[GrGr]

That's them relegated

By far the worst manager I've ever seen at hillsborough. I still have unwanted flashbacks of his 6-2-2 tactic at home to Bournemouth. We still got outplayed and we're very fortunate to get a point

His best signing was Nicky Weaver. Purely as he kept him in the job way longer than he should have been.

RIP West Brom. See you in the championship soon

The above is a comment from the Owls forum when the announcement of us signing AI was made.

Shocking appointment and it is only a matter of a few games before AI gets the boot. Maybe Terry Burton should go with him if it was his recommendation to bring in Irvine.

[weareblueweare white]

Or writing his list of excuses

[WBARoberts]

It's all well and good when people talk about time, but AI looks like one of the least inspirational people I've seen.

Slate Pulis, but I tell you what - he would get a starting 11 fighting. If the players are the issue I still cannot see Irvine managing to turn that around.

All this talk about defensively minded, we've conceded within two minutes of both games. We need a leader and someone who can kick these players into gear - AI is not that man.

[WBAinDEVON]

Writing his next pre match sermon

[maccbaggie]

The above is a comment from the Owls forum when the announcement of us signing AI was made.

Shocking appointment and it is only a matter of a few games before AI gets the boot. Maybe Terry Burton should go with him if it was his recommendation to bring in Irvine.

That's perhaps the most worrying thing for me. When Irvine goes, he's the man that will be recommending the next head coach...

[Dexy]

It's all well and good when people talk about time, but AI looks like one of the least inspirational people I've seen.

Slate Pulis, but I tell you what - he would get a starting 11 fighting. If the players are the issue I still cannot see Irvine managing to turn that around.

All this talk about defensively minded, we've conceded within two minutes of both games. We need a leader and someone who can kick these players into gear - AI is not that man.

Exactly what I have said elsewhere , these players need a massive kick up the backside not somebody with rigomortis on the sidelines. Granted AI is far from the only problem at the club but he was never right for the job IMO.

[Rheneas]

It's all well and good when people talk about time, but AI looks like one of the least inspirational people I've seen.

Slate Pulis, but I tell you what - he would get a starting 11 fighting. If the players are the issue I still cannot see Irvine managing to turn that around.

All this talk about defensively minded, we've conceded within two minutes of both games. We need a leader and someone who can kick these players into gear - AI is not that man.

I'd love to see a Pulis in charge, but IIRC he left Palace after a dispute with the Chief Exec.

Pulis has the track record and is the calibre of leader we need, but given the Palace departure I'm not hopeful JP would get him in. 

Mind you, JP has surprised us before. Like when he appointed AI. 

[spencer Baggie]

Worryingly, if AI were to go, I could honestly see JP giving it to KD and DK for the rest of the season.

We need somebody with personality, to encourage players, and to recite fans.

For whatever reason, Pepe connected with fans. AI has yet to strike a chord with anybody. And frankly his interviews are terrible. He is, without doubt, the next Steve Keen.

[tuamigos]

 

Its not pretty to watch is it.
Even though I have a season ticket it really is becoming an effort to drag myself to watch the team I've loved since I was a kid.
Even when we were in the Prem with Mowbray  the defence was poor but the attacking side of our game got fans off their seats.
Under AI the defence and attacking side of our game is as bad as its been for ages.
I never advocate sacking a manager but sorry to say Al has to go before its too late.
I never thought Id say it but at this moment in time Pulls looks an attractive option.

[mulliganstired]

I just voted go, but I'm so depressed by the whole thing that I can't even be bothered to get angry.  Its a lose lose lose for everyone, humiliation for Irvine, we're looking down the barrel, "established" players looking jaded, new ones must wonder what the f*** they'v signed up for.  I remember the eighties relegation, 3 wins all season, and this feels like that.

[overseas baggie]

Exactly what I have said elsewhere , these players need a massive kick up the backside not somebody with rigomortis on the sidelines. Granted AI is far from the only problem at the club but he was never right for the job IMO.

I hate Pulis and I hate Warnock, and I also hate McCarthy.

However I would rather swap the passion and motivation that characters like that would bring for what we now have here with AI.

Hell, at least we would go down fighting.

[cheesyknackers]

11 votes for Irvine to stay . Must have come from Terry Burton and Irvines family.

[WBArgo]

Blanco and Samaras miles away from fitness, surely everyone saw that when they came on? Play Morrison or Dorrans inside, but then who plays wide? Gamboa or Saido were about the only options and then it becomes the 'negative' 1 up front. Sometimes I just think people moan about anything just for the sake of it, without actually analysing the situation.

As for Sess, obvious why he missed out vs Sunderland as he wasn't fit, no reason why he should have come in vs Saints or Swansea, both games that follow previous decent performances.

Samaras was definitely fit enough for 30 minutes and played internationally last week for 45 minutes, I'm not saying he should have started, but he could have easily came on before it was 2-0. This is a mistake by Irvine.

It's well documented that Morrison and/or Dorrans play better in an attacking role. Morrison played behind the central midfielders like a quarter back and Dorrans was on the wing. He could have put one of them in a more advanced role, again this was a mistake by Irvine.

That's not making excuses for his failure - he had options and failed to use them, simple as that.

[seteefeet]

11 votes for Irvine to stay . Must have come from Terry Burton and Irvines family.

Or the starting 11

[Sessegod]

I just voted go, but I'm so depressed by the whole thing that I can't even be bothered to get angry.  Its a lose lose lose for everyone, humiliation for Irvine, we're looking down the barrel, "established" players looking jaded, new ones must wonder what the f*** they'v signed up for.  I remember the eighties relegation, 3 wins all season, and this feels like that.

2 years its fell like that, a glimmer with pepe, but the same rubbish now

[RogerBadoo]

I have been an Albion fan since 1979. In that time I have seen some terrible coach/managers. Gould, Talbot, Little etc. But in all those cases the club itself was also a basket-case. Now we have a solid club, built on excellent foundations. However we seem to have an acute blind spot when it comes to appointing a First Team Coach. What leaves me baffled by the appointment of Irvine is that he is almost identical to Clarke. I suspect he's a top fella and really good on the training ground but he's no leader of men.

We have flirted over recent appointments with experienced foreign coaches and of course hit the jackpot with Roy - so with that in mind why go with a great back-room guy who hadn't been near management in 5 years.

One thing I have always liked about the Albion is that overall we have tended to show patience with managers. That is until very recently. I am at a loss to think the Pepe Mel would be making such a mess of things as Irvine is. We may well have lost a couple but I guarantee we would have come away from those of games and felt like we wanted to win and win in swashbuckling way. With pace, aggression and passion.

The truth is that we have now got an inferior Steve Clarke. Look at Hull with Steve Bruce, Palace with Pulis - if you want to grind out safety go for experience. If you want to play expansive, attacking football go abroad (and stick to your decision).

Relegation is probably a certainty this season - unless we move very quickly and have a proper plan. What kind of football does a West Brom team play now? It used to be Mowbray and Di Matteo leading the way with attacking football - sadly now we're miles behind progressive clubs like Swansea, Hull and Southampton.

Peace has got it wrong and he needs to go back to a model where we groom the next generation of Football Directors (Ashworth, Ashton etc) and the next generation of coaches. Currently we're been lead by yesterday men. It's very, very depressing.

I am going to the Burnley game and I actually think we'll get beaten. Sean Dyche would have been a much more forward thinking choice.....

[Sessegod]

. I suspect he's a top fella and really good on the training ground but he's no leader of men.

Nail on the head, he's no leader of men.

[Sessegod]

Just spotted at Old Trafford taking notes. No doubt figuring out which defenders to play against them!

I'll be shocked, annoyed, depressed and a whole load of expletives if he is still in charge by then

[WBArgo]

Nail on the head, he's no leader of men.

Saying he's not a leader of men doesn't do him justice - he's also got no tactics, poor formations and no plan b!

[BB74]

I'll be shocked, annoyed, depressed and a whole load of expletives if he is still in charge by then

Let's hope he wasn't scouting QPR aswell. Just imagine if he was still at the helm come Christmas! A very blunt butter knife would be on my crimbo wish list, got to be better to cut my wrists that way than to take any more AI,
But hey, he's a hard worker, always first in and last out an the lads are happy in training. 

[kamarasboot]

It's easiest to address this in one go to be honest. I stick by my original point, the players aren't good enough. You are all focussing on Irvine, what he does, what he doesn't do, etc.

It's all irrelevant for me. That side wouldn't win with Mourinho in charge. The players are at fault first and foremost. JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

So you're basically saying we don't need a manager/coach.

[crazedwbafan18]

We going to make a banner for spurs next Sunday? I'm up for that, if we are 3 or 4 down by half time we truly make our voices heard. If we miraculously win, there'll be discount price humble pie on offer.

[KingKoren]

We going to make a banner for spurs next Sunday? I'm up for that, if we are 3 or 4 down by half time we truly make our voices heard. If we miraculously win, there'll be discount price humble pie on offer.

What will it say? "5 games Enough is Enough!!"

[wba606]

the big mistake he made today was not playing yacob in a four man midfield, containing similar players leaving big spaces between defense and midfield.

before watching the match online today i expected and abject performance, but i thought we played decent with two mistakes killing us, everton didn't play much better than us other than a 15 mins after the second goal. i really hope that blanco and gamboa play the next match and lescott comes i for Olson.

[BB74]

What will it say? "5 games Enough is Enough!!"

It's so much more than that though and you know it. It's been the wrong appointment since day one. I can't believe we even gave the guy a second thought, let alone an interview and then the job.