Andoni Iraola

I really worry about the group of players we have. Iraola's ideas are clearly partially getting through and at times look promising, but there are moments of poor discipline/concentration/fitness are costing us every game. Maybe there's also an intelligence factor. Yesterday we looked atrocious.

Particularly I'm looking at the recruitment policy of spending fortunes signing huge amounts of mediocre players. We have a crazy number of players who are physically sound but simply lack real quality on the ball. I'd say we have way too many players, and many of them are sort of lower Championship, maybe even league 1 level. Better to add 1 or 2 genuinely quality players than several ordinary players. Same goes for the past 3 seasons at least.
 
afcb.czech said:
I really worry about the group of players we have. Iraola's ideas are clearly partially getting through and at times look promising, but there are moments of poor discipline/concentration/fitness are costing us every game. Maybe there's also an intelligence factor. Yesterday we looked atrocious.

Particularly I'm looking at the recruitment policy of spending fortunes signing huge amounts of mediocre players. We have a crazy number of players who are physically sound but simply lack real quality on the ball. I'd say we have way too many players, and many of them are sort of lower Championship, maybe even league 1 level. Better to add 1 or 2 genuinely quality players than several ordinary players. Same goes for the past 3 seasons at least.
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I think thats a bit OTT. Dont think any of the signings are players you'd expect to see in the 2nd tier, never mind the 3rd.

Players like Dembele, Lowe, Marcondes, Moore etc are decent Championship players... and they're nowhere near the 1st team (if still even at the club).

It is difficult to work out what the plan is going forwards, and its anyones guess who will line up on the wings in the coming games, as no one has really stood out.

That said, this was a tough run of games, hopefully we're resolute and patterns/selections will become clearer over the next couple of months.

Yesterdays game has upped the concern, even though realistically we were always likely to come away with nothing. Take away the 2 pens and 2 nil isn't a bad result tbh, given the quality of the opposition. Manner was a bit concerning, but its not end of the world if we pickup form, starting next week, as was always the general outlook, given this run of games.

Concern could be that like Leeds and Southampton, signing a fair amount of somewhat highly rated younger players, that look decent signings on paper, but moulding them/getting them up to speed quick enough to make the required impact. I'm confident AI will do this in the coming months, but it needs to start happening soon, otherwise could end up needing european qual type form to survive. I'll think we'll do ok in the end, but always chance something like that may happen if we dont pickup consistent results over the next couple of months. This squad is good enough for mid table imo, but given the amount of new signings/inexperience, could easily go down if not careful.
 
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MB1980 said:
I think thats a bit OTT. Dont think any of the signings are players you'd expect to see in the 2nd tier, never mind the 3rd.

Players like Dembele, Lowe, Marcondes, Moore etc are decent Championship players... and they're nowhere near the 1st team (if still even at the club).

It is difficult to work out what the plan is going forwards, and its anyones guess who will line up on the wings in the coming games, as no one has really stood out.

That said, this was a tough run of games, hopefully we're resolute and patterns/selections will become clearer over the next couple of months.

Yesterdays game has upped the concern, even though realistically we were always likely to come away with nothing. Take away the 2 pens and 2 nil isn't a bad result tbh, given the quality of the opposition. Manner was a bit concerning, but its not end of the world if we pickup form, starting next week, as was always the general outlook, given this run of games.

Concern could be that like Leeds and Southampton, signing a fair amount of somewhat highly rated younger players, that look decent signings on paper, but moulding them/getting them up to speed quick enough to make the required impact. I'm confident AI will do this in the coming months, but it needs to start happening soon, otherwise could end up needing european qual type form to survive. I'll think we'll do ok in the end, but always chance something like that may happen if we dont pickup consistent results over the next couple of months. This squad is good enough for mid table imo, but given the amount of new signings/inexperience, could easily go down if not careful.
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Sorry, tier 2 and 3 players I meant on the books, rather than the new signings. Although I still think we have a lot of players who will struggle in the premier league but do a job in the lower leagues. I think you could argue that players like Christie and Solanke fall into that category. Yet there are still players like Ottara and Semenyo who are quite visibly out of their depths. Put the strongest 11 on paper and you have a bottom 4 or 5 Premier League team in my opinion. So the question is how a Continental Coach who brings more complex a technically demanding ideas fits with the group we have. For the record I really like AI and his ideas, I just don't see them working with the group we have.
 
northstandmark said:
I am starting to develop a little nagging concern about our game when in possession.

For all the talk about the famous high press, something the squad have bought into, what does AI-ball plan to do when we actually win the ball back?

Today isn't the ideal day to judge of course. This is something that's been itching at me for a several games now, but today's world class defence did highlight it more keenly. We don't seem to have recognisable patterns of play when on the attack. There's not yet the understanding and anticipation between attacking players about how we're going to try building through opposition defence.

Admittedly I wasn't at Brighton which, by accounts of first half, was some of our better attacking play. So caveat there.

I guess I'm worried we've spent so much time working on what to do out of possession, we've kinda lost our way when in possession.

My hope and expectation is that as we play more games, gain more experience under AI, and of course play slightly less world class opposition: the attacking / creative side of AI's game will shine through. Also players to get fit. So fingers crossed!

Please feel free to reassure me, and/or tear me apart, either is fine!
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Agree with this and with Rob Trent’s next post. Think your expectations are sensible and if we don’t start seeing an improvement over this month we can start getting nervous.
 
afcb.czech said:
Sorry, tier 2 and 3 players I meant on the books, rather than the new signings. Although I still think we have a lot of players who will struggle in the premier league but do a job in the lower leagues. I think you could argue that players like Christie and Solanke fall into that category. Yet there are still players like Ottara and Semenyo who are quite visibly out of their depths. Put the strongest 11 on paper and you have a bottom 4 or 5 Premier League team in my opinion. So the question is how a Continental Coach who brings more complex a technically demanding ideas fits with the group we have. For the record I really like AI and his ideas, I just don't see them working with the group we have.
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my thoughts are that we have a new coach new ideas but have all the backroom staff from many years of playing the same way, are they also struggling take on the the new style of play as some times it looks like there’s something there and then all of a sudden we fall back into the old way.
 
Neil Dawson said:
Not been allowed to join as doesn’t meet visa requirements and we are trying to get it done. Working without a key right hand man basically.
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This is definitely crucial, not much has been said about this publicly but it can't be easy not having his right hand man .. we know how well Ed and Jace worked together and Harry and Bond etc .. do we think he could join any time soon ? Or is this anyones guess?.
 
afcb.czech said:
Sorry, tier 2 and 3 players I meant on the books, rather than the new signings. Although I still think we have a lot of players who will struggle in the premier league but do a job in the lower leagues. I think you could argue that players like Christie and Solanke fall into that category. Yet there are still players like Ottara and Semenyo who are quite visibly out of their depths. Put the strongest 11 on paper and you have a bottom 4 or 5 Premier League team in my opinion. So the question is how a Continental Coach who brings more complex a technically demanding ideas fits with the group we have. For the record I really like AI and his ideas, I just don't see them working with the group we have.
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This squad can't be any worse than those he inherited in his previous jobs. He's supposed to be good at making the most of average players.
 
I know it’s only a warm up drill, but it does amuse me that we do a drill with the full backs and wingers getting deep low crosses in to the penalty spot area for Solanke, Billing, Christie and Cook to shoot first time. But we rarely do any link up play that’s similar during the game.

It’s virtually all cut inside and dribble along the edge of the box.
 
johnbob said:
my thoughts are that we have a new coach new ideas but have all the backroom staff from many years of playing the same way, are they also struggling take on the the new style of play as some times it looks like there’s something there and then all of a sudden we fall back into the old way.
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Hopefully they were in at 7 this morning - double training sessions, and every morning until all staff (on and off the pitch) know the drill.
 
DJ said:
I know it’s only a warm up drill, but it does amuse me that we do a drill with the full backs and wingers getting deep low crosses in to the penalty spot area for Solanke, Billing, Christie and Cook to shoot first time. But we rarely do any link up play that’s similar during the game.

It’s virtually all cut inside and dribble along the edge of the box.
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I don’t think I’ve seen Kluivert cross a ball. He just cuts in, feints a shot and then runs into the next defender and bounces off him before collapsing on the floor holding his leg. Rinse and repeat

Like I say, Hughes managed to find the one Kluivert kid that took after their mum…
 
DJ said:
www.football-espana.net

Sevilla could go after current Premier League manager if Jose Luis Mendilibar is sacked - Football España

Sevilla are considering parting ways with head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, just over four months after he led them to a record seventh Europa League title. Los Nervionenses have had a rough start to this season, winning just two of their 10 matches in all competitions. If Sevilla do decide to...
www.football-espana.net www.football-espana.net
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Can't see anything happening, AI is still employed by AFCB..
 
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afcbmdl27 said:
Can't see anything happening, AI is still employed by AFCB..
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Exactly.

"if Iraola is sacked, Fichajes say that Sevilla could look to make him their new head coach, on the basis that they also let Mendilibar go."

Doesn't sound like they're interested in paying compensation.
 
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