[Blowee]

Huge win for Millwall, we need a Bristol City goal to keep us there or there abouts.

Having watched Millwall v Sheffield I can see why we find it difficult in this division. Both sides seemed much more robust and physically stronger than us. The energy levels were there for most of the game and they really put themselves on the line. I would say we have better footballers but we aren’t anywhere near as strong.

[Sted1990]

Watford is now a must not lose, we have to find a way to be 3 points (at most) away from 6th post Middlesbrough. We then have a more favourable run where we can and should do well.
6th place is the aim and then it’s a lottery!

[NJS]

Having watched Millwall v Sheffield I can see why we find it difficult in this division. Both sides seemed much more robust and physically stronger than us. The energy levels were there for most of the game and they really put themselves on the line. I would say we have better footballers but we aren’t anywhere near as strong.

Absolutely, in this league it seems to be roughly 70% energy and fight and 30% skill.  These sides have more than one under 25 among their regular outfielders. 

[ex coseley kid]

Nail biting times folks. We've lost some impetus but I'm confident we will get some form back... I'm just not sure that it will come in time.

[GrumpyBaggie]

Middlesboro are now only 4 points behind Sheffield Utd.  It may well be in our interest for them to gain automatic promotion, and for us to face a demoralised Sheff U team in the playoffs.  So perhaps a defeat to Middlesboro next Saturday could be tactically astute?

[gazberg]

Middlesboro are now only 4 points behind Sheffield Utd.  It may well be in our interest for them to gain automatic promotion, and for us to face a demoralised Sheff U team in the playoffs.  So perhaps a defeat to Middlesboro next Saturday could be tactically astute?

.I think that Boro are a better side than Sheffield United. I think they have a good chance to nick 2nd.

[CL3MO]

Middlesboro are now only 4 points behind Sheffield Utd.  It may well be in our interest for them to gain automatic promotion, and for us to face a demoralised Sheff U team in the playoffs.  So perhaps a defeat to Middlesboro next Saturday could be tactically astute?

Losing against Boro is certainly not in our interests; we’re already losing ground on some of the other play-off chasers.

Also, that defeat to Blues looks worse and worse as the weeks go by - in fact, with their loses to Cardiff and Huddersfield it’s no less than an embarrassment.

Seriously need 3 points against Watford with the Boro game coming up…

[SmethDan]

Losing against Boro is certainly not in our interests; we’re already losing ground on some of the other play-off chasers.

Also, that defeat to Blues looks worse and worse as the weeks go by - in fact, with their loses to Cardiff and Huddersfield it’s no less than an embarrassment.

Seriously need 3 points against Watford with the Boro game coming up…

Very well surmised. We have to focus on getting as many points as possible simply to make the playoffs themselves before wondering whether it would be in our best interests to lose a game.

[GrumpyBaggie]

Losing against Boro is certainly not in our interests; we’re already losing ground on some of the other play-off chasers.

Sorry, I didn't put my argument very well - we should obviously try our damdest to beat Boro on Saturday giving us points in the bag and the psychological advantage if we meet them in the play-offs - I was just thinking that if we do lose it could give us an easier run in should we make the play-offs.  More than one way to skin a cat!

[Albionic]

It would be very West Brom to hand Boro a spanking

[KnaveofAlbion]

It would be very West Brom to hand Boro a spanking

Its occurred to me it would be very Albion to beat Watford and Boro and then lose to Wigan at home in a few games time.

[alex1]

I think some good news is that most of our remaining fixtures are against bottom half teams. Of the teams we have yet to play around the promotion area (and that is widely interpreted as down to 11th place), we have only one away fixture v Sheff Utd.

[ex coseley kid]

Going to go to the wire I think this top six spot.

Impressive today though and hopefully Corberan has got them organised enough for the run in.

We can do this. But will we....

[tegga]

Today's result was certainly a confidence booster, but we could have done with a win over Blackburn after the Blues result. I am hoping we can now go on another good run, but I think that needs our default team players (the team that started today) to stay fit.

[JMullen95]

Bristol City are the team to watch our for. Haven’t lost since we beat them on Boxing Day and have some proper good players in their side.

[liverbaggie]

Well guys, with the injuries piling up, loads of attempts at goal but a poor return on goals
It hurts me to say it but im concerned now that to get into top 6 is becoming very difficult
I know there are plenty of games left and we have a so called easier run in but really we should have battered Hull
Dont you get fed up of saying/hearing that this ne t match is vital for a win, i know weve got 2 home games coming up and frankly if we dont win both and by several goals for, its looking like were destined to stay in this league again with all the ramifications that it means for our club
Our home record is fantastic so i expect us to win but this is the baggies were talking about isnt it?
At least Corberan has saved us from relegation so we should be grateful for that but surely we should be top 6 at least
If DD isnt scoring put the kids in gi e them a go, Corberan knows only to well what is required lets hope he can zort it out in the summer
Depressing atm aye it, so near yet so far

[ttree30]

Our league form over the last ten games has us 9th. We finished 10th last season. We’re currently 11th.

Had we won some of the games we really should have early in the season and not squeezed the fine margins to win a few tight ones during the remarkable Corberan bounce, it probably reflects what we are.

The Corberan bounce seems to be well and truly over and we now appear to be pretty much where we should have been all along. Normal service - win a few, lose a few - has been resumed. We’ve been losing to teams at the top, middle and bottom of the league alike away from home, from Burnley to Birmingham.

I’m also glad Corberan’s impact saved us from the drop - the team had started to have a stench of relegation about it, and it’s happened to others “too good to go down.”

The only hard currency in the end is results and for me the cliche stands - the league table doesn’t lie. We’re not good enough.

[ex coseley kid]

The only hard currency in the end is results and for me the cliche stands - the league table doesn’t lie. We’re not good enough.

I hear you but I think we are good enough when we have our key players fit and on the pitch.

We don't have depth. And that's down to Lai's short arms and deep pockets.

[ttree30]

We may all have differing opinions about the quality of our team - not least their mental strength - but I think we can all agree about the owner Coseley.

We are in this mess because of the decisions he’s made and the incompetence of his stewardship. He’s destroyed the value of assets both on and off the pitch, to his own cost and to ours.

Some business tycoon. What an idiot.

[blindreferee]

£18m on Grant, £18m on Grady, £7m on Dike - we’ve spent more on players than anyone in the division - problem is we have spent shockingly badly

Until the structure of the club changes - DOF, proper scouting structure etc we will continue to struggle - when Gourlay came in this was stated as his main objective - still waiting for him to implement this - we seemed to have learned nothing

[baggie82]

£18m on Grant, £18m on Grady, £7m on Dike - we’ve spent more on players than anyone in the division - problem is we have spent shockingly badly

Until the structure of the club changes - DOF, proper scouting structure etc we will continue to struggle - when Gourlay came in this was stated as his main objective - still waiting for him to implement this - we seemed to have learned nothing

That isn't remotely close to being true, do you think the other teams in our league only sign free transfers?

Our net spend over the past four years is just £4.24m. Watford in the same period have a net spend of £70m, including over £40m this season. Only eight teams in the whole league have a lower net spend that Albion over the last five years: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/championship/fuenfjahresvergleich/wettbewerb/GB2

[baggiejohn]

That isn't remotely close to being true, do you think the other teams in our league only sign free transfers?

Our net spend over the past four years is just £4.24m. Watford in the same period have a net spend of £70m, including over £40m this season. Only eight teams in the whole league have a lower net spend that Albion over the last five years: https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/championship/fuenfjahresvergleich/wettbewerb/GB2

Not sure that transfermarkt is a good source of player registration cost data.

For example, How do they record undisclosed fees? which most of ours are these days.
Allegedly most of their data is based on circulating rumours.

If a £20 million loan & a £5 - £10 million owing from our major shareholder is critical, then I'd agree that the alleged £37 million transfer fees for Grant, Diangana & Dike is not money well spent & particularly when £30 million of that is the result of a power struggle between a DoF & Head Coach.

[ttree30]

Not sure that transfermarkt is a good source of player registration cost data.

For example, How do they record undisclosed fees? which most of ours are these days.
Allegedly most of their data is based on circulating rumours.

If a £20 million loan & a £5 - £10 million owing from our major shareholder is critical, then I'd agree that the alleged £37 million transfer fees for Grant, Diangana & Dike is not money well spent & particularly when £30 million of that is the result of a power struggle between a DoF & Head Coach.

I agree John. And even if transfermarkt were reliable what about salaries, signing on fees, bonuses, loyalty payments, agent fees, relocation payments, image rights, instalment liabilities, length of contract? None of these are routinely disclosed.

A “free transfer” is hardly that if you’re paying someone £2m a year.

Transfer fees, even if reported accurately, are a poor way of assessing the scale of a club’s investment in its playing staff.

[beechyboy90]

I think we need to win 8 or 9 of the remaining games to be within a shout of the playoffs which is a run like we had at the start of Don Carlos tenure.

Think whilst of course he should be trying until the fat lady starts singing we should have an eye on summer and getting Rod of deadwood; Livermore on a free should be going. Rogic has a mutual termination should be going. Bartley whilst a dominant cb has too many errors in game should be going. Pieters hasn't done bad but at his age and funds he is on should we be keeping him as a second choice full back or starting cb?

Can we find anybody to take Reach? Grant? Or Diangana? We also have mowatt returning can we find a buyer last yr of contract? Kipre hasn't really had a go but is he good enough?

We should be looking to get button off books can't have a third choice keeper on that much. And run with Palmer and Griffiths.

Can Caleb Taylor come in and big the dominant cb that oshea needs next to him?

Come the summer a lot need moving on. And that's before the obvious that we can improve both full back positions and we are desperate for a striker.

[Wollastonbaggie]

The number of players some people want to get rid of, we'll end up playing in a 5-a-side league!