Author Topic: Thoughts on the Season to date  (Read 36230 times)

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baggies_24

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #25 on: October 08, 2018, 12:49:02 PM »
I think the game at the weekend summed the season up so far, first half all over the show defensively and were lucky to be going in 1-0 down just like the Forrest & Blues games. Second half played some superb stuff and blew Reading away as we have done against QPR, Stoke & Bristol.

Tougher tests ahead but if we get more 2nd half performances rather than first half performances we’l be in with a shout, no-one can accuse us of been boring that’s for sure.

Hull Baggie

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #26 on: October 08, 2018, 01:26:51 PM »
I think the game at the weekend summed the season up so far, first half all over the show defensively and were lucky to be going in 1-0 down just like the Forrest & Blues games. Second half played some superb stuff and blew Reading away as we have done against QPR, Stoke & Bristol.

Tougher tests ahead but if we get more 2nd half performances rather than first half performances we’l be in with a shout, no-one can accuse us of been boring that’s for sure.

sorry to be a pedant but Blues was 1-1 at half time and we blew Bristol City away in the first half 3-0 by 28th minute, I also think we were comfortable all game against Stoke.
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thelawyer

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #27 on: October 08, 2018, 02:12:58 PM »
The best description of this season is that my 7 and 9 year old actively ask for news and are interested in what is going on. There are frailties but bloody hell it’s better than the dross their previous knowledge of the Baggies was!

baggiejohn

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #28 on: October 08, 2018, 02:21:18 PM »
Going forward we look great but we look terrible at the back, and we don't seem to be improving much.  I'd have definitely taken the position we're in at the moment if you'd asked at the start of the season.  It's worrying that our two best players are loans but that's better than nothing.

Saw this stat today...

"Albion have only played three of the current top eight, and from those three games they have only picked up two points. "

Which is a bit worrying considering our defence looks poor.  They need to up their game if we do plan on going up this season.

Got to say, I've been concerned all season about our defensive frailties, but of the current top 8, we've played Forest, Sheff Wednesday & Boro' all away & drawn 2 & lost 1. Not sure that's a bad return.
Our first encounter at home against a current top 8 club is Derby on 24th October
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Dan87uk

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #29 on: October 08, 2018, 02:48:24 PM »
True about the away games, it's still a case of we have the biggest tests to come though.

Win at Home + Draw Away = Promotion

We just have to keep grinding out the results away from home - performances away have been poor/sluggish for the most part, but we're still finding a way to dig out the points we need which is really encouraging.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2018, 06:29:13 PM by LiamTheBaggie »
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beechyboy90

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #30 on: October 08, 2018, 04:36:26 PM »
Going forward we look great but we look terrible at the back, and we don't seem to be improving much.  I'd have definitely taken the position we're in at the moment if you'd asked at the start of the season.  It's worrying that our two best players are loans but that's better than nothing.

Saw this stat today...

"Albion have only played three of the current top eight, and from those three games they have only picked up two points. "

Which is a bit worrying considering our defence looks poor.  They need to up their game if we do plan on going up this season.

Over the next set of games we play derby and Leeds at home and Blackburn away our fixtures aren't as kind on paper- if we keep the home form up through those types of games we will really be promotion contenders
O Albion we love you

baggiebof

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #31 on: October 08, 2018, 05:16:51 PM »
Really pleased with how it is going and expect it to continue, as standaman points our, our xG is good. We are bettering our xG due to the lower standard of keeping in this league, which is something that won't change. If we were in the mix in January one or two personnel changes to the squad could see us got another level, certainly defensively.

LiamTheBaggie

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #32 on: October 08, 2018, 06:32:28 PM »
I'm happily - I thoroughly enjoy home games at The Hawthorns. The beer and food taste much sweeter when you know you are going to witness some positive attacking football. It is refreshing to head to the sportsman following the final whistle with a smile on your face.

There is stuff to work on - the make up of the midfield needs work and we are far too open defensively with none of them looking at ease with the new system. If we can find away to shore that up then we will blow sides away in this division.

Going forwards we look excellent with our forward four of Phillips, Barnes, Rodriguez and Gayle all contributing. We are also starting to get more from Kieran Gibbs too.

So to sum up, I am happy.

It will be interesting to see how the squad copes when injuries/suspensions kick in because the underbelly is very thin.
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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #33 on: October 08, 2018, 10:38:59 PM »
Very good so far, defensive frailties aside, if we are in the same position at Christmas, its imperative we strengthen with an eye on the Premier League.
Baggie in Southampton

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #34 on: October 08, 2018, 10:42:20 PM »
I had a season ticket for years
I rarely went under Pullis
I missed Pardews entire tenure

I now can wait to get tickets for each match

There are still things to improve , but my word imagine if we were actually good

I predict we will go up, I think we will put 6 past at least another three teams , we will strengthen in Jan and we will play wolves (and win) next season
If youre going to get told off, get told off for doing something not for doing nothing..

albion59

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #35 on: October 08, 2018, 11:09:41 PM »
I had a season ticket for years
I rarely went under Pullis
I missed Pardews entire tenure

I now can wait to get tickets for each match

There are still things to improve , but my word imagine if we were actually good

I predict we will go up, I think we will put 6 past at least another three teams , we will strengthen in Jan and we will play wolves (and win) next season
I have had a season ticket for years I never stopped going under Pulis or Pardew I would never stop going whoever was the manager/ head coach I hated the football under both but as I have always said I was there long before they where there and god willing will be there long after they have gone. Whoever is in charge doesn't matter they are just guardians of the club we the fans are the club!

iwastherein68

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #36 on: October 09, 2018, 05:51:03 AM »
I have had a season ticket for years I never stopped going under Pulis or Pardew I would never stop going whoever was the manager/ head coach I hated the football under both but as I have always said I was there long before they where there and god willing will be there long after they have gone. Whoever is in charge doesn't matter they are just guardians of the club we the fans are the club!
Exactly.Managers and players come and go, supporters stay for life.
Gary Megson - True Legend - Restorer of pride

Norfolk Baggie

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #37 on: October 09, 2018, 07:56:30 AM »
Saturday's match epitomises this team at the moment. First half we were quite poor.  We looked vulnerable at the rear and we could easily have gone in three down.  However, even after this we all thought we would at least score and that we would do a whole lot better in the second half.  And boy did we do that. At times the football was simply superb.  Barnes's goal in particular was so fantastically well worked by the team as a whole.  It is gripping to watch.  There has been no game this season where were out of it or where we were massively outclassed.  Moore is a better manager than I thought he would be.  On Saturday he figured out that Reading were weak on cross balls and altered the tactics to reflect this.  Hence our first goal. The Hawthorns is a happy place at the moment.  Love the boiler songs and the cabbage songs.  So well done so far team Albion.  We do need to improve in defence though. Partially this comes on the training ground, but one or two well thought out purchases may be required.  I am a bit disappointed not to have seen more of Burke but given three Managers of very different types have not seen fit to play him there must be more to this than we immediately see.

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #38 on: October 09, 2018, 08:21:39 AM »
stay in this league is all i ask, i hate the premier league
Born and Bred in Oak Road West Bromwich B71   Est in the swinging sixties

seteefeet

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #39 on: October 09, 2018, 08:53:42 AM »
stay in this league is all i ask, i hate the premier league
Promotion is a bit of a poisoned chalice isn't it?
If we win the league can we politely decline? :)

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #40 on: October 09, 2018, 09:16:20 AM »
I have had a season ticket for years I never stopped going under Pulis or Pardew I would never stop going whoever was the manager/ head coach I hated the football under both but as I have always said I was there long before they where there and god willing will be there long after they have gone. Whoever is in charge doesn't matter they are just guardians of the club we the fans are the club!
and sometimes the guardians have to act to effect change and if some feel the only option is by staying away, so be it.
the road to the summit has dips, keep the faith when navigating those dips !!
Albion Family !!!

albion59

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #41 on: October 09, 2018, 10:01:21 AM »
and sometimes the guardians have to act to effect change and if some feel the only option is by staying away, so be it.
That's their choice and I have no problem with that, but my choice is to always be there no matter what.

Westie

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #42 on: October 09, 2018, 10:05:27 AM »
What’s this ‘expected goals’ rubbish? Never before have I seen such a contrived, useless statistic!

We are being given excellent value for money at the Hawthorns, what a welcome change from the past few years. There are some ‘supporters’ that still boo, though!

17GD

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #43 on: October 09, 2018, 10:33:29 AM »
Hopefully things will continue to go the way they are, and improve some. I'm not sure which way to look at it though.

I'd say overall we've played worse than we have well. We've had moments of good play in most games I've seen, but we've taken a long time to get going and we seem reluctant to go forward, especially in wide areas. Hopefully DM has learned a lot in the opening few games and things will turn so we can play like the table suggests.

Having said that, we're scoring goals for fun (usually in the second half), the players generally seem happy and we're finishing games stronger than we're starting them. Holding on and seeing games out is important.

Wolves played well last season and got promoted, but i think that's pretty rare in this league. Most teams don't seem to mind style as long as they get to the PL.

If we do end up winning promotion, it goes without saying that the club need to invest seriously, otherwise with this team we'd be straight back down.

Overall very happy with the excitement we now have, happy to see us winning games and scoring goals. Just hope we don't come unstuck against the teams we're next to in the table.

baggiejohn

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #44 on: October 09, 2018, 03:02:48 PM »
What’s this ‘expected goals’ rubbish? Never before have I seen such a contrived, useless statistic!


It's just a two word statement where you've got yourself in a position where you'd expect to score. goals/xgoals is probably a more useful ratio than shots on target/shots.
If it was easy, it wouldn't be Albion

A wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard, why aren't we like that wise old bird?

costa blanca baggie

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #45 on: October 09, 2018, 03:37:04 PM »
It's just a two word statement where you've got yourself in a position where you'd expect to score. goals/xgoals is probably a more useful ratio than shots on target/shots.
What’s this`goals/xgoals’ rubbish?  :D
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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #46 on: October 09, 2018, 03:59:38 PM »
What’s this`goals/xgoals’ rubbish?  :D

ittsa 2 word statement innit !

Like "bulls hit"
the road to the summit has dips, keep the faith when navigating those dips !!
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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #47 on: October 09, 2018, 04:35:26 PM »
Its like when you went out to a disco when you were a kid.  I had a terrible shag/xshag ratio.

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #48 on: October 09, 2018, 04:49:58 PM »
It's like comparing a shot from 6 yards out with just a keeper to beat, let's call that a 'Rondon' versus a speculative 30 yarder that dribbles through to the keeper, we'll call that one a 'Brunt'.

A Rondon is 'worth' more than a Brunt.  A team that had 5 Brunt's in a game is less good than a team that engineers 5 Rondons.  Both would look like they've done equally well with 5 shots on goal but in the Rondon case you'd expect them to score more goals.

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Re: Thoughts on the Season to date
« Reply #49 on: October 09, 2018, 05:41:06 PM »
It's like comparing a shot from 6 yards out with just a keeper to beat, let's call that a 'Rondon' versus a speculative 30 yarder that dribbles through to the keeper, we'll call that one a 'Brunt'.

A Rondon is 'worth' more than a Brunt.  A team that had 5 Brunt's in a game is less good than a team that engineers 5 Rondons.  Both would look like they've done equally well with 5 shots on goal but in the Rondon case you'd expect them to score more goals.
A good way of putting it some people were using the halftime stats on Saturday which showed us 5 shots none on target as a stick to beat Moore with as you point out a 30yd dribbler on target counts has a shot but a 6yd chance flashed past the post doesn't count.