[Adder]

I do care about the football that's served up. I've gone for Sherwood on the grounds that he could be the man to bring 3 or 4 younger players into the squad and he's a safer bet for decent football than Pulis. Our games against the Pulis Stoke resembled rugby more than football. What's to say he won't go down that same road ?
I mentioned elsewhere that Henry Winter (Telegraph) said on Sunday's 'Sunday Supplement' that he had talked to JP at some meeting after the last new manager process and JP had told him that he was very impressed with Sherwood.
I'll admit Pulis is the safer bet for survival this year but I'm hoping Sherwood will be watching from the stands on Saturday before taking over.

[tommcneill]

Pulis is the guy too change things around.

I wasn't a huge fan of his Stoke days although he did wonders for them but his Crystal Palace team were exciting too watch

[royhan]

If Albion agreed to Pulis' demands for control of transfers then this will make Burton and Day surplus to requirements. I cannot see JP agreeing to these demands.

[Atomic]

Speak to those who were there in the 50s. We were invited to play against the best clubs in Europe because of our style and its a style that has stayed with us straight throughout to now with the obvious blip that was Megson and beforehand Gould. We have never been a long ball team other than under those managers. In the 80s and 90s the club was on its knees and bought cr*p players. Still played football on the deck. Ossie Ardiles played great football. That season was a joy to watch.

The 50's were 60 years ago. Since then we had the late 70's team, the Ossie team and the Mowbray team that were what I would describe as particularly attractive to watch. Other than that, not really.

[kc56wba]

http://www.teamtalk.com/west-bromwich-albion/9625276/Premier-League-Tony-Pulis-in-talks-with-West-Bromwich-Albion

A formal approach has been made but Sky understands Pulis wants full control of transfer activity at West Brom.

Must be further advanced than this if we are going to announce by the weekend, oh forgot it's the Albion, talks broke down yet again.

[Albionic]

Johnny Giles - good football
Ossy Ardiles - good football
Tony Mowbray good football
Ron Atkinson GREAT football
Alan Ashman good football
Roberto di Matteo - ok football
Roy Hodgson - ok football

yes its dipped of late but we have had plenty of good football yes some dross too.
Megson / Clarke

And there has been freaking awful
Buckley / Gould / Howe ......

[dangerman]

So let's get this straight!

Nearly everyone on here is agreed that our last few head coaches have lacked on thing, experience and specifically premier league experience.

We can mostly agree that on the pitch we lacked direction and leadership.

Again, we can mostly all agree that the players have had it too easy the last few years and that something needs to be done.

So a bloke with premier leauge experience, who has a history of sorting out clubs that are potenitally relegation material becomes available and looks like he could be appointed people start to moan that it isn't good enough.

The only other realistic option is sherwood but has he really got enough premier leauge expierence?

Granted I am worried that hoofball will come to the Hawthorns but not as much as I am worried that we will get relegated unless something is done quickly.

I'm not saying he's the perfect man for the job, what I am saying is he is the only man who has got the experience that all the fans have been crying out for. Unfortunatly we can't have it both ways.

[slate]

We have had 20 "permanent" managers over the past 30 years.

By my counting I'd say the football was very good under 4 of those.

Win percentage is on the right hand side just for reference - obviously attractive football and winning don't necessarily go together. Just something to think about.....


Johnny Giles 14 February 1984   29 September 1985    32%   
Nobby Stiles 29 September 1985   1 February 1986 14%   
Ron Saunders    14 February 1986   2 September 1987   22%   
Ron Atkinson   3 September 1987   12 October 1988 28%   
Brian Talbot 2 November 1988   8 January 1991 30%
Bobby Gould   25 February 1991   5 May 1992 33%   
Osvaldo Ardiles 8 May 1992   19 June 1993   54%
Keith Burkinshaw 19 June 1993   17 October 1994 23%   
Alan Buckley 20 October 1994   22 January 1997 33%   
Ray Harford 6 February 1997   4 December 1997 47%   
Denis Smith 24 December 1997 27 July 1999 30%   
Brian Little 3 August 1999 6 March 2000 19%
Gary Megson   9 March 2000   26 October 2004 42%
Bryan Robson    9 November 2004   18 September 2006   81 23%
Tony Mowbray    18 October 2006   16 June 2009   40%
Roberto Di Matteo 30 June 2009   6 February 2011 48%
Roy Hodgson   14 February 2011   1 May 2012 37%   
Steve Clarke 12 June 2012   14 December 2013   32%   
Pepe Mel    9 lJanuary 2014   12 May 2014 17%
Alan Irvine 14 June 2014   29 December 2014   22%   

[wba1993dave]

Sherwood would be great long term, but Pulis is exactly what we need right now. Wouldn't take sh*t from the likes of Morrison,Brunt,Dorrans. Our defense on paper is good it just needs to be better organised. The likes of Lescott and Dawson would excel under Pulis. Its a big if though would he work under our setup probably not.But i hope JP will reshape a few things to accommodate Pulis.

[OldburyWBA]

Pulis would probably keep us up but I think I may cry if he is appointed. I cannot believe so many of our fans would be happy with him. West Brom are a club steeped in tradition of playing good attractive entertaining football. Pulis is the exact opposite of all that.

As has been pointed out on here a few times over the past couple of years we have not played consistent good attractive football for a while.

I'm in no way a Pulis fan but given the issues that seem to be lingering and rumoured around the club he could be the strong character we need. His football has not been the best no denying it but its effective and in the short term could give us a platform to build on as Megson did and give us a bit of solidity instead of being a powder puff side scared to put the foot in. If it means we say goodbye to a few of the players who have outstayed their welcome then again so be it. Whole thing needs change.

Do I expect Pulis to come ? probably not to be honest.

[slate]

Sherwood would be great long term, but Pulis is exactly what we need right now. Wouldn't take sh*t from the likes of Morrison,Brunt,Dorrans. Our defense on paper is good it just needs to be better organised. The likes of Lescott and Dawson would excel under Pulis. Its a big if though would he work under our setup probably not.But i hope JP will reshape a few things to accommodate Pulis.

What makes you say that those players give the manager s*it?

[Signor_Maresca]

I might be wrong but I just can’t see JP relinquishing the principals he holds regarding the clubs structure and and recruitment policy.

Pulis is hardly the most sensible manager in the transfer market is he.

Kitson £6M
Jones £8M
Whitehead £5M
Arismendi £3M
Palacios £6M

To name but a few.

[kirk]

So pulis wants full control...... Give it to him, no more 2nd rate coaches and our player recruitment has not been too good also it was burton who appointed Irvine. The whole back room needs a clear out. Learn from your mistakes a 2nd time mr peace.

[Atomic]

So pulis wants full control...... Give it to him, no more 2nd rate coaches and our player recruitment has not been too good also it was burton who appointed Irvine. The whole back room needs a clear out. Learn from your mistakes a 2nd time mr peace.

Hear hear!

No ******* up this time Jeremy, learn your lessons.

[addy]

I might be wrong but I just can’t see JP relinquishing the principals he holds regarding the clubs structure and and recruitment policy.

Pulis is hardly the most sensible manager in the transfer market is he.

Kitson £6M
Jones £8M
Whitehead £5M
Arismendi £3M
Palacios £6M

To name but a few.

Fuller £500k
Shawcross £1m
Begovic £3.25m

I mean our recruitment team spent £6m on Anichebe ffs.

And the £10m on Ideye is not looking great.

[Blowee]

Johnny Giles - good football
Ossy Ardiles - good football
Tony Mowbray good football
Ron Atkinson GREAT football
Alan Ashman good football
Roberto di Matteo - ok football
Roy Hodgson - ok football

yes its dipped of late but we have had plenty of good football yes some dross too.
Megson / Clarke

I enjoyed watching us under Megson - but perhaps expectations where lower back then. I love our battling never say die performances in the promotion season and remember the 1-0 win at Preston as well as any victory.

Giles as far as I remember didn't encourage attractive football all I recall is the ball being passed sideways across the pitch!

And there has been freaking awful
Buckley / Gould / Howe ......

[botters]

Pulis would probably keep us up but I think I may cry if he is appointed. I cannot believe so many of our fans would be happy with him. West Brom are a club steeped in tradition of playing good attractive entertaining football. Pulis is the exact opposite of all that.

It's results that count in our situation currently, Irvine didn't exactly get us playing attractive entertaining football and obviously could not get the results. We need winning football.   

[dangerman]

As has been pointed out on here a few times over the past couple of years we have not played consistent good attractive football for a while.

I'm in no way a Pulis fan but given the issues that seem to be lingering and rumoured around the club he could be the strong character we need. His football has not been the best no denying it but its effective and in the short term could give us a platform to build on as Megson did and give us a bit of solidity instead of being a powder puff side scared to put the foot in. If it means we say goodbye to a few of the players who have outstayed their welcome then again so be it. Whole thing needs change.

Do I expect Pulis to come ? probably not to be honest.

Pretty much sums it up for me.

We shall wait and see as it isn't a cert that it is going to be Pulis.

I have really changed my opinion in the last 12 months. 12 months ago I would have hated the idea of pulisball at the albion but it's needs must at the minute I feel.

[Blowee]

Totally agree than any thing other than winning is luxury at the moment. Let's face it if we had won at QPR and Stoke and were sitting on 23 points mid-table we'd be saying let's see out the season with AI and rethink in the close season. Staying up is priority no.1.

[silver surfer]

For the life of me I can't see the attraction with Sherwood, managing Tottenham for 2 thirds of season doesn't qualify him to save a club heading head long for relegation.
I never thought Pullis would be a 1st pick amongst Albion fans, but in my opinion he's maybe the best choice ready and available to step right in.

[halifax_baggie]

Just look at his record. He lost his last 7 games at Fulham at went awry there but his record is exemplory and I think he's at the top end of what we can get. It has absolutely nothing to do with him ever playing here I don't think I was even alive and you never hear fans speaking fondly of him in the same way as say Regis etc. nothing to do with sentimentality.

That's because he wasn't a striker but a hard uncompromising midfielder but with dutch footballing skills - we could do with him today without a shadow of doubt

[wba1993dave]

If we were in the Championship, Sherwood would be a great choice but I just feel we don't need a novice right now. We need a proven PL manager Pulis is that. Sherwood will be a top manager but I feel its too risky at this stage of the season.

[WorcsWBA]

Tony Mowbrays barmy army! Anyone?

I'd welcome him back anytime.

[dangerman]

I was reading another forum yesterday and a poster on there had suggested that we had breifly spoken to Jol who was not interested. They suggested that his heart was no longer in it and was part of the reason that Fulham were so bad in his last season there. Obviously there were other issues which added to Fulham being relegated.

If that is the case then we need to stay away and get someone who has a bit of fight in them.

[addy]

I think Peace is willing to budge somewhat, don't think he would have even spoke to Pulis if he wasn't. He will have an idea on what Pulis wanted before any meeting.

A very experienced premier league manager that has never been relegated and the current manager of the year, a club in our position would be mad to not look into that.

He may not be a glamorous name but he will do a decent job. Just saying but if he was a German manager we a similar record and a more exotic name in the German league some of our fans would be running down the streets naked in celebration.