[AlbionBest]

The club have made their positive message - they beat off a host of clubs to sign Joleon Lescott - a top quality, proven centre half in this division. They have also supported that by the steady addition of Craig Gardner.

We're a long way from panic stations as things stand.

The Lescott signing was about the only upbeat and positive thing we have had from the Club in the last dire 18 months plus.
Gardner is a decent squad player but we lost better in Jones.
As for the players recently linked with ? well, underwhelming is probably the mildest way of putting things !
Still time I suppose.

[baggiedave]

Can't believe how frustrating it realy is being a baggie. When we signed Jolean Lescott, soon after Alan Irvines appointment, it gave you the up beat feel good factor, what a great signing this is. Since then, its been realy quite drab has'nt it realy.  Very disappointing, having missed out on Aaron Cresswell to West Ham, i'm not that confident now, that we can make it happen now. We are missing a quality left and right back, we just hav'nt got anything in the side at all. The reality is that we will be relegated before a ball is kicked. We desperately need 7 quallity players at our club, right back, left back, and a quality stricker, because the players we have, did not do it for us last season.At worst we need to bring in at least 4 more. Two backs, an attacking midfielder, and a striker. Jeremy Preace WAKE UP!!!!.

[gerry m]

Can't believe how frustrating it realy is being a baggie. When we signed Jolean Lescott, soon after Alan Irvines appointment, it gave you the up beat feel good factor, what a great signing this is. Since then, its been realy quite drab has'nt it realy.  Very disappointing, having missed out on Aaron Cresswell to West Ham, i'm not that confident now, that we can make it happen now. We are missing a quality left and right back, we just hav'nt got anything in the side at all. The reality is that we will be relegated before a ball is kicked. We desperately need 7 quallity players at our club, right back, left back, and a quality stricker, because the players we have, did not do it for us last season.At worst we need to bring in at least 4 more. Two backs, an attacking midfielder, and a striker. Jeremy Preace WAKE UP!!!!.

Just a question for you? How will we be relegated before a ball is kicked?

[ex coseley kid]

Just a question for you? How will we be relegated before a ball is kicked?

Through the power of negative thinking, Gerry!

I've been feeling quite doomy and have said plenty of negative stuff. Not gona help is it.

We SERIOUSLY need to do some astute signing this month. I don't think Cresswell would have been right for us at that price.

I've been quite anti-Peace lately. My new stance is as far as I'm concerned he has THIS season, and therefore THIS transfer market - because we only have one a year - to prove he is still right for us. Over to you, sir.

[gerry m]

Through the power of negative thinking, Gerry!

I've been feeling quite doomy and have said plenty of negative stuff. Not gona help is it.

We SERIOUSLY need to do some astute signing this month. I don't think Cresswell would have been right for us at that price.

I've been quite anti-Peace lately. My new stance is as far as I'm concerned he has THIS season, and therefore THIS transfer market - because we only have one a year - to prove he is still right for us. Over to you, sir.

I too have been anti Peace lately as well! Im hoping we can pull something out of the bag! Next week needs to be quite big as we will be back in training and need to gel players for the pre-season.

[WorcsWBA]

Some fans at clubs where Irvine has been manager before have said he was obsessed with analysing the opposition and then using tactics to try to counteract them, sometimes to the detriment of his own side. Consequently, the highlighted comment below might make some feel a bit edgy:

"We have a technical director in Terry and he will deal with a lot of things that would take a manager off the training ground – dealing with players’ contracts and with agents. These are all things that take you away from the most important job, which is working with players. They take you away from being able to analyse your own performance and analyse the opposition as thoroughly as you’d like to.

The title is head coach and the main part of the job is to coach, but you can’t coach the squad of players without being involved in their management."

Link: Express & Star

Let's hope the players don't end up too frightened to go out onto the pitch because of how wonderful the opposition has been made to look during the pre-match preparation! 

[spencer Baggie]

Before every match, Tony Pulis shows his players video clips of all of their opposing players' weaknesses and mistakes. As if to remind his own players that the opposition are human, frail and prone to errors. i.e. don't believe the media hype.

Something we should adopt imo.

[monkey nuts]

see AI said that Morrison and Brunt will be missing for the start of Pre Season due to injury, Mozza knee and Brunty groin both had minor opps

[PsalmXXIII]

Before every match, Tony Pulis shows his players video clips of all of their opposing players' weaknesses and mistakes. As if to remind his own players that the opposition are human, frail and prone to errors. i.e. don't believe the media hype.

Something we should adopt imo.

How do you know we don't?

[WBAinDEVON]

Just like Steve Clarke i am utterly bored already listening to him speak

[Dexy]

Just like Steve Clarke i am utterly bored already listening to him speak

Well that's a nice fair start isn't it ? , I've seen your chants in the Alan Irvine section too ....at least give the bloke the chance to lose a few before getting at him.

[Foster#1]

Just like Steve Clarke i am utterly bored already listening to him speak

Does a nice and passionate voice turn you on ? 

I could not give 2 tosses the way he speaks.

[WBAinDEVON]

Just another boring scotsman whos punching above his weight because he come cheap.Hes out of his depth.No other premier league club and most championships clubs whould have  even given him time of day.I was correct about Clarke and i will be spot on about this one too
He will be gone by xmas

[Dexy]

Just another boring scotsman whos punching above his weight because he come cheap.Hes out of his depth.No other premier league club and most championships clubs whould have never even given him time of day
He will be gone by xmas

Maybe so and if i was a betting man i would go with your view but surely the least we can do is give the bloke a chance ? , JP picked him and in my view he hasn't picked a bad manager yet (yes even Robson/Great Escape). Irvine wasn't even in my top 20 choices but he is here and IMO we just have to get behind him and at least start positive ....if we lose most of the first 10 / 15 games then fair enough he will take the flack and most likely be gone but i'm certainly  not going to hound him out before he's had a fair chance . We were quick enough to laugh at Wolves and Villa for doing the very same thing in recent years.......

[Dexy]

Does a nice and passionate voice turn you on ? 

I could not give 2 tosses the way he speaks.

Was Brian Blessed on our list ?

[Dan]

Just another boring scotsman whos punching above his weight because he come cheap.Hes out of his depth.No other premier league club and most championships clubs whould have  even given him time of day.I was correct about Clarke and i will be spot on about this one too
He will be gone by xmas

What an absolute disaster it'll be if we finish 8th with our records point tally for the premier league. Let's hope Irvine fail's that badly!

[WSBaggie]

So then a question for those who think Irvine will be a disaster.

What will you people deem as been a success for him?

[Critical Baggie]

I'm sorry but for all the 'positive publicity' spin the club seem to have been following up since this appointment from 'through thick or thin' slogans on Facebook for the launch of the to whisping Lescott in front of the cameras as quick as they could isn't really consoling me on the situation.

Thinking about it today really compounded the fact as much as Peace or Burton wan't to bang on about Irvine being "one of the best coaches around' doesn't really buy with me. Irvine is not even worthy of a Championship managerial role, let alone Premier League 'Head Coach'. Those of you that argue the point, 'well we do hire head coaches, not managers anymore' is a completely invalid viewpoint. Are you telling me the best of what's out there or even Tim Sherwood on that same note can't coach?

Of course not, so who's not to imply we should of taken the best manager out there and put them under a head coach role. All they have to focus on is the coaching? None of that transfer business to worry about. And thats where the problem lies because thats Peace's call, scrutinising every penny that is paid out of the club.

The head coach role would work if our Chairman didn't have to be so tight. It just so happens to be the falling block all the time. Whether thats bringing in the right quality player or coach, we seem to  too often just get second best.

From where I'm looking, it's Peace's dictatorship over the purse strings is why we've ended up with the 'Yes Man' puppet of a head coach to just coach and always accept the way things are.

[Mr Cynical]

So then a question for those who think Irvine will be a disaster.

What will you people deem as been a success for him?

I think Irvine will be a disaster.  The only thing that can save him is good players, but there doesn't seem to be much action there at the moment.  I'm not on his case, I just have an opinion.

*Apparently* we used to break the season down into blocks of 10 games to enable us to judge performance.  This season I would say lets take the 1st 11 games.  (There's a couple of difficult ones after that, so I'm being kind.)  There's 7 peer teams in there, plus 2 we should be aspiring to compete with and 2 we wont be competing with.  So after 11 games I would like 15 points.  We will need to be around that level for the 1st 3rd (ish) of the season judging from our run in. 
- Anything less than 11 is abject failure. 
- Between 11 and 15, you make a judgement call on whether things are improving or going downwards. 
- 15 or more than you're on course or better.

11 games take us up to early November.  Make a decision then.  If we need to replace Irvine we can do our due dithering and get someone in before Christmas...

[WBAinDEVON]

So then a question for those who think Irvine will be a disaster.

What will you people deem as been a success for him?

Without doubt staying in the premier playing a watchable brand of football

[LiamTheBaggie]

I was correct about Clarke and i will be spot on about this one too

No you wasn't correct at all.

Clarke reached his shelf life of around 18 months. About the going rate for managers/head coaches nowadays.

Unless you deem Steve Clarke guiding a side to 8th as failure?

[Dudleylad]

Just like Steve Clarke i am utterly bored already listening to him speak

Sorry cant agree he actually talks very well regarding his vision on football etc.

[WBAinDEVON]

How many more times.Clarke came in on the crest of Roys wave, his surf went flat in the november and with the help of Lukaku and the rubbish below us we finished at the lofty height of 8th.
How many games from  November 2012 up to May 2013 did we win.The trend continued and he got sacked 6 months later.Irvine dont have the umph from the previous coach that Clarke had. We will see but my bet is Irvine will be gone by xmas

[GrGr]

Well, you never know, football is a funny game. But as things stand now we would need some major signings to come in to bolster the squad and the stars to align perfectly for Irvine to succeed. Irvine somehow has to create a team that knows how to win again. And as you say, doing so playing watchable football.

[DownInAlbion]

How many more times.Clarke came in on the crest of Roys wave, his surf went flat in the november and with the help of Lukaku and the rubbish below us we finished at the lofty height of 8th.
How many games from  November 2012 up to May 2013 did we win.The trend continued and he got sacked 6 months later.Irvine dont have the umph from the previous coach that Clarke had. We will see but my bet is Irvine will be gone by xmas

I find it crazy how many of our fans give Steve Clarke no credit whatsoever for our highest ever premiership finish. when we finished 8th that season did everybody say it was down to RH? If anyone else can remember please tell me....

By your logic it wasnt Moyes that failed at Old Trafford he just inherited a bad team from fergie, Pochettinos good work at soton was down to adkins. for the first 6months (when we were actually playing well and getting points) Lukaku was on the bench and Clarke was probably a major reason why we got Lukaku in the first place down to his chelsea connections.