1
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: Today at 08:18:05 PM »
Moggas coming home! 
Show Posts
This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.
2
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion
« on: Today at 11:05:16 AM »Praise be
I've mentioned this previously (it's lost in my posting history somewhere) but I was told he'd had a pretty big fallout with Carlos over a lack of playing time a few weeks before the end of last season, hence why he wasn't involved at the back end.
Haha, well I never knew that about his fallout so it makes sense. I would potentially look at the Swedish league again though regarding new strikers due to Heggem doing so well. I believe Cardiff are signing a young striker from there. Anyway, whatever way you look at it, it's not good to see Maja injured.
3
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: Today at 11:02:10 AM »Mowbray produced our best attacking team since the days of the late seventies
It was sheer chaos but pure entertainment. I remember when we beat Man City 2-1 and they got a late equaliser before Meite did a mazy run up the pitch leading to the equaliser as well as countless other games.
It will be interesting to see if his style is still as wild or whether it's a bit more refined.
4
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: Yesterday at 09:35:36 PM »A whole month to only end up with TM is extremely underwhelming.
I am still not sold on taking him back at all.
I get it and at the start of the month, he polled very poorly on here for our next manager which is somewhat telling.
BUT...at this point in time he is arguably our best bet. We supposedly 'enquired/talked with' dozens of managers with nothing in return. Halesowen Town could potentially enquire about Zidane or Guardiola. However, it doesn't mean much.
As of right now, Mowbray is arguably our best bet. And before someone says 'but Steve Cooper'...it looks pretty obvious that he's not interested, nor are many other similarly linked managers.
5
Next Match Forum - 18/01 Stoke City (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat
« on: Yesterday at 09:42:17 AM »Not entirely wide left though, as I posted above he played 15 times as the CF and scored 8 goals. (according to TransferMarkt). He played 28 as LW and scored 10..so he was actually more proficient when playing through the middle.
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/karlan-grant/leistungsdaten/spieler/314183/plus/0?saison=2021
similarly with Huddersfield he played a mix of LW (26 games 11 goals) and CF (18 games 8 goals).
https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/karlan-grant/leistungsdaten/spieler/314183/plus/0?saison=2019
I think Grant is the best bet if we are going to go with 1 up top, the bigger issue is who plays either along side him (if we go 4-4-2) or just behind him as a 10.
If we have Fellows RW and Johnston LW then it'll be one of Cole, Swift, Wallace or Diangana....unless we move either Fellows or Johnston. Not a good problem to have.
We could potentially put Styles as a LW and Grant as CF and move the back 4 around a little (such as Heggem at LB) provided Bartley is fit. It's doable but I doubt Brunt will shuffle the pack.
6
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion
« on: January 15, 2025, 10:16:26 PM »I know this will probably seem like a stupid question which I'm already regretting asking, but you do realise Andy Weimann is an attacking midfielder and not a direct replacement for either Maja or Asante (who isn't a centre forward) any more than League One Devante Cole is don't you? Or maybe not.
Yeah, I understand that. My point is, we effectively traded him for Cole this summer (presumably to save on wages) and it looks like Cole is surplus to requirements which may lead to a potential January emergency purchase/loan. Whereas I think it would have been better to keep Weimann as a replacement (even though it's not a direct replacement he would have been more useful off the bench as an option compared to Cole). As I also said, I'm sure there were similar veteran Championship strikers who could also have been used better than Cole who were available too.
7
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 15, 2025, 08:57:11 PM »Can someone confirm that there is a real chance with mowbray because people are talking like hes the favourite. why is this? apart from
previous manager and out of a job?
Sky have his odds at 1/1 so it's not just fan talk. Of course, I imagine Wicky's odds were similar at one point.
As has been said though, first time round he had Phillips, Miller, Gera, Koumas, Kamara, Davies, Teixera, Bednar, Brunt, Mozza etc. Looking back it was an embarrassment of riches that we no longer have.
8
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion
« on: January 15, 2025, 06:39:18 PM »
I've liked Patel so far but I think he dropped the ball in the summer.
Maja was proven last season to be a little injury prone, so the reality of him doing Asante's roll as lone striker wasn't as realistic as Asante doing it. Yes, Maja is better in almost everyday, but he's clearly not as durable for a full season.
This begs the question why we bought in Cole who was clearly not good enough. We should have kept Weimann as the sub or even got in a similar Championship striker as opposed to Cole. It turns out Dike is also too injury prone, Wallace has fell off the pace and moving Grant there takes him away from his main position. It's not ideal.
Maja was proven last season to be a little injury prone, so the reality of him doing Asante's roll as lone striker wasn't as realistic as Asante doing it. Yes, Maja is better in almost everyday, but he's clearly not as durable for a full season.
This begs the question why we bought in Cole who was clearly not good enough. We should have kept Weimann as the sub or even got in a similar Championship striker as opposed to Cole. It turns out Dike is also too injury prone, Wallace has fell off the pace and moving Grant there takes him away from his main position. It's not ideal.
9
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 15, 2025, 03:54:55 PM »'ITKs' ,claiming Mowbray has had the all-clear unless I've read it wrong.
🚨 EXCL: West Bromwich Albion are expected to undergo talks with Tony Mowbray over the vacant head coach role with TM looking to return to work.
Both parties looking to make it happen asap with him being given the all clear to return to work. More to follow. 💣@EyaWeGew @WestBromXtra #wba
With all respect, I think this recruitment saga shows just how little these supposed 'itks' actually know.
10
General Football & Sports / Re: Transfer Window Watch (Non Albion)
« on: January 15, 2025, 01:46:11 PM »
Do we get a sell on fee?
According to reports at the time, it doesn't look like it. Unless these details weren't released to the press.
11
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 15, 2025, 01:44:36 PM »The articles i have read stating that Schumacer ' isn't the worst out there' hardly fills me with confidence.
All nostalgia aside, I firmly believe Mowbray is the best option right now (provided he's available). It's pretty obvious at this point that a number of linked managers don't want the job and the likes of Cooper probably aren't interested.
Interestingly, Mowbray recently said he wanted a job towards the top of the table as well as looking for work if/when he gets the all clear. Schumacer is far more of an unknown at this point and did poorly at Stoke.
12
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 14, 2025, 04:40:39 PM »
I'd love us to get Mowbray. Honestly, from a nostalgia perspective as much as anything. There was rarely a dull moment with him but we shall see.
13
General Football & Sports / Re: La Liga
« on: January 12, 2025, 04:28:38 PM »Ouch 2 stoppage time goals now got to hurt
Ironically he rarely conceded late goals with us. I know there was Oxford this season but I can't remember too many other occasions.
14
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Jed Wallace
« on: January 12, 2025, 02:29:59 PM »Like a few of our players, form drops off and they seem to give up. Hopefully a move is on the cards and will suit all of us.
I don't think you could ever say Wallace doesn't give 100%. You can tell he's a tryer. The issue is his legs are gone. I remember Nicky Shorey was similar. He was great for a season but once his legs went it was game over for him.
I think with Wallace, he has ran his socks off for most of his career which is why he's facing such a quick decline, much like Rooney did at the same age.
Nonetheless, I think the line in the summer was that he'd be open for a move and was willing to take a pay cut if it meant more minutes. Hopefully that means we'll let him go for next to nothing if he has genuine suitors.
15
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Do you REALLY want us to be promoted this season?
« on: January 11, 2025, 06:30:37 PM »I can't believe I have just read that last line.
Stay down here with the risk of possibly going down with a Bruce/Rooney type manager or promotion?
Let's stay down and be happy when the opposition level it in injury time.
First a Christian Grossesque appointment likely, and now this.
Football is about winning matches and promotion comes with that, if you can't take the defeats in a higher division then you have totally forgotten what football is about and how we did under God Megaton.
Get over yourself then...
I wasn't pleased that Swansea equalised and want us to always win. At the same time I can see the bigger picture. Look what happened to Luton after getting battered in the Premier League. No thanks. I'd rather us build a better team over time in this division and go up when we're good and ready.
That is more ambitious thinking than a flash promotion with nothing to show for it like we did under Bilic, where our stay in the top flight was embarrassing.
I'm sorry I upset you...maybe you're just easy to upset though.
16
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Caleb Taylor
« on: January 11, 2025, 05:08:31 PM »Pick him for Saturday please.
Yep, him and Heggem at CB could be a nice partnership longterm. They're also two giants as well which would help on set pieces.
17
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Do you REALLY want us to be promoted this season?
« on: January 11, 2025, 05:07:23 PM »I thought todays game might be a good place to bump this back to the top for further thoughts and discussion!
Even with a full strength team and bench we would be equally as badly spanked week in and week out for 95% of our time in the prem and have to say it's not something to look froward to
The other 5% would hopefully be against the other promoted teams
Agree, we're nowhere near ready. If we scraped up this season and got battered at least we would get a healthy cash injection. However, I truly believe that give it 3-5 more transfer windows (including this one) we will be on our way. As it stands though, we're nowhere near ready.
This is why I wasn't too upset when we conceded to Swansea.
18
Last Match Forum - 11/01 AFC Bournemouth (FA Cup 3 - A) / Re: After Match Debate
« on: January 11, 2025, 05:05:23 PM »
I think the big takeaway from this is that realistically, we're nowhere near good enough for the top level and now it's pretty clear.
One thing I would add is that it's also eye opening as to how cut throat PL teams are in front of goal. Two goals either side of half time absolutely destroyed us. You don't really see that level of clinical striking at our level.
One thing I would add is that it's also eye opening as to how cut throat PL teams are in front of goal. Two goals either side of half time absolutely destroyed us. You don't really see that level of clinical striking at our level.
19
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mason Holgate joins on loan
« on: January 11, 2025, 04:28:02 PM »
This isn't nothing we don't already know. He's not a Premier League quality CB and hasn't been for most of his career. As cover (here) which he currently is, he is ok.
I imagine he's on big wages at Everton and he's 29 next year so I doubt our owners would look at him next season anyway as he doesn't fit our model.
I imagine he's on big wages at Everton and he's 29 next year so I doubt our owners would look at him next season anyway as he doesn't fit our model.
20
Last Match Forum - 11/01 AFC Bournemouth (FA Cup 3 - A) / Re: Pre Match Chat
« on: January 11, 2025, 02:28:25 PM »
I'd have liked to have seen Frabotta starting. Every cameo he's made so far, he's been ok for us. Today would have been the ideal game to test him (alongside Taylor). Hopefully he gets at least 30 minutes this time.
21
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Daryl Dike
« on: January 10, 2025, 04:27:31 PM »I don’t think are any rational fans that would wish him anything other than a change in fortunes and a return to fitness.
However it could also be said that once you open that door of social media it definitely swings both ways,and whilst not condoning any idiotic posts…someone getting paid more per month than most fans per year and choosing to do silly dances on line,whilst recovering from a second serious injury that has meant he has played very little during the whole time with us…could be considered ill judged ?
I don't like annoying footballers as much as possible, but I don't begrudge a player doing a silly dance while injured. Seriously, what is he meant to do? If he did it after our loss to the Wolves or Southampton last season then yeah, I would get it. But your reaction seems a bit over the top in my opinion.
22
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 10, 2025, 04:20:34 PM »Seems a more interesting candidate than Hake at least, which really would have been scraping the bottom of the barrel, but its hard to put his career into context.
At least at Basel, the season before he came in they won the league, but finished 2nd with him - having won the league 8 times in a row - and then he was sacked, though they haven't won the league in the 6 seasons after he left and indeed got progressively worse so hard to contextualise that.
At Chicago he seems to have just done flat out bad, though it seems they pretty much always do badly.
At Young Boys he won the league his first season and had them top when he was sacked, having finished 3rd the season before he came (though they did win the league 4 years in a row prior to that season. This season they are currently in 9th so doing very poorly.
So a mixed bag but at least with some good successes also in his last job, which is probably as good as we're going to get from the names left available.
In fairness, Corberan did badly at Olympiacos. I'd much rather have Wicky than Hake. It will be interesting to see how he tried 4-4-2 though with our lack of options beyond Maja and Grant doing well on the wing this season.
23
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 09, 2025, 08:21:46 PM »He took them to Europe, we never even got close to that. We also never reached 50 points, and Burnley got 54 points twice under Dyche.
All this from taking a side who was mid-table in the championship when he took over, and while having no ownership investment to do it from. Or some modern elite analytical set up like Brentford to get good value deals.
If someone came in and did the job he did with Burnley with us, they'd be undoubtedly our greatest modern era manager.
Agree. For context when we finished top table in the Premier League it was after years of yo-yoing and slowly building up from there. It was under Steve Clarke who I believe was our 6th manager after our first promotion whereas Dyche did it in one.
Regardless, I doubt we will be looking at him given our current setup. I do find it a bit odd though with the backlash.
24
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 09, 2025, 06:29:18 PM »Appointing dyche would bring me back to the days of the only manager I stopped having a season ticket “Tony pulis”
For all his faults, he was a lot better than the likes of Bruce, Pardew, Ismael etc whose football was far uglier.
25
West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread
« on: January 09, 2025, 05:46:28 PM »
While I don't think Dyche is the main man for us and prefer we'd look elsewhere, I think he's nowhere near as bad as many on here are making out. He's actually done well for Everton given their financial context and his football isn't as bad as many make out.