VILLA (HOME)
The inconvenient truth may just be that Graham Potter is a fabulous manager when stationed in an away dugout, but a bang average one when operating from those fancy sports car seats at the Amex.
Since joining in the summer of 2019, our Graham has presided over twelve home wins. However, when you discount games played behind-closed-doors or in partially open stadiums (because let’s face it, those games didn’t really count) we’re looking at just seven wins. This is not a great return (for anybody moaning about the atmosphere at home games… this is the reason).
The defeat against Burnley featured a level of performance that was somewhat atypical - absolutely fucking woeful, basically - but the outcome of the game wasn’t totally off trend.
Why might this be? I do sometimes wonder if Potter’s ethos and approach to home games are catnip to regressive managers, the low block merchants who’s number one goal is to keep things tight. We usually swamp midfield to help control the game, with any width coming from the wing-back areas (so from deep, not high up the pitch), three imposing central defenders, a centre forward who’s primary responsibility is to occupy the opposing defensive unit, plus a bonus player (usually Trossard) who’s allowed to attack but is also expected to assist with that all-important midfield control.
Our play - the slow patient build-up, the midfield control, the lack of threat from wide areas, the lack of players getting in behind - plays into the hands of pretty much everybody we face at home, bar ‘the big six’, and is only likely to end one of two ways. A tight draw, or a narrow defeat. And on the whole, that’s exactly how it plays out. It's a commendable approach, but at some stage, perhaps a little pragmatism wouldn’t go amiss?
This, I think, was at the heart of the frustrations aired after the Leeds home game last year. Marching down the Lewes Road only to be marched back without a win (or even a goal) most weeks is dispiriting, and football fans will always, at certain times, voice their displeasure.
This is a strange season. We’re sitting in the top half of the league but my dad - a season ticket holder who attends the occasional away - has seen us win just once all season. This, to some extent, is symptomatic of the Premier League experience. Long sequences of games without the joys of watching your team win, or even score, 0-0 draws heralded as great results, being told to appreciate the performance having sat through a comprehensive defeat. It’s been a great season in many ways, the away form is amazing, and the home form has been steady, but, well, and perhaps this is just me, but I watch the Albion to watch them win.
What might we be in for this weekend then? A much-improved performance no doubt, but it’s hard to see beyond a reversion to type: the classic 1-1 draw. Some good play, some missed chances, a goal conceded on the counter, the manager pleased with what he’s seen, the fans less equivocal.
Dunk is back, but Webster is out, so we’re still stretched at the back. Not selling Burn until the end of the season would have helped. The unevenness of the squad is baffling. Loads of central midfielders, but the bare minimum at all other positions. We have one competent goalkeeper in the squad. If you like to play three centre-backs and you have just four of them in your squad why would you allow one of them to leave. If you have just one right-back in the squad and the only cover for him is one of your four centre-backs, why would you not address this when you had the chance? This unevenness, as we saw against Burnley, will eventually fuck you over.
A back four didn’t work last weekend, and it didn’t work against Spurs in the cup, so presumably we’re looking at Dunk, Duffy and Veltman, the two wing-backs, Maupay and Trossard, and then fuck knows who’ll get the nod in midfield. Although Adam Lallana seems to be something of a first pick selection.
Dare I be so bold as to nominate Adam Lallana as one of the worst signings in our history? Hear me out. Relatively speaking, I reckon a case could be made, Champions League winners medal or not.
I believe he’s the highest paid player in the squad, and so therefore the highest paid player in the history of the club. This isn’t his fault of course, but for somebody with his status in the squad, we have every right to expect more. I’m still trying to work out what he brings to the party. Is he great defensively? He’s scored once in 50 odd appearances, with just two assists to his name. His key attribute seems to be referee management, Liverpool’s Ads Lallana using up the last of his big six cache to help influence things in our favour. I cannot see why he’s played ahead of the excellent Steven Alzate, or Mac Allister who thrived in both the Leicester and Watford games from Lallana’s regular position at the base of the midfield. But then what do I know.
The defeat away to Villa was a depressing old afternoon. 80 minutes of stodgeball followed by 10 minutes of failing to deal with counter-attacks made possible by the introduction of a hard running extra forward and a pacey wide attacker from the bench. The cancelled train services from Birmingham New Street didn’t much help matters.
More of the same this weekend would be ever worse. So yeah, maybe 0-0 is a great result after all.
