[Fritzl Palace]

I think Saturday went some way to proving what we all knew already, that big Dave is not management material...currently, but then it is not by his choice that he is in this position so I certainly will not criticise him for it.

Brunt in central midfield in a midfield trio is a bad idea, to play him there in a midfield two is just utterly ridiculous. Thankfully Swansea set up in a bizarrely negative fashion and didn't look to exploit the poor team selection so it at least stopped the rot.

[Albion79]

I think as others have said i think the team was probably selected on what happened that week during training.

Once we scored we showed small signs that we were starting to play with a bit of confidence, then Brunt didnt clear it, Livermore got out muscled and Swansea score, its happened loads this season, all the managers and coaches in the world cant allow for individual errors.

Although i wouldnt of made the sub Big Dave did i can see the logic to it, how many times have we thrown away the lead this season, soon as it got to 1-1 our mentality shows that previously we go on to lose, i imagine at that point Big Dave thinks just take the point and end the run of defeats, Greg can help the midfield a bit more and it just tightens it up.

Personally i would of put Burke or Leko on because we were very 'safe' we played sideways and backwards a lot, when your ten points adrift, won three all season, havent won for three months and on your fourth manager of the season confidence is low and nobody wants to be the one to take a risk incase they lose the ball and we concede.

A Burke or Leko would of run at them, lose the ball loads but also gave them something to think about now and again and possibly create something too but i think breaking the run of defeats was the order for saturday and that was done, I imagine once relegation is confirmed then we will see more of the fringe players and youngsters.

Regarding Big Dave, i have no idea if his management / coaching persona is different to the public one but my worry for him as a manager would be he is too nice a bloke! Most (not all) managers have a bit of an edge to them and he just doesnt seem that sort, everyone loves Big Dave, he is just a top bloke but i dont know if that would be the same when your having to drop seasoned pro's, dealing with unhappy non playing members, tell them they are not getting contracts, etc.

[GREGMT]

I think as others have said i think the team was probably selected on what happened that week during training.

Once we scored we showed small signs that we were starting to play with a bit of confidence, then Brunt didnt clear it, Livermore got out muscled and Swansea score, its happened loads this season, all the managers and coaches in the world cant allow for individual errors.

Although i wouldnt of made the sub Big Dave did i can see the logic to it, how many times have we thrown away the lead this season, soon as it got to 1-1 our mentality shows that previously we go on to lose, i imagine at that point Big Dave thinks just take the point and end the run of defeats, Greg can help the midfield a bit more and it just tightens it up.

Personally i would of put Burke or Leko on because we were very 'safe' we played sideways and backwards a lot, when your ten points adrift, won three all season, havent won for three months and on your fourth manager of the season confidence is low and nobody wants to be the one to take a risk incase they lose the ball and we concede.

A Burke or Leko would of run at them, lose the ball loads but also gave them something to think about now and again and possibly create something too but i think breaking the run of defeats was the order for saturday and that was done, I imagine once relegation is confirmed then we will see more of the fringe players and youngsters.

Regarding Big Dave, i have no idea if his management / coaching persona is different to the public one but my worry for him as a manager would be he is too nice a bloke! Most (not all) managers have a bit of an edge to them and he just doesnt seem that sort, everyone loves Big Dave, he is just a top bloke but i dont know if that would be the same when your having to drop seasoned pro's, dealing with unhappy non playing members, tell them they are not getting contracts, etc.

Exactly.  You could forsee a scenario where the senior players would surround him demanding they play against Swansea and he's almost just taken that on board and said yes.

[Atomic]

I think as others have said i think the team was probably selected on what happened that week during training.

Once we scored we showed small signs that we were starting to play with a bit of confidence, then Brunt didnt clear it, Livermore got out muscled and Swansea score, its happened loads this season, all the managers and coaches in the world cant allow for individual errors.

Although i wouldnt of made the sub Big Dave did i can see the logic to it, how many times have we thrown away the lead this season, soon as it got to 1-1 our mentality shows that previously we go on to lose, i imagine at that point Big Dave thinks just take the point and end the run of defeats, Greg can help the midfield a bit more and it just tightens it up.

Personally i would of put Burke or Leko on because we were very 'safe' we played sideways and backwards a lot, when your ten points adrift, won three all season, havent won for three months and on your fourth manager of the season confidence is low and nobody wants to be the one to take a risk incase they lose the ball and we concede.

A Burke or Leko would of run at them, lose the ball loads but also gave them something to think about now and again and possibly create something too but i think breaking the run of defeats was the order for saturday and that was done, I imagine once relegation is confirmed then we will see more of the fringe players and youngsters.

Regarding Big Dave, i have no idea if his management / coaching persona is different to the public one but my worry for him as a manager would be he is too nice a bloke! Most (not all) managers have a bit of an edge to them and he just doesnt seem that sort, everyone loves Big Dave, he is just a top bloke but i dont know if that would be the same when your having to drop seasoned pro's, dealing with unhappy non playing members, tell them they are not getting contracts, etc.

But Krychowiak didn't go into the midfield he went up front alongside Rondon.

[GREGMT]

So therefore there was no reason why he shouldn't have set the team up the way he did.
His original team and set up cannot be criticised, we know the squad has limitations. 
Only criticism I have is he made a poor choice on subs.

What are you talking about?

Virtually all season we have been overrun in midfield, coming across teams with players not only more skilful but more athletic.  A combination of the 2 if you like.  In the short term, the only way to combat that is play with a 5 man midfield and try and squeeze the game.  In the longer term, it is buying in more athletic/skilful midfield players to replace some of the duds we've got currently.

It's a good job Swansea had an off-day.  That was the same template used for Southampton (H)x2 / Huddersfield (H) / Leicester (H) and many more.  If that way Pardew or any other Boss he'd have been criticised on that selection.  I'm not really criticising the players, it's Brunt in that position now but it was Barry previously.

I'm just amazed that people involved in football for such a long time can't see it.   

[Albion79]

I think Greg was playing as an attacking midfielder / number 10 role rather than an out and out striker, he seemed to be behind Rondon then trying to burst through.

I think if he had put Yacob on it would of almost admitted we had settled for a point, if he had put Burke or Leko on (which i would of done) it may of left us open to conceding a goal and losing again, with Greg i thought it was somewhere in between the two above which resulted in not really achieving anything.

[SirTonyM]

What is he meant to do? We had lost 9 straight before Saturday including defeats to Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Southampton (hardly great teams and on a par with Swansea).
We have changed formation all season. We have played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 and still lost. He was managing his first professional game and apparently now he isn't managerial material. He may not be a good manager but i'm glad we have decided that after 1 game.
They say Rome wasn't built in a day but at Albion you need to change a season of disaster and a whole football culture within 24 hours

[Albionic]

What is he meant to do? We had lost 9 straight before Saturday including defeats to Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Southampton (hardly great teams and on a par with Swansea).
We have changed formation all season. We have played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 and still lost. He was managing his first professional game and apparently now he isn't managerial material. He may not be a good manager but i'm glad we have decided that after 1 game.
They say Rome wasn't built in a day but at Albion you need to change a season of disaster and a whole football culture within 24 hours

Kudos for that post,
Darren needs support not negativism, lets stay behind him, he will be learning every day, us slagging him off already will not help anyone.

[GREGMT]

What is he meant to do? We had lost 9 straight before Saturday including defeats to Huddersfield, Bournemouth, Southampton (hardly great teams and on a par with Swansea).
We have changed formation all season. We have played 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 and still lost. He was managing his first professional game and apparently now he isn't managerial material. He may not be a good manager but i'm glad we have decided that after 1 game.
They say Rome wasn't built in a day but at Albion you need to change a season of disaster and a whole football culture within 24 hours

Look, Darren Moore did well on Saturday in terms of bringing "Unity" (his words) and he certainly galvanised the players to such an extent that they at least were motivated, on the front foot and pushed Swansea back at times.  Certainly, the early signs would appear that he's a superior motivator/communicator than Pardew, who was probably arrogant/detached.

My criticism comes from the picking of a formation/personnel that has failed the test multiple times over a 30 plus game season.  It's almost like he hasn't heeded the lessons from what's gone before.

So it's certainly not "black & white" regarding DM, as I've said I'm sure he has strengths.  You do wonder about him tactically and let's hope he's not from the Steve Bruce school of Football Management!

[tuamigos]

Look, Darren Moore did well on Saturday in terms of bringing "Unity" (his words) and he certainly galvanised the players to such an extent that they at least were motivated, on the front foot and pushed Swansea back at times.  Certainly, the early signs would appear that he's a superior motivator/communicator than Pardew, who was probably arrogant/detached.

My criticism comes from the picking of a formation/personnel that has failed the test multiple times over a 30 plus game season.  It's almost like he hasn't heeded the lessons from what's gone before.

So it's certainly not "black & white" regarding DM, as I've said I'm sure he has strengths.  You do wonder about him tactically and let's hope he's not from the Steve Bruce school of Football Management!

What would have been your formation and personnel then O wise one?

[GREGMT]

What would have been your formation and personnel then O wise one?

Not exactly wise, just common sense I would have thought..... 

(Bearing in mind Pardew was getting panned previously for a 4-4-2 set up).

With so many WBA midfielders lacking pace / athleticism you wouldn't be having 2 centrally and 1 of those Brunt. 

Foster
Nyom
Gibbs
Dawson
Hegazi
Burke
Phillips
Livermore
Krychowiak
Brunt
Rondon

Rodriguez to be brought on 2nd half.

Moving forward, are you happy with 4-4-2 then?

[iwastherein68]

No falling out lads, season's over. save your energy for next season.

[SirTonyM]

Look, Darren Moore did well on Saturday in terms of bringing "Unity" (his words) and he certainly galvanised the players to such an extent that they at least were motivated, on the front foot and pushed Swansea back at times.  Certainly, the early signs would appear that he's a superior motivator/communicator than Pardew, who was probably arrogant/detached.

My criticism comes from the picking of a formation/personnel that has failed the test multiple times over a 30 plus game season.  It's almost like he hasn't heeded the lessons from what's gone before.

So it's certainly not "black & white" regarding DM, as I've said I'm sure he has strengths.  You do wonder about him tactically and let's hope he's not from the Steve Bruce school of Football Management!

Steve Bruce games managed 865
Darren Moore games managed 1.

[tuamigos]

Not exactly wise, just common sense I would have thought..... 

(Bearing in mind Pardew was getting panned previously for a 4-4-2 set up).

With so many WBA midfielders lacking pace / athleticism you wouldn't be having 2 centrally and 1 of those Brunt. 

Foster
Nyom
Gibbs
Dawson
Hegazi
Burke
Phillips
Livermore
Krychowiak
Brunt
Rondon

Rodriguez to be brought on 2nd half.

Moving forward, are you happy with 4-4-2 then?

Forget 4-4-2 forget formations we've got battered no matter what formation we've played.
Not so much about formations as personnel.
Where a few seasons back everybody was hailing the West Bromwich Albion model of running a football club, no sooner does the door shut on JP we adopt the Villa model.
Bring in over priced players, unbalance and unsettle the squad and here we are following Villa into the league below.

I was happy with the 4-4-2 on Saturday, we were winning the game, not over troubled, lost it because of individual errors.
We could have had six in midfield on Saturday, that would still be irrelevant because they scored from their first and only needless corner.
The point I'm trying to make is that we didn't throw points away on Saturday because of formation

[SmethDan]

Although we lacked a cutting edge I actually enjoyed large spells of the game. I haven't felt like that for ages. While ultimately disappointed to have only drawn with what has to be acknowledged as a dire Swansea side, those enjoyable spells were the most important thing for me. COYB  .

[ex coseley kid]

Although we lacked a cutting edge I actually enjoyed large spells of the game. I haven't felt like that for ages. While ultimately disappointed to have only drawn with what has to be acknowledged as a dire Swansea side, those enjoyable spells were the most important thing for me. COYB  .

Same. That's what's important too right now. That feeling.

[SirTonyM]

I thought we had decided after 1 game he wasn’t a good manager and tactically not up to it

[Nice1Cyrille]

Should be interesting to see how results develop for the rest of the season. Is Darren throwing his hat in the ring for the next manager?

[glosterbaggie]

I think Saturday went some way to proving what we all knew already, that big Dave is not management material...currently, but then it is not by his choice that he is in this position so I certainly will not criticise him for it.

Brunt in central midfield in a midfield trio is a bad idea, to play him there in a midfield two is just utterly ridiculous. Thankfully Swansea set up in a bizarrely negative fashion and didn't look to exploit the poor team selection so it at least stopped the rot.

Good evening mate! 

[WBArgo]

Should be interesting to see how results develop for the rest of the season. Is Darren throwing his hat in the ring for the next manager?

Time will tell, we've got some tough games ahead (Liverpool and Spurs) so potentially this could be our last win of the season. As great it is to win today, he'd have to win a few more games to be considered as he's still so inexperienced, but hopefully he can at least prove himself for consideration.

[VANDERLEI]

Big Dave has made an impact. I'll be interested to see how we perform over the remaing games.

[Fritzl Palace]

Good evening mate! 

Good evening...?

Are we trying to say that one game proves everything here? We failed to beat Swansea at home, that is more of a concern for me currently.

[Blowee]

Good evening...?

Are we trying to say that one game proves everything here? We failed to beat Swansea at home, that is more of a concern for me currently.

Swansea demonstrated a lack of confidence after a very poor season. Today's result should give us some pride and confidence back. I'm not naive enough to suggest that two games undefeated suggests we've found our man but good luck to Big Dave. If we can finish on a high I would be at all surprised to see him get a shot at management somewhere.

[glosterbaggie]

Good evening...?

Are we trying to say that one game proves everything here? We failed to beat Swansea at home, that is more of a concern for me currently.

Not really more deadpan humour. But fair do's a win there has to be commended.

[don1thedon]

Thank you Darren, big time!!