[SmethDan]

Grant takes some blame no doubt. But Sawyers attempting to chest the ball twice on the edge of his own box against Man City is moronic, and that’s being kind.

Some blame? I think you're being too kind. His stupidity dropped Sawyers in the plop on the edge of his own box. Sawyers' play was poor but that was down to Grant's moronic decision making. He ducked the responsibility of taking the ball away and relieving pressure. Grant's mistake was the catalyst.

[MarkW]

Ok, Might be going crazy but I need to know if anyone else saw this.

I think it was the first half and Semi was forward for some reason, and we lost the ball and he started heading back. The ball was on their left/our right, just beyond the halfway line (for them), and there's no-one pressuring the ball, and Ajayi is about 15 metres away, and no once does he turn to look at the ball, or reorient himself to face the ball while back peddling.

It was utterly bizarre.

[Atomic]

I don't recall that incident Mark. Ajayi defensively has been really poor this season. People go on moaning about Johnstone or O'Shea, or Furlong or Gibbs (me  but Ajayi has been awful. The only thing that has stopped people getting on his back is the fact that he's scored a couple of goals.

[Dexy]

I'd be tempted to put him at RB .

[gazberg]

I don't recall that incident Mark. Ajayi defensively has been really poor this season. People go on moaning about Johnstone or O'Shea, or Furlong or Gibbs (me  but Ajayi has been awful. The only thing that has stopped people getting on his back is the fact that he's scored a couple of goals.

I think he started ok. Had a bad game and just mentally collapsed like the others.

[tommcneill]

I think he started ok. Had a bad game and just mentally collapsed like the others.

I think you're right concerning their mental state....they seem to collapse constantly. Have done all season.

Soft touches in this squad.

Lack of leadership on and off the field

[gazberg]

I think you're right concerning their mental state....they seem to collapse constantly. Have done all season.

Soft touches in this squad.

Lack of leadership on and off the field

It's a very nice team. Very nice teams win sod all and will get destroyed when they come up against anyone with a bit of fight which is all 19 other teams because they are professional.

[allenkevanastle]

How many different centre backs has he been patterned with this season? What chance has he had to be in an established system? Like most, if not all, Albion players he has faults. He wouldn't be with us for long if he didn't. I agree his positioning and decision making has been poor at times but I think there's a decent player here who is bewildered by the changes and left exposed by a lightweight, overrun midfield.

[costa blanca baggie]

Ok, Might be going crazy but I need to know if anyone else saw this.

I think it was the first half and Semi was forward for some reason, and we lost the ball and he started heading back. The ball was on their left/our right, just beyond the halfway line (for them), and there's no-one pressuring the ball, and Ajayi is about 15 metres away, and no once does he turn to look at the ball, or reorient himself to face the ball while back peddling.

It was utterly bizarre.

I noticed that. He just seemed to be focused on getting back into position.

[wodenson46]

How many different centre backs has he been patterned with this season? What chance has he had to be in an established system? Like most, if not all, Albion players he has faults. He wouldn't be with us for long if he didn't. I agree his positioning and decision making has been poor at times but I think there's a decent player here who is bewildered by the changes and left exposed by a lightweight, overrun midfield.

Very true sir. Have to agree and would also argue the same goes for a number of the squad. I also believe that crucial errors are in all of them but each will react to, or need a different sort of approach to helping them over it. It is this tailored support/advice as well as criticism that good managers will provide. The Allardyce generation do not seem to do this and prefer the hang em out to dry or hairdryer treatment that only makes them less effective on the pitch.

[Albionic]

How many different centre backs has he been patterned with this season? What chance has he had to be in an established system? Like most, if not all, Albion players he has faults. He wouldn't be with us for long if he didn't. I agree his positioning and decision making has been poor at times but I think there's a decent player here who is bewildered by the changes and left exposed by a lightweight, overrun midfield.

Put Semi in a Pulis team and he would be brilliant, seriously cannot believe i typed that, but its true.
For clarity, I am NOT advocating anything positive about the coward 

[Atomic]

Put Semi in a Pulis team and he would be brilliant, seriously cannot believe i typed that, but its true.
For clarity, I am NOT advocating anything positive about the coward

Totally disagree, he cant defend in a deep block. Ajayi's major asset is his pace ina high line. It works at Championship level where he can outpace pretty much anyone.
It's different in the PL with the likes of Barnes, Traore and Son in opposition but his pace is still his biggest asset.

[SmethDan]

I'd be tempted to put him at RB .

Mentioned this as a possibility some time ago for his height at the far post and ability to get up and down the pitch. I think it might be a bit late now though, he already looks like a rabbit caught in headlights in his favoured position. Asking him to take on a new role may well blow the lad's mind.

[Dexy]

Mentioned this as a possibility some time ago for his height at the far post and ability to get up and down the pitch. I think it might be a bit late now though, he already looks like a rabbit caught in headlights in his favoured position. Asking him to take on a new role may well blow the lad's mind.

In a Craig Dawson way it might be a bit more simple for him , the other two options aren't up to it sadly .

[SmethDan]

Surprised this thread was so far back.

I could not get my head around some of the things I saw from Ajayi last night. In the first couple of minutes he got his angles completely wrong and I thought he was going to hack Traore down for a cheap early booking.

Still trying to process what he thought he was doing dilly dallying with the ball at his feet in the box. As for the headed attempt...... needs to press the factory reset button in hope of an improvement.

I can understand the logic for keeping him on over Dara O'Shea in terms of pace, height and threat from set pieces but in practice he was a liability for much of the game. Really needs to up his game.

[Atomic]

Hes not the best to be honest.

He's fine when defending a high line in the Championship because he has as much pace as practically anyone at that level and when we have majority possession he looks Ok.

On the ball in the Prem he is poor and defensively he's an accident waiting to happen every game.

He's the weakest defensively of our three centre backs.

[KN22]

Hes not the best to be honest.

He's fine when defending a high line in the Championship because he has as much pace as practically anyone at that level and when we have majority possession he looks Ok.

On the ball in the Prem he is poor and defensively he's an accident waiting to happen every game.

He's the weakest defensively of our three centre backs.

Absolutely he is. For me, the much maligned Bartley shows him how a centre half should play. I do however agree that in the division we are heading to, he will be okay.

[Atomic]

Absolutely he is. For me, the much maligned Bartley shows him how a centre half should play. I do however agree that in the division we are heading to, he will be okay.

But then Bartley when we hold a high line and have possession is a liability.

Different types of football suit different players.

In the Championship if we are possession based I'd rather have Ajayi.

[gazberg]

Another of our players subjected to racial abuse on social.media after today's game. He put up screenshots of the messages on Instagram.


Absolutely sickening. No need or place for it.

[SmethDan]

Another of our players subjected to racial abuse on social.media after today's game. He put up screenshots of the messages on Instagram.


Absolutely sickening. No need or place for it.

There really are some unusual creations out there.....

[gazberg]

There really are some unusual creations out there.....

Literally mindless. I'll never understand it

[wodenson46]

Ignore it Ajayi. It is just social media cretinous keyboard Krap.

I was dragged up in a world where it was generally ok to say what you wanted as long as you said it face to face. It proved a reasonable restraint.

Modern tech allows cowardly brainless morons free rein to insult and attack others without fear of retribution or curtailment. They can and should be found and have the errors of there ways strongly pointed out to them. When they recover they should be fined and have ALL access to technology removed from them. Surgically if necessary.

[Atomic]

I will never understand why pro footballers use social media. Yes, of course they should be able to without fear, but we should all be able to leave our doors open without fear as well but we live in a real world where we have a thing called a brain which is our best policeman of all.

It doesn't excuse online idiots who post their ignorant, semi human views but I just wonder why footballers put themselves in such a vulnerable position. I wouldn't if I were a pro.

[Baggies]

Sadly, I get the impression these examples will be harder to prosecute. The names of the 2 people who have sent the messages make it look like they are from foreign linked accounts rather than local where WM Police can track them down easier. Get the impression they are Middle East or Asian based Liverpool fans for some reason sending him the abuse, which means it is all on Instagram to sort it out.

[BaggieNick]

Another of our players subjected to racial abuse on social.media after today's game. He put up screenshots of the messages on Instagram.


Absolutely sickening. No need or place for it.

Like every other club we have idiots.

This is sad.

Hearing the likes of Talks sport and Premier League football clubs saying that they'll boycott social media for four whole days! Wow! No. Boycott it until they can comfortably identify idiots sitting behind a screen and can immediately take them down.