1

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: George Thorne joins Derby County

« on: November 23, 2015, 09:33:20 PM »

Was that the game Brunt held his hand throughout? Make no bones about it Somen Tchoyi rescued that point, not George Thorne.

I guess that you are right. It was probably unrelated that Thorne comes on in the second half when we are 0-3 down and we end up with a point.
I just remember our second goal Thorne hit a fifty yard pass out to the left, Brunt knocks in a peach of a cross and Tchoyi hits the keeper from five yards out and then knocks in the rebound.
'Make no bones about it' George Thorne could have been our next Bobby Hope.

2

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: George Thorne joins Derby County

« on: November 23, 2015, 08:25:24 PM »

He's injury prone and barely played for them last year, that is why he was sold. Nothing more too it, besides he hasn't kicked a ball in the Premier league yet for Derby which means he cannot be judged.

He kicked a ball for us all right got us from 0-3 down in the Premiership at Newcastle anyone who saw that could see that he was a player. As for being injury prone he has just been unlucky and we should have stuck with him. Bryan Robson broke his leg twice before playing 200 games for us, 300 for Man Utd and getting 70 full caps.

3

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: George Thorne joins Derby County

« on: November 22, 2015, 04:15:24 PM »

To quote his manager 'George Thorne was superb today' apart from running the game he scored one and his shot lead to the second in the win over Cardiff.
For the life of me I do not know why he is not now starring for Albion we could have seen him through the injuries and handled it far better.
I saw him come on at St James's Park and dig Albion out of a very deep hole 0-3 down and into the second half and he grabbed hold of the game and we got a point. It was I think George's debut and definitely the day of Tchyoi's perfect hat trick, one left, one right and one headed.
Albion's loss.

4

General Football & Sports / Re: Official: James McClean signs for Stoke

« on: November 22, 2015, 08:15:53 AM »

Pulis also paid out some £12m for Chester and McManaman - that's half our gate money for a season.

5

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: worst you have felt leaving a football ground

« on: October 25, 2015, 07:55:15 AM »

There have been a few over the years but in recent times QPR last season takes it for me.
All that way and all that hassle for the team to lie down and be pxxxxd on.
There have been a few moans about Pocognoli becoming the Invisible Man anyone who was at Loftus Road that day saw it happen!

6

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: October 24, 2015, 08:30:19 PM »

Brunt's overall performance was top drawer but Craig Dawson also put in a tremendous shift today..

7

General Football & Sports / Re: Craig Dawson

« on: September 19, 2015, 08:35:41 PM »

Thank goodness that we did not sell this guy.

Made the goal against Villa and I'd need to go back further than I care to remember to come up with a better Albion right side back four player.

8

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: MOTM

« on: September 19, 2015, 08:08:42 PM »

Fletcher, Morrison, Evans and Dawson were all magnificent.
The decider is that challenge he won on the edge of the Villa box that set up the goal so I'll give my MoM to Craig Dawson

9

General Football & Sports / Re: Tony Pulis

« on: September 17, 2015, 05:57:49 PM »

You need to realize that good defending is a skill which needs to appreciated; not termed as 'boring' by people like you.

'Pulisball' is as much an art as 'total football'. No one way of playing is superior to another. That's the beauty of the sport.

What you describe as "uninspiring, insipid and flat" requires immense organization and discipline, coupled with extremely high concentration levels.

It's not as easy as you think. Hours and hours need to be put in on the training ground to be able to keep the shape and structure for the full 90 minutes.

There are lots of things to be admired about a good, solid defensive set-up. The way players fill the spaces and cut off dangerous passes. The manner in which they diffuse opposition threats and the fashion in which they neutralize the opposition's best players. You have to know when to press and when to back off.

I'm probably one of the very few people here who adores Pulis and his style of play. Let me tell you why.

I love the resilience, grit and spirit it demands. I love seeing the players battle, tackle and scrap on their way to grinding a result. Watching centrebacks tussle with opposition centre-forwards and tightly marking them. Seeing them dominate aerially and clear cross after cross. Watching fullbacks and wingers double up on the opposition wide men and suffocate them. Watching the central midfielders form a wall in front of the defence,  continuously throwing their bodies on the line to block shots, not letting anyone through and forcing the opposition team to play sideways or go backwards.

 Making cynical fouls to stop any rare counterattack opportunities. Slowing the tempo down by taking time on throw-ins and goalkicks while watching the clock edge closer to 90.

Hearing the increasing groans of frustration at an away ground as the home team struggles to break the opposition down and seeing star players become more and more agitated as the game wears on. All these are signs of a job well done. The manager complaining about 'anti-football' is just the cherry on the cake.

It's bloody brilliant.

Good luck to you. I always thought that the object was to score goals and win football matches.
Three goals in five games and strangling the opposition is not cutting it at all for me.

10

General Football & Sports / Re: Joleon Lescott Joins Aston Villa

« on: September 16, 2015, 12:11:25 PM »

It's just business.
With Lescott, McAulay and Olsson all into their mid thirties the only one who would raise a fee was Lescott, who was also on probably on a far higher wage than the other two, so he went and this lessened the impact on the finances of the Evans fee and his wage.
Evans is much younger , much quicker and a much better user of the ball than any of the them so fair enough in my view.

11

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Calum McManaman

« on: September 14, 2015, 09:40:46 PM »

Only it was not a tackle, that would require contact with the ball. McManaman dinked it past him.

It wasn't given, but 9 times out of 10, it would have been.

Then why did he not stay on his feet instead of the dying swan act.
McManaman's actions robbed us of a penalty.
Tony Pulis said that the referee made the right call and I completely agree with that view.

12

General Football & Sports / Re: Official: James McClean signs for Stoke

« on: September 14, 2015, 09:32:14 PM »

This guy is giving us nothing.
Yet another hopeless signing.

13

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Calum McManaman

« on: September 14, 2015, 09:17:48 PM »

Personally dont agree I thought it was a penalty at the time and still do

The player never touched the ball and was rash sliding across like that, even if say he didnt jump out of the way he would have then have been brought down by a player who never made contact with the ball.

Penalty all day long for me

You cannot give penalties for players jumping out of the way of tackles. Whatever would the game come too.
McManaman should have stayed on his feet, taken the hit and then it would have been a penalty. Whatever happened to 'its a man's game' but there again it isn't anymore is it.

14

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Players who have played for all midlands clubs?

« on: September 01, 2015, 04:28:42 PM »

Sean Flynn:  Coventry, Derby, Stoke, Kidderminster + Us
Steve Hunt: Villa, Coventry + Us
Matt Carbon:  Derby, Walsall + Us
Robert Hopkins: Villa, B'ham, Shrewsbury + Us

and the best non Albion player I ever saw: Peter Broadbent - Wolves, Shrewsbury and Villa.

15

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Guochuan Lai

« on: July 24, 2015, 04:28:45 PM »

I trust JP's motives in pulling out of the deal.  He would not have pulled out if either (a) the sale proceeds were guaranteed, or (b) he thought it was in the club's best interests to go ahead.   He is no different from anybody else in selling a business, and we must remember that he only owns 88% of the club.  He has to also consider the best interests of the other 12% shareholders.

It is quite possible that the prospective owners failed the FA's due diligence as "fit and proper persons".   it is also possible that the lawyers unearthed things which really worried them.  That is mere speculation - we are unlikely to ever know, just by the very nature of such scenarios. 

What we do know is that JP was keen to sell, keen enough to enter into exclusivity.  Whatever cropped up, it cropped up late.  Better to find out late in the hour than after the deal.   

He also said that he wanted the deal done by midsummer and did not wish to destabilise the club, so he's hardly going to turn now to his second choice buyer.

It of course leaves the question of what next?  More of the same is hardly the worst option in the interim, as the club is in no trouble at all.  The only area for concern is the potential impact on the transfer dealings.   Is TP going to have to sell Berahino in order to finance the essential purchases, and to rely on getting a major striker in on a loan deal for the season?

As is their culture the buyers could also have introduced some late 'bargaining' changes. This will have teed off JP.
Trust has gone and the deal is dead.

16

General Football & Sports / Re: Alan Irvine sacked by Albion

« on: July 13, 2015, 04:09:50 PM »

We would BUT I would imagine that it would 'tip the books' at a time when they're still being poured over by our potential buyer, so I can see why JP has told him to sling his hook until the sale is done.

This is probably right but also means that Peace will not want to mess up the finances by paying transfer fees during the next month or so. It looks like we go with what we have  !!

17

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Ex players you would like to meet

« on: July 12, 2015, 07:08:49 AM »

As regards the fifties Bobby Robson was all that you would expect, courteous and good company.

18

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Guochuan Lai

« on: July 12, 2015, 07:02:31 AM »

During the close season Norwich have bought Graham Dorrans for £3m

19

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Guochuan Lai

« on: July 07, 2015, 09:03:24 PM »

It will not be 'Our Club' anymore and I remain of the view that, for many reasons, this deal will not happen.
The £150m for Peace is of course just the start. It will take the same again for players and ground capacity improvements before we can made headway in this league. And it is all up front. Peace will not agree to any payment by instalments plan. So who is going to stump up £300m for Albion with no hope of Champions League money which by the way virtually doubles the yearly income of Arsenal and Chelsea.
Also if the ground capacity is somehow increased to say 45,000 where are all the extra punters coming from at £30/£40 a pop. West Ham are clearly very nervous.
In the immortal words of the late Eddie Braben would you want anyone who could not find their way to Dartmouth Square owning 'Our Club'?

20

General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread

« on: July 06, 2015, 06:15:53 PM »

Paul McShane on a free has joined Steve Clarke at Reading.
Same division but something bad happened at Hull and I cannot remember what it was.

21

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Donervorn Daniels has joined Wigan Athletic

« on: July 02, 2015, 07:34:10 AM »

Shame in a way but I guess you have to be a star at academy level to have a chance of a prem contract these days.

I assume these players might have sell on clauses or even buy back clauses. Would be nice to see one or two of them fight their way back up to the prem in the next 5 years.

He is a good player but at 6'1" ,and there are exceptions, he just is not tall enough for a Premier League centre half.

22

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Backroom changes

« on: July 01, 2015, 05:37:58 PM »

I'm sure I read somewhere that they were being put on gardening leave, so their contracts can't have expired?

You are correct. The Club statement says that they have been put on gardening leave.
Probably means that they were on one year rolling contracts, the same as AI, and will mean that we will still be paying Burton and Day through to the end of June 2016, unless they find other jobs that is and in these circumstances would you do that ?

23

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Guochuan Lai

« on: June 29, 2015, 07:56:44 PM »

Apparently the end of June, I believe we may here a result on Wednesday perhaps with the new home kit or something

I will be very surprised if there is a deal and I do not really want one with any of the parties I have seen mentioned.
Also I'm with those on here asking just why should JP, who has already been paid many millions in salary, walk away with another £100m+  for selling our club.
It is a complete clash of negotiating styles and cultures.  Peace.......stubborn, has a price and will not sell unless he gets it and will want to 'see the money'. Those from the other side of the world start by offering next to nothing and work slowly, very slowly, upwards and rarely put the cash upfront.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Ex Players Thread

« on: June 29, 2015, 08:44:34 AM »

Rangers have also signed former West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City player Jordan Gibson, who is still only 17, after he impressed on trial. The teenager played for amateurs Alvechurch FC in the Midland Premier League, after being on the books of the English Premier League clubs as a schoolboy, and was spotted by Rangers scouts.

He's signed a one-year deal with the Ibrox side and is hoping to impress Warburton.

Gibson said: "It's a bit of a dream, but I have always believed. I was released by West Brom, and then went to Stoke, but those experiences have helped to motivate me.

From todays Glasgow Herald.

This guy could turn out to be another Ashley Williams.

25

General Football & Sports / Re: Ben Foster

« on: June 28, 2015, 07:13:49 AM »

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2015/06/27/reading-close-on-west-broms-myhill/

Can we afford to lose his back up?
He played well for those few games he had.

Edit....Who will start the season for us, if we let him go?

The pursuit of Hennessey means that either Myhill wants out or that Foster's knee injury puts a question mark over his future.
It looks like it is the former....let's hope that it is not both.