[bobcracker]

I think too much is made about styles of play. Barcelona obviously play out of this world football, but on the other hand you could say their chess like passing game isn't altogther that exciting. For me the most entertaining things about watching the Albion, is scoring goals and winning games. And style of play is independent of those two things.

[wbatillidie]

Just my view but ive had enough of being patted on the head for "Nice"football,relegation mexican waves and starting the next season a week before the Premier.Points first,style second.

Spot on, I know which league I want us to be playing in next season and if that means playing long ball for the rest of the season then so be it.

[Dubya BA]

Surely there is a balance?

I don't think we have to sacrifice our creative play to stay in the top flight but we may have to know when to just 'hoof' it. Let's remember Chelsea can play it long ball/route one as well. Personally I prefer the Arsenal way but we may not be always able to do it that way if we want to survive.

I don't think Roy is a Philistine but he is no Mowbray either!

[BAGGIES4LIFE]

If it needs us to play Bolton/Blackburn/Sunderland/Fulham/Blues style to stay up then so be it, lets try and establish ourselves first, hopefully the beautiful game will follow. As many managers say you have to earn the right to play first, we just havent done that

[wbaforlife1991]

I don't know where this idea of hoofball has come from, IMO a ball up to the striker who is supposed to be the bigger, stronger striker more capable of holding off defenders and involving other players( generally midfielders) in the game is not hoofball but one of many strategies to a game of football. Even in the RDM era balls were played up to Odemwingie from the back four; but we weren't classed as hoofball then. I do not mind if the ball is played from the back up to the strikers/striker if it is aimed to them, not just smashed upfield aimed for anyone. For the duration of the game the ball was not hoofed towards MAF/Odemwingie every single time but was only when the ball was on. At the end we had every reason to do it with Ollson upfront as nothing had worked for the other 85 mins.....

[Mister AT]

As long as we stay up I couldnt care less how we play.

[mulumbuman]

When RDM was still here I enjoyed watching the football, you know, seeing Jt speeding down the wing skinning defenders thats our style!
On Sunday, well I just felt that Hodgson is too defensive!
I mean c'mon home in a derby and all we 'try' to do is defend.
If we have to try our hearts out to defend like we did on Sunday at home, what the hell is Hodgson going to do on Monday, 6,3,1 !??
While he is in charge we won't play any attractive football.
Look at Liverpool for example before he went there they were know for Kuyt and alike paceing down the wing, however he changed it and look what he did to them!
If he does this to us I seriously do't know if I will be renewing my season ticket next year!
Who wants to go and see that rubbish!

[DudleyDan]

Stuff the attractive football for 11 games if we stay up.

Would you have preferred RDM's "bombing down the wings" and lose 2-1 to Wolves?

And when the fudge did Kuyt ever bomb down a wing - have you ever watched football?

[WBAinDEVON]

I can cope with any style if we stay up but traditionally we play carpet football.Its going to interesting next season how we truly adapt to this style

[mulumbuman]

I know I'm just saying that for some reason West Brom can defend better while we are attacking.
When we have like six players back we all just stand there and leave it to each other to do something.
And RDM realised that, we just can't defend.
I know it sounds strange, but I fell more comfortable watching the game when they are on the counter and we have just four men back, rather then them having the ball on the edge of box, and seven of our players just standing there!

[Mister AT]

Couldnt care less how we play for the remainder of the season as long as we stay up.

This club NEEDS to be in the premiership.

End of.

[garry]

I really hope we don't sell our soul to the devil.
We're known as a quality club, who play quality football.
Please let's not throw out our principles.

[WBAinDEVON]

Just imagine folks if we go down loose all our flare players and the type of players roy will bring in

[DudleyDan]

I preferred the new tactic of the players getting the ball out ASAP - especially when Olsson did a flying karate kick clearance taking out Doyle in the process.

Obviously some players will suffer using this style - JT - in the fact the match passed the whole midfield by last week.

But this hoofing it out will work because:

1) It'll reduce the number we concede when the defenders try and let the ball drop over their head or try and control it.
2) Those hoof balls will turn into opportunties - if one of those balls goes over their defence and PO runs onto it - goal.
3) Our previous possession and 'chances' were nearly all in front of the opposition defence because it was passed around so much - we've been at our best this year when we counter attack against an attacking side. Other than Arsenal, Man U, Spurs nobody is going to attack us at a level to counter attack them (by passing the ball out from defence) - so hoofing will work as a start to a counter (potentially)

[Savvas78]

We are Albion, and we do have a tradition at our club where we try and play "good" football.

However at this point in time we have a very good chance of staying up this season and consolidating ourselves as a Premiership club with an experienced manager at the helm.

So, if our footballing style has to suffer aesthetically for the next few months to grind out some results so be it!

[WBAinDEVON]

I cant remember how Fulham played their football under Roy.Can somone teel me.Were they attractive to watch?

[Dan]

I cant remember how Fulham played their football under Roy.Can somone teel me.Were they attractive to watch?

They weren't free flowing, but they weren't hoof merchants by any means.

[KnaveofAlbion]

For the rest of this season and probably for the whole of next i think Roy's style could help us no end.

We've been Arsenal light for far far too long.

Our players mostly have a natural bent towards being creative and flairfull, this is their nature.

So drilling them into defending as a team and two banks of 4 is going to hinder that a little, but their natural ability will come when oppotunities arive. St pete, Dorrans, Brunt and JT won't all of a sudden forget how to play a good throughball or strike a shot well. But they will now have an added element of tracking adn tackling, that maybe they didn't before?!

I'd rather have a bunch of talented goal scorers and try to get them to work harder in defence, then take a team of stoic defenders and try to make them goal scorers.

Our goals scored tally is very good, comparatively. I'm all in favour of whatever we can do to reduce the conceeded tally.

Plus, obviously, if we can keep a clean sheet, the very worst that can happen is we draw.... i'd take ever match being a draw for the rest of the season for certain!

[eaststandbaggie]

Roy never plays rubbish football.Maybe not flair football we are use to but it certainly will not be long ball.He builds hard to break down defensive teams.Goals come from sharp incisive intelligent counter attacks.If that keeps us up it will do for me.

[63Brummie]

We are obviously going to see an awful lot of hoofball over the next four months at least under Roy. How do you feel about that as an Albion fan?

I don't agree with you at all mate.
Sunday's performance against the Dingles showed a nice balance; Roy knows that deep down the spirit of adventure fostered under ToMo the RDM will never really leave the squad so will work with that.