1

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Play off Points Target

« on: April 20, 2024, 06:01:37 PM »

76 is guaranteed

Win and and a draw sees us through

Need to win both though and go into the PO’s with momentum

Don’t Hull and Cov have to play each other too?

The PO games are one offs and I don't think the performances or results in the next two league games will make a blind bit of difference - other than our top six rivals will be scouting us very closely. It is over a week from end of the season to the first leg anyway.

2

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 17, 2024, 02:35:12 PM »

Ridiculous comment of course he can be worse way worse. There are billions of people (literally) in the world worse footballers than Thomas - Asante.

I think some people need to learn some genuine perspective. BTA has scored over ten goals this season in the Championship. You try doing it.

Agreed, it seems difficult for some to accept he is a very decent striker at this level, a bargain for what we paid for him and also not a world beater either. I have no complaints with BTA, his goal output is decent and consistent, and his work rate is top notch.

3

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 15, 2024, 02:59:23 PM »

If it's a football thing then it has got worse I have been on this site since 2006 and without a doubt considering we have the best manager in a long time and look to be making the playoffs the level of moaning imo is ridiculous under the likes of Bruce understandable this season inexcusable.

Agreed, although I think it has got worse with social media and all the shock jock podcasts having an impact across football in general. Liverpool fan on a national phone-in this weekend calling for Klopp to be sacked! With Albion I think it is also a reflection of our success from 2001 onwards. Whole generation of fans who have only ever known Premier League or Championship promotion campaigns, which has fast-tracked a level of entitlement. They are too young to recall the late 80s and 90s and the really dark decades which sobered up the fan base - should be forced to watch videos of Albion under Brian Little along with snippets of Paul Crichton lumbering around in goal in this jogging bottoms

4

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 13, 2024, 10:05:13 PM »

Leicester fans have been slating Maresca all season even when they were running away with it so all those slating Albion fans saying no other clubs fans slate managers etc etc etc, they do. Its not an Albion thing, its a football fan thing.

It used to be a villa and wolves thing and we held ourselves to a better standard. Not any more, sadly.

5

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 13, 2024, 10:03:38 PM »

Yeah, you’re totally right. Although Leicester were booed off the pitch and a lot of their fans calling for EM to be sacked.

That just shows that a lot of Leicester fans are as reasonable as you are.

6

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 13, 2024, 10:02:41 PM »

No shock he got sent off due to his poor touch ,I’ve said many times poor player!

I don't mind anyone righty being disappointed in his two yellows today but you have to take the rough with the smooth. You can't sit silently on the sidelines silent when he is scoring goals and then decide to find your voice when he gets a red.

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

« on: April 12, 2024, 02:00:37 PM »

Victor Meldrew outfits to reflect the regular over the top moaning on social media about the team, transfers and manager

8

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 12, 2024, 01:55:32 PM »

Listen he hasn’t “carried”us at all ,let’s not use dramatic phrases ,if you remember when he was injured we were unbeaten and still scored a lot of goals,300k ,80million or free ,in my eyes he’s a very poor player,and I would put good money on it any of our youngsters (ie faal ,Malcolm) if they played as many times as assante this season they wouldent have been far off his goal tally and assists

BTA this season he has averaged a league goal every 234 minutes played, which is a goal every 2.6 games played (excluding injury time). That is a very respectable record and there is no evidence whatsoever that any youth player or other striker would match that as matter of being picked - quite the opposite. To label him a very poor player is desperately unfair IMV.

9

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 10, 2024, 02:33:15 PM »

Both of those teams were as good as relegated when their new managers took over. If Sheffield Wednesday stay up then Rohl should win manager of the season never mind just be nominated.

Two early season appointments in October. Rohl was appointed at Wednesday with 36 games left and 108 points to play for. QPR boss was appointed with 32 games left and 96 points to play for to make up a 6 point gap to safety, so much for being “as good as relegated”, but why let facts get in the way of your narrative. Sheffield Wednesday still sit in the relegation zone with just four games left - so obviously Rohl has done a far superior job to Corberan. Perhaps you can recommend these elite manager to Bayern & Liverpool.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Play off Points Target

« on: April 10, 2024, 11:08:29 AM »

76 points will basically almost certainly be enough given how the games shake out, Norwich would have to get over 2 points per game for their remaining fixtures (so meaning they need to win 3 of their remaining 4) and one of the other 3 teams who can get over 76 points that would have to win every single game. Not technically impossible but incredibly unlikely.

I'd say its more likely it will be less than 76 points needed, but 76 points would be the "safe" total.

Old adage of one game at a time is still the right way to look at it IMV. Everyone expects us to beat Rotherham tonight but you only have to look at the upsets last night to Norwich, Leeds, Leicester to understand that nothing is guaranteed in this league.

Best case scenario we get the top six spot wrapped up by this weekend, but we have to beat Rotherham first to give ourselves the opportunity.

11

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 10, 2024, 11:06:04 AM »

Then why hasn’t he been nominated?

The QPR and Sheffield Wednesday managers who you claim to have out performed Corberan haven't been nominated either, can't think why given they have a combined goal difference of -45 

As Albert said above, impossible to take any of your negativity seriously.

12

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Callum Marshall Joins Albion on loan

« on: April 09, 2024, 08:56:09 PM »

One with international appearances, over 50 games for Celtic inc a couple in the Champions League not to mention a loan in Portugal and one with no more than 10 minutes in the 1st team.

You cannot compare the two, one has the experience to come straight in, the other is a level above where he needs to be for his progression.

I think the point is we entered January without a budget and cut our cloth accordingly. We’ve done incredibly well overall with recruitment in that window.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Callum Marshall Joins Albion on loan

« on: April 09, 2024, 07:30:25 PM »

I stand by my posts on 26th January when I said I couldn’t understand this signing . Complete and utter waste of a  first team squad place by the club . I can guess who was behind the signing ………. It definitely doesn’t appear to have been CC .

Same recruitment department that signed Mickey Johnston, the stand out signing made by any championship club in January. Both freebies, one has turned out to be sensational business.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Callum Marshall Joins Albion on loan

« on: April 09, 2024, 07:28:13 PM »

Prior to joining us he had 10 minutes as a sub in the FA Cup against Bristol City, thats the extent of his first team involvement at West Ham other than 3/4 unused sub appearances.

It was a strange signing from the perspective of both clubs so no surprise it hasn't worked.

I am wondering how the scouting and recruitment teams at both clubs decided it was a good idea for him to jump from reserve football to Championship football. A move to League One would have been a better option.

If it was to be looked at in training then surely a week training with us before any commitment would be a better idea.

Clubs do not send out their contracted players to randomly train with other teams. Not sure that would even be allowed given players have to be registered. Sometimes moves just do not work out. No big deal for me, as it was a wildcard from the start.

15

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 09, 2024, 06:13:49 PM »

The shortlist for Manager of the Year in the EFL is Kieran McKenna, Daniel Farke and strangely Liam Rosenior

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68725041

I think Liam Rosenior has done superbly at Hull over two seasons now so I am not too surprised by that. Daniel Farke is pushing it a little given the resources that Leeds have. Them and Leicester are doing what everyone would expect. Kieran McKenna is obviously the one who has produced a miracle so far, he should win it hands down for me. After that our own manager has done as good or better than any of them.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 09, 2024, 06:10:56 PM »

QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Leeds, Leicester, Ipswich managers all ahead of CC for MOS

That is laughable. QPR are 17th with a goal difference of -14 having just lost to mighty Sheffield Wednesday at home. Meanwhile Sheffield Wednesday are 23rd in the league with a goal difference of -31. Good luck justifying how their managers, both appointed last October have outperformed Carlos Corberan, you can't, it defies any logic.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Callum Marshall Joins Albion on loan

« on: April 09, 2024, 06:04:07 PM »

I am not proud of how the club has treated this lad. Whoever decided it was a good idea to bring him on board should have no further input to player selection. Carlos's comments about "not having to play, but could gain good experience by training with our players" or words to that effect , also very disappointing.
Sometimes it's better to say nothing.
I doubt the lad has any feeling of good experience of being loaned to this great club.

How about the possibility that he was brought in, then deemed not up to standard after being looked at closely in training and returned for his best interests / welfare? If he isn't good enough then we can't be expected to give him minutes.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 07, 2024, 03:21:45 PM »

If we don't make the playoffs then that is a massive failure for me. I am confident it won't come to that but let's see.

Not having a go at yourself Gazberg as you didn't start this angle but it appears to me that some of our fans unable to complain about the present league position have resorted to complaining about a future event that has not materialised, which is classic Albion bah humbug mentality.

We are in a strong position and having a very good season. Not much else to say at this stage.

19

Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 06, 2024, 05:16:03 PM »

Nine unbeaten with four wins in that spell in a hyper competitive league. Not exactly a crisis is it. Let’s face it, all the teams below us would snap our hands off to swap positions.

20

Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 06, 2024, 05:13:13 PM »

We took the lead against the run of play, have to give Stoke credit for their performance, first half in particular. We got a bit sloppy on the hour mark and let them back into it. Then we worked hard to get a third but a draw was a fair result. Lot of things we can improve on but far from a terrible performance either. Stoke fighting for their lives and looked quite sharp in the final third, put us under a lot pressure. Other results didn’t go our way but we take the point and move on. Our top six place and points gap remains commanding and games are ticking by.

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

« on: April 06, 2024, 05:10:37 PM »

Thanks - that’s clear to me.  Very helpful

Seconded.

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

« on: April 05, 2024, 05:40:07 PM »

Profits and losses on player trading are shown in the year that they are realised, regardless of when the money is paid. The £8m in regard to transfer fees owed on the balance sheet will include whatever is outstanding on the Pereira fee.

Assuming that is correct (nothing I could see in the accounts to explain their methodology) how do we second guess the figures and make them add-up? Accounts to June 2022 show a profit of £16.9m from disposal of player registrations and they include the sale of Pereira (TBC), Hegazy (£2.5m) Harper (peanuts) & Field (maximum £1m). As much as I distrust the former ownership it is still hard to believe that we sold Pereira to the Middle East money-men for a circa £13-14m. That would reek of corruption. The other possibility is that Dowling is right and that half or more of the transfer fee disappeared off the books in a rotten deal straight to Lai, the type that was allegedly discussed in the prior January window.

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

« on: April 05, 2024, 02:12:14 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.

As much as I do not trust Lai this seems over the top and smacks of jumping to conclusions. The accounts to June 2022 recorded an overall £16.9m profit from transfer sales but also showed that the club was owed an additional £8.5m for player sales within the following 12 months. Most of that must have been the Pereira sale as well. As is standard practise Al-Hilal are likely to be paying the transfer fee over several seasons. It quite plausible that Pereira was sold for £30m and that the accounts to end of June 2023 record a further large sum due payable, e.g. with the fee structured over three years overall, amounting to a total of £30m.

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

« on: April 03, 2024, 12:27:08 PM »

What you say is true, but the teams below us are not paying anything near what we are. In my opinion we are overpaying

We are one of only two clubs not to incur a transfer fee this season. I stand to be corrected but I believe that if you just organised the league table on the size of every team's wage bill we would not be in the top six.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: April 01, 2024, 11:41:08 PM »

He's deluded for having a different point to you?

Anyway, fair play CC. Displays not been great lately but there were some who said manager could only win or draw after taking the lead.  Four games in last 5 we have come from behind to win or get a point, so that's a positive for me

Correct to pull this up, it was a rude and juvenile comment. Apparently not expecting perfection from the manager means we are all deluded...

Team and players are doing great.