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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: Yesterday at 07:06:46 AM »

I don't fear Leeds,Ipswich or (likely) Norwich at all.

I think I'd want to avoid Saints and Leicester.

Leicester have the best squad on paper for me but can be got at in defence..

Ideally Leicester and saints get top 2. Knowing our luck we will finish 6th and end up playing soutbampton...

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Last Match Forum - 10/04 Rotherham United (H) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 12, 2024, 12:00:15 AM »

Anyone feel inclined to pop over to the Rotherham Forum and say sorry for the referee?

No that's the one we were owed from when Jordao had the ball about 4 meters over the line against them when we got promoted under Megson- cost us 2 points fortunately we didn't need it to surpass the Dingles as they imploded.

Professional but was bored the second half. BTA should have had 2. Swift also fluffed a chance from that Fellows cut back. Reach did well but he isn't a defender and wouldn't want him playing left back against a better team. Follow it up Saturday lads

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Last Match Forum - 06/04 Stoke City (A) / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 06, 2024, 08:21:39 PM »

Winless in 3 haven't had a complete 90 for a while. Balance is the right in starting line up. There is some very tired bodies out there. I would be tempted to switch both of central midfield 2 and also forward line for next game.

We threw away 2 points today

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Cedric Kipre

« on: April 02, 2024, 05:56:17 PM »

Cedric Kipre has certainly been a revelation since her first came to us from Wigan in 2020. Not sure if a fee was involved but if so, a very worthwhile investment in a player who has been consistently outstanding this season.

Weren't wigan in administration at the time so we got him for next to nothing?

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: April 01, 2024, 10:06:30 PM »

Who is this Adam Reach Fella? Best I think I have seen him play in an Albion shirt (I would still have him as part of the cull come summer) but can't fault him today.

Grady changed the game when he came on. Furlong with a sweet strike feels like a win sometimes coming back from a few down especially right at the death.

Looking like we will be playing the saints as it stands...

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA NEW OWNERS - Bilkul football

« on: March 29, 2024, 11:33:31 PM »

Pre season in Florida?

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:23:44 PM »

Also, Swift has been atrocious recently and his certainly the type of player you don’t need in a game like this. Diangana meanwhile has 13 goals contributions in 28 games this season.

Swift was our stand out performer pre injury he needs to find form. Diangana contributions but when we have options we should be utilizing them and have a whole squad contributing for a playoff push and hopefully a successful day out in that landan

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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:21:42 PM »

And again losing to a top ranked side. I would hate to see his record against higher ranked opposition

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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 26, 2024, 09:08:25 PM »

This kind of proves my point about ignorance of the wider footballing world. That Croatia team had Brozovic - Modric - Rakitic in midfield, not one of England's midfielders in the squad was even close to their quality on the ball. You have that level of disparity in midfield you're going to be in trouble. But somehow, because its Croatia, and we're England, it was a crime we didn't beat the better team on paper.

The Italy game is a bit similar. It's not that we couldn't have won, or couldn't have done better but we lost on penalties to a team on a world record undefeated run with a midfield that was far superior to ours. You have the far superior midfield, you probably control the game. That's just the reality of football.

The Croatia midfield 👌
However in both games I cited Southgate was slow and reactive and both opposition managers were bold and proactive. England should have gone for kill in both games but we sat off pulls esque and have nothing to show for either besides losing a final on penalties to a poor Italian outfit

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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: March 25, 2024, 09:28:08 PM »

This is by no means the best england side in my life time but it is relative to the other nations. Think back to that 2002 and 2006 world cup the golden generation we were still comfortably miles worse than the Italians, French, Germans, Brazilians and Argentines possibly even the Dutch.

Now by relative terms arguably besides the French we are the best side on paper. [I know we don't play on paper] a lot of the big hitters the Germans and the Italians don't have the persdonel they have had over past years and even the south American giants aren't all that. Don't think a good side has won the world cup since Spain 2010 the last few it's all been very marginal

Edit: to the point we are not the best ever but we are relatively and Southgate is blowing our chances at using our slight advantage. Next world cup has even more sides and more knock out so becomes even harder to win. He should have gone after he fluffed it v Croatia in world cup and if anybody had any doubts he should have gone after surrendering a 1-0 lead to Italy that was awful

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

« on: March 21, 2024, 10:45:03 PM »

It's odd how teams have copied the Albion name but know other team I know have copied our of iconic home top.

It's so unique the our last FA cup semi programme didn't even know what our colours were and put black and white stripes.

Brighton did the same just a lighter not so nice a blue...

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

« on: March 20, 2024, 03:00:19 PM »

I think puma have done an excellent job with our home shirts the away shirts have been unique to us also. So part of me would be sad to see that end. However as long as we don't revert to Adidas I will get on with it.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: March 18, 2024, 11:32:39 PM »

I would have Diangana out of the team and have Wallace in the hole behind BTA. Also I would have Bartley in for pieters.

Would take a point now before the game also. 4 points from next 2 and we will really be cooking

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Darnell Furlong

« on: March 18, 2024, 11:30:32 PM »

Think he has been one of our most consistent and best performers for this season. I think if it hadn't been for the form of kipre and the central midfield pairing he would be getting more praise.

He does have limitations as a footballer but he is an athlete and good in the air.

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

« on: March 18, 2024, 11:27:15 PM »

We should be looking to loan again with a fixed price option to buy but no obligation. He's been on fire since arrival. But would like to see him over a long period we cannot afford another expensive grant style transfer on the books hampering recruitment.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: March 14, 2024, 05:47:12 AM »

Wallace movement creates space of which MJ and Fellows really have benefited from.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: WBA NEW OWNERS - Bilkul football

« on: March 14, 2024, 05:43:45 AM »

Good interview with Mr Patel on Wm yesterday. It's still available on the BBC. He came across well and seemed a pretty genuine bloke, good communicator, savy and realistic and he gets the club

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General Football & Sports / Re: OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP THREAD

« on: March 02, 2024, 06:26:48 PM »

Leicester may well end up in playoffs at this point..

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Grady Diangana

« on: March 02, 2024, 06:25:47 PM »

What really annoyed me that in the Coventry game last night and apart from his goal, was Grady Diangana who time and time again gave the ball away to an opponent and consistently lost possession when challenged even when there was an easy pass available to one of his own teammates.

It’s as though he doesn’t think, visualise or know where his teammates are and causes that loss of possession which, sometimes, is in dangerous areas that results in shots on our goal.

I’ve always liked Grady but he badly needs to up his game and realise he cannot beat ten opponents and that it is a team game.

Thought he was our worst player on the night goal masked over that. He is not a number 10 and never will be. Rather us try Wallace there if he doesn't want to play swift and start weimann up top

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: System / Tactics / Personnel

« on: March 02, 2024, 07:48:10 AM »

System working the only criticism I can level at the Manger is sometimes he makes subs for the sake of subs and we get really disjointed.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 17, 2024, 04:10:06 AM »

Having had time to reflect on tonight's game. I think there are 5 main things to take from it:
1) saints besides Leicester are the best side I have seen this season and should be going up automatic.
2) the 3 games we had this week I would have taken 4 points we got just that so I'm not overly disappointed.
3) we should stick to crossing on the floor. We don't have anybody (minus injured dike) who is a threat in air in top areas of pitch. 2 goals v Cardiff we should be trying to emulate.
4) Don Carlos subs were poor. Sometimes he tries to make too many changes. Taking BTA off at half time we looked better and that we might force an equalizer. Triple sub was awful. The kid looked like a kid. Diangana besides 1 nice cross anonymous. Reach runs alot but isn't any good. Also he took Johnson off who was our best attacking player and Wallace had begun to cause them problems. He should have left it 10 more minutes then arguably 1 sub which could have been wiemann for the phantom swift would have sufficed.
5) ref wad awful stonewall penalty for handball just before half time changes game. Linesman should be seeing it also it ref in bad position.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: February 14, 2024, 04:15:30 PM »

Think this game will suit us more as saints will come and go toe to toe with us. We struggled v the pulls style defending last night. Hopefully a team with tempo and ambition will leave us more gaps to take advantage of.

Based on our record this season. We need to score first

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Erik Pieters

« on: February 14, 2024, 04:13:35 PM »

Meat and drink for pieters and kipre last night. Far more concerned with whoever Southamptons equivalent of Tom Fellows running at him! Hopefully he has another performance up his sleeve

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante

« on: February 14, 2024, 04:07:48 PM »

Can we do better than BTA yes that's why we have Dike and Maja however circumstances have passed in which he has become our main striker through no fault of his own.

He's our top scorer and is beginning to look like a championship player after jumping 2 divisions. He remains one of our few sellable assets. Is beyond criticism no  but some of the flack he is getting is OTT

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: February 12, 2024, 01:30:42 AM »

My team would be:

                    Palmer
Furlong kipre Pieters Townsend
              Okay mowatt
       Fellows Swift Wallace
                      BTA

Go hard and fast try get some goals and then wrap up yokusulu and if kipre was struggling also as reported Furlong to cb and pipa at right back.