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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Tom Fellows

« on: Yesterday at 12:45:22 PM »

If we had a decent centre forward (or one that wasn't constantly crippled) then you could easily make the case that he'd be nearing 20 assists this season. His delivery is constantly very good.

2

West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mikey Johnston joins on loan (Official!)

« on: Yesterday at 12:43:59 PM »

I thought he was very good yesterday - granted he did not create many opportunities but more so for being a very important outlet. Clearly we were going to be spending a large amount of time chasing the ball and its important that when you get the ball you use it well. Most of the chances we created or the pressure we put Saints under came from both Fellows and Johnstone receiving the ball and taking us 60 yards up the pitch.

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Last Match Forum - 12/05 Southampton (H - Play-Offs 1st Leg) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: Yesterday at 12:40:54 PM »

A very nervous game in which I thought we played well.

Not going to be critical of the players as I thought to a man they had all given their all and left everything on the pitch - we could not have asked for anymore on that front.

Slightly disappointed that Diangana could not take one of his two chances - the second one he will be disappointed with as the effort was straight at the keeper.

Fellows and Johnstone were great as they gave us an out-ball and you could see that the Southampton full backs were scared. It felt like Fellows had the beaten of Manning all day longer.

The lack of a centre forward is really going to cost us.

Having said that, we're still in the game and we head to St Marys knowing what we need to do.

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Last Match Forum - 12/05 Southampton (H - Play-Offs 1st Leg) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 10, 2024, 12:13:02 PM »

Wouldn't you rather have them over 2 legs than say potentially a final and a neutral venue with a big pitch? I think if we can get through I'd much rather play Norwich or Leeds in the final.

I think we're very much a one game outfit side - on our day I'd fancy us to give anyone a game.

Southampton in the final I would have accepted.

But two legs is difficult.

The way we've set up against Leeds in recent seasons really made me want them over the two legs.

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Last Match Forum - 12/05 Southampton (H - Play-Offs 1st Leg) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 09, 2024, 01:25:40 PM »

Saints were the one side in the play-offs I didn't want - the type of side I hate us playing against. That game at The Hawthorns under lights haunts me as they gave us a bit of a footballing lesson. I pray its not the same Sunday because if we don't go to St Marys with a lead then we'll be as good as done in my view.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Cedric Kipre

« on: May 08, 2024, 12:43:25 PM »

Given his performances this season you really do have to question the insight of our managers the last few years - he has been excellent and I am not aware of us having anyone better than him in recent years.

He will be off in the summer as no doubt he will get a better offer elsewhere - either in the UK or abroad - and we will not have the resources to compete with those.

Burnley, Luton and Sheffield United should really be eyeing him up..

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New Kit for next season

« on: May 08, 2024, 12:40:01 PM »

What about the players wearing the new strip if we get to the play offs and releasing the new strip to the fans surely we would sell loads straight away

As pointed out, the contract with Puma does not end until June.

I believe the new kit provider is going to be Macron judging by what I have read/heard.

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Last Match Forum - 12/05 Southampton (H - Play-Offs 1st Leg) / Re: Ticket Info & Requests

« on: May 08, 2024, 12:38:22 PM »

I've worked it out.  After you've selected your seat, use the drop-down menu to choose 'Season Ticket 2nd allocation' before you go to the next screen.

That was the issue I had after a bit of moaning.

The club could really have made that clearer couldn't they?  Would probably have prevented the phone lines being totally blocked.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Palmer

« on: May 02, 2024, 01:09:03 PM »

I'd rather that his worst skill than any of the other skills required of a goalkeeper!

I agree - i'd much rather his distribution be his worst skill.  He is average to good on the rest which is about par for the division.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: State of the Squad - (Championship 2024/25)

« on: May 02, 2024, 01:08:02 PM »

I am not too sure we will get that massive overhaul that some will be craving - nor do I expect us to place any reliance on our academy who are going to be central to us in bringing in additional income in the next few years. I do expect our recruitment of recent seasons to continue.

My own personal view is that the likes of Taylor, Whitwell, Fellows, Malcolm will need to have a degree of faith shown in them to be included pretty much every week next season. If we're not going to use them then it is pointless us having an academy.

Our approach next year needs to see us reduce the average age and bring more legs into our team - we're not a very dynamic outfit when you compare us to rest of the top six. We're very pragmatic in our approach and that's largely because we're not capable of doing anything else.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Palmer

« on: May 02, 2024, 01:00:31 PM »

I know what i see mate, i know hes a good keeper and i think he'll improve as gk tend to
So I'll stick with my understanding of the game, how he communicates with his defenders his distribution etc, i dont need to know about the metrics, i know because i am there watching

His distribution is his worst skill.

If you sit in the Halfords or the East Stand you must be on tenterhooks when the ball is near him.

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Last Match Forum - 04/05 Preston North End (H) / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: May 02, 2024, 12:58:15 PM »

Needs a fast paced start really - try and get the crowd involved and put the game to bed as soon as possible.

We really do not want this lingering into the second half after yet another limp first half performance.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Yann M'Vila signs short term deal

« on: April 29, 2024, 01:32:39 PM »

A million miles off the pace. 

His contribution so far has not been great.

A repeat of our yesteryear recruitment which I had hoped had been consigned to the dustbin.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: April 12, 2024, 01:58:53 PM »

I am not sure what people are expecting from a £300k player that we signed from the third division.

He's had to be the brunt of our forward line for the last 2 seasons due to injuries to others.

That's our third choice striker leading the line.

He hasn't moaned, played his face, but instead given us absolutely everything he has.

Can he improve? Yes.  Does he do a good job for us? Yes.

Has he given us value for money? Of course.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Darnell Furlong

« on: March 18, 2024, 12:48:15 PM »

Excellent again, well done.

Agreed.  Been vastly improved this season. 

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Albion Tackle Crowd Behaviour

« on: March 15, 2024, 12:16:25 PM »

I think a stoppage to the game for 20 mins was probably more than entertainment for the cameras. The players concern for their families was also a bit of a give away. The fact it was televised and hyped beyond an Ali fight just provided the blue touch paper and some fans obliged and lit it.

The fact that there happened to be a medical emergency - totally unrelated to the fan issues didn't help matters as that has played to the gallery that it was fan related issues.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Tom Fellows

« on: March 15, 2024, 12:13:57 PM »

No issues with his game time - he's still developing as a player both physically and tactically.

He has been a great asset with his pace, delivery and his drive.

If we had a forward (aka Dike) then he would have had a several more assists this season as some of the quality is very good.

His contribution has far out-weighted that of Sarmiento.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Kyle Bartley

« on: March 11, 2024, 01:33:04 PM »

Thought he was the only one who came out of the 1st half yesterday with any sort of credit and was visibly p1ssed off at what was happening in front of him.

If we stay in this league I’d offer him a 1 year extension on reduced terms. I don’t think we’d be able to replace for a like for like quality for any less.

Or we could give Caleb Taylor a chance? We have to become self sufficient as some point and all we're doing is stifling his development.

Our resources should be used to get Kipre on a new long term deal.  Any wage drop that Bartley takes is still likely to be more than what we can afford.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Palmer

« on: March 11, 2024, 01:29:59 PM »

Okay - so we've narrowed it down then.

We want a goal keeper who
- Never ever drops a clanger
- Commands his box
- Catches everything in sight
- Makes match winning saves
- Never gives the ball away

Has any one got £30m or £40m spare?

We're not going to afford anyone better than Palmer on our resources. He will make the occasional mistakes but so do most goalkeepers to be honest.

He is the very least of our problems.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mikey Johnston joins on loan (Official!)

« on: March 11, 2024, 01:23:31 PM »

He's exciting and enjoyable to watch.  He is a completely different player to the one who has featured for Celtic across the last few years.

21

Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: March 11, 2024, 01:21:59 PM »

The first half was as poor as we've been in a long while. We were lucky to go in 1-0 down to be honest because we were all over the shop.

Second half was totally different - intensity of everything we did was much better and it looked as though the players had a kick up the backside.

Good to see the goals flying to put the game to bed - meant we could really see out the remainder of the game as opposed to the hanging on that we've done in recent weeks.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Alex Palmer

« on: February 27, 2024, 02:21:18 PM »

No issue with Palmer - he is part of a defensive unit that has excelled for us under Carlos tenure. 

Given our resources we're not going to attract anyone better. He's pretty much the best we're going to get for the next few years.

Any resources we do have should be prioritised in other areas. Not our goalkeeping department.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Mikey Johnston joins on loan (Official!)

« on: February 22, 2024, 02:02:55 PM »

yep. I know it'll never happen but if the Premier league did allow Celtic and Rangers to join they'd soon realise how poor they really are. There is no way they'd be anything other than in a relegation battle.
On the other hand neither Rangers or Celtic really want to join the premier league as they'd be giving away their autumn European games as well as winning no trophies.

You're supplying a pretty simplistic argument - judging both clubs on the funding they get from the Scottish leagues. If you supplied both clubs with the PL riches then they upset the applecart massively and are nowhere near relegation.

Folk are also quick to deride the Scottish division - lets bare in mind its a population of 5m. I've seen plenty of games in the Championship this season that have been quite frankly an eyesore.

As for Johnstone - he's done well so far in his brief stint with us and long may it continue.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Lords my Shepherd

« on: February 16, 2024, 10:28:47 AM »

I was just chatting with a bloke at work who is a church goer, and he asked me how it came about that we took TLMS as our anthem?

I couldn't answer and the only thing I could find online was one suggestion from 8 years ago that stated it was a cup game in the 70's against Everton when a load of drunks sang it because the match was being played on a Sunday, and then it reappeared regularly again from the 90's?

Is this right?

Exactly this.

The group I know in the 70s who regularly sang it following that game used to sing "in famous Greets Green"

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Guochuan Lai

« on: February 16, 2024, 10:27:01 AM »

There was a report done by someone who specialised in the Chinese economy which suggested that Chinese consortiums had taken an interest in Midlands club to benefit their steel productions off the back of HS2.

Lai, if he specialises in anything, would surely have seen some property developments to accompany the HS2 works which would have made us an attractive prospect to his investors.

However, HS2 stalled and the Chinese Government pulled up the draw bridge and the rest is history.