26

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Best English player to play for WBA

« on: March 21, 2015, 11:41:54 AM »

Can't disagree with all the other posters: Barlow, Allen, Kevan, Cunningham, Regis, Brown, Statham - all greats. But just an honourable mention too for Clive Clark.

27

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Best scottish player to play for WBA

« on: March 21, 2015, 11:35:31 AM »

It's got to be Bobby Hope - a gifted player. (I remember once sitting opposite him and Ken Foggo on a No 74 bus on the way back from the Hawthorns).

Buy I'd also have Asa Hartford up there somewhere, alongside Willie Johnston of course.

28

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Why West Bromwich Albion?

« on: March 21, 2015, 11:27:38 AM »

Born in Hallam hospital and lived in Old Meeting Street at Carter's Green until I was 14, when my family moved away. But that's made no difference - almost 50 years later - to my passion for the Baggies.

29

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: 14 Mar 2015 Albion 1 Stoke City 0

« on: March 14, 2015, 04:58:17 PM »

Great three points - it really should mean we're going to be safe this season. Fletcher was immense again, I thought and some lovely touches by Morrison. Berahino led the line well, and as we've seen plenty of times since Pulis took over, we close down and harry so well.

30

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: 14 Mar 2015 Albion 1 Stoke City 0

« on: March 14, 2015, 03:50:02 PM »

We deserve to be 2-0 up. Only hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the bum second half.

31

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: March 07, 2015, 07:34:24 PM »

Devastated  by that. I wouldn't mind (well I would) if we played with a bit of ambition and style and lost. But today, we didn't even make up the numbers.

32

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: March 07, 2015, 06:21:30 PM »

This is definitely here for the winning. Keep our shape, keep patient, keep tight and a couple of decent substitutions.

33

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: March 07, 2015, 06:03:39 PM »

I like the way we're pressing tight and closing down so well.

34

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: March 07, 2015, 05:41:57 PM »

Ideye gets it wrong again. 

35

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: March 07, 2015, 05:34:14 PM »

Lescott playing at left back.

36

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: March 03, 2015, 09:42:49 PM »

What the bloody hell was all that about? Absolutely shocking from Foster when we'd done all the professional hard work to get back into it.

We didn't deserve even a point, but having hauled ourselves back, that was disgraceful.

37

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: March 03, 2015, 08:36:00 PM »

Quite obvious the strikers aren't fit, which means the likes of Gardiner and Morrison and to some extent Fletcher  have got to do more.

Agree about Mulumbu for Yacob and maybe Sessingnon to give a bit of width. But at the moment, they just look as though they want it more than we do.

38

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: March 01, 2015, 01:14:35 PM »

I think I'm probably responsible for starting this so-called "negativity" debate, so let me clarify.

I'm more than delighted we got the points, kept another clean sheet and so on.

I also respect that this is what's wanted at the moment to rescue us from a dire position, and I understand Pulis's "needs must" approach.

But experience tells me you can't go on sitting back, working your knackers off, and rely on the opposition squandering their possession and opportunities. The bubble will burst.

It's a bit like two boxers - one coming forward and throwing punches, the one dodging and weaving and relying on not get caught with that big haymaker. You can do it for a while, but eventually one big shot will get through. The only time I can remember that not happening was Ali against George Foreman. But the Baggies aren't quite in Ali's class...yet.

39

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 28, 2015, 05:13:35 PM »

Lets go back to the drivel we had before then losing every week playing the fantasy 'Albion Way'

I'm not advocating carefree, happy-go-lucky football. Of course we need to be well drilled.  The point I'm making is that we can't go on riding our luck like we do. Pelle could and should have had two today and then it would have been a very different story.

40

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 28, 2015, 05:06:56 PM »

I bloody HATE that sort of backs to the wall football from us. It's inviting a slip up and better Southampton finishing would have made us pay today.

You can call it great defending, you can call it the Pulis way, or whatever you want, but in my view, it's no way to play football.

I'm obviously delighted to get three points, and it's fantastic we're hard to beat, but the mind set of the team seems to be to start time wasting after five minutes and keep our fingers crossed.

Hope Berahino and Ideye aren't too badly hurt - there's a big week coming up.

41

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: February 28, 2015, 03:53:02 PM »

Plenty of time for this to go wrong, but so far so good. Some great link up play and everyone working for each other. They look more than capable, mind you. Mane looks sharp. I think it will be edge of the seat stuff second half.

42

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 21, 2015, 04:56:33 PM »

Well that guarantees last on Match of the Day.

But another clean sheet, and given the context of the game a better point for us than them.

I thought we didn't perform as well as we did against West Ham because Morrison didn't perform as well. Last week, he was immense and that simply didn't happen today.

Great backs to the wall performance from the back four.

43

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: February 21, 2015, 03:52:39 PM »

A better side than Sunderland woud be well ahead by now, which I doubt would come as a surprise to anyone. Typical away performance from us - trying to keep it tight but not showing much flair or imagination. I think I'd replace Yacob at half time. I can see us down to ten men if he stays on.

44

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Ideye and Berahino - the new Regis and Cunningham?

« on: February 15, 2015, 11:19:02 AM »

I really am trying to keep a straight face looking at the title of this thread. No disrespect (honest!), but to try to compare a lad who's had two decent games after just about the worst start in an Albion shirt I can remember, and a 20-year-old with huge promise, to two of the club's greatest ever players does make me smile. Swallows and summers spring to mind.

45

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Man of the match

« on: February 15, 2015, 09:25:12 AM »

Ideye by a short head over Jimmy Morrison.  Will Mozza keep his place given Fletcher comes back at Sunderland?

46

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 15, 2015, 09:21:49 AM »

Agree with everyone about our performance and how delighted we're entitled to be. But I was able to take one little extra from the match, having watched it with a fellow Baggie in a pub in Norwich - surrounded by Wolves fans ahead of their game against the Canaries. Seeing their faces drop as we ran riot was a picture. And they lost!

47

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: February 15, 2015, 09:16:55 AM »

I just hope Pulis doesn't resort to the "away" mentality of parking the bus, playing with one up front and just hoping the home side doesn't break us down. Swansea and now West Ham have shown we're better than that. 

48

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 11, 2015, 10:00:06 PM »

No-one's been more critical of Ideye than me - for months I wouldn't give him house room. But last week and today, he's looked a different player - confident and hungry and great alongside Berahino.

The whole side looked decent - I loved the way they closed down and chased. Fletcher is already making a difference and looks a real leader.   

49

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: February 11, 2015, 08:53:01 PM »

Well at least we didn't give them a goal start. I think we've played with a lot of enterprise so far - a typical Pulis team where everyone knows his job and in the most part the lads are fulfilling that.

Ideye has looked bright and Fletcher looks as though he's played for us for years.

50

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 08, 2015, 01:57:18 PM »

Better point for us than for them, but we were definitely second best.

Great save from Foster at the start, a clear penalty for them at the end. They should have strolled it.

If Pulis stands for anything, it's being organised, and today - for most of the time - we're weren't organised.