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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football
« on: Yesterday at 11:01:01 AM »
Totally forgot about it but will be watching. Helps fill the football hole in my life
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: Yesterday at 09:00:34 AM »Seeing some press today about Carlos being really impressed with Whitwell. Is he a no 10 that could replace Diangana/Swift next season?
Maybe he's one of the players that the owners were talking about when they said they expect a couple of kids to be promoted to first team squad soon?
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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD
« on: October 09, 2024, 10:37:46 PM »
George Baldock who spent years in champo and PL with Sheff Utd found dead in his pool in Greece aged only 31. Was currently playing for Panathinaikos. RIP
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Uros Racic joins on loan
« on: October 09, 2024, 02:54:12 PM »We may well up with a similar situation that we had with Krychowiak, an undoubtedly talented footballer just not suited to the English game.
Sadly, i think this will be the outcome, hopefully i am wrong.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 09, 2024, 11:33:07 AM »Even with Racic being here we haven’t solved
Even with Racic being here he haven’t solved our no10 problem. With the vast amount of wages saved I think we can solve that problem next summer.
If/with Racic gone that's another 10k (totally guessing) back in the wage pot too. 50k a week or thereabouts.
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General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread
« on: October 09, 2024, 10:44:12 AM »I remember SWFC fans saying at least we'll get to see a wonder goal once a season...
The only thing that mesmerised me about Reach was his running style
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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD
« on: October 09, 2024, 10:43:25 AM »I still wonder what would have happened if he was given that full prem season...
I think we would have been relegated quicker than we were and also we know for a fact, from himself, he would have left end of season regardless.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 09:59:31 PM »1&2 are compounded by the fact that even if Racic (who is more suited than anyone else to being their competition) turns out great….he won’t be here after the end of the season, no way we let all three of them depart.
Wages saved on Grady and Swift will be in region of 40k per week. I think we will look to let them go unless they accept reduced terms of course.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 09:43:33 PM »Are the 5 players out of contract the following?
Swift - release
Diangana - release (torn on this one but is frustrating a lot of the time and on big wages)
Furlong - new contract
Molumby - new contract
Ajayi - release (swap for Taylor, save on wages)
What do you think we should do? My opinions above
I agree with all 5 of those personally.
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General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread
« on: October 08, 2024, 07:03:21 PM »Think he has 4 goals in 2 or 3 games so far. I saw a thumping header and the French commentators going mad on Twitter. "GRANDE Andy Tre Englais" or words to that effect
Even at his age he's still too good for that league I think.
BBC article rubbing it in he has "eye for the spectacular goal" 3 years we never got ours...
We never got one did we? Waste of money
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 07:01:31 PM »So we're mainly talking about what we do in possession, with a midfielder dropping in to initiate play either in front of or between the centre backs.
Did that really come into play for our loss to Wednesday? A deflected shot, a goalkeeping error (in my opinion), and some poor defending to shop three goals, but we actually scored twice.
That's because, on paper, our players are far superior to Millwall and Sheff Wednesdays in my eyes that's why we can keep it close even when being awful. It's just levels out our advantage in ability.
I do think the issue is getting ball forwards without having a CM right amongst the defence would improve us no end.
Liam no disrespect intended but I'm not going to quote your post as I'm on my phone and its quite long but I will answer it here best I can on the move.
Ive not said half the team needs to be dropped and while it's impossible to argue about being better than first in the table I was not really over the moon with the performances with up until the last few games either.
I do think we need to be faster and up the tempo from front to back and I do think the midfield ned to pick up the ball but I'd like to see it in a more advanced area than Mowatt in line with them.
Bartley hasn't been great this season for me. He may have been good last season but that was then, with Kipre, this is now without him. I don't think giving someone else a chance will hurt us that much.
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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD
« on: October 08, 2024, 06:54:00 PM »
Cardiff have held talks with Slaven Bilic according to Talksport
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 02:37:13 PM »We must have very different ideas of what "isn't working" means! We're in the playoffs, which is about where most people thought we would be, and we were five or six unbeaten playing the exact same way as we did Vs Millwall.
On paper yes i would find it hard to disagree with your comment Mark but we watch the games rather than looking at the table. It's not just one performance/result against Millwall, it's the last 3 games in a row overall.
Peformance wise has ranged from completely unacceptable to mediocre at best and in terms of results 1 point from those 3 games is poor by anyones standards.
Changes at some level are needed for me.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 02:28:16 PM »What is the change of tactic?
We've had Swift and Mowatt retrieving the ball from them and that has been criticised too.
Are we lumping it instead?
We could do, do you think it would work? Options are options.
Seems mad to continue with what we know isn't working.
Probably easier to change personnel but doesn't seem forthcoming for whatever reason.
CB's could also play ball into CM without Swift and Mowatt being almost in a horizontal line with them.
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General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread
« on: October 08, 2024, 01:45:00 PM »
Football purists rejoice, Adam Reach is on trial at Swansea - @lukephelpsGRV
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 01:43:14 PM »And neither can Ajayi who seems to escape such criticism for some reason. A superb pass to Fellows aside, his passing was atrocious on Saturday.
Neither of our CB's can play the way CC wants, Kipre could do that role last season which meant Bartley could concetrate more on defending. Need a change of personnel or tactic.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 12:08:31 PM »Bartley gets top spots for touches because he can't pass it.
It doesn't mention passing completion rates in the snippet i saw but he's not a good footballer, agreed.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 11:54:06 AM »
Bartley (1), Mowatt (5) and Heggem (7) fill 3 of the top 7 spots for most touches of the ball in the EFL last weekend.
From 'EFL Stats' on twitter
We need to be much more aggressive and get the attacking players on the ball more.
From 'EFL Stats' on twitter
We need to be much more aggressive and get the attacking players on the ball more.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel
« on: October 08, 2024, 10:00:03 AM »
Club have already begun, what sounds like informal, talks with CC over who he thinks should be retained/released out of the 5 out of contract end of season.
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/carlos-corberan-holds-talks-over-30090911
"As a coach I always give my opinion to the people in the club, to Andrew and to Ian too," Corberan says, when asked by BirminghamLive how the club is approaching the matter. "We always have meetings to update how we are seeing the squad, the players growing, it's good to have these conversations.
"They know my opinion and we put our opinions in common. One of the considerations the club is doing is this, to start to work on not only the short-term, but the medium to long-term. This is a big change to the past - something the club is doing."
That, in itself, is a positive - no such approach was mapped out by the club before Patel and his associates arrived at the club when they took over from the otherwise absent Guochuan Lai and Corberan has welcomed the change which enables him to do his job on the training pitch and on the touch-line, but also share the burden of responsibility on the administrative front.
That has involved Corberan, Patel, Nestor and Pearce, as well as managing director Mark Miles, making important decisions for the betterment of the club in due course. Now, there is a visible thinktank present at The Hawthorns which wasn't previously evident.
"We share lots of opinions," Corberan continues. "With Shilen and Andrew we enjoy a lot working with them because they create a positive collective mentality. Shilen, from the first day, wanted to manage the club in the same way he manages another business. He believes in the people he put in the club and the people he put in need to talk, to arrive to conclusions, that's the way.
"In the end there are people who make the last decision, but from the people we had here before, now with Andrew and Shilen, with his project to not just be thinking year-by-year, half-season to half-season, it is thinking about creating something special in the club, is to make these decisions in the right moment."
As for those five senior players, who at this moment in time head the list of those whose deals are due to expire next spring, decisions await - but it's a process which isn't only a one-way relationship. Corberan, who understands what it means to be a professional footballer and the uncertainties and insecurities which can arise, points out that players can possess differing mindsets in such scenarios.
"Some players want security, some players want risk, some players want to change, some want to stay," he adds. "Some players hate to be in the last year of their contract and want to avoid this. Some players say they are in their last year so they want to be open to possibilities - everyone is different."
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/carlos-corberan-holds-talks-over-30090911
"As a coach I always give my opinion to the people in the club, to Andrew and to Ian too," Corberan says, when asked by BirminghamLive how the club is approaching the matter. "We always have meetings to update how we are seeing the squad, the players growing, it's good to have these conversations.
"They know my opinion and we put our opinions in common. One of the considerations the club is doing is this, to start to work on not only the short-term, but the medium to long-term. This is a big change to the past - something the club is doing."
That, in itself, is a positive - no such approach was mapped out by the club before Patel and his associates arrived at the club when they took over from the otherwise absent Guochuan Lai and Corberan has welcomed the change which enables him to do his job on the training pitch and on the touch-line, but also share the burden of responsibility on the administrative front.
That has involved Corberan, Patel, Nestor and Pearce, as well as managing director Mark Miles, making important decisions for the betterment of the club in due course. Now, there is a visible thinktank present at The Hawthorns which wasn't previously evident.
"We share lots of opinions," Corberan continues. "With Shilen and Andrew we enjoy a lot working with them because they create a positive collective mentality. Shilen, from the first day, wanted to manage the club in the same way he manages another business. He believes in the people he put in the club and the people he put in need to talk, to arrive to conclusions, that's the way.
"In the end there are people who make the last decision, but from the people we had here before, now with Andrew and Shilen, with his project to not just be thinking year-by-year, half-season to half-season, it is thinking about creating something special in the club, is to make these decisions in the right moment."
As for those five senior players, who at this moment in time head the list of those whose deals are due to expire next spring, decisions await - but it's a process which isn't only a one-way relationship. Corberan, who understands what it means to be a professional footballer and the uncertainties and insecurities which can arise, points out that players can possess differing mindsets in such scenarios.
"Some players want security, some players want risk, some players want to change, some want to stay," he adds. "Some players hate to be in the last year of their contract and want to avoid this. Some players say they are in their last year so they want to be open to possibilities - everyone is different."
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Daryl Dike
« on: October 07, 2024, 10:36:46 PM »When is our big guy back?
Perhaps he can fire us up again
I know it probably wont happen but if Dike & Maja could play as a 2, wow?
Few weeks after international break i think someone said. Start of Nov-ish?
Someone please correct me if i'm wrong
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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL LEAGUE 1 and LEAGUE 2 THREAD
« on: October 07, 2024, 06:45:50 PM »They've also been handed a fresh transfer embargo apparently. News courtesy of the BBC.
I saw that Percy tweeted that just after I posted. Deary me
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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL LEAGUE 1 and LEAGUE 2 THREAD
« on: October 07, 2024, 05:47:51 PM »
Reading Fc have entered a period of exclusivity (again) with a new potential buyer.
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General Football & Sports / Re: Seals watch - Anything Villa
« on: October 07, 2024, 05:22:09 PM »Haha i get your point.
Feb 2017 we was close to the Europa League and they were close to League 1
It's just tragic
One Lai later....
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan
« on: October 07, 2024, 02:59:08 PM »Regardless of any opinion on Carlos, I think most agree that he is a thinker and perhaps over thinker
2 weeks without a game might not be a good thing?
I think this time around it's a good thing. We are not exactly in full flow so good timing for me.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan
« on: October 07, 2024, 10:21:05 AM »I think, if anything, we began to tire more in the 2nd half than they did. It was noticeable that they'd started to put more of a press on in the last 20 minutes but we were too slow to work around it.
Yes, was absurd! We needed to go quicker, not slower.
Think he's been trying to iron out the sloppy mistakes which led to the chances QPR, Stoke and Plymouth weren't good enough/fortunate enough to exploit. On the whole he's succeeded in this regard. Unfortunately we've been far too ponderous as a result. Hopefully we strike a better balance on transitions in particular sooner rather than later. COYB.
I'll wins with sloppiness over losses with or without sloppiness. As you say he should be able to find the balance and sort it, 2 weeks break now, perfect timing.