676

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Peter Odemwingie

« on: February 18, 2013, 09:21:39 AM »

Fred Everiss, for me he was the first ever Albion legend. 46 years at the Albion what an amazing achievement.

I might suggest that Billy Bassett might just beat him to being the first Albion legend. Our first star player, key figure in our first FA Cup success against the Invincibles, helped save the club from bankruptcy (not only the Dingles who have had that problem) at the start of the 20th century and spent 29 years as chairman of the club, overseeing our only League title success in 1920 and the great double of 1931.
Everiss is certainly equally worthy of the accolade of an Albion legend too. 

677

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Match Officials

« on: February 13, 2013, 04:18:01 PM »

If that was a penalty, then the referee should have been conistent and awarded numerous frees to Shane Long whenever he was backing up to win a high ball played up to him.

678

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 12, 2013, 09:55:41 PM »

Great to have our first double of the season.

Second.
Got our first double first time of asking on Boxing Day against QPR.

679

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THREAD

« on: February 12, 2013, 01:33:11 PM »

Celtic lol. Lets see how much further they get when the heat is turned up.

Seriously, Albion are a better team than Celtic.

Could be a lot of truth to that. However, with Rangers gone from the SPL and no other serious challengers, Celtic can almost fully focus on the big Champions League game and plan and prepare accordingly.
I feel this has partly attributed to their success so far in getting out of what certainly hasn't been the softest of groups that they could have had.

680

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Luis Suarez

« on: February 12, 2013, 12:45:24 PM »

Went claiming for a penalty in the first half as well when McAuleys fingers brushed against his shoulder.

681

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Special mention for a special goal-keeper: Ben Foster

« on: February 12, 2013, 10:02:55 AM »

Really seemed up for this game. Obviously a great general performance but also added to that was his leadership and character.
Particularly in relation to how he reacted when Reid kicked the ball off his own foot to see it loop over the bar. Gave him a big smile and arm around him, helping boost morale and refocus quickly. Small things like that helped maintain belief in the team - combined with a series of outstanding saves.

682

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Match Officials

« on: February 12, 2013, 09:59:18 AM »

Referee had a terrible game, capped by that horrendous penalty decision. If that was a penalty, then Shane Long had a stronger shout for at least five free kicks. If only his knees could buckle from under him and his arms go into a Mexican wave motion.
Was very quick to give frees and yellows against us but went soft with Gerrard or Suarez kicking out at our players.

Conversely, I think the assistants were fine. Got the off-side calls right.

683

General Football & Sports / Re: Football Cliches

« on: February 06, 2013, 04:48:12 PM »

Fans/papers bemoaning the lack of passion of the players when England are knocked out of a tournament

"He should have made the keeper work from there"
"This is a real David and Goliath Cup Tie"
"Neither team deserved to lose"
"2-0 is a dangerous lead"
"Just before half-time is the perfect time to score"


Liverpool fans, players, managers constantly saying "Football Club" in interviews.

684

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Spyin' Kop - Fancy answering some questions for a LFC forum?

« on: February 06, 2013, 02:49:26 PM »

As things stand, your side haven't won in your last eight games in all competitions (5 losses & 2 draws), any ideas why you seem to have had this dip in form after a very good start?

A mixture of suffering injuries to key members of our squad and a general lethargy to our play since our strong start. Feeling that our primary aim for the season was already achieved looks to have led to a subconscious easing up within the team. We regularly make very poor starts to games of late and opposition sides may have figured our counter attacking style out and are minimizing such moves which proved successful for us earlier in season.

Peter Odemwingie - that was a crazy situation, travelling to QPR without permission. How have the Albion fans reacted to this, and can you see them ever forgiving him for what he did?

Lots of anger and personally found it a bit of a joke. I am sure players locate near clubs in the lead up to possible transfers but his public pronouncements on Twitter and even more so on Sky when he stated “We” when talking about QPR fuelled much anger. I believe this will dissipate and why he won’t be adored, he is still our player and if we need him and he is willing to put a shift in he may be put up with. He should definitely find a new agent. 

You lost 1-0 against Spurs last weekend, was it all down to the red card? Popov was a bit silly really wasn't he?
Moment of madness. Spurs were probably more likely to get a result, despite us playing much better in the first half since probably QPR away. Popov’s sending off just made the defeat an inevitable

Steve Clarke, how's he doing as your manager?
Firstly, we don't have a manager. Clarke is our Head Coach.
Obviously did very well at first. How he reacts to this bad run will tell a lot, something Di Matteo never looked likely to do when he was in charge. A defeat in Anfield won’t blot his copybook too much if a decent game is played but we have a number of big games after that which we will be targeting to pick up some points from and regain our confidence. 


Which of your players have stood out this season in terms of performing well?
Yacob shone and hopefully can get match fit after his recent injury. McAuley is solid at the back and Lukaku has probably been one of our better performers during our recent slump in form.
Anyone who should be doing better?
Morrison started the season strongly but has gone off the boil in recent weeks.
Brunt has been inconsistent and Olsson sloppy at crucial times since returning from injury.



I'd like to shift the focus to Liverpool if I may. How do you assess Liverpool and the job Brendan Rodgers is doing from an outside view?
Doing a decent job and Liverpool look much better with a second striker. Is certainly imposing his game plan. Major weakness I see is the insistence of passing out from the back as I feel Liverpool defenders are not wholly comfortable with this. Has led to some bad errors that have proved costly in games where you could have picked up more from.
 
Have any of our players particularly impressed you?
Obviously Suarez but I feel that Henderson, who appears to have been unpopular among a significant section of Liverpool fans has been playing very well of late as well.
We've played twice already this season, both at the Hawthrons. You beat us 3-0 in the league before we beat you 2-1 in the league cup. How do you see this third encounter going?
Liverpool full of confidence seeking revenge. West Brom showing signs of improvement, battling hard on the back-foot but should be opened up. Comfortable win for Liverpool.
 
Care to predict the score? Liverpool 3 - West Brom 1

685

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Team

« on: February 05, 2013, 01:29:29 PM »

Foster

Reid
McAuley
Ollson
Ridgewell

Brunt
Mulumbu
Yacob
Thomas

Lukaku
Long

Pretty much go with this. Would definitely have Long starting whether it be 4-5-1 or 4-4-2 for this game. Liverpool under Rodgers really try to play out from the back and I am not convinced that they have players who are fully comfortable witht his. Usually make the odd error in the game doing. Given recent performances it is probably our best chance of creating chances although naturally if we push too high, Suarez and Sturridge will love running at our defence.

686

General Football & Sports / Re: David Beckham

« on: February 01, 2013, 01:11:03 PM »

Landon Donovan had some bad things to say about/to him early in his LA Galaxy contract, when the club were poor and he was seemingly more interested in going to Europe on loan instead of preparing to help his real club for the MLS season. And he certainly doesn't treat referees with respect; he must have the MLS record for dissent yellow cards.

He did seem to make a special effort to get suspended a week before the Finals at Wimbledon. And while his LA Galaxy team were playing for the game he got himself suspended for he was swanning around Wimbledon Centre Court for his Mrs.

A great PR man, a good footballer and by all accounts a very decent bloke. Just that his coverage is more on a celebrity level now rather than on footballing abilities.

687

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Peter Odemwingie Joins Cardiff City

« on: February 01, 2013, 11:24:07 AM »

How are we trying to bully you? It has nothing to do with us what dodgy dealings you done when PO first joined you.
Lets be honest your player wants to move has offered to give his 300k bonus back to west brom so he can move . You then ask for 3.5m and junior hoilett on loan with us paying his wages LOL. I'm sorry who do you think is being the bully here? Know that we are desperate so you are trying to milk us because we have money.
End of the day PO will now be chilling with his family earning 40k a week for doing nothing. Whilst WBA could of got 3.5mil when you paid 1.5m and is he now 31. Sounds like WBA thought we would crumble with our more than respected  offer.

West Brom put a valuation on one of their key players which was not met by QPR. The player then does all he can to reduce his value to West Brom, in a bid to facilitate the move. If West Brom give in, it sets a terrible precedent and makes a clear statement that once a player wants to move - just act the brat and you'll get it.
West Brom are in a stable position on (despite our horrendous slump in form) and off the field and felt that selling Odemwingie below our valuation would seriously destabilise team morale and ethics in future.
Also, from what I hear, Hoillet was offered as part of the deal but either the player and/or the club withdrew this part of  the bargain around the time Odemwingie was nearing in on West London.
If  you feel like you are the ones being bullied (assuming you are a QPR man like Odemwingie) then fair play to our boys for holding such a strong firm line.

688

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Peter Odemwingie Joins Cardiff City

« on: February 01, 2013, 10:14:48 AM »

I presume that Odemwingie would have probably been advised to be in the vicinity of QPR (and try to keep a low profile) for the eventuality of a deal being struck. I assume many players do similar whose deals are up in the air. I don't think he was told to drive straight up to the ground and stop for a friendly chat with Sky Sports though and say how "We" look well set to avoid relegation and that "we" as a club our showing great ambition in signing so many players.

By the way, does Odemwingie have an agent. Not sure how much of his advice Odemwingie would have taken on board but certainly not good PR for the agent either. 

689

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat

« on: January 30, 2013, 08:25:17 PM »

 

Getting offside a few times - hopefully once or twice we can time it right.

I am cranky with the score so far but why do the Sky Co commentators be all pro the home team, except for our ones with Walsh particularly Francis always putting us down. That fella Kevin Ratcliffe seems to have a love-in with the Everton team.

690

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Anyone Else Concerned?

« on: January 30, 2013, 03:29:00 PM »

AND  those wins were only via a wonder goal (Norwich) and a goal that the entire world said should never have been given (QPR) - take those wins out and you are looking at one of the worst runs in premiership history -

Sidetracking for a minute, I was surprised that quite  a few pundits thought it was allowed to be a goal and I personally agreed. Green was looking too much for the goalie's get out of jail card.
He should not have A: Taken up a position about one and a half metres inside his own goal allowing Fortuné to take and stand his ground right on the goal line and B: flapped the ball back towards the goal rather than pushing it away and hoping a defender would hook it away for him.

On the general consensus, yes our run of form has been very poor since that Swansea game. Felt that Reading was going to be our turning point - but it could well be in the wrong direction. Thought we performed efficiently and were comfortable for 80 minutes only to completely implode in the final 10.

Hoping that with a fit Yacob, Mulumbu and Olsson and McAuley in defence, we can be more solid and start developing more of a tempo from the back.

691

General Football & Sports / Re: Six Nations Rugby

« on: January 30, 2013, 10:30:51 AM »

True England had a good win over New Zealand but similarly were not impressive against either South Africa or Australia in the Autumn Internationals. Like Ireland, I wouldn't expect them to pull a string of consistent performances together but should mix some bad performances with the good through the championship.

Wales on the other hand appear to be a confidence team. Have had three Grand Slams in last eight years but in the years that they haven't won it, they have generally been well off the pace. Their opener against Ireland in Cardiff is likely to be a strong indicator for how their campaign will pan out.

Given the strength and depth of  the French squad, they would have to start favorites. England still seem to be able to have a bit of an Indian sign over them and are able to sap the energy out of them - but if France can overcome that they should have enough to overcome the rest - once there mindset is right.

Italy and Scotland will both be looking to avoid the wooden spoon. Two victories would be a decent campaign for either side. Scotland appear to have gotten a decent looking back three, but will the centres and half-backs be able to provide them with the quality possession to allow them cause problems for opponents.
Italy will give a couple of teams a tough game and maybe get overrun once or twice. If they can get a kicker who can convert opportunities early on it could make a huge difference to their chances of success. 

692

General Football & Sports / Re: Seals watch - Anything Villa

« on: January 29, 2013, 09:57:43 PM »

Would that Villa announcer be doing our last game of the season, when the Vile could well be involved in a crucial relegation shoot-out against Wigan.
Wonder how he would announce that full-time score should it send the Villains down.

693

General Football & Sports / Re: Seals watch - Anything Villa

« on: January 23, 2013, 09:00:53 AM »

Bradford are starting to become, my second team.

Beating Arsenal with Cazorla missing a penalty after his hideous dive was another plus point for me in Bradford's season's. Apart from some of the Baggies matches, probably given me the best three nights of football viewing this season.

694

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL FA CUP THREAD 12/13 SEASON

« on: January 16, 2013, 09:54:24 AM »

Wow, Palace got spanked badly by Stoke 4-1, but the score looks worse than was, in a way. Still, you gotta wonder how a top Championship team can get handled so easily by a mid-table Premier outfit.

In fairness - that was in extra time. So if it was a regular run of the mill League game it would have been a very good draw for Palace. Last goal came at the every end of extra time, so likely Palace flat out on their feet, going all attacking or just plain gave in at that stage.

695

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: 26 Dec 2012 QPR 1 Albion 2

« on: December 27, 2012, 12:31:12 PM »

Very poor display overall, but on the goal, I think it might have been less talked about if it was disallowed, but then the media would side with Harry rather than little West Brom. However, the more I watch it, it just demonstrates how pathetic Green's attempt was.
QPR certainly could have had a penalty, but the Baggies could have had two themselves. One for a foul on Jones when he was aboutto make the cross, that led to the corner for Green's og, and also another handball in the air - although that would have been harsh.
Some soft frees otherwise, particularly when Gera cleanly won the ball from the side just outside our penalty area in the first half.

696

General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: December 21, 2012, 11:16:59 PM »

Dingle Don of course was convinced it was inside though. The man who continually described Wolves as "unlucky" throughout the demolition derby last season.

If anything Wolves were lucky in that game.
We absolutely battered them in the first half and an inspirational Hennesssy and their one break made it 1-1 at half-time. The second half of course gave a much fairer reflection of the game.

697

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: on tv in Feb

« on: December 08, 2012, 11:59:25 AM »

Unusual for us to be on TV this much in a short space of time

They must have mixed us up with West Ham.

698

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: West Brom's Ultimate Legend

« on: December 05, 2012, 03:34:21 PM »

Jesse 'Peerless' Pennington gets my vote.

699

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Media still so hilarious about us

« on: November 28, 2012, 10:55:48 PM »

The BBC report on the Swansea game seemed pretty brutal about us. Its funny because in all the games we've been winning up to this point it felt like we were being downplayed and the wins were more about us being "lucky" or the other team not being in form. Now we finally lose we were "taken apart" "outclassed" and Steve will need to "re-evaluate our chances of a top six finish"

Can not disagree about the taken apart of outclassed part.
However, I don't think Clarke was talking up our chances of a top six finish. Was being positively realistic so hopefully we can bounce back like after the City and Newcastle double defeats.

700

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: No subs used against Swansea?? Whats that about?

« on: November 28, 2012, 10:34:40 PM »

Was a bit strange. Can understand if we weren't going to push with three games in a week and a tough physical game against Stoke coming up.

But thought the likes of Mulumbu, Olsson may have beem  saved or as previously stated give the likes of Rosenburg a run out.