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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: November 08, 2018, 10:14:12 PM »

We don't always see what happens in the club. We see some of the symptoms I guess (e.g. Pardew!!).

I don't see players giving up but it does seem Darren needs a plan B and maybe C as his plan A is being found out.

I'm not convinced on a Martinez (Jones) style 3-5-2 , playing out from the back through midfield with the players we have for a start.

I'd think we'd do better to have a much more compact set up and use the movement / pace of Gayle, Barnes, Phillips and maybe Sako to open teams up.  I like what Darren is trying to do but I think he's in danger of becoming an idealist failure like Mowbray did ultimatley (in the premier league) .

Often it's about momentum/ results and you get better performances as you get momentum .

We have a top 8 squad but not top 2 so I think we're about where we deserve to be.

During games we have played with a back three, four and five, we have played with one or two in front of however many are in defense and one or two behind a lone striker or two up front. We swap a striker who feeds of the shoulder of the defense for one who holds the play up for mI'd field to join in. Tactically we have lots of plans but our only succesful one seems to be when we get the ball to our good players quickly and as has been shown this is becoming easy to defend against.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: November 08, 2018, 10:03:15 PM »

If you look at the back of our matchday programme and compare our squad with our opponents ours is sizeable. It's all very well saying Moore is hampered by the squad he has but he has a far, far better squad than most clubs in the Championship, you could argue all clubs. We were awful at Hull on Saturday look at their squad and compare it to ours.

I know Graeme Jones is having a major influence on how we play but Darren Moore is HEAD coach he carries the can, he is ultimately responsible for what we do on the pitch. If he is being over-inflenced by Jones then he's not strong enough to be a head coach.

Yes, we had to change from Pulisball but now we've gone completely the other way no organisation, no solidity, no structure. It doesn't have to be one or the other i.e.e ultra pragmatic or no pragmatism there is a middle ground.

A lot of coaches would give their right arm for a squad like Albion's. Darren is making the job hard by playing the system he is and picking the players he is perfect example Brunt in CM.EVERYBODY can see that Brunt is not a CM.

What is concerning is that we seem to be getting worse rather than better. Following the showing at Hull I'd question whether the players have lost or are losing belief in what they are supposed to be doing.

The best we've played all season was the opening half an hour of the Coventry game in the pre season friendly (lower league opposition I know). We've gone a fair way backwards since then.

Personally I think you over exaggerate the strength of our squad. The squad finished bottom of the Premier League and have been added to by mainly cheap, free, loans or non contracted players. I'm not suggesting they are all rubbish, far from it, but they failed under Pulis, Pardew and now struggling with Big Dave, they are the constant. We have talent but limited talent and it is easy to stifle the talent we have and I struggle to see how a change in management  (or tactics) would change that. Time and better players might though.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: November 05, 2018, 10:06:14 PM »

Darren Moore is limited by the rubbish squad that we have assembled on the cheap and the requirement to change the way we play from the Pulisball dross that we have had served up for the last few seasons. Rome wasn't built in a day but the expectation is that it can be at a football club and maybe it can if you spend the money but not if you pick up players who nobody else want. There is definately an element that we have been found out, we have 3 or 4 players who can make a difference and if you mark them out the game the rest are limited or clueless. That isn't about Darren Moore, that is the squad and no change of coach is going to change that.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Jay Rodriguez

« on: October 29, 2018, 12:47:44 PM »

Jay, Gayle and HRK all have different strengths and play different games (which is why we have them in the squad)  but all need to be competent in front of goal. For me, JRod is well out of form but HRK isn't the player to replace him because they aren't the same type of player (unless we want to do something different) and I'm not sure who is which, I think, is Moore's conundrum.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: October 29, 2018, 12:40:41 PM »

Personally I'm not surprised at the criticism of Moore but dissapointed by it.

We finished rock bottom of the Premier League last season and, let's face it, would have been well adrift had Moore not convinced his players to turn up towards the end of the season. Historically,  have a look at the teams that have finished bottom and see the position they are in now (or were after relegation) and I'm fairly sure we are above all of them.  Of the starting line up on Saturday 6 are new to the team (7 if you count Morrison  ) and the style we try  ( )to play is a long way from the one dimensional, do one job, yawn football that we have been used to. To even be challenging at this point should be seen as an achievement in my opinion.

I understand the frustration at persisting with playing out from the back when it appears to be hampering our progress but i'd rather struggle and improve (I'd be looking at changing personnel, in my opinion Bartley and Hegazi don't appear to be capable ball players and Dawson is struggling, out of form, possibly mentally?) rather than revert to the hoof to a holding striker (who would have to be HRK as nobody else is)

With regards to his substitutions,  some work, some don't, some are enforced, some are not but those not forced upon us are generally done to change an aspect of play which isn't working and not just like for like as has been an issue in our recent history.

We are in transition,  we have not been particularly backed in the transfer market and for me, we are doing better than expected.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: October 04, 2018, 10:35:10 PM »

It doesn't matter how many you concede at the  end of the day so long as you win most of your home games and at least draw most of your away games. We are doing that and we are doing that with a defense that can only really improve .

 In respect of DM and his subs yesterday,  hands up I was baffled by them, but with hindsight it was a fantastic call as the moves strenghend midfield, giving freedom to Barnes , and pushed Brunt wide to provide the service.

Plus it is better than Pulis

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: October 03, 2018, 08:24:15 PM »

How come we can struggle at times to pass to a player in blue and white stripes but don't have a problem tonight?

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General Football & Sports / Re: Official: Ben Foster joins Watford

« on: September 30, 2018, 02:52:11 PM »

No reason to tell people to "get over it" at all.

Although it is probably good advice on health grounds 

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General Football & Sports / Re: Dingle watch - Anything Wolves

« on: September 16, 2018, 10:53:59 AM »

Have to say I'm having real trouble with these deluded dingles. I've got mates who haven't 'wanted to talk about' wolves for about 5 years yet now you can't shut the f****** up. Never have I wanted them to fail more now than in my whole life. They are the ficklest fans in world football. Absolutely hate that club with a passion.

If you were born on the day Wolves last won at the Hawthorns you would have just been celebrating your 22nd birthday. If you were born on the day Albion last won at the custard bowl you would have just been celebrating entering year 2 at primary school.
It helps to understand their bitterness.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: September 15, 2018, 10:20:56 PM »

I'm sorry but DM needs to stick with what he is doing and trying to change the footballing philosophy at the club. What he needs is the time and the players to do this and unfortunately, at the moment, he is struggling with both. We are reliant on the back three to be competent enough to pass to our own players and they're not showing that. Our midfield needs to get better control of games and our strikers need to make themselves more available. Whilst it isn't happening (yet) we still aren't losing touch with the top half of the table so we're doing something right.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: August 27, 2018, 05:25:57 PM »

From the stand it is easy to make decisions, they're never wrong and never tested (and don't have to consider the full circumstances of the game). Was it right to take Barnes off for Morrison?  I don't think I would of but I don't know the circumstances of the fitness of Barnes, for example, and therefore easy to criticise. Did it change the result of the match? I don't think so. Will Dave  make bad decisions? Probably, most coaches do and he is a relatively inexperienced one but i'd still rather have him trying to play football than either of his two predecessors.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Mid table championship club

« on: August 26, 2018, 09:51:10 AM »

Since JP said this we have theoretically moved up a couple of places (although in reality down!). If you check the Premier League site, we are currently 20th in the list of number of Premier League wins. 
Villa are 9th, Blues 31st and them Dingles 41st.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 25, 2018, 11:47:34 AM »

I must have seen a different game to others if people think we handled balls into our box well. There were quite a few occasions where boro won headers in our box or the ball managrd to bounce around thr centre of our box without us clearing it. Johnstone made a number of saves throughout the game from such chsnces.

Yes, they only scored one, but they had something like 15 shots on goal to our 10 if I remember correctly, and very few of their chances came from great football (albeit they did run through us in the middle a few times).

If anyone gets a chance, watch a bit of it agaon and focus on how many times they head over or Johnstone saves from incidents of pinball in our box. It happened a fair few times.

12 shots to our 10, 3 on target compared to our 2 (according to Goal statistics provided by Samsung). Impartiality increases objectivity or maybe you were watching a different game 

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 25, 2018, 09:15:52 AM »

Is that a serious question?

We've let set pieces in against:
Bolton
Norwich
QPR
Boro

The only team we didn't was Forest who should have had a clear penalty too.

There's selective bias and then there's facts which shows that we cannot defend a set-piece.

What you have identified is that we have conceded goals from set pieces not that we cannot defend them. Stats show last night we defended 10 corners, 12 free kicks (most aimed at the box) and numerous long throw ins. What ratio do we have to successfully defend to be able to say we can defend set pieces? 100%.? For what it is worth Hegazi makes me nervous whenever he is near the play and last night they scored with, in my opinion, our best defender on the pitch, so I agree we can do better but I disagree with your suggestion we can not defend set pieces.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 24, 2018, 10:51:53 PM »

That's completely true, but we cannot do the basics in defending a set-piece, already in this season it has cost us a few points. Lets say Gayle does finish his chance, we still only get 1 point due to poor defending.

How many Tony Pulis set pieces did we defend tonight?

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 24, 2018, 10:44:23 PM »

And for those in the "blame game", Gale and Phillips do better with the two on one and we are defending a one goal lead. Football is and always will be a team game.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 24, 2018, 10:00:10 PM »

Personally I could not care less about promotion, but if anyone can say they got any enjoyment or even encouragement from that performance I will be amazed

I was encouraged. Could see us trying to play some football on the floor but too often slipped back into a centre half hoofing it forward.  Noticeably second half this happened less and we played better. Lost to the team top of the table away from home by a defensive error in the 90+ minute. Going to be a long season, especially if you think we are going to batter everyone.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 24, 2018, 09:41:44 PM »

Wasn't a foul in the lead up (player initiated contact), poor by Dawson but handball missed. Still hate Tony Pulis. Long throws FFS in 2018.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: August 24, 2018, 08:47:50 PM »

For all their play Boro haven't really troubled Johnstone and don't even look that threatening from a set piece (cue a goal from a set piece). We have played the odd tidy move but not enough and not enough to tire a Pulis team out who are putting a high press on.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Craig Dawson

« on: August 22, 2018, 09:20:30 AM »

Not sure us supporters ever truly know what offers we receive for players.

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE THREAD

« on: August 11, 2018, 06:25:28 PM »

Showed very little until gifted a goal from a) Jagielka, b) Craig Pawson, c) Pickford.

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL PREMIER LEAGUE THREAD

« on: August 11, 2018, 05:53:57 PM »

Waited eight years to get back into the Premier League, waited just 17 mins to be losing! 

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: August 08, 2018, 07:08:59 AM »

Away from home at one of the title favourites and people are surprised that the tactic was to stifle the opposition before pushing on to get a winner. Pretty much standard fare up and down the leagues (arguably boring, but fairly common even with experienced coaches). It wasn't pretty but it resulted in very few chances for the home team and was forcing them to shoot from 40 yards which should have been comfortable.  We created far better opportunities. As to the pundit not understanding our game plan, easy target for Dingle Don to claim against an inexperienced coach and a bandwagon for Sky (and our own support)to jump on. Our team have played together for less than 180 minutes in competitive football and some aren't as good as we think. It'll take more than two games to sort out.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Darren Moore

« on: August 08, 2018, 06:54:12 AM »

For me the comments from David Johnson spoke volumes. He was shocked that our tactics were to soak up away from home with the quality we have. Early days but there is much to be concerned about with Moore. I said I would back him and I will but this needs to improve and quickly. He must sort out the middle of the park as a matter of urgency.

He did equally say we should have scored more goals and pointed out we hit the woodwork on four occasions and could have won the game 

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: August 07, 2018, 09:53:05 PM »

We score some bloody good goals mind.