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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: January 27, 2021, 01:06:29 AM »

What's to be said that hans't already been said multiple times already this season?

No back bone. No desire. No Character. No effort and most painfully, no care in the world.

Perhaps with the exception of Bartley, I do not see one single player that puts in a shift on that pitch and plays with a passion for this football club. It took us years to gradually re-establish the connection between the fans and club - thanks to Big Dave for starting the re-build, Slav took it to a next level - despite having a non existent owner. I feel we have gone completely backwards - it leaves me speechless to see a group of players that genuinely do not give a toss about this club.

Losing to City 5-0 is fine. The manner that we lost in is shameful. The players swapping shirts and laughing after the game is rubbing salt into the wound for the fans, regardless whether it is the superstars of City. Callum Robinson walking off the pitch laughing with Grealish a few weeks back was a red flag.

The bottom line is, and Big Sam already said it many weeks ago - when we try to play football and attack, we concede a boat load, so we have to set up defensively .... yet here we are today, doing the opposite of what he said and we find ourselves 4-0 down after 45mins and THEN he reverts to a defensive setup for the second half. To make matters worse, the management team know we are shocking at the back, yet it is now the 27th of Jan and we have made no new defensive signings.

It's tiring to even think about anymore - I think we all know what the problems are, we simply aren't good enough, nowhere near it. If we do not get at least 4 points from the next 2 games, we may aswell play the youth and start bedding players in for next season.

Get more points than Derby did, don't lose to Villa away or Wolves at home and sell the club - sadly, at this point, this would be a successful season.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: September 26, 2020, 04:26:16 PM »

Let’s look to put in a strong 90 minute shift, with the attacking players we have, you never know. That being said, gone are the days of thinking there’s a chance we hold out for a 0-0 or a 1-0 win - I don’t miss those Pulis days in the Prem, mind. With our questionable defence (so far this season) it’s hard to see us getting 3 points against a top 6 team because that relies on us outscoring them in a shoot out (likely needing to score at least 2 if not 3 goals), not squeaking by with a 1-0. Would be happy to see us score, play well and keep it to a 2/3 goal loss if I’m very honest.

With all that said, 1-0 Albion. It’s football and you just never know!

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: September 23, 2020, 01:16:46 AM »

The usual overreaction here - knew there was a reason I’ve been off the forum for a bit. For those pointing out we lost to Brentford reserves, it wasn’t our first team that lost tonight. It was a completely changed starting 11 from the first two premier league games.

Either team could have won it in 90 mins. Both of our pens were stonewall. Brentfords pen was never a pen. They hit the post, Gallagher drew a quality save from their keeper and we created a few good chances in the box - diangana’s backheel and following cross that flashed across the goal for HRK spring to mind.

I’m upset that we lost tonight as I think the cup is a great way to create momentum, positivity and to maintain competitiveness amongst the squad by keeping the likes of Field, Edwards and Harper in Bilic’s mind.

But let’s not overreact here. It was hardly a devastating loss and a shambolic performance was it?

Gallagher and Branislav look like two players that will be in our starting 11 moving forward. Big positives as those are key positions in our spine that we need.

We move on to Chelsea, hopefully we build on our past two first halves against Leicester and Everton, give Chelsea a good game and keep it tight - I would take a 1 or 2 goal loss now providing the performance is there. Then we have a sequence of 4 games where we need to be looking at picking up 6/7 points from 12.

Keep the faith, early days and our squad isn’t finished or settled yet.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: September 13, 2020, 03:20:15 AM »

When the fixtures were released I wrote this game off. But now it’s the eve of, whether it’s my Baggie naivety or just my excitement about us kicking off back in the Prem, I think we can come out of the game with something and I am quietly confident about it.

Leicester are in a weird position with injuries and their 2020 especially away from home was questionable. If and it’s a big if, we play with confidence like the fans know we can, take the game to them and play with the intense press that we’ve seen on occasions I fancy us here. Far from having the goal scorer we need in our team, but this is 11 v 11, opening day, behind closed doors and psychologically as a football club the momentum is with us.

I say bring it on.

2-1 to the stripes. Diangana and Ajayi, Vardy for Leicester.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: New kits 20/21

« on: July 24, 2020, 04:29:15 AM »

I think the shirt is absolutely quality. Love it. Something different whilst still keeping tradition and a nice 90’s throwback. Only gripe is would have preferred white socks, but really love the shirt.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: July 20, 2020, 03:49:46 AM »

I’ve supported the Albion since our first promotion to the Prem. Other than the Great Escape, surely this is the biggest game in my lifetime? As others have said, I think this game dictates the next 10 years of our club.

Given the crushing feeling from Huddersfield and the following miracle at Stoke, you can’t help but think the lads will be more than ready for this - counting their lucky stars that we even get this chance.

Fully expect a confident and assertive display from the first whistle, couldn’t be any more straight forward. Win this game of football.

Nerves are starting to set in now after the joys of yesterday!

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General Football & Sports / Re: Chris Brunt

« on: July 19, 2020, 02:09:51 AM »

Back to 433 play brunt Livermore and krovi and get the job done

When was the last time Brunt started for us? Newcastle in the cup? I love the romanticism, but this isn’t the time for it. Put our best 11 out, have faith in the starting eleven which has got us to within one win of the Prem and let’s get the job done.

Bring Brunty on for the final 15 mins or so depending on how things are.

Huge fan of Brunty and all he’s done for the club, but this QPR game isn’t about him. It’s about getting our club back in Prem and saving us from a likely long stint in the Championship.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Romaine Sawyers

« on: July 18, 2020, 05:36:22 AM »

Early in the season, it was clear, Sawyer’s keeps us ticking over and generally, when he played well, so did we.

The second half and in particular since the restart, he’s been useless. Too casual and always stuck in first gear. In hindsight (pointless) if Slav insists on the midfield two, then have Livermore be the deep lying cm breaking up play and protecting the back four with Krov providing the creativity and attacking. We line up and play like a team teetering on the edge of relegation, not promotion.

Sawyers may do better in the Prem where we will need the defensive two and someone to get us ticking. Reading that over, ignore it. We won’t be in the Prem and Sawyers would be terrible there.

Still fuming.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Perspective

« on: July 17, 2020, 09:28:39 PM »

And if we dont have audiences we lose season ticket revenue which in the grand scheme of things isnt much but it helps.

Today showed our issues. We have awful strikers and a shocking keeper. Good goal scoring midfielders have papered over the cracks. Perfect storm today. They spoke about a 2 year project last summer so who knows. However we wont see krovonovic diangana and probably periera next year ... and we still have a lot of dead wood to shift...

That's the bottom line and reality here. Hard to admit, but we overachieved going into the break with a highly productive midfield papering over the cracks of our strikers. It's not sustainable or realistic to gain promotion when you don't have a single quality and consistently reliable striker. Even Huddersfield today, battling for relegation, their top striker has 18 goals (i think), 1 shy of Austin and HRK combined!!!

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: July 17, 2020, 08:45:04 PM »

Starting HRK and Phillips was the first warning sign - I took the optimistic outlook; Chaz and Grosicki looked tired in the Blackburn game. The first half proved it was nothing short of simply the wrong decision by Bilic - Phillips was woeful, non existent, as was HRK.  In a must win game against a team battling for their lives and haven't scored a goal in their last 4 games .. we go with Phillips who offers more defensive cover as we saw against Blackburn. But not what we needed. Robinson/Edwards for Grosicki, if anything. Slav panicked with his team selection.

Games like this show just how much the fans care, compared to the players. Not one player out there today except for maybe our Heg/Semi showed the passion, desire and will to win that game. Spineless and lethargic performance with no urgency whatsoever.

Slav continues to play the 2 defensive midfielders, which in a game like this is a waste of a player. Should've dropped Sawyers and had Livermore be the holding midfielder and Krov be the attacking spark in the middle.

I do question Slav's decisions today, his prematch interviews stating that he's not worried and that he's positive were a sign of quite the opposite.

Only silver lining is that it's the Albion and we never do things the easy way. Whether that means stoke beat Brentford tomorrow or Brentford lose on the final day and we beat QPR ... or we go up through the playoffs. It's the hope that kills you. But based on our performances since the restart, we deserve nothing other than to crash and burn and be stuck in the Champ for next season.

Bottom line, disgraceful performance from top to bottom today.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: July 16, 2020, 05:01:39 AM »

We need to start this game the way that Brentford started against PNE tonight. Those first 5 minutes were relentless. Put a stamp on the game and scare Huddersfield a bit. There is no time for timidness. We need Pereira and co to find their positivity and confidence we’ve seen plenty of times this season. Take the game to Huddersfield, be brave and we have more than enough to come away with a victory here.

The longer it remains a cagey 0-0 the more it plays into Huddersfields hands.

It’s do or die. Beat Huddersfield, simple as. It’s going to be a very tough game given what they have to play for, but this is it and it couldn’t be much simpler. This is about the 11 players who start that match, go out there and win.

I would keep the same starting 11. Bilic will likely bring on HRK for Chaz and Robinson for Grosicki - but I’d be tempted to go for Robinson up top for the last half hour depending on the score.

Keep the faith, we will do this.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: July 14, 2020, 11:05:28 PM »

Felt we did enough to win that especially in second half. The diangana chance was the one, props to keeper for a great save. Ultimately, take the point and run in such a cagey game. Players were cautious and didn’t take as many risks as usual - lack of through balls and advanced midfield runs that we’ve seen in the last 3/4 games.

It’s in our hands. Bonus if PNE do a favor tomorrow, but let’s get 3 points Friday and see how things look then. The boys know exactly what they have to do, trust in Slav to not let us slip up now. Too much at stake. We never do things the easy way, take faith in that.

COYB.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: July 09, 2020, 03:48:38 AM »

Superb all round performance. Let derby have the ball and they couldn’t do anything with it. We offered a threat every time we had the ball, great stuff. Thought the high press was very effective, made derby very uneasy on the ball at the back - particularly in the first half. Blatant push on Pereira in second half for a pen - that’s my only complaint!!

Can’t ask for much more than that result against a team we’ve struggled to beat in recent times, especially under the circumstances. Boing boing.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: July 02, 2020, 04:21:48 AM »

Massive massive win. Biggest plaudits tonight goes to Slav, fairplay to him for having the guts to make those 5 much needed changes including dropping captain Jake. Team needed a real freshening up and despite the first 45 mins being painfully hard to watch overall, a tremendous day at the office.

The pen could’ve easily been missed by the officials on another day, so that was perhaps our stroke of luck that we needed.

On to Hull. It’s in our hands.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: June 27, 2020, 02:39:35 AM »

Has to be the most frustrating and disappointing performances of the season. I would say that this game was the only genuine "Do not lose" game of the seson. A draw here would have been fine to keep the gap at 7 points. Now we are potentially 2 games away from shafting this big time. With the draw against blues and now this, we have heaped loads of pressure on ourselves. This was a massive game and from the off the players looked uninterested and play was sloppy all game.

I'd like to see Grosicki get a run in and krov in for Livermore/Sawyers - we don't need them both in the team at this point. We have to start going for it and look to score a few goals. Cagey football and looking for the odd goal isn't working.

Can't even look past the next game now. Sheff Wed becomes arguably our biggest game of the season.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: March 03, 2020, 10:06:32 PM »

Disappointed in the starting XI - first half felt like going back in time with no second gear let alone a third or fourth. No creativity and difficult/frustrating to watch. Barry and Brunt were woeful in my opinion. Krov made a massive difference in the second half, injected a spark of sharpness and creativity into the midfield.

Overall a shame, because although I agree with changing the team selection, I just wish Slav had recognized that starting with Krov/Pereira and Zohore for Austin would have probably tipped the game in our favor. Newcastle were there for the taking and we didn't need our starting Championship XI to beat them. Brunt/Barry in midfield is a joke.

Edwards showed glimpses of his potential. Austin was non existent. Gibbs looked well off the pace but give him benefit of doubt.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: December 13, 2019, 02:21:04 AM »

Let’s keep things in perspective. When do we ever do well at Wigan? Despite our form, I was happy with a point going into this one. It’s always a tough place for us to go. Yes we played terribly but the fact that we came away with a point when Wigan probably deserved all 3 says a lot. 9/10 we lose that game given the past few years. We made 4 changes and it shown, back to full strength this weekend and let’s beat the Bluenoses. Peoples overreaction to this result and performance is mind blowing.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Rob Spray RIP

« on: October 19, 2019, 02:38:24 AM »

Rob was a very close friend of mine. An absolute top lad, one of the nicest chaps you could ever possibly meet. Always laughing, smiling and loving life. Not a bad bone in him.

It would be fitting if we could have a minutes applause on the 32nd minute on Tuesday for him.

Rob was Albion through and through. He has been going down the Albion all of his life, home and away.

I live in New York now; I just booked a flight to come back for the Barnsley game to give Big Lad the send off he deserves.

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General Football & Sports / Re: Anything England Football

« on: October 16, 2019, 01:23:08 AM »

The gent who passed away was a very close friend. A devoted baggie, Smethwick Season Ticket Holder and more importantly, one of the nicest blokes you will ever meet.

Find his Go Fund Me page here, feel free to share: https://www.gofundme.com/f/get-spray-back-home?teamInvite=NjjgPak85KOmH37Zmhy8siXbZQ7tXoi6XpU4HAy7I5cVxvF1tOblbTlAhlTlN9r4&fbclid=IwAR2yGv0D1Q3eixiQ-O9gem1qkV97jg1mS0su_bS8oWW3269W8riefPXk6sw

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: May 15, 2019, 03:29:13 AM »

Absolute sickener. Everything besides Brunt’s red card was perfect; the fans, the effort from the lads - spot on. Just a shame that Extra Time ended with the 10 men that were on the pitch, 6 of which were defenders. Not ideal for penalties - but not going to complain about that. Only thing I would have wished was that Mozza took the first pen, score your first one to ease the pressure a bit. Was very surprised to see Holgate take the first pen followed by Hegazi (I think).

It was a great great effort from everyone at the club today and despite the refs decisions and two red cards and the tactics/subs of Shan that we will never agree on collectively, we can hold our heads high and Villa know that they were very very lucky to be going through.

Hopefully this works in our favor and we can get to some much needed rebuilding, beginning with a new manager and a Rondon deal involving Gayle.

We’ve needed a clear out for the past 2-3 seasons, perhaps more. Let’s get some new blood in the squad and look to give it a real go next season.

Proud of the lads, given our half a dozen decent/good performances this season, all I was hoping for going into this game was a 100% effort from the players and the atmosphere to match, and it did. Can’t ask for much more than that.

Proud baggie.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 24, 2019, 12:11:34 AM »

... Or clutching at straws?

Hardly clutching at straws. It’s called thinking unemotionally about the situation. 7 points off top with 36 points to play for .... its not as doom and gloom as the majority of people on here make it out to be.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: February 23, 2019, 09:49:43 PM »

Definitely a poor result and frustrating performance tonight. But, I think there is a massive overreaction from a lot of people ... we are still in touching distance, granted, Leeds on Friday night is a massive game.

We've just came through a packed February, with an FA Cup replay thrown in there. Many said Feb would dictate our season and I remember some saying if we are still in top 6 come end of Feb then we will be in good shape. We took 10 points from a possible 15 against tricky teams; Boro, Stoke, Forest, Villa and QPR.

Fortunately, after the Leeds game our fixtures open up with an opportunity to turn our home form around and build momentum for the final stretch, against Ipswich and Swansea.

3 of Leeds' 5 next games are against us, Bristol and Sheffield United. Sheffield United have Wednesday, Leeds away and Bristol in their next 5 games. Norwich's fixtures aren't as difficult, but they lost away at Preston in the week, anything can happen.

It's far from over. If and it's a big IF, if we can get a result at Leeds and kick on against Ipswich at home then there's no reason why we can't finish in the top 2 come May.

Keep the faith. I think in August if we were told we would be 4th and 4 points from automatics with 12 games to play, we would've happily taken it given it was Big Dave's first real attempt in a tricky division.

COYB. When do we ever do it the easy way?

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat

« on: September 20, 2018, 02:19:33 AM »

QPR beat them 2-0 tonight so that means we will win 9-1.

In all seriousness, anything but 3 points here is a disappointment. If we are to mount a serious promotion push then we need to string a winning run together and with our next few games being; Millwall, PNE, Wednesday, Reading and Wigan ... we have a good chance to build some momentum, on the back of a great win against an in-form Bristol.

I don't expect our defence to have fixed up, but with our attacking threat, I'd like to think we will have too much for Millwall.

Would like to see Barry continue in midfield and depending on how the game goes, as Beechy says, give him a rest  - ideally bringing Field on around the 60 min mark. I wouldn't be against Tosin coming in for Bartley, but I can't see Big Dave making that call.

Our performance against Bristol was better than the shambles at Blues, so hopefully we can continue to build with a good performance here on Saturday. A win and a clean sheet would be a dream.

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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate

« on: September 19, 2018, 02:27:09 PM »

All that matters this early in the season is the results, especially given the recent changes at the club. We are third, scoring goals and conceding goals. I'd take that over being mid-table, looking more well-rounded and solid with less conceded. Time will heal the weaknesses, it's clear to see that we are conceding too many and the shakiness of the defence is concerning.

But if we can keep on stringing results together, this will increase the confidence and I have a feeling the defence side of things will start to fall into place as this team moulds together.

How good does it feel to be excited about a game? How good does it feel to win on a Saturday and not have your weekend ruined by another depressing Albion performance where our best chance of scoring is from a corner?

In Big Dave we trust, COYB.

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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Experiences meeting players/managers.

« on: August 12, 2018, 03:33:51 AM »

Met James Morrison in a restaurant in NYC. He was sat a few tables over and I waited for the right time to go say hello. I mentioned it was my girlfriends birthday and after he paid the bill him and his Mrs came over and sat at our table and had a chat. Terrific guy. This was about 5 years ago.
Also had a night out with Victor Anichebe - his ex-girlfriend is my friend, we went out in NYC for her birthday party. He was friendly but didn't really want to talk about football at all - this was a few weeks before he went to Sunderland. Anyway, he was a top bloke and got me hammered, he was pouring vodka and pineapple drinks all night at his table. Good times.