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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Under 23's / Academy Thread

« on: January 15, 2025, 10:27:46 PM »

 I am pleased with the Youth Cup result but we have to try to get the best players into the first team as soon as possible which I am fully aware may be a few months away.If no one comes through there is no real value to the club.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Under 23's / Academy Thread

« on: January 15, 2025, 06:52:28 PM »

 I don't know how good our youngsters are,all I am saying they apparently haven't been brought up to the  required standard.
 Last week we played Bournemouth a match we were likely to lose but we chose to play our tired first teamers rather than play the youngsters.It was pointed out that we had Bostock on the bench but he wasn't on the pitch.Fellows did come through but he had been on loan at Crawley and I don't think he played for us as a teenager.
 I see a lot of televised football and a lot of teams even in the Premiership play regularly.The other night a young player making his debut scored a superb goal for Millwall but I have my doubts that he would get on the pitch for us.
 The important point is that if youngsters get picked it lifts all the others and they might improve their value and even make the first team as first choice.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Under 23's / Academy Thread

« on: January 14, 2025, 09:12:07 PM »

 It doesn't matter how good our youngsters are they will not play in the first team like they would do at other clubs.I think it is is a disgrace.They are basically not developing at all.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread

« on: January 13, 2025, 04:30:33 PM »

 Does any one know if Wicky was ever interested.What I mean did he apply or did we approach him?

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Last Match Forum - 11/01 AFC Bournemouth (FA Cup 3 - A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: January 12, 2025, 06:11:41 AM »

 I have no problem losing away to an in form team from a higher division.
 However I am so annoyed about team selection.
 Last week against Swansea Brunt said we were tired and even blamed the travelling as if we were Plymouth or Sunderland yet he played Styles,Grant and Fellows when he could have played Labrotta,Cole and Bostock.
As I recall Whitwell played quite well when brought on against Aldershot last season yet unless injured why wasn't he involved yesterday.Hasn't he developed at all?and why no Cleary?
 It seems that we now have a professional ownership and The Foundation is excellent but we don't seem to be getting any benefit from young player development.

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Last Match Forum - 11/01 AFC Bournemouth (FA Cup 3 - A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: January 11, 2025, 06:13:34 PM »

 It was always going to be a difficult fixture which we were almost certain to lose so why did we play two on loan players whose contracts I would curtail if possible rather than give young players such as Bostock,Cleary and Whitwell the thrill of first team football.Brunt's selections seem to be jobs for the boys. 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Reyes Cleary

« on: January 05, 2025, 02:45:04 PM »

 Walsall are so successful they do not need to play him so he is gaining little by being there.
 In his few appearances he has scored a goal,got an assist and scored twice in penalty shoot outs.
 He should be recalled immediately,play against Bournemouth then we should decide whether we keep him and introduce him to first team football in the rest of the season or loan him to another club.

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Last Match Forum - 04/01 Swansea City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: January 04, 2025, 06:23:07 PM »

We brought Fellows on he cut inside and scored.He also cut in and had a shot saved at the near post.
 They are his only contributions that come to mind.This is not a criticism of him but of the team failing to utilise his threat by not passing to him when stood out on the wing.
Cole continues to disappoint but we never seem to pass to him or give him a ball to run onto.In fact he seems to spend all of his time trying to stop their centre back from passing the ball out.why weren.t
Whitwell and Bostock  on the bench again,we need to develop young talent.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion

« on: January 01, 2025, 08:12:09 PM »

  yesterday i was saying  we should let Maja go because although he has scored some great goals and has a couple of assists
 but does little else so he turns in an absolutely brilliant first half performance.If only this is to become his norm my criticism of
 him would not be justified and he would solve most of our attacking options.
 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread

« on: January 01, 2025, 11:21:20 AM »

 The window is open so we need to appoint a new manager quickly so that he can influence the signing of players who can play the way he wants.
 I know little about the assistant at Liverpool but if he is the type of coach the press say he is then I would go for him because we are more likely to sign and play young players.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion

« on: December 31, 2024, 05:23:30 PM »

 He has got one or two superb goals and of course a few others but I don't think you generally get a lot of effectiveness from him
 Over the years we have lost the services of far better young strikers such as Bull,Wood and yet to be proved Barry,Azoz and Rogers.
 I would rather sell him and spend on young up and coming fast athletic strikers.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Next Head Coach Thread

« on: December 29, 2024, 07:44:22 AM »

 The most important thing for me (having assumed professional vetting) is a prompt appointment so that the new manager has an input on transfer targets .
 There can be few more problems for a manager than having to use players he does not rate.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: December 23, 2024, 05:36:02 PM »

 He seems a really nice genuine chap but if he is so good at coaching why can't he train our youngsters
 to first team standard which would be good for club morale and save us a lot of transfer fees or sell them as recognised stars of the future and use the money wisely to replace them.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: December 15, 2024, 06:07:45 PM »

 we were two down to Watford so why did Carlos think Swift and Wallace would help us get at least two goals when for the last three months I can not remember either scoring or having an assist.
 I have no knowledge regarding Cole's ability but he is employed as a professional striker and why can premiership clubs and such clubs as Sunderland and Sheffield United to name just two play a string of youngsters and we don't play one.?

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: December 07, 2024, 10:09:12 AM »

 Probably only Owls supporters think they could get promoted yet they are only 3points behind us.Blackburn and Millwall have games in hand and could go above us as we throw away our chances.
 We were unlucky with DK ,Carlos won't play Cole and Cleary is on loan.
 Where are the goals to come from?
 One of the problems is that rather than have us making our mark on a game and making the opposition worry about us he is obsessed with nullyfying the threat which the opposition are likely to cause.
We must concentrate on doing our own thing first and foremost and of course be aware of threats our opponents pose.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: December 01, 2024, 04:48:08 PM »

 At the beginning of the run of draws a case could be made for bringing Wallace and or Swift on late in the game to make or score a goal.
 however after so many attempts with this tactic you would think the penny would drop and Carlos would try something different.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Daryl Dike

« on: November 26, 2024, 05:51:02 PM »

 Why has he got to be match fit when Carlos will only put him on for a few minutes for half a dozen games as he rarely seems to build fitness steadily or suitability in any of the players not playing in his favoured 14 or so.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: November 24, 2024, 12:44:54 PM »

 at least in his summation Carlos admitted we lost momentum in the later stages.
 He seems to feel that he must play Wallace and Swift.Yesterday Wallace did his headless chicken routine and Swift who had only been on a couple of minutes completely waste a free kick from a good position.I thought in the few minutes he was on the pitch
 Cole gave the impression that he deserves more game time.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: November 24, 2024, 10:49:28 AM »

 We are constantly told how tiring it is for the players to play 2 games in 3 days.
 It is hard for fans to prove or disprove this statement but yesterday Fellows and Maja were subbed after about 70 minutes because they were exhausted.Or so we are led to believe yet they hadn't played for 2 weeks so is our training system faulty.
 All I know that Sainz of Norwich was   speeding all over the pitch for 90 minutes and didn't look even slightly tired.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: OUT ON LOAN THREAD

« on: November 12, 2024, 09:45:22 PM »

 I assure you it was only by coincidence I saw a bit of Walsall's Bristol Motors match and in that time Cleary used the ball well and smashed in a goal.
 He seemed to be wearing a scrum cap so I don't know if he has been injured but apparently he is not match fit but if he could repeat tonight'seffort in our team he would walk into our team so let's hope this is his normal form and we recall him in January.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: November 03, 2024, 07:12:40 PM »

 i have just watched Millwall completely out play a poor Burnley side and lead one nil but we must beware as they really upped their game with a triple substitution on 64 minutes when they introduced Rodriguez and Sarmiento.If only Carlos would make positive substitutions and really look more positive.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan

« on: November 02, 2024, 06:46:40 AM »

 By mistake I started  a post in the aftermatch debate of the Cardiff match but as the Administrater has not moved it there have been no comments despite 93 views.
 The subject was poor use of free kicks and corners.Yesterday against Luton in the forty second minute we had a free kick a couple of yards inside our own and after 2 kicks it was back with Palmer rather than in Luton's half.
 Why doesn't Carlos ban this utter waste of a good position?

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Set Pieces

« on: November 01, 2024, 08:54:17 PM »

Just watch our free kick after 42 minutes to see what I mean

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Set Pieces

« on: October 26, 2024, 06:12:35 PM »

 Surprisingly free kicks are free kicks and you can try and kick the ball where you want to.
 Corners are free kicks so why do we rarely try to kick ball into six yard box,near to penalty spot or even to the edge of the area near the D
 and actual free kicks  near the half way line seldom kit kicked directly into the opposition's half and are passed sideways or even back to our goalkeeper without an opposing player touching it.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Josh Maja joins Albion

« on: October 24, 2024, 06:24:42 AM »

 He is clearly a threat to opposing teams but that is all he is a threat.
 It is like having a weapon you have no intention to use.
 He hardly seems to get in the area and when he does no team mate supplies him with a ball he can use and certainly not with a scoring chance.