[Albionic]

It was just another thing that epitomised the issue that we have with him, which is on top of the numerous weeks of cliches that he has spouted without giving any form of insight.

Time will tell ultimately, but we have been given nothing from him thus far that lends itself to demonstrating that he has the tactical acumen to be in such a huge job in football. I am praying that things start to improve with Jones in place and that we get better on the pitch in spite of Darren's limitations.

I'm not that bothered if DM isn't a tactical genius, IF he surrounds himself with people who are. I see DM as the motivator and manager and his coaching staff (GJ in particular) as the tactician. The guys haven't worked together for a week yet and people are getting upset (polite), for god sake lets get some perspective chaps.

[Signor_Maresca]

His post match comments are slightly concerning, saying that we executed our game plan and were unlucky in that we conceded a sucker punch goal...   Well if the game plan was to be completely outplayed and for our midfield to be dominated then it worked well and their goal was no sucker punch, they were well on top and worthy of their lead.

[MarkW]

You seem to be dismissing the impact that Graeme Jones will have.

GJ has been here for less than a week, I believe he will have a massive impact on how we play going forward.

When we went a goal behind last night, he seemed to take the game by the scruff of the neck & I'm pretty sure it was his decision to bring Gayle on.

I'm not convinced Darren Moore, on his own, will succeed, but with GJ's pedigree, I'm prepared to give the pair a chance.

Gayle was recalled from his warm-up before Forest scored. It was GJ that recalled him, but that is a normal job for an assistant

[baggies_24]

His post match comments are slightly concerning, saying that we executed our game plan and were unlucky in that we conceded a sucker punch goal...   Well if the game plan was to be completely outplayed and for our midfield to be dominated then it worked well and their goal was no sucker punch, they were well on top and worthy of their lead.

Another thing that alarmed me was when he said he changed the shape the last 15, everything seems to be a reaction rather than been on the front foot and making the opposition react to what we are doing, why was the shape not changed after 20 minutes when it was clear we were getting completely overrun in midfield.

The team put out last night financially & talent wise should better than the team Forest played yet it was men against boys for 82 minutes.

[crocodile007]

I honestly have never wanted a manager to succeed more in my life but sadly I think this will end in tears. I have no doubt that Darren has the passion but everything I have seen/heard from him sound and look like a guy thankful to be in this position and I think that gratefulness is paralysing him with fear. Fear to try something new (Pulis type tactics), fear to make early/more substitutions, fear to speak in anything other than tired cliches. I think he was so desperate to get off the mark last night that he forgot that on balance we should be able to beat Forrest.
I think i'll be in the minority here but even that email we all received that was largely praised by most gave me pause for concern. In my opinion it sounded like something a fan would write if given the chance to manage the club. It came across to me very much like "c'mon guys, I need all your help. I need everyone to be with me, we are in this together, thank you for having me" - I would much have preferred someone who was quietly confident in his own ability. I know people might disagree and don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with an email from the manager ahead of the new season but the content just sounded a bit desperate - almost like trying too hard to please if that makes sense?
My overriding feeling at the moment is that I love the bloke and love his passion but at the same time feel sorry for him and the fact that I feel sorry for him suggests to me that something isn't right. I just feel like a nice guy has been thrown into the deep end and, at present, is looking every bit the novice and at times even coming across a little foolish/simple?
I wouldn't want him sacked or anything like that but at the same time i would only give him the first 10 games and if we are not towards the top end of the table or without clear improvement I would make the change. No one person is worth sacrificing the long term future of the club. I hope i'm wrong.

[TheJacko2000]

I don't think anyone is truly calling for his head right now, I am just assuming a great number of people are just wishing we hadn't made the mistake in the first place. It was obvious that this is what would happen. All we can hope now is that the influence of Jones becomes more and more to the point whereby Darren's role becomes more limited and, combine that with the fact our squad is amongst the best in the league, results and performances naturally start to improve.

Brilliant... So after the window closes and the squad is settled and we take our place at the top of the table it'll be in spite of Darren.


Priceless.

[WorcsWBA]

Just to play devils advocate aswell, although for large parts Forest were better on the ball than us, I can only recall the ambitious shot that Johnstone really had to save (other than routine stops).

Forest had a number of clear chances, but they had no composure in front of goal and their finishing was abysmal.

To go back on topic, Darren's not a great orator, so his pre and post-match interviews aren't likely to be the best. What I do expect from him as a minimum is truthfulness about our performances though.

[Atomic]

Forest had a number of clear chances, but they had no composure in front of goal and their finishing was abysmal.

To go back on topic, Darren's not a great orator, so his pre and post-match interviews aren't likely to be the best. What I do expect from him as a minimum is truthfulness about our performances though.

Not to be rude but he sounds thick. Full of cliches. Nothing insightful, like he's reading from a script.

I'm not going to lie, I hope Graeme Jones takes a more leading role. I really fear for us if not.

[j2burnz]

I am frankly astonished at the treatment so far of Moore.

If a guy had swooped in last season from Italy named Guiseppie Le Vazzio to make the Big Dave did the masses would not be making the noises so many are making already.

He is a victim of being a relative novice and not being the most articulate speaker as much as anything.

Please think back to what he actually did last season when we were the laughing stock of the entire of English Football.

Its game 2 and we have a lot of turbulence around the playing squad yes, we got a bloodied nose against a side we should be taking care of at home.

We then go to a TOP side in the division and get outplayed for the most part but rally to the point we actually can count ourselves unlucky not to win. Very unlucky.

He clearly addressed some issues from the 1st game ( Nyom, HRK, Including ,Mozza - shape ) and showed hes not a stubborn so and so.

If a side and manager has ever needed time in my 25 years supporting the Albion it is this 1.

For the love of god, will the so called supporters already belly aching saying its all a big mistake appointing Moore give him the chance he so clearly deserves.

If we are well outside the top 6 at Christmas there will be a cause for concern but until then get behind your club and the manager that put the pride back into us.

[ashdoy]

Time will tell on Moore.

People have to remember just how bad this squad is. Pulis created it, Pardew crippled it, Moore is trying to revive it.

The lack of balance within the squad is shocking. To have 5 first team central midfielders but none with any real creative spark (not one of them can dribble with the ball in the mould of a Koumas or Dorrans). Not one of them is a true box to box in the mould of a Mulumbu. Not one of them is a Yacob style enforcer. Normally from 5 midfielders you'd have 2 or 3 who fit within our current crops attributes, but the others would/should be a specific enforcer/playmaker.

Our full backs arent good enough. Again, none of them have a clear style of play. None of them provide any kind of brilliant distribution, none have blistering pace for an overlap.

The forwards (taking out Gayle), again, what are they actually good at? What are their styles of play?

We have no target man, we have no on the shoulder CF who can burn away a defence. We have no Kevin Phillips style poacher.

All we have are a couple of decent wingers, but if we know this, then you can bet the world the opposition do. Stop our wingers, you stop Albion.

Teams will allow Brunt, Barry, Livermore, Field and Morrison all the time in the world to play sidways passes as none of them will travel forward and score a worldie like Koumas or Dorrans could. Because of this we are limited. Our wingers are marked, the full backs dont want the ball which forces us long onto forwards who arent target men or cant run in behind.

The end result is the appaling displays we have seen.

But this is not Moore to blame; its 3 or 4 succesive windows without improving the balance of the squad or looking towards a real future. Not one player has been brought into the club who we can fully build the team around.

[seteefeet]

He wanted, and therefore waited for, Jones right from the off and there has to be a reason for that. I think DM knows his limitations but also knows that Jones strengths counter his own weaknesses.
Moore proved last season that he can organise and galvanise, not just the team, but the club, so he obviously has mettle, what he does lack though is tactical awareness and that vision to change and adapt. Hopefully this will prove to be Jones' area of expertise. If it does they could be a force to be reckoned with but it may take time.
I for one am willing to be patient and give the partnership chance to grow and flourish.
As for the press stuff, it is a bit cringey, but it's something that's relatively new to him and that he will also grow into.
At the minute, what happens on the pitch is all important and that needs to improve sharpish, starting with the end of the Brunt as CM experiment. Come on Darren, it doesn't work, find an alternative and move on!

[Mr Cynical]

I'm with j2burnz.  I can't believe how many only/spoilt kids there are posting on here.  People expecting the finished product for the first game of the season, while the transfer window is a massive distraction.  Moore is doing (and has been doing) much more than his own job.  Jones' arrival will definitely help with the coaching, but no DoF must mean he is spending a lot of time on transfers that wouldn't be necessary in normal circumstances.

We are in transition both in trems of style of play and personnel.  We have to be patient.

There are many, completely reasonable criticisms about how we've played and the use of substitutions too.  The centre of midfield is a big concern for me - but there aren't that many options today.  If he'd have picked Barry and Harper then we'd have the same problem.  In fact the only part of the squad that I'm fully satisfied with is the wide players. 

The club have selected Darren Moore and we must give him a chance to get things right and succeed, not say he needs to go after two games.  That is completely ridiculous.

[Fritzl Palace]

Brilliant... So after the window closes and the squad is settled and we take our place at the top of the table it'll be in spite of Darren.


Priceless.

I'm sure the true catalyst will be your man, Brunty 

[Atomic]

Lets be brutally honest here. Darren Moore got the job because results up turned at the end of the season and because certain people like Kevin Campbell came out and basically called the club racist if we didn't appoint him. The owners caved in, didn't have the bottle to stand up and say no.

Now everyone can be up in arms and throw insults about and all the rest but that is the bottom line.

Is this off topic? No not really because this is a massive period for Albion. Dean Smith or Graham Potter should've been given the gig. Instead we have a manager with NO experience whatsoever who basically got results by defending deep and riding his luck and snatching the odd set piece vs Man United, Liverpool and Spurs.

Totally different ball game this season and so far, predictably, Darren doesn't look as though he knows what he's doing.

I hope he proves me wrong (obviously because it's all the better for Albion) but I find him unintelligent, cliched (as learned) and totally noneffective.

Go on Big Dave prove me wrong ........... please!

[johnny Cash]

Lets be brutally honest here. Darren Moore got the job because results up turned at the end of the season and because certain people like Kevin Campbell came out and basically called the club racist if we didn't appoint him. The owners caved in, didn't have the bottle to stand up and say no.

Now everyone can be up in arms and throw insults about and all the rest but that is the bottom line.

Is this off topic? No not really because this is a massive period for Albion. Dean Smith or Graham Potter should've been given the gig. Instead we have a manager with NO experience whatsoever who basically got results by defending deep and riding his luck and snatching the odd set piece vs Man United, Liverpool and Spurs.

Totally different ball game this season and so far, predictably, Darren doesn't look as though he knows what he's doing.

I hope he proves me wrong (obviously because it's all the better for Albion) but I find him unintelligent, cliched (as learned) and totally noneffective.

Go on Big Dave prove me wrong ........... please!

Pretty much my thoughts. I said months ago I didn't think Darren Moore was a manager. I've also really wanted to avoid calling him unintelligent because he is such a nice and genuine bloke but I do agree.

We need people like him within the club, so it is also shame if or when it is eventually over we will lose his personality and character from the Albion. He definitely had roles at the club he could have been great in, but I don't think it was/ is as a head coach.

Like you implied Atomic, I would absolutely love to be proven wrong.

[Atomic]

Pretty much my thoughts. I said months ago I didn't think Darren Moore was a manager. I've also really wanted to avoid calling him unintelligent because he is such a nice and genuine bloke but I do agree.

We need people like him within the club, so it is also shame if or when it is eventually over we will lose his personality and character from the Albion. He definitely had roles at the club he could have been great in, but I don't think it was/ is as a head coach.

Like you implied Atomic, I would absolutely love to be proven wrong.

Totally agree with that. Absolutely love the bloke but he's in the wrong role.

[SirTonyM]

People saying with our team we should be seeing off forest easily. Is our team that good? Comments that we have a proven premier league squad are a myth to my mind.
Gibbs, Livermore, Phillips, Rodriguez the only “proven” premier league players. Brunt and Morrison (past their best).
Dawson and Chadli would make a huge difference but haven’t been available.
Hegazi not good enough for prem not sure if he is a good championship player yet.
Johnston and Bartley too early to say for Albion but good reputations.
Barnes looks great but a young loan player who Leicester were happy to loan out.
Tosin young and raw.

Then bench of Myhill, Barry, Harper, HRK, Burke, Townsend, Gayle (quality champ player).

[Albionic]

Time will tell on Moore.

People have to remember just how bad this squad is. Pulis created it, Pardew crippled it, Moore is trying to revive it.

The lack of balance within the squad is shocking. To have 5 first team central midfielders but none with any real creative spark (not one of them can dribble with the ball in the mould of a Koumas or Dorrans). Not one of them is a true box to box in the mould of a Mulumbu. Not one of them is a Yacob style enforcer. Normally from 5 midfielders you'd have 2 or 3 who fit within our current crops attributes, but the others would/should be a specific enforcer/playmaker.

Our full backs arent good enough. Again, none of them have a clear style of play. None of them provide any kind of brilliant distribution, none have blistering pace for an overlap.

The forwards (taking out Gayle), again, what are they actually good at? What are their styles of play?

We have no target man, we have no on the shoulder CF who can burn away a defence. We have no Kevin Phillips style poacher.

All we have are a couple of decent wingers, but if we know this, then you can bet the world the opposition do. Stop our wingers, you stop Albion.

Teams will allow Brunt, Barry, Livermore, Field and Morrison all the time in the world to play sidways passes as none of them will travel forward and score a worldie like Koumas or Dorrans could. Because of this we are limited. Our wingers are marked, the full backs dont want the ball which forces us long onto forwards who arent target men or cant run in behind.

The end result is the appaling displays we have seen.

But this is not Moore to blame; its 3 or 4 succesive windows without improving the balance of the squad or looking towards a real future. Not one player has been brought into the club who we can fully build the team around.

That is spot on, I'll buy you a pint for that post, we need to back the Manager not jump on his back from the off!
Never thought Albion fans could react this poorly.

[shortybaggies]

Oh dear. If you really think that getting the opposition ground name wrong is some sort of capital offence, can I refer you to another Albion legend, who whilst a very successful manager, didn't get his own player's names right -BR.
After 180 minutes you appear to have written DM off as a failure. I think you need to develop a more sensible sense of proportion and timescale.

I heard it call it the City Ground and that's what it's called isn't it?

[maccbaggie]

Not to be rude but he sounds thick. Full of cliches. Nothing insightful, like he's reading from a script.

I'm not going to lie, I hope Graeme Jones takes a more leading role. I really fear for us if not.

This is the crux of it. Ever since he was appointed it's just been standard football clichés with no real insight.

[maccbaggie]

Also, the fact our priority is now to sign a right back, rather than a central midfielder, adds further evidence to the fact that he's not the right man for the job.

[frazzle]

Also, the fact our priority is now to sign a right back, rather than a central midfielder, adds further evidence to the fact that he's not the right man for the job.

Would you still have this view if Moore knows that Chadli is staying?

[maccbaggie]

Would you still have this view if Moore knows that Chadli is staying?

I think we need a deep lying playmaker (a bit like   Ryan Woods) and a box-to-box or ball-winning central midfielder (a bit like Mulumbu was for us), neither of which Chadli is - so yes.

Livermore, Brunt and Barry are clearly not up to the job.

[smethwickw]

Would you still have this view if Moore knows that Chadli is staying?

Would Chadli have bossed the game last night like Guedioura did last night? No he wouldn't. This is the kind of midfielder we need. Brunt has been way past his best for a few years now and Livermore is just awful.

[miggybaggy]

Time will tell on Moore.

People have to remember just how bad this squad is. Pulis created it, Pardew crippled it, Moore is trying to revive it.

The lack of balance within the squad is shocking. To have 5 first team central midfielders but none with any real creative spark (not one of them can dribble with the ball in the mould of a Koumas or Dorrans). Not one of them is a true box to box in the mould of a Mulumbu. Not one of them is a Yacob style enforcer. Normally from 5 midfielders you'd have 2 or 3 who fit within our current crops attributes, but the others would/should be a specific enforcer/playmaker.

Our full backs arent good enough. Again, none of them have a clear style of play. None of them provide any kind of brilliant distribution, none have blistering pace for an overlap.

The forwards (taking out Gayle), again, what are they actually good at? What are their styles of play?

We have no target man, we have no on the shoulder CF who can burn away a defence. We have no Kevin Phillips style poacher.

All we have are a couple of decent wingers, but if we know this, then you can bet the world the opposition do. Stop our wingers, you stop Albion.

Teams will allow Brunt, Barry, Livermore, Field and Morrison all the time in the world to play sidways passes as none of them will travel forward and score a worldie like Koumas or Dorrans could. Because of this we are limited. Our wingers are marked, the full backs dont want the ball which forces us long onto forwards who arent target men or cant run in behind.

The end result is the appaling displays we have seen.

But this is not Moore to blame; its 3 or 4 succesive windows without improving the balance of the squad or looking towards a real future. Not one player has been brought into the club who we can fully build the team around.

Best post I've seen on here for a long time.

I'm not at all confident our board has a clue about even the basics of a football team whatsoever. Too may businessmen and 'suits' involved in the game nowadays due to insane amounts of cash available.

Putting the blame solely at the feet of Darren Moore is just downright unfair.