1

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

« on: Yesterday at 11:14:21 PM »

And now ask there fans whether they would prefer to have had a few older heads giving them a better chance of the play offs or better !

They'll have a better chance next season with the £15-20m they get for Clarke and an extra year of development for their young squad.

Meanwhile we'll be back to square 1 with no money, half a squad and a number of ageing players still on over-inflated contracts.

2

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

« on: Yesterday at 07:52:59 PM »

There's one 16-17 year old who I think you could classify as playing regularly - Chris Rigg at Sunderland has 758 minutes across 20 games, and he hasn't completed 90 minutes at all.

If we move into 18 year olds, however, we find quite a few more - Archie Gray and  Jobe Bellingham have over 3000 minutes each, while Ashley Phillips and Bailey-Tye Cadamarteri have over 1000 each.

For reference, Tom Fellows has 1431 and is 20 years old.

You’ve completely missed my point. A 27 year old isn’t a ‘young talent’, regardless of whether they’re an academy graduate or not. I used an example of other clubs to show how skewed our fans’ perceptions are as a result of running with an ageing squad for so many years.

I also never said there were loads of 16-17 year olds playing regularly either. Bellingham, Gray, Rigg and Phillips have all being playing Championship football since they were 16/17. Meanwhile we’ve got a single 20 year old playing regularly in Fellows, who we treat as though he’s a baby and can’t be trusted to start games.

3

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Ian Pearce

« on: Yesterday at 07:25:01 PM »

Look at the comments from page 1 of this thread. That was back in 2018 and we’re still in the exact same boat.

Pearce, and everyone in the recruitment team going back to Dan Ashworth’s departure, have been abject failures and have had a major hand in this club ending up on the brink of administration. Now Lai has gone, they’re by a mile the biggest problem at this club.

Have we made a profit on a single signing in the last decade besides Pereira? And he was a Bilic signing.

4

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

« on: Yesterday at 03:46:21 PM »

He did allude to recruiting good young players and complimenting them with solid senior pros; we have plenty of senior pros so I expect our recruitment will be quite youthful.

I've seen those quotes, and it's the model Bologna have been successful with so I'm quietly optimistic he'll implement similar with us.

The fact I see fans classing 25-27 year olds like Palmer, BTA and Maja as 'young' talent just shows how poorly this club has managed the squad since the Pulis era. There's 16-17 year olds playing regularly in this division.

5

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

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:41:33 PM »

First thing Shilen Patel needs to do at this club is to impose a policy of no signings over the age of 25 and no contract extensions over the age of 30. If the recruitment team or any head coach don’t like it they can get out too.

Since Pulis came in I’ve been banging on about this. And a decade later we’re still a retirement home hemmorhaging wages and signing on fees to the point we were on the brink of administration.

6

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:32:19 PM »

This is the worst performance I’ve ever seen. There’s zero character or fight in this squad.

We’ve absolutely collapsed. Playoffs or not our season has clearly ended in the players minds, could get embarrassing over 2 legs with this squad of spineless victims.

7

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:23:49 PM »

CC was excellent when he came in during the Bruce season regarding in game management. He’s gotten more and more cautious to the point he just leaves things as they are every game until we go 2 behind. It’s really poor from someone who is so meticulous before the game.

8

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:19:17 PM »

Oldest squad in the league. No surprises we always run out of steam and struggle against anyone with energy and pace. Yet every transfer window we bring in more Albrighton’s, Weimann’s and M’Vila’s? Groundhog Day.

9

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:13:19 PM »

Ram the side full of 30+ year olds and walk around for 90 mins every game is working brilliantly isn’t it?

We’ve started sitting off and play with fear every game. Loser mentality.

10

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 04:11:09 PM »

Disgraceful, absolutely embarrassing.

I cannot wait for this **** squad to be released.

Full of seasoned losers and bottlejobs.

11

Last Match Forum - 27/04 Sheffield Wednesday (A) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 27, 2024, 03:27:54 PM »

We’ve fallen apart defensively in recent weeks haven’t we? We just don’t deal with anything.

12

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Kyle Bartley

« on: April 20, 2024, 06:33:29 PM »

Needs to be dropped.

He’s moaning before the ball has even got to him. Definitely doesn’t want the club to finish in the top 6 as he knows we definitely won’t renew

Haha. How is it that you think all of our players are awful, yet you simultaneously seem to expect us to win every game?

My main issue with Bartley is his passing. The guy plays simple passes a good 2 yards away from the receiving player and often onto their weak foot which invites pressure.

13

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 14, 2024, 11:37:46 PM »

I would play BTA as a striker with the rest of the strikers injured, who would you have played that we have that would have got as many goals as him. Its okay to say he aint good enough but I dont see anyone we have who would have had as good or better record as BTA.

We don't need to play with a striker. It's worked fine this season when we've played without one, mainly because our attacks aren't breaking down every time it bounces off BTA.

I like the guy, he works hard and he's been a great value signing. But he's not a good footballer at this level and he weakens the team when he starts.

14

Last Match Forum - 13/04 Sunderland (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 13, 2024, 04:02:50 PM »

He has to play though. Not his fault. CC doesn't like any of the young strikers so he will play.

The decision to leave Maja out of todays game was stupid but we can't do anything about it now

Wallace has always been the better option for me. He’s a more intelligent footballer, makes better runs and he’s better technically. It’s not like BTA offers an aerial threat or a presence so there’s no real argument against it for me.

15

Last Match Forum - 13/04 Sunderland (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 13, 2024, 03:58:57 PM »

He needed subbing off before the first YC when he biting at Ballard. Damage done now. So stupid

We need to get him out of the side. Fine as an impact sub as I’ve always said but he’s nowhere near it as a starter. Getting sick of watching every attacking move break down due to his poor touch or those first time flicks he does instead of holding it up.

I’m hoping that’s why CC has played Maja in the U23s, he has to start if we make the playoffs. He won’t be getting 3 sitters a game like he did against Rotherham.

16

Last Match Forum - 13/04 Sunderland (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 13, 2024, 03:53:16 PM »

He had been fouling Ballard before the first YC. Clearly out for some payback for Maja for me

If he put the same amount of effort into controlling the ball and hitting the target as he does recklessly running around and sliding in he’d be a half decent player.

17

Last Match Forum - 13/04 Sunderland (H) / Re: In Game Chat

« on: April 13, 2024, 03:49:41 PM »

BTA is an atrocious player. Sent off because he can’t control a football. Shame it’s not a 3 match ban.

18

Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 06, 2024, 05:26:55 PM »

Just had a look at Coventry’s and Hull’s run-in and feel a lot better. Beat Rotherham and we’re probably 1 more win away.

19

Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 06, 2024, 05:05:28 PM »

We play with too much fear. And defensively we look an absolute shambles since the international break. We’ve got the quality to impose ourselves on teams but we seem happy sitting in and letting teams throw bodies at us recently.

Not a bad result but it makes Rotherham a must win for me. Anything else and we go to Leicester in a very shaky position.

20

General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:44:10 PM »

Didn't he sign a new contract not too long ago?

Expires in December but rumours he’s getting an extension.

21

General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:39:26 PM »

And again losing to a top ranked side. I would hate to see his record against higher ranked opposition

It’s 4 wins from 26. A 15% win rate when he’s not up against Moldovan plumbers.

He tried his best to win tonight as well. Leaving it 75 mins before making subs shows he was treating that as a knockout game rather than a friendly. And he came up short yet again, he’s nowhere near good enough and should have gone after the Italy game in 2020.

22

General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 26, 2024, 08:47:59 PM »

On track to make it 4 wins from 26 against top 10 ranked sides. We have no hope of winning anything under this guy. This is probably the poorest Belgium side in a decade, with De Bruyne missing, and yet another manager who has done a job on him so far.

He’s lost Maguire and brought Lewis Dunk in to play a high line, who incidentally just got ragged by Lukaku in the Europa League. Same thing has happened again and it’s cost us, Lukaku isn’t even a particularly quick player.

If he gets the United job in the summer as has been rumoured, I genuinely think they become relegation candidates. Tactically he’s a couple of levels below every manager in the Prem, and the top 8 in the Championship.

23

General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 24, 2024, 05:12:46 PM »

Sadly I just can't see us ever winning a major tournament under Southgate. He has won 5 out of 25 games against sides in the top 10 of the FIFA rankings. That is an abysmal record. Tactically he's so, so poor in comparison to most modern managers, and he's not a ruthless tournament manager like a Mourinho. You've got the likes of Jose available, and Mancini (who schooled him in 2020) managing the Saudi Arabia national team, whilst we go into another major tournament with a nice guy who's best managerial attribute is that he says the right things in interviews.

He should have gone after the final against Italy, 1-0 up after 3 mins against an inferior team and we played coward-ball for the next 117 mins failing to register another shot on target. You've got big problems when Carlos Corberan is managing West Brom in the Championship, and is several levels above the manager of the England team.

24

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

« on: March 15, 2024, 11:57:43 PM »

Confused as to whether Bilkul have paid off a Lai debt to the club, and so we have £5m in the coffers. Or if Bilkul has cleared off a debt that the club was liable for?

Bilkul have paid off the £5m loan that Lai took out from the club to prop up his other businesses.

Effectively £5m back into the club which will go down as profit under FFP.

25

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover

« on: March 13, 2024, 08:46:26 PM »

Wasnt there an hour long interview with the chairman tonight?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0hh9988