[GrGr]

Possibly. Possibly not. If season was to finish tomorrow we would still be in the Premier League.

Because Burnley, Leicester are not that much at all and QPR had a poor start. Not because we have played well. I've said before our best chance of survival under Irvine is if three other teams somehow manage to be worse than us, which is hardly a resounding endorsement. You seem content with mere survival, I have higher demands.  If Irvine stays I will simply give up watching. Wasting my life on such nonsense as Irvine serves up would be tragic. I don't think I am alone in that sentiment.

[PepeMel]

No your are not alone. If his followers love him that much then they can go watch academy football wherever he ends up in the new year

[VVVAlbion]

Because Burnley, Leicester are not that much at all and QPR had a poor start. Not because we have played well. I've said before our best chance of survival under Irvine is if three other teams somehow manage to be worse than us, which is hardly a resounding endorsement. You seem content with mere survival, I have higher demands.  If Irvine stays I will simply give up watching. Wasting my life on such nonsense as Irvine serves up would be tragic. I don't think I am alone in that sentiment.

Following on from last season, based on our summer dealings, the transition in backroom staff and  including the appointment of Alan Irvine, I would be happy with survival (and I despise the greed league and what it is creating)

[tylerm]

You may need to look it up before coming out with a post of pure ignorance.

I have
He has no credentials whatsoever to be a premier league coach
On what basis are you saying he is proved as a top class coach?
Because he has passed an exam ?
Because Evertons youth team like him?
Because he did s great job coaching at Preston ?
Because he did a great job coaching at Sheffield Wednesday's?
Please post a link proving he is a great coach and his successes in that role
I can post a link to his record this year to prove he isn't

[geoff]

The posts that i'm finding more & more bewildering are those that keep saying he's a good coach, when he came i thought that was the case but ive seen nothing in any players performances to back this up.

[TheJacko2000]

Jacko, I notice your post has been deleted but I don't think I have ever really given my opinion on Irvine.  My "entrenched defense" is actually just posing an alternative argument to most of the emotional bile presented and backed up generally with statements and facts to support them. I also try to highlight internet myths which would be classed as libelous in most arenas.

I hadn't realised it had been deleted, anyway, after 200 or so pages why have you suddenly decided it is the strikers at fault for our poor form?

[Legend]

Irvine is obviously a very good coach, he wouldn't have got the job if he wasn't.

[Dexy]

I've got to be honest i think that's me done attending games now for a bit or until Irvine's gone (highly unlikely it will improve) , I may change my mind when this latest bore fest wears off but with a big Wedding to pay for next year and monthly bills to keep on top of i can't justify paying out needed money only to be bored to tears and have about three decent attacks per game when we have a squad capable of so much more. Nothing personal with Irvine but i find his football that bad to watch I can't always bring myself to watch online now if I'm not attending , i barely bothered with West Ham .
It's like one long nightmare that doesn't seem to end.

[GrGr]

Following on from last season, based on our summer dealings, the transition in backroom staff and  including the appointment of Alan Irvine, I would be happy with survival (and I despise the greed league and what it is creating)

Yes, but the season after this will have it's own excuses. At some point we need to lift our gaze from the relegation line and actually play some football. It's been way too long since we last played decent football and I have no doubt there is so much more football in the current team and squad than what Irvine is capable of. I have to go back to the dreary 80's to recall such negative rubbish 0-0 football. That's when the league turned to the 3 points for a win system to get teams to start playing again. What is the solution next? 4 points for a win? 

[OldburyWBA]

Irvine is obviously a very good coach, he wouldn't have got the job if he wasn't.

I think he does have some good to excellent coaching qualities as the improvement with Saido and also Dawson have shown but there's a big difference between coaching young players and being the man responsible for matchday tactics and for me I just don't think he has it in him to do the job needed at this club.

[VVVAlbion]

I hadn't realised it had been deleted, anyway, after 200 or so pages why have you suddenly decided it is the strikers at fault for our poor form?

Have I? (Although a lack of goals is not exactly the calling card of a good striker)

[baggie steve]

Following on from last season, based on our summer dealings, the transition in backroom staff and  including the appointment of Alan Irvine, I would be happy with survival (and I despise the greed league and what it is creating)

Scraping survival playing entertaining football would do me,
But watching boring un exciting football no matter where we finish has no appeal for me.

[PepeMel]

Irvine is obviously a very good coach, he wouldn't have got the job if he wasn't.

Nobody else would work under peace and the current rule. Until peace changes his philosophy we will always be hiring and firing . Irvine is by far the worst so far under his reign to accept they way peace wants to run a club

[Dexy]

Most unpopular manager/head coach since Bobby Gould ?

[VVVAlbion]

Yes, but the season after this will have it's own excuses. At some point we need to lift our gaze from the relegation line and actually play some football. It's been way too long since we last played decent football and I have no doubt there is so much more football in the current team and squad than what Irvine is capable of. I have to go back to the dreary 80's to recall such negative rubbish 0-0 football. That's when the league turned to the 3 points for a win system to get teams to start playing again. What is the solution next? 4 points for a win?

Sacking another manager and bringing in 11 new players we will no doubt end up with a similar scenario next season, I agree.  Our best seasons have followed relative stability and replacing players with better players.
The greed league is set up so the rich teams become richer and the margin between top and bottom gets bigger. To break into the "elite" you have to become a rich persons play thing. Remember the days when we could properly compete with Man City and Chelsea? And then came Abramovich and the dubai dollar.

[PepeMel]

Just sack him get it over and done with. His football will never change. I would rather be in the championship watching us have a go than in the premier with this idiot

[VVVAlbion]

Nobody else would work under peace and the current rule. Until peace changes his philosophy we will always be hiring and firing . Irvine is by far the worst so far under his reign to accept they way peace wants to run a club

Internet myth alert. Probably not quite libellous.   

[geoff]

I think he does have some good to excellent coaching qualities as the improvement with Saido and also Dawson have shown but there's a big difference between coaching young players and being the man responsible for matchday tactics and for me I just don't think he has it in him to do the job needed at this club.

I would have put Dawsons improved development more down to playing alongside Luscott & Saido down to a full pre season & premiership defenders lack of knowledge on him then place it all down to AI coaching.

[VVVAlbion]

Just sack him get it over and done with. His football will never change. I would rather be in the championship watching us have a go than in the premier with this idiot

Libellous. 

[TheJacko2000]

Most unpopular manager/head coach since Bobby Gould ?

If we still had the same 11-12k fans we had back in Gould's day, Irvine would not still be in the job.

[TheJacko2000]

Libellous. 

None of that is even bordering on libel mate.

[ex coseley kid]

Libellous. 

Award winning quote in my opinion.

[Legend]

I think he does have some good to excellent coaching qualities as the improvement with Saido and also Dawson have shown but there's a big difference between coaching young players and being the man responsible for matchday tactics and for me I just don't think he has it in him to do the job needed at this club.

I think he just has to find a way to balance being a well organised and hard to break down team to being a bigger threat going forward. I do think he has us playing as a team, with the players working hard for each other and being well drilled. But we are too slow going forward and lack the width, pace and creativity to break teams down. Irvine said in his post match interview on WM that he wanted us to create more chances and be better going forward so hopefully it's something which we can work on and with Varela getting more minutes he might be ready to start soon to give us some pace out wide.

[VVVAlbion]

I would have put Dawsons improved development more down to playing alongside Luscott & Saido down to a full pre season & premiership defenders lack of knowledge on him then place it all down to AI coaching.

I would agree playing alongside Lescott will have helped Dawsons game (Didn't Lescott say he came to the Albion because of Irvine  ) but Berahino has been a first team squad member for a number of seasons now, with pre seasons but has only just started to flourish. I'm prepared to accept it as a combination of Irvine and circumstances.

[Dexy]

I think he just has to find a way to balance being a well organised and hard to break down team to being a bigger threat going forward. I do think he has us playing as a team, with the players working hard for each other and being well drilled. But we are too slow going forward and lack the width, pace and creativity to break teams down. Irvine said in his post match interview on WM that he wanted us to create more chances and be better going forward so hopefully it's something which we can work on and with Varela getting more minutes he might be ready to start soon to give us some pace out wide.

That's no good if he is stuck in a rigid system mate .Irvine's attitude has got to change....