Brighton (H) 30/4: Build-Up & Match Thread

[AndyWolves]

Cringe as in a don’t think he’s overly that good. I don’t think any of our forward line would get into any of the other top 7, or whether some teams lower down would take Podence.

People moaned regarding Adama. Yes, I was a defender of Adama and personally would still have him here, but I don’t really see Podence being much more productive?

Adama, this season, has a ratio of 0.08 goals & assists per game.

Podence's ratio is 0.31 goals & assists per game.

 

[PuntsWolf]

He also scored 2 goals. He’s in the team to score goals which he doesn’t do

 

[AndyWolves]

It's a toss up between podence making something happen or Hwang getting an opportunity in the box.

My own preference would be podence because Hwang is a shit footballer. All the numbers are really low mind.

 

[Carsy]

Adama, this season, has a ratio of 0.08 goals & assists per game.

Podence's ratio is 0.31 goals & assists per game.

So they’re both pretty poor, then?

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I'd take current day Leigh Griffiths over Hwang. Hwang is absolutely shit.

 

[Tony Towner]

Podence is Peter Dinklage to Hwang's Warwick Davis and Trincao's Verne Troyer

 

[Carsy]

I'd take current day Leigh Griffiths over Hwang. Hwang is absolutely shit.

Hwang has a better head of hair, mind

 

[AndyWolves]

So they’re both pretty poor, then?

Well, one is statistically 3 times worse than the other.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Hwang s finishing is still vastly overrated. He’s not Inzaghi FFS.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I called him a Korean Guy Whittingham early doors, which on reflection is a terrible insult to Super Guy the Soldier.

 

[PuntsWolf]

Watford one was on the goal line and he still had 3 goes at it!

He doesn’t fucking shoot half the time! He just chops on to his otherside and miscontrolls it or just runs into a crowd.

 

[Carsy]

Well, one is statistically 3 times worse than the other.

Not as binary as that, but sure.

Assuming you agree he wouldn’t get into any of the top 7 then, as you glossed over that point

 

[AndyWolves]

Not as binary as that, but sure.

Assuming you agree he wouldn’t get into any of the top 7 then, as you glossed over that point

I don't think many of our players (maybe Neves and one or two others) get into a top 7 side.

Doesn't stop people thinking we should be in European places though

 

[Carsy]

I don't think many of our players (maybe Neves and one or two others) get into a top 7 side.

Doesn't stop people thinking we should be in European places though

Fair point.

Sa neves Moutinho and maybe a couple of fullbacks would for me.

For what it’s worth, I still wouldn’t be suprised if we finish top 7. Think we will be no where near top 7 next year mind as things stand

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Guarantee you we won't finish 8th under Lage next season. Newcastle and Leicester will finish above us for a start.

Allardyce finished 8th with Everton, I doubt you would disagree that he was crap for them and deserved to get sacked.

Unless something changes dramatically top half is likely to be well beyond us next season. This season has seen a ridiculously high points return given the number of goals scored. Those goals have come from a very low number of chances created and backed up by stats from a keeper that are highly unlikely to be repeated. Teams get worked out and need to adapt and at the moment there is precious little evidence Lage can do that.

 

[prawnking]

Unless something changes dramatically top half is likely to be well beyond us next season.

I don't particularly disagree with the main thrust of your post, but weren't most of us saying the above before this season started?

 

[Throbber1]

Deutsch Wolf said:
Guarantee you we won't finish 8th under Lage next season. Newcastle and Leicester will finish above us for a start.

Allardyce finished 8th with Everton, I doubt you would disagree that he was crap for them and deserved to get sacked

Allardyce played a lot of anti-football everywhere he went. The issue I have with Lage is that he did have a reputation of fast attacking football during his time at Benfica and started off trying the same here. He appears to have realised that the players he has do not fit with the style he wants so we have this horrible hybrid, horseshoe of death . Much of that is on the manager , but I cut him some slack as it is self preservation. He had to grind results to keep his job.

Unless something changes dramatically top half is likely to be well beyond us next season. This season has seen a ridiculously high points return given the number of goals scored. Those goals have come from a very low number of chances created and backed up by stats from a keeper that are highly unlikely to be repeated. Teams get worked out and need to adapt and at the moment there is precious little evidence Lage can do that.

That only changes when the creative ability of the team changes and the finishing abilty of the team changes. We know what we get from the current midfield and , whilst it gives us lots to be grateful for in Neves and Moutinho , neither score many goals. Dendoncker creates little and scores few, Semedo for all his attacking intent neither has the assists or the goals to show for it. Marcal can cross occassionally but no body is on the end of it , well apart from the odd og!

I am not convinced by Lage, but I am also not convinced by a lot of the current squad. I would be quite happy to see five or six changes in personnel for the matchday squad for next season and a change in style to 4 at the back with Otto and Ait-Nouri as full backs. A 4-2-2-2 system or similar that may(only may) enable Hwang and or Fabio to do better centrally as they both seem to need a partner up front. I understand the desire to swap Lage, but I would only swap if the owners then back the new manager to get who they want and play how they want. Without personnel changes , style and performance improvement is unlikely.

 

[Mel Evo]

I don't particularly disagree with the main thrust of your post, but weren't most of us saying the above before this season started?

That's a fair point (I was there / culpable). Forecasts are only guesses after all. I guess you could say that there was a slight difference in that 'because something had already changed dramatically' I thought top half was beyond us. Now I am hoping for change.

 

[AndyWolves]

I cant reconcile the general theme that we should have been in the European places this season and will struggle to finish above half way next season.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

If we'd even displayed reasonable form since February we'd have made Europe, instead we've gone along at not much more than 1PPG and we're getting worse. It's a missed chance on the basis that Man Utd are shit and West Ham currently have bigger fish to fry.

I'd love to know why people think Lage is going to do a good job, because it can't be based on the football he plays, who he's signed so far (if he has much of a say in that area) or what he says publicly, which is nothing more than garbled nonsense a lot of the time.