[Atomic]

Yes, we all get frustrated at games like that, but to be honest I expected a difficult game from them as they have a decent record at the Hawthorns.

They also had a longer rest period between games. A lot of people mock and say professional footballers should be able to play every day of the week etc but I think the amount of time between games has a large affect on performance levels. I don't think it's any co-incidence that we've had some of our worst performances when we've played a team that has had extra rest days - Sheff United, Villa at home. Sometimes you can get away with it if you're playing largely inferior opposition but in high intensity games against decent sides it makes a difference.

[Fritzl Palace]

Pressure is massively on the Leeds game now. Win that and we remain in contention, but lose it and we could end the weekend 9 points off the top of the league, 7 off the automatics with games fast running out. Failure to get automatic promotion this season is a failure in my eyes, but he could redeem himself through the play offs as a bare minimum. The squad will get no better next season, and if there is an inability to get promoted with this side, I dread to think how it would go next season with far worse players.

He may be a good bloke, and potentially Albion through and through, as I have seen mentioned on here recently, but we are not in the business of employing people for their personality, we need results and this season we needed promotion. Player for player, the first XI we stick on the park every week, for this level, is superior to every other side, it just cannot be denied, a defence of Johnstone, Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi and Gibbs in the Championship? That should be achieving clean sheets most weeks, but it isn't, so you have to delve a bit deeper for me than looking at a nice guy who has galvanised the club and start asking why it isn't.

 

[timdon]

Pressure is massively on the Leeds game now. Win that and we remain in contention, but lose it and we could end the weekend 9 points off the top of the league, 7 off the automatics with games fast running out. Failure to get automatic promotion this season is a failure in my eyes, but he could redeem himself through the play offs as a bare minimum. The squad will get no better next season, and if there is an inability to get promoted with this side, I dread to think how it would go next season with far worse players.

He may be a good bloke, and potentially Albion through and through, as I have seen mentioned on here recently, but we are not in the business of employing people for their personality, we need results and this season we needed promotion. Player for player, the first XI we stick on the park every week, for this level, is superior to every other side, it just cannot be denied, a defence of Johnstone, Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi and Gibbs in the Championship? That should be achieving clean sheets most weeks, but it isn't, so you have to delve a bit deeper for me than looking at a nice guy who has galvanised the club and start asking why it isn't.

Of course it can be denied. It's just your opinion, not a fact. It is also deluded, but that's just my opinion. Why should our defence be keeping clean sheets most weeks? Other teams have good players as well you know and we are an attacking team so inevitably we will concede goals. Anyway that defence has only played half a dozen full games together, and we kept clean sheets in half of them, which is at least as good as any other back 5 in the division.
This club was toxic from top to tail when Darren Moore took over. In one short year he has restored a lot of pride in the club, changed the style of play hugely for the better in entertainment terms, and dramatically improved morale for players and fans alike.
It's his first managerial job, he has had to recruit on a shoestring, inherited a squad that had just lost a couple of key players and whose morale was rock bottom, and a couple of those who stayed didn't want to be at the club anyway. But hey ho, apparently we should be walking the division. The guy has done remarkably in the circumstances.

[graka]

Pressure is massively on the Leeds game now. Win that and we remain in contention, but lose it and we could end the weekend 9 points off the top of the league, 7 off the automatics with games fast running out. Failure to get automatic promotion this season is a failure in my eyes, but he could redeem himself through the play offs as a bare minimum. The squad will get no better next season, and if there is an inability to get promoted with this side, I dread to think how it would go next season with far worse players.

He may be a good bloke, and potentially Albion through and through, as I have seen mentioned on here recently, but we are not in the business of employing people for their personality, we need results and this season we needed promotion. Player for player, the first XI we stick on the park every week, for this level, is superior to every other side, it just cannot be denied, a defence of Johnstone, Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi and Gibbs in the Championship? That should be achieving clean sheets most weeks, but it isn't, so you have to delve a bit deeper for me than looking at a nice guy who has galvanised the club and start asking why it isn't.

Agree with most of this. I said to my brother prior to kick off that's a strong starting eleven.
However we are still shoehorning people into the team rather than playing people in there best position.
After we lost I said to my brother how many of the Sheffield United players would you have swapped for ours before kick off? None.
We were out thought and out coached.
Anything less than top 2 with this squad shows limitations or stubbornness from our head coach and his assistant and failure for me.

[TiptonThrostle]

Pressure is massively on the Leeds game now. Win that and we remain in contention, but lose it and we could end the weekend 9 points off the top of the league, 7 off the automatics with games fast running out. Failure to get automatic promotion this season is a failure in my eyes, but he could redeem himself through the play offs as a bare minimum. The squad will get no better next season, and if there is an inability to get promoted with this side, I dread to think how it would go next season with far worse players.

He may be a good bloke, and potentially Albion through and through, as I have seen mentioned on here recently, but we are not in the business of employing people for their personality, we need results and this season we needed promotion. Player for player, the first XI we stick on the park every week, for this level, is superior to every other side, it just cannot be denied, a defence of Johnstone, Holgate, Dawson, Hegazi and Gibbs in the Championship? That should be achieving clean sheets most weeks, but it isn't, so you have to delve a bit deeper for me than looking at a nice guy who has galvanised the club and start asking why it isn't.

Fantastic post. agree with everything. i Love DM when he was a player and although i dont really rate him as a manager it dont matter who is in charge.

Promotion this season is a MUST. with the squad we have there should be no excuses.

top two or win the play offs. if we fail then unfortunately he has to go. i think numerous managers of weaker clubs could have us 5-6 points clear at the top at the moment. dont forget, it took how long for him to realise 3 at the back wasnt working and i said then to my dad that could cost us.

[baggiejohn]

top two or win the play offs. if we fail then unfortunately he has to go. i think numerous managers of weaker clubs could have us 5-6 points clear at the top at the moment. dont forget, it took how long for him to realise 3 at the back wasnt working and i said then to my dad that could cost us.

You don't think CB's blunder against Middlesborough, which gifted them three points or the blunder that led to Norwich equalising losing us 2 points (both times playing with a flat back 4) cost us then?
We were scoring goals with 3 at the back, now we're not. 3 at the back was working in terms of getting points, personally, I'd go back to it, especially at home.

[Fritzl Palace]

You don't think CB's blunder against Middlesborough, which gifted them three points or the blunder that led to Norwich equalising losing us 2 points (both times playing with a flat back 4) cost us then?
We were scoring goals with 3 at the back, now we're not. 3 at the back was working in terms of getting points, personally, I'd go back to it, especially at home.

Our blunders are coming from the insistence of playing around with the ball in ridiculous areas which is ultimately coming from the management team. Doesn't matter if you are 10 at the back, if you keep playing in that way it will continue to cost us goals.

[Wigmore]

Fantastic post. agree with everything. i Love DM when he was a player and although i dont really rate him as a manager it dont matter who is in charge.

Promotion this season is a MUST. with the squad we have there should be no excuses.

top two or win the play offs. if we fail then unfortunately he has to go. i think numerous managers of weaker clubs could have us 5-6 points clear at the top at the moment. dont forget, it took how long for him to realise 3 at the back wasnt working and i said then to my dad that could cost us.

Any chance you could list just a few of these managers who would guide us to the promised land so easily?
Given DM's lack of experience, and the parlous state of the club after the work of two supposedly expert coaches, I applaud his efforts.

[TiptonThrostle]

Any chance you could list just a few of these managers who would guide us to the promised land so easily?
Given DM's lack of experience, and the parlous state of the club after the work of two supposedly expert coaches, I applaud his efforts.

Are you being serious?
Look at the job Lee Johnson is doing at Bristol, or even Garry Monk at Blues, Chris Wilder at Sheffield. 3 Managers there on shoe string budgets who are massively over achieving. as ive said, i love moore as an ex player but as a manager he is out of his depth. His in game management is extremely poor, we are winning games at home to Norwich & Boro and they make attacking changes and he stands there and does nothing?! He is in charge of a team who has the best striker in the league in Dwight Gayle but consistently plays him out wide left?

Someone mentioned CB's error that cost us but again that was because he was put on the pitch when he never should of by DM !!!

We play Norwich at home, winning the game and slowly they are coming back into the game and pushing us back, they make a double substitution and within minutes are level. Our players were out on their feet and our first change was the 85th minute.

We are still in the race and if we get a result Friday which we have to then we have put the pressure back on.

in summary, a decent manager should be getting a squad of Albions ability out of this division. I hope for DM and our future that he is able to achieve that but i am not confident.

[BigFrank20]

Look at the job Lee Johnson is doing at Bristol, or even Garry Monk at Blues, Chris Wilder at Sheffield. 3 Managers there on shoe string budgets who are massively over achieving.

Good picks but all currently working at clubs and I suspect the question was more meant to ask who is there out there and out of work who could do a better job

[TiptonThrostle]

Good picks but all currently working at clubs and I suspect the question was more meant to ask who is there out there and out of work who could do a better job

Apologies if i misunderstood the question. Out of work and available, no one who i think is good enough but back in the summer we had a huge decision to make and could have got a better manager in my opinion and at the time didn't want DM but have backed him since and until mission is failed then i still will.

[TiptonThrostle]

i really hope DM takes us up and if he does i will hold my hands up, but i am just not confident in his ability as a manager. he picks the right team majority of the time but its his in-game management that baffles me.

[seteefeet]

Are you being serious?
Look at the job Lee Johnson is doing at Bristol, or even Garry Monk at Blues, Chris Wilder at Sheffield. 3 Managers there on shoe string budgets who are massively over achieving. as ive said, i love moore as an ex player but as a manager he is out of his depth. His in game management is extremely poor, we are winning games at home to Norwich & Boro and they make attacking changes and he stands there and does nothing?! He is in charge of a team who has the best striker in the league in Dwight Gayle but consistently plays him out wide left?

Someone mentioned CB's error that cost us but again that was because he was put on the pitch when he never should of by DM !!!

We play Norwich at home, winning the game and slowly they are coming back into the game and pushing us back, they make a double substitution and within minutes are level. Our players were out on their feet and our first change was the 85th minute.

We are still in the race and if we get a result Friday which we have to then we have put the pressure back on.

in summary, a decent manager should be getting a squad of Albions ability out of this division. I hope for DM and our future that he is able to achieve that but i am not confident.

Lee Johnson is in his 3rd year at Bristol City and has been allowed time to build his team.
Chris Wilder is also into his 3rd year and has done tremendously well at Sheff utd but, again has been given time to build.

Perhaps, instead of using these 2 as a stick to beat Moore with, we should use them as a benchmark of what can be achieved when a manager is given time.

Neither can match his overall win % by the way, despite all of their games being played in the Championship and below, and him being the only one with Premier League experience.

[mulliganstired]

i really hope DM takes us up and if he does i will hold my hands up, but i am just not confident in his ability as a manager. he picks the right team majority of the time but its his in-game management that baffles me.

Maybe the problem is we are doing well enough for him to not really have to have a good look at what goes wrong every third or fourth game, and to be fair the next game is on us too quickly for any long navel gazing - I think he is on a pretty steep learning curve though, and if we don't go up I hope we give him at least a fair crack at it next year to see how it goes, see if he can add a bit of tactical flexibility and better use of subs during the game to add to his enthusiasm and integrity

[skyclad99]

Lee Johnson is in his 3rd year at Bristol City and has been allowed time to build his team.
Chris Wilder is also into his 3rd year and has done tremendously well at Sheff utd but, again has been given time to build.

Perhaps, instead of using these 2 as a stick to beat Moore with, we should use them as a benchmark of what can be achieved when a manager is given time.

Neither can match his overall win % by the way, despite all of their games being played in the Championship and below, and him being the only one with Premier League experience.

Spot on, could not have put it better myself.

[Sted1990]

Spot on, could not have put it better myself.

Finally some sense

[TiptonThrostle]

Lee Johnson is in his 3rd year at Bristol City and has been allowed time to build his team.
Chris Wilder is also into his 3rd year and has done tremendously well at Sheff utd but, again has been given time to build.

Perhaps, instead of using these 2 as a stick to beat Moore with, we should use them as a benchmark of what can be achieved when a manager is given time.

Neither can match his overall win % by the way, despite all of their games being played in the Championship and below, and him being the only one with Premier League experience.

Premier League Experience? he managed the last few games as interim manager. You are right in Johnson and Wilder being allowed to build.

unfortunately though, i dont think we are in a position to allow Moore to build in the championship. we are in a position where we need immediate success to get back up. If we get promoted, great, Moore can build his own side in trying to establish us in there but We are only going to get weaker each season we fail to get back into the PL and as i have said, with the quality of the squad we have and to retain those players, we have to be playing premier league football next season. its really as simple as that.

[TiptonThrostle]

Lee Johnson is in his 3rd year at Bristol City and has been allowed time to build his team.
Chris Wilder is also into his 3rd year and has done tremendously well at Sheff utd but, again has been given time to build.

Perhaps, instead of using these 2 as a stick to beat Moore with, we should use them as a benchmark of what can be achieved when a manager is given time.

Neither can match his overall win % by the way, despite all of their games being played in the Championship and below, and him being the only one with Premier League experience.

Also, Chris Wilder has a 53.2% win percentage.

[Hull Baggie]

Also, Chris Wilder has a 53.2% win percentage.

Only at Sheff Utd. Wilder's career win percentage is 44.4%. He has been in management for something like 16/17 years.

 Darren Moore's win percentage is based on his entire career of less than a year.

[seteefeet]

Premier League Experience? he managed the last few games as interim manager. You are right in Johnson and Wilder being allowed to build.

unfortunately though, i dont think we are in a position to allow Moore to build in the championship. we are in a position where we need immediate success to get back up. If we get promoted, great, Moore can build his own side in trying to establish us in there but We are only going to get weaker each season we fail to get back into the PL and as i have said, with the quality of the squad we have and to retain those players, we have to be playing premier league football next season. its really as simple as that.

It's more Prem experience than either of them, plus both of them have games in lower leagues within their figures.

Bristol City have also lost 2 in a row now. Johnson OUT

[BoingFlyer]

It's more Prem experience than either of them, plus both of them have games in lower leagues within their figures.

Bristol City have also lost 2 in a row now. Johnson OUT

He only ever lost one game in the premier league as well, and won manager of the month 

[gazberg]

I really wanted DM to get the job as i thought he deserved the chance after the end of last season but i sadly think i am wrong. It's not hard to motivate people if they repsect you and half of their salary is on the line.  Top bloke just needs more experience and this season is too important to us to mess up.

[johnny Cash]

It's more Prem experience than either of them, plus both of them have games in lower leagues within their figures.

Bristol City have also lost 2 in a row now. Johnson OUT

Suggesting it’s easier to win in lower divisions is far too simplistic

[TiptonThrostle]

I really wanted DM to get the job as i thought he deserved the chance after the end of last season but i sadly think i am wrong. It's not hard to motivate people if they repsect you and half of their salary is on the line.  Top bloke just needs more experience and this season is too important to us to mess up.

Finally some sense

[Oldbury24]

Finally some sense

How is this sense, its a pointless comment.  If this season is too imortant to.mess up does that mean you Ythink he should be replaced NOW? and with who?  Big Sam???  A top lower league manager (please see Stoke).    Ask Rafa to pop by and bring Sol back with him.........or did i misunderstand the original post?