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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Ian Pearce

« Last post by BalisPen on Today at 06:52:06 PM »

You need someone who hasn't got it comfortable enough to bring his son on board for the sit on the shaft west brom train.

Someone, who is prepared to look at data and watch lots of videos and send our limited resources (scouts) to watch players who already been thoroughly researched already.

Someone who is hungry to prove themselves, and isn't the comforts zone to sign freebies who make the management think he is doing great when in reality he saddling us with players not good enough and out for there biggest payday.

That kind of person will more likely be poached after the slightest bit of progression he achieves, but we must have the foresight to have his number 2 takeover or take someone else's proven employee.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Play off Points Target

« Last post by Sted1990 on Today at 06:42:59 PM »

Weather looks great, could be a party atmosphere

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« Last post by liverbaggie on Today at 06:38:00 PM »

Or we'll hammer PNE, Norwich hammer Blues and they get relegated
Our tails are up we win both legs of playoffs and get to final at Wembly on a high, who knows?

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Ian Pearce

« Last post by FallOutBoy on Today at 06:14:21 PM »

You do have to remember that Luke Dowling was also here for a lot of those signings, and we know all about him.

If we can get a director of football in it will be interesting to see what happens; from next season we'll be even more reliant on picking up good players for little or nothing.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mikey Johnston joins on loan (Official!)

« Last post by FallOutBoy on Today at 06:00:19 PM »

Tbh, I think both things are true.

He is overrated by some of our fans. He does lack game intelligence in terms of what to do with the ball at times.

However he has made a real impact here, especially early on when everything he hit seemed to go in. You don't get Championship player of the month for nothing.

I can see he has obvious limitations as a footballer; however he does possess ability, and there will be clubs higher in the pecking order than us who will be interested if Celtic let him go permanently. In our new world of reduced budgets, we'd easily get outbid.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« Last post by MarkW on Today at 05:57:32 PM »

I generally try to not overewct to individual results - I wasn't trying to get carried away when Mikey Johnston was firing in rockets from 20 yards every week, and neither am I totally concerned about these last three losses. We looked in control Vs Sunderland until BTA's red, and we gave Leicester as good as they gave us - plenty of people were saying how threatening we looked with Wallace up front and we should have been 3-0 by the time they scored their first.

Carlos can't control those things, as much as some fans will try to pin things on him.

Looking at the underlying numbers, our attack has been up and down all season, but it's our defence that has worsened as the season has progressed.

Palmer's shot-stopping, by the numbers, is net neutral, so the quality and quantity of chances we give up tends to be consistent with how many goals are scored against us. I haven't the time to look into why we are giving up better chances of late, but fatigue will definitely play a factor.

In terms of signings, I'm not overwhelmed by the players he's brought in, but we know that the recruitment team at the club have a poor record, and we don't know to what extent CC is involved in the identification of targets, Vs having sign off on what is presented to him. He seems to be very detail focused so I would be surprised if he isn't involved in the process.

As for not improving players, I think Kipré, Mowatt and Furlong are all better players than they have been for us before. The likes of Wallace have also spoken of the individual coaching he gives, highlighting things in their game to improve.

I do wonder if his approach is a little too disciplinarian, however. Daily weigh-ins must grate on some players.

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« Last post by FallOutBoy on Today at 05:51:40 PM »

I can see exactly what's going to happen now.

We'll lose 0-1 to Preston.

Hull will be held to a draw by Plymouth.

Blues will beat Norwich.

We'll fall over the line and qualify due to other results; Blues will stay up, and Plymouth - who haven't been in the drop zone all season - will be unlucky and go down.

We'll then win the home leg of the play-offs 1-0 to give everybody false hope, before getting beaten comprehensively in the away leg.

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Next Match Forum - 04/05 Preston North End (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« Last post by gazberg on Today at 05:46:08 PM »

All I know is, certainly up to last week, he was not deemed physically ready to start a game. It has been a long absence for him.

Very true but he is medically fit and we cannot just leave him out if we hope to use him in the play offs or he will be re-rusted ( if there is such a word!)

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA NEW OWNERS - Bilkul football

« Last post by gazberg on Today at 05:44:58 PM »

It will be interesting. That they are not his players by and large is indeed a fact.

Agree he has not signed most of them, undoubted fact. I'd like to see the back of all those out of contract apart from Kipre and Mowatt on reduced terms.

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Next Match Forum - 04/05 Preston North End (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« Last post by Adamstv on Today at 05:42:41 PM »

When we were on our unbeaten run we had Johnston and Fellows on either wing. They created chances and positivity. This is something we now seem to be lacking. I would have both playing and Diangana, players that can take on people and create something. Preston may well decide to play all 11 behind the ball to frustrate or could decide that attack is the best form of defence with nothing to play for.

If we can’t draw or beat Preston and Hull win then they deserve it - it’s in our hands