manager and you could argue 10th at present is actually a decent position.

It just feels likely we're always the bridesmaid and never the bride - we are so nearly there (getting closer in cup competitions) and not far away from European qualification but just seem to falter in the last furlong.

I'm still looking forward to next season with a right back, centre back and a striker on my wishlist, and when you add that to all the returning players of :

Enciso, Fergusson, Buonanotte, Tzimas, Yalcouye, Osman, Sarmiento, Cozier-Duberry, Offiah, Sima, and the new lad from Sunderland Tom Watson there will be a lot of decisions to be made with probably half of the above moving on, notwithstanding offers for at least a couple of our star players like Mitoma, Baleba, or Pedro.

Suspect will be yet another busy summer ahead.

 

[Washie]

I've enjoyed it more that last season, but then i hated watching most of last season.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Maybe he wouldn't have done if he'd been asked to just be a little bit patient and he'd have £200m worth of new toys to play with in the Summer

What TB kept it a secret from him!?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Very simple ask for me, does Fab improve us and take us forward?

I don’t think he does personally.

I don’t see us having an identity anymore, I don’t understand the tactics and I don’t understand why we aren’t doing anything to mitigate the same reoccurring mistakes

The back four was all over the place positionally yesterday and left us exposed on the break. Taking the risk knowing we haven’t got the pace hasn’t justified the approach.

The same observations I think stand in the two lucky runs we have had this season, with the players personal touch / skill or desire taking over the baseline tactics and delivering what they are capable of. They don’t look inspired and some don’t even appear to care.

Injuries obviously impact every squad but. I genuinely think it’s the lack of system / plan B set up, tactical ability that is costing us.

I don’t see us even with a full Squad improving playing like this, that’s a problem

 

[J2 DOG]

Been a strange mixture! Been some good moments and some weirdly poor ones??