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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games
« on: April 10, 2024, 09:58:56 PM »
Can't think of a single ground in the country where more fans leave before full time than ours, regardless of win/draw/lose
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Atmosphere at Home Games
« on: April 06, 2024, 12:07:09 PM »
Atmos has been mixed but the Leeds and Wolves were white hot at times. Play offs will be too, I've no doubt.
Is a mix of a few factors for me. Not going to criticise CC as think he's great, but we have a lot of possession on the halfway line in midfield/defence. Ground won't be bouncing when we spend 20 mins per game in those kind of situations.
Excluding bits of fun under Moore + Bilic, most of the last 10 years has been bleak. Lai, Pulis, Pardew, Ismael, Bruce all corrosive to atmosphere in their own way. The ground has seen few successes together in recent years. Promotions, avoiding relegations, big derby wins, etc - momentum/high stakes are massive for atmosphere. I remember Hodgson's first 6 months in 2011 being special for that. Underdogs, high stakes, belief we had a good team and a great manager. Special times atmosphere wise.
Some aspects of the match day experience are currently very stale. Rubbish beer, rubbish food options/quality in the stadium.
Mentioned a few times on Goldberg/Lepkowski podcast that the week-to-week attendance of the £23 junior season tickets hasn't been great. Explains the empty seats dotted around all over the place, even when 'sold out'. Think that has an impact on atmosphere.
Can see them revamping that - needs doing, financially and from an atmos perspective. It's a great initiative but maybe capping the numbers at 750 at that price, or similar.
All these things add up. Hopefully new owner, new momentum and the start of better things atmosphere wise.
Is a mix of a few factors for me. Not going to criticise CC as think he's great, but we have a lot of possession on the halfway line in midfield/defence. Ground won't be bouncing when we spend 20 mins per game in those kind of situations.
Excluding bits of fun under Moore + Bilic, most of the last 10 years has been bleak. Lai, Pulis, Pardew, Ismael, Bruce all corrosive to atmosphere in their own way. The ground has seen few successes together in recent years. Promotions, avoiding relegations, big derby wins, etc - momentum/high stakes are massive for atmosphere. I remember Hodgson's first 6 months in 2011 being special for that. Underdogs, high stakes, belief we had a good team and a great manager. Special times atmosphere wise.
Some aspects of the match day experience are currently very stale. Rubbish beer, rubbish food options/quality in the stadium.
Mentioned a few times on Goldberg/Lepkowski podcast that the week-to-week attendance of the £23 junior season tickets hasn't been great. Explains the empty seats dotted around all over the place, even when 'sold out'. Think that has an impact on atmosphere.
Can see them revamping that - needs doing, financially and from an atmos perspective. It's a great initiative but maybe capping the numbers at 750 at that price, or similar.
All these things add up. Hopefully new owner, new momentum and the start of better things atmosphere wise.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Darnell Furlong
« on: March 07, 2024, 08:56:13 AM »
Just seen the clearance off the line - saved us a point there, brilliant instincts to get back in to cover
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat
« on: February 21, 2024, 04:03:18 PM »
anyone know how many are making the trip up?
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover
« on: February 16, 2024, 10:37:20 AM »
Know Ali is on here - congrats to him and the rest of A4A.
The protests they organised were always peaceful, the group consistently chipped away, kept the club's plight in the media conversation and a spotlight on Lai's financial dealings. That in itself deserves a lot of credit.
God knows if it made a difference to the speed or likelihood of a sale - there are probably only 5-10 people who actually know if it did or not - but I like to think it did make a difference and increased Lai's eagerness to get out. (Props to the Liquidator pod also, they did some great research into the opaque ownership structure).
Are the group continuing? For my money, having a through line between the club/ownership and an actively engaged fan group is a good thing.
The protests they organised were always peaceful, the group consistently chipped away, kept the club's plight in the media conversation and a spotlight on Lai's financial dealings. That in itself deserves a lot of credit.
God knows if it made a difference to the speed or likelihood of a sale - there are probably only 5-10 people who actually know if it did or not - but I like to think it did make a difference and increased Lai's eagerness to get out. (Props to the Liquidator pod also, they did some great research into the opaque ownership structure).
Are the group continuing? For my money, having a through line between the club/ownership and an actively engaged fan group is a good thing.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Action For Albion/ Potential Takeover
« on: February 13, 2024, 12:18:31 PM »Problem is sites like West Brom News are run by bigger companies, in this case its Breaking Media and they have sites for various clubs around the country, all they do is take bits and pieces from anywhere they can find and issue it as breaking news, exclusives etc when all it is is rehashed junk 99% of the time.
Yeah it's the whole MO of these companies. And those doing the 'journalism' are either students or recent graduates looking to bulk out their CV in return for 'exposure', as working for these sites is almost always unpaid. Doesn't require any insight, intelligence or ability; it's the re-writing of articles from larger publications, aiming at a minimum of 200 words so X amount of ads can be placed throughout the article.
I wrote for several of this type about 10 years ago, after graduating and flirting with print journalism. Few regrets about a change of direction, the industry is in the gutter unfortunately.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Daryl Dike
« on: February 12, 2024, 11:16:10 AM »
Mentioned on the Liquidator this week that his brother Bright Dike had to retire due to injury.
Played for Nigeria as well.
Played for Nigeria as well.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Random signings of the last 10-15 years
« on: January 14, 2024, 02:03:36 PM »
Diego Lugano. Had a good reputation but was cooked when he arrived.
Remember being excited about Marcus Rosenberg as well but had nada to offer.
For sheer randomness - Williams Martinez and Juan Carlos Menseguez… both scored Prem goals for us.
Remember being excited about Marcus Rosenberg as well but had nada to offer.
For sheer randomness - Williams Martinez and Juan Carlos Menseguez… both scored Prem goals for us.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Pipa joins on loan
« on: January 13, 2024, 05:09:23 PM »
Played v well. Tidy and tenacious.
Hopefully he starts to get more minutes. Seems like he might have more of a chance in midfield based on recent sub appearances.
Hopefully he starts to get more minutes. Seems like he might have more of a chance in midfield based on recent sub appearances.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: January 07, 2024, 02:25:58 PM »
Where has Fenton Heard been hiding? V impressive on the ball. 3 or 4 passes to get us on the attack in the final 3rd.
Fellows also looking great. More goals please!
Fellows also looking great. More goals please!
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Reyes Cleary
« on: December 12, 2023, 09:51:44 AM »
How long has he been back fit for the u23s? Surely now or never for his Albion career?
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: December 02, 2023, 01:20:56 PM »
Ah bugger. Gutted for Phillips, contender for POTY so far. That said, you absolutely knew his hammy or calf would go at some point. Poor chap.
Leicester played through us with one pass in the centre of midfield 3-4 times, and had an extra man on us each time. They'll score eventually if we keep letting them in. Tight game.
Leicester played through us with one pass in the centre of midfield 3-4 times, and had an extra man on us each time. They'll score eventually if we keep letting them in. Tight game.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: After Match Debate
« on: November 11, 2023, 07:30:01 PM »
Reminds me of a defeat away at Leeds under Bilic after about a dozen games in 19/20.
Lost 1-0 but were absolutely outstanding and you came away from the game feeling like we’d still made a statement away at one of the best in the division.
Similar feeling tonight. Shame about the defeat but v little wrong with the performance.
Lost 1-0 but were absolutely outstanding and you came away from the game feeling like we’d still made a statement away at one of the best in the division.
Similar feeling tonight. Shame about the defeat but v little wrong with the performance.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan
« on: November 06, 2023, 12:13:14 PM »
Bartley and Kipre have been excellent this season, and now Mowatt, Diangana and Chalobah doing the business.
Would have happily seen all 5 leave in the summer, as would the majority of fans, so it’s testament to the manager’s ability to get a tune out of players who were due for the scrap heap.
None more so than Phillips (POTY so far, by a distance) who was finished before CC took over.
Credit to all. Togetherness and unity of that dressing room must be on a real high at the moment. Hopefully a takeover can add to the feel good feeling!
Would have happily seen all 5 leave in the summer, as would the majority of fans, so it’s testament to the manager’s ability to get a tune out of players who were due for the scrap heap.
None more so than Phillips (POTY so far, by a distance) who was finished before CC took over.
Credit to all. Togetherness and unity of that dressing room must be on a real high at the moment. Hopefully a takeover can add to the feel good feeling!
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan
« on: October 29, 2023, 02:02:45 PM »
6 clean sheets in 8 (joint most in the division) after none in the first 6 in all comps. Fair play to CC for being able to fix it, even if we’re offering less going forward.
Other teams might get into the top 6 with free flowing football, but I imagine we’ll do it by being doing what we have in the last couple of months - certainly while missing Sarmiento, Swift, Maja and Dike.
Can be a tough watch at times but hope the booing stops. 69pts in 42 games under CC. Equals 75 over 46 - that’ll see us 5/6th. Would be an excellent achievement.
Other teams might get into the top 6 with free flowing football, but I imagine we’ll do it by being doing what we have in the last couple of months - certainly while missing Sarmiento, Swift, Maja and Dike.
Can be a tough watch at times but hope the booing stops. 69pts in 42 games under CC. Equals 75 over 46 - that’ll see us 5/6th. Would be an excellent achievement.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Carlos Corberan
« on: October 03, 2023, 10:40:57 PM »
4 clean sheets in 5. Only 2 defeats in 10. Don’t think anyone looks at us and expects much - especially with the relegated teams, Norwich, Sunderland, etc.
Under the radar, hardworking and well drilled in the basics. Fine by me! Well done CC. Onto Blues.
Under the radar, hardworking and well drilled in the basics. Fine by me! Well done CC. Onto Blues.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: Pre Match Chat
« on: October 01, 2023, 09:51:21 AM »
Great as we were yesterday, expecting some changes. 3 games in 6 days is too much for some and they might need protecting. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Phillips and maybe Okay rested. BTA back in?
Either way, the fluid movement up top, threat on the counter and quicker tempo from Preston needs to be the benchmark not the exception.
Back to back wins going into Blues would be great.
Either way, the fluid movement up top, threat on the counter and quicker tempo from Preston needs to be the benchmark not the exception.
Back to back wins going into Blues would be great.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: September 30, 2023, 03:43:27 PM »
Outstanding first 35. Best of the season - look quick and dangerous on the break.
Yokuslu needs to be careful, as the game could turn if he goes. On a yellow - no sloppy first touches or getting caught on the ball and getting a second.
Yokuslu needs to be careful, as the game could turn if he goes. On a yellow - no sloppy first touches or getting caught on the ball and getting a second.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: September 16, 2023, 03:35:55 PM »
Clearly setting up to pinch a 1-0. BTA very isolated.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Jed Wallace
« on: September 02, 2023, 10:50:53 PM »
Imagine this is the first time Wallace has had to function as part of a system in this way. Bruce certainly didn't have much in the way of a tactical plan and from what I understand, the Millwall side was built around him during his time there. Under CC he's just one of eleven rather than the star.
Maybe he'll benefit from Pipa coming into the side for Furlong. Furlong hardly the type of player you can link with and offers absolutely nothing in the way of overlapping/decoy runs. Pipa is much more technical so fingers crossed there.
That said, agree with the majority of other comments in recent weeks - not good enough at the moment but won't be dropped.
Maybe he'll benefit from Pipa coming into the side for Furlong. Furlong hardly the type of player you can link with and offers absolutely nothing in the way of overlapping/decoy runs. Pipa is much more technical so fingers crossed there.
That said, agree with the majority of other comments in recent weeks - not good enough at the moment but won't be dropped.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: September 02, 2023, 03:47:21 PM »
Sloppy and not even nearly at the races.
Rigid and slow. They're going to sit in deeper and more compact as the game goes on - if we give it away as freely as we have been, we won't get through them.
Wallace needs subbing and a spell out of the team. Won't happen.
Rigid and slow. They're going to sit in deeper and more compact as the game goes on - if we give it away as freely as we have been, we won't get through them.
Wallace needs subbing and a spell out of the team. Won't happen.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Pipa joins on loan
« on: September 01, 2023, 10:50:44 PM »
Must admit, never heard of him before - but looks like he's got a bit in the locker. Look forward to seeing him after the international break.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psj-Dsa4qxU&ab_channel=FootballallovertheWorld
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psj-Dsa4qxU&ab_channel=FootballallovertheWorld
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Brandon Thomas-Asante
« on: September 01, 2023, 07:34:40 PM »
His attitude and work rate are the making of him and I’ve no doubt he will play premier league football.
Take Mickael Antonio for example. Not a hugely gifted technical player but has got every ounce of talent out of himself thanks to work rate, determination and physicality. Jamie Vardy a level above but not dissimilar. He’s no worse off than either of those two were at 24.
Whether with us or someone else, he plays 200+ games in the premier league for me. Hope a few of those are with us.
Take Mickael Antonio for example. Not a hugely gifted technical player but has got every ounce of talent out of himself thanks to work rate, determination and physicality. Jamie Vardy a level above but not dissimilar. He’s no worse off than either of those two were at 24.
Whether with us or someone else, he plays 200+ games in the premier league for me. Hope a few of those are with us.
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West Bromwich Albion FC / Re: Matty Phillips
« on: August 26, 2023, 06:26:53 PM »
Outstanding today. Comfortably MOTM for me and we looked much weaker after the triple sub when he went off.
Has probably been our best player in CC’s time here so credit where credit is due - as he has come in for a lot of stick over the years (some of it justified). Hopefully he can sustain fitness and form over a full season.
Has probably been our best player in CC’s time here so credit where credit is due - as he has come in for a lot of stick over the years (some of it justified). Hopefully he can sustain fitness and form over a full season.
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Albion Matchday Forum / Re: In Game Chat
« on: August 05, 2023, 03:14:35 PM »
Have been first to the second balls and pressing well