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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: April 16, 2024, 04:07:36 PM »

At the moment I think Southgate and most fans picks goes Foden left / Bellingham Central and Saka right. Foden gets shunted left probably unfairly but because he's more comfortable out there than Bellingham.

However Foden, Palmer, Saka would allow us to drop Bellingham deeper to play central with Rice, which I think would work really well. Rice Bellingham central has legs, power, pace, bite and quality and you've got balance between one who naturally wants to be more defensive and sit, and another who wants to press forward.

Wouldnt disagree with a 5 man midfield

 ------- Keeper (Pickford?)

Walker   Stones    Qanash??   Shaw (trippier)

 -------------- Rice

---- Foden         Palmer           Saka

-------------- Bellingham

--------------------Kane

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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: April 16, 2024, 12:42:52 PM »

Manager created a team in his own image, Dour, organised, fit, lacking in flair and creativity.

Used to be known as "the english way".
Most successful teams have been a marriage of "the english way" with a sprinkling of highly talented players, or supporting a generational talent (Pele / Maradona / Messi).

If we look at the Argentine side, you would hardly call McAllister / Otamendi / Fernandez / Rodrigo DePaul ...... world beaters, but they were, Largely due to Messi & Di Maria

Gareth needs to choose some "quality" and stick with it, personally I would go Saka / Foden / Palmer.

Grealish / Gordon / Sterling / Bowen   might make my squad but unlikely to play. Rashford definitely would not

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games

« on: April 16, 2024, 12:19:34 PM »

villainous work is hard to find these days 

nearest thing to a job for life, based upon the vitriol on here

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 15, 2024, 11:39:52 AM »

Andi Weimann.

sorry, I was attempting (and failing) Irony !

Another over the hill failure not quite in the Ricky lambert / Mark Albrighton class I admit, but if he is the answer, words fail me (they did)

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 15, 2024, 11:22:19 AM »

I've said it on many occasions now, that he a scorer of great goals, but not a great goalscorer.

He's a very likeable guy.

He grafts and grafts but he isn't clinical enough. Just like he made an impact off the bench in his first appearance for us, I think that is where he would be now if DD wasn't always injured.

We haven't seen enough of Maja to see if he is any better than BTA, but hopefully he is and BTA can be impact player off the bench.

Our options are limited and AW obviously isn't showing much in training if he still does not come on when we are trying to get an equaliser.

AW

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Blind Dave

« on: April 15, 2024, 11:18:13 AM »

Well deserved, as above, why so long ??

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games

« on: April 15, 2024, 11:17:33 AM »

My first memories of football are of the shock of

• proper black country accents" (being as I am from Great Barr).
  Getting on the special and the chaos and singing on the top deck,
  The queues and crush to get in / under the gates
  Knees up mother brown and the pushing and shoving of great waves of humanity against "crash barriers"
  The smell of beer / fags / pi55 (the bogs under the brummie were open sewers
  The incessant singing, once I learned the words of the songs, I would leave the ground hoarse
  The running "battles" in halfords lane, often with no actual violence
  The swearing by thousands, like "your going to get your freaking head kicked in"

"

Thats what I fell in love with and in some ways the football was just a facilitator to the match experience

Oh and Willie beating a full back and inviting hiim back for another go, while Ossy had a fag from a fan, the like of which will never be seen again !

I actually feel sorry for modern fans not living that experience.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 13, 2024, 02:08:20 PM »

When he skies it over the bar from three yards out, it’s going to attract comments I’m afraid. Any footballer would get the same.

Nwankadu Kanu (sp) was a multi million pound player man years ago and he managed to miss from a yard, it happens to the very best,

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: End of season theme, Poll included

« on: April 12, 2024, 06:45:02 PM »

I reckon if we all dress up as stewards would be funny 

Quite like that one !!!

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 12, 2024, 06:35:48 PM »

I just re-read the first few pages on this thread and it is fair to say that BTA has exceeded expectations, not sure what else the lad can do frankly

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Last Match Forum - 10/04 Rotherham United (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 10, 2024, 08:44:15 PM »

I don’t think he’s ever been as bad as some make out …I am disappointed he hasn’t had more efforts from range when he clearly knows how too.

We need one more before HT then steamroller them 2nd half

Yes he has, he has been dire

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 10, 2024, 08:37:48 PM »

Darren Moore was a very solid player for WBA, totally committed and a leader by example, deserves our respect.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel

« on: April 09, 2024, 12:18:14 PM »

I would add into the equation that as the end of the season approaches so does the realisation that a significant number of the playing staff will not be around B71 much longer, either because we need to upgrade on them for the prem, they are paid too much for the chumps, or they are simply past it now.

The motivation for winning the play offs isnt going to be as great for our lot as say Ipswich / Norwich / Soton

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 08, 2024, 01:26:31 PM »

CC gets a big B plus from me, getting us to play offs with BTA as our main often only) striker is massive,
Yes he has made errors and I personally think he could have used the kids more,
The stat that our worst defeat all season is 0-2 is testament to his organisation and the resilience of the team.

I doubt that we can get promoted this season, but I would hope Mr Patel is patient and sticks by CC and provides appropriate resources to mount a serious tilt next season

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games

« on: April 06, 2024, 02:32:18 PM »

Agree about the 23quid tickets a great gesture but in reality a mistake. Need canning next season

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA FC Financial report 22/23 published

« on: April 04, 2024, 09:19:01 PM »

I absolutely do not. However to syphon off £10m from a deal then the UK based officers e.g. Dowling himself and the FD have to facilitate it. They have to cooperate or at the very least turn a blind eye. Now the main parties involved might have very little to fear from UK law or the football authorities but those individuals do.

Like I say if Dowling has proof of anything to the contrary then he needs to go to the authorities. I would add while there are monies outstanding to Lai on the sale that offers a route to recover funds that have been stolen from the club, so sooner rather than latter would be good.

Otherwise it is BS.

As stated below the auditors and FD made a sharp exit, I appreciate that auditors are required to sign off on accounts / reports however I maintain it's naive to think there was no skulduggery here.
There are bent people in football and huge sums swilling around which are too tempting to resist

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Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: April 04, 2024, 04:01:08 PM »

I'll go with Albionic

I ay gooing 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA FC Financial report 22/23 published

« on: April 04, 2024, 04:00:15 PM »

I am calling out Dowling's BS. Pereira was not sold for £30m. What is in the report and accounts for the relevant year is a profit on player sales of £16.9m. The vast bulk of that is the Pereira fee. That number would be north of £20m had we sold him for £30m bearing mind we would need to deduct roughly 75% of whatever we paid for him to get the profit number.

The lesser figure is what the club received. This is the amount was on the deal sheet and it would have been reconciled with the amounts that were paid into the clubs accounts. This has been audited and that would have been demonstrated to the auditors satisfaction.

If Dowling has evidence to the contrary then he needs to take it to the relevant authorities and this would potentially be a criminal matter. Otherwise he needs to shut up.

I think you underestimate the duplicity of the Chinese / Saudis / Brazilians and over estimate their respect for UK financial reporting law.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games

« on: April 04, 2024, 09:17:03 AM »

I know it isn't, I was highlighting him saying the absurd, because Reach couldn't peel the skin off a potato, let alone a an opposition player.

Which I then clarified by saying some fans see a different game.

Ok, I mis-understood then, won't be the last time 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Under 23's / Academy Thread

« on: April 04, 2024, 09:15:57 AM »

Nice one  .

Hopefully a few more to follow  .

12 new pro’s for next season.  Therein lies the age old dilemma with kids / academies, if every club signs 12 new pros a season the market is overflowing massively and many most of those kids will be have to be cast aside.

The art is recognising who will be late bloomers, develop continually and have good attitudes.

The bloated squads premier league clubs run with just exacerbates the problem as they keep the "kids" well into their twenties now.
Hopefully some of our brightest talent will come through and they have the additional opportunity of Bologna on the horizon now.

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Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: April 04, 2024, 09:06:51 AM »

Horrible game, 0-0.

Horrible club, Horrible fans, 0-2

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: April 03, 2024, 01:43:18 PM »

'Apart from their two goals?' - well, it was two more goals than we got. That's a comfortable margin. If CC didn't get sent off then they could have been in for another goal too. Sounds like you're making excuses. Out of all our games this season, that was our biggest loss which speaks volumes and the performance was flat.

"Losing 2-0 is our worst loss all season",  that is a hell of an achievement !

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA FC Financial report 22/23 published

« on: April 03, 2024, 12:53:22 PM »

Indeed - this is the Bruce/Corberan season it refers to, right?

yep, me getting my FY's mixed up ! 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA FC Financial report 22/23 published

« on: April 03, 2024, 12:32:29 PM »

Whilst losses are bad, its no where near as bad as I expected.

Especially when the income from player sales dropped so dramatically and we paid off managers and staff (Allardyce and Ishmael presumably)

Last season is the one which will be scary reading

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games

« on: April 03, 2024, 12:26:38 PM »

The mid 20's chap infront of me let Asante have it for a miss shouting "you're absolutely sh??, why are you so sh??  Asante".

An absolute disgraceful show of "support", and paying no regard to how the game is going.

The hypocrisy from this "fan" when he banged one in was a sight to see.

Same chap shouted "Skin him to Reach" later in the game.

Some people see something others don't.

I have never abused our team of players at games, but we do have more vile like supporters than we have ever had, and I think it is because they never really knew the dark third tier times and just remember the 8 consecutive years in the prem.

"skin him" isn't derogatory, its no different to shouting "take him on"

I get your point otherwise