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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Where to next for the identity of West Bromwich Albion?

« on: Today at 07:04:03 PM »

The question for me is not one of supply, but of demand. At one point our capacity was 28,003, and now I believe it's closer to 26,850.

For me the question should be - if we remain in the Championship, does increasing our capacity lead to an increase in attendance, and thus an increase in money from those supporters?

If we were promoted and cemented our place in the league, one would assume there is enough demand for it to be worth increasing capacity to the low 30,000s. Empty seats don't cost the club, but even in recent history we have tended to have gaps in the lower East Stand near the Brummie Road.

I haven't read Lepkowski's article yet but revenue generation can require innovative solutions that maybe go against conventional wisdom. My thoughts would be to lean on something that is unique to WBA as a way of differentiating ourselves from our rivals. A daft idea might be to have sofas to watch the game from, rather than seats. Or perhaps a level of hospitality that's above a regular seat, but not at the level of the usual hospitality price, or allowing those in hospitality to sit in their usual seat if desired.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Albion Head Coach

« on: Today at 06:53:45 PM »

https://mrktinsights.com/index.php/2024/05/24/hiring-head-coaches-why-style-matters/

A year old article now but quite interesting nonetheless

Below is the first couple of sections:

Staff in major European clubs are being summoned to meeting rooms. Their clubs need a new head coach, someone who can be trusted to work well with their star players with a track record of success. The staff enter the room and find their seats, they look from the technical director to the director of strategy, to the general manager standing in front of a flip chart, pen in hand, the room falls into expectant silence. Finally, the technical director clears his throat, looking at the floor, “Err right lads, any ideas?”

This summer is the perfect storm, more top jobs are available with few obvious candidates. It was only a few years ago that Carlo Ancelotti took a job at 15th-placed Everton, partly due to a lack of obvious openings at a Champions League-level club.

Different clubs have different appetites for risk, Arsenal, and Dortmund took risks on managers (which as always will be used interchangeably with Head Coach in this article) who fell outside of the “proven winner with a track record of playing the right sort of football” criteria used by most elite clubs.

There are a handful of managers who meet the criteria and are out of work, Mourinho and Conte for example but this is where we run into our first modern football issue.

Who runs the club?

The theory is simple, an owner buys a club, he then appoints a Technical Director / Director of Football who then employs a Head Coach.

This is the hierarchy. The problem with this is the Head Coach is seen and treated by everyone in the club as “the gaffer”.

Some managers are more gaffer-ish than others.

Technical Directors want a Head Coach who treats them as, at least, an equal, and makes them part of the process when thinking through their strategy for the first team. Rightly or wrongly some managers are seen as not wanting to work with Technical Directors and wanting full control over areas the Technical Director sees as their remit. 

People who reach top positions in football have fought off a lot of competition to get the job. They will face a lot of criticism if things go wrong. They don’t want to be hostages of other people’s decisions so they generally do fight for control.

So few Technical Directors will actively choose people perceived as being controlling even if they have had success. They are typically the choices of owners and fewer and fewer of the biggest clubs are owner-run.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit 25/26

« on: Yesterday at 12:00:14 PM »

The away kit i produced was all Navy ( real, dark Navy) with a red and white diagonal stripe across the front. It was awesome.

The diagonal stripe? Maybe the great escape season? Great kit

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Where to next for the identity of West Bromwich Albion?

« on: Yesterday at 11:05:43 AM »

There isn’t any reason the club could not grow to a regular 50,000 stadium selling out on a regular basis, which is what we realistically need if we want to consider ourselves a top flight club for the next 20-40 years. I’d hope the owner would be looking at a new stadium. Depends how ambitious they are.

Most aspects of the club at present scream second division also-rans. Decades of treading water, without any excitement and ambition to grow the fanbase.

A 50,000 capacity, let alone that as a regular attendance would have  us in the top 10 largest stadiums in England. On what world is that a good use of our resources?!

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Albion Head Coach

« on: May 09, 2025, 01:21:30 PM »

I don't know what has triggered this something on social media or a news report that I've missed but there has been a major move on the betting markets this morning.

Firstly Eric Ramsey has come in to 2/1 but has been joined by a completely new name John Moushino also at 2/1 and Ryan Mason has drifted from 5/4 favourite to 4/1.

Not sure what to make of it but plainly money has gone on those 2 potential candidates.

Isn't John Mousinho the Portsmouth manager?

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

« on: May 08, 2025, 04:05:38 PM »

Do I want Bartley or Ajayi in the squad next season?

Neither: Yes
Both: No

I have to choose one with a gun pointed to my head then Ajayi but only because I have a gun pointed to my head.

Overall I think we have held onto players too long we have made mistakes in renewing contracts for this squad of players. Getting rid of Bartley and in effect replacing him with Ajayi isn't great business.

Exactly - are Ajayi or Bartley going to improve in the future? No, they're going to decline.

We must stop rewarding mediocrity at this club

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Where Are They Now - 23/24

« on: May 08, 2025, 11:36:38 AM »

Thought it might be nice to have a look at last year's squad and see where they are. In general I've tried to form an XI using the players who had the most minutes whilst also balancing that against those who are no longer with the team.

Alex Palmer - Started the year with WBA but was sold to fund January signings

Darnell Furlong - Missing just three games, Furlong has been a staple for WBA this season, but performances dropped off noticeably in the New Year.
Kyle Bartley - Triggered an appearance-based extension so it's looking like he may well be around for another season. PLayed the same number of matches (and similar minutes in 24/25 as he did in 23/24
Cedric Kipre - Played 26 gamesfor Reims who finished 13th in Ligue 1, three places above the relegation spots.
Conor Townsend - Moved to Ipswich in the summer, which was an unexpected but pleasant surprised (at least if your name is Fritzl!). Only played 335 minutes across 6 games, but managed to get himself an assist.

Alex Mowatt - Still with WBA but has struggled without his old defensive midfield partner next to him
Okay Yokuslu - Finished 8th with Trabzonspor which feels a bit of an underachievement given they finished 3rd last year and won the league four years ago. Okay only played 19 games due to suffering a couple of injuries between November and February

Jed Wallace - Still with the club but his minutes have declined greatly this season, losing his spot to Tom Fellows
Jeremy Sarmiento - Has been playing for Burnley this season, helping them get promoted with four goals from 1,166 minutes. He's mainly been an impact sub for them.
Matt Phillips - Now 34, Phillips' injury problems caught up with him this season, thereby mustering only 955 minutes this year, and no goals but two assists.

Brandon Thomas-Asante - Another player who has seen limited minutes this year, registering 1,449 minutes compared to his 2,733 minutes last year. He managed four goals and three assists in his time on the pitch, giving Coventry a shot at Premier League football next year.

(Dis)Honourable Mentions:

Erik Pieters - Has been with Derby Country and Luton Town on short term deals, but only got on the pitch for one minute across both of those stints. His career looks to be winding down
Nathaniel Chalobah - Moved to Sheffield Wednesday where he amassed 444 minutes under Danny Rohl.
Adam Reach - Dropped down to League One with Wycombe after struggling to be picked up as a free agent. No goals or assists for Wycombe in 705 minutes, though have qualified for the playoffs.
Andreas Weimann - Has done well at Blackburn, bagging 7 goals and 2 assists in 1,411 minutes across 30 appearances.
Yann M'Vila - Suffered an adductor injury for Caen in Ligue 2 which kept him out for 14 games, but otherwise regularly started for them. Caen have been relegated from Ligue 2
Pipa - Joined Burgos in La Liga 2, being a squad player (1,154 minutes) as they finished solidly in mid-table in 12th.
Callum Marshall - After it was abundantly clear he wasn't cut out for Championship football, Callum saw regular starts for Huddersfield in League One, netting nine times as The Terriers finished outside the playoff spots.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Albion Head Coach

« on: May 07, 2025, 09:58:21 AM »

The interview that Nestor gave that Gaz erg posted on here suggested that we have a game model that is already known - we will defend in a back 4 and play with possession in a three.

How we go between those two and what happens further forward is up to the coach and should be informed by the players at their disposal, but I read something that basically every Championship club now has a DOF or similar, so the days of manager's having control of transfers has gone. They will have input but it's the wider team who are in control

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Palmer Joins Ipswich Town 3/2/25

« on: May 05, 2025, 02:40:40 PM »

I have to say that on the few occasions that I’ve watched him playing for Ipswich,he seems to have changed his game.
He seems more confident,fitter animated,bossing his defenders and sort of generally in charge.
He also seems bigger, I put all this down to the way he’s being trained.
Think our pie eating go trainer.
It’s a shame he’s back in the championship,it wouldn’t surprise me if another premier league team came in for him because he certainly has had some excellent games for a team that’s been relegated.

Palmer was largely under the watch of Carlos' goalkeeping coach, whose name I forget, but not Myhill

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Isaac Price

« on: May 04, 2025, 10:49:04 AM »

All depends on the new manager really, but most teams play a 4-3-3 now or some variation of it.

If we went to a 4-4-2 then it's Price and one other. Probably would have to be a Molumby or Diakite more battling type. So that's Bany on the bench unless he turns out to be better than price.

It's not the "in" style by I remember seeing something that said Wicky played a 4-4-2 diamond, and that's probably the only way we can squeeze all our midfielders in.

Diakite as the 6, Molumby and Price as the 8s, Bany as a 10.

You're absolutely right though that that makes the likes of Johnston somewhat redundant, though I would say only Fellows is a true winger who couldn't do a job as a 10, and he might be off

That midfield I mentioned plus Maja and Dike up front would be fun

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Harry Whitwell

« on: May 04, 2025, 10:37:52 AM »

A little too eager, perhaps. He showed a couple of moments that teased promise, but I somewhat felt he was trying to do too much.

Case in point his first touch he tries a little skill in our own third and is dispossessed, but credit to him for battling back.

Likewise the opportunity where he broke forward by himself, he sort of seemed to lose his composure a little - I'd have either like him to try and take the player on, or as he got crowded out, win a free kick

Not trying to be down on him, it was a short cameo in a game that was mostly already put to bed, so a few flashes of skill would have been appreciated, but I think it was clear why he hadn't played as much as we all hoped

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: May 03, 2025, 10:13:53 PM »

Is Bristol 68 point total the lowest ever to make play offs?

2012-13 Leicester got 68, and two seasons ago Sunderland got 69

70 points seems to have got sixth place a few times

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 01:25:56 PM »

Goal and an assist for Dike, so chuffed for him. Our second and third goals were good moves that Luton defended poorly, but we haven't seen that kind of movement very often!

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 01:21:08 PM »

Them playing a back 5 and narrow midfield mean Styles and Furlong have all the time in the world to pick their passes

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 01:14:32 PM »

That's twice Styles has played us into trouble

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 01:05:00 PM »

Get in Fellows, another good move

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 01:02:30 PM »

YEESSSS DIKE

Great goal

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 12:56:32 PM »

Have to say that we certainly have been the side on top. Actually moving the ball around nicely and Dike is giving us a proper focal point in attack

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 11:32:55 AM »

Dike starts!

Griffiths

Furlong
Bartley
Heggem
Styles

Price
Diakite
Mowatt

Fellows
Dike
Grant

Subs:
S. Ajayi
A. Armstrong
D. Cole
G. Diangana
M. Johnston
W. Lankshear
J. Molumby
H. Whitwell
J. Wildsmith

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 11:04:22 AM »

Christ it's quiet on here. You must all be out enjoying the sun!

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Last Match Forum - 03/05 Luton Town (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 03, 2025, 09:10:22 AM »

Or the other teams could moan if we stick with the dross that have downed tools?

I can't tell if you're being serious but no-one can complain if we play a mostly regular team, whether we as fans rate them or not

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Tammer Bany

« on: May 01, 2025, 07:52:28 PM »

Hasn’t impressed in the cameos I’ve seen but they were exactly that
He needs to earn his place on merit next season not just because we payed a significant fee
Diakite did more than enough in some games and was dropped to get mowatt in the team

By all accounts Diakite has been getting dropped because he's still injured prone

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Albion Head Coach

« on: April 30, 2025, 05:43:48 PM »

This is my thoughts as well, not least as they would likely be cheaper as well.
Plenty of other clubs have done well data mining their coaches from overseas* and we should do as well.


*that said, didn't apparently do that with Val? 

Val came from Barnsley, no?

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: April 30, 2025, 01:49:14 PM »

Wilshere is very well liked by the Norwich bosses apparently. Will be reasonably cheap to pay off in the event of failure I guess but risky like you say

Didn't he do well with Arsenal Under whatevers before going to Norwich?

One to watch

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Albion Head Coach

« on: April 30, 2025, 01:03:50 PM »

Sounds like Gary O'Neil. If he didnt have a Dingles connection, we would be salivating at his appointment.

It was awful football because of the pressures of the England job, i.e. "must not lose". We know the key to success in the Championship is to score goals. If he took the handbrake off, he would be phenomenal with the Baggies IMO.

People used to say that Pulis wouldn't play awful football because of 3 months at Crystal Palace, but he didn't. Managers rarely change their spots