Absolutely stunning, the fans, the performance, and the price, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
Firstly the performance, now all I have heard since the game is fans and the media saying, “it was only against QPR”.
Lets not be fooled, it was the same QPR who drew with Watford 1-1 a couple of weeks before and the same QPR who drew with Bristol City 2-2.
Yes, they are bottom of the league, but as the two games above prove, anybody can take points of anybody in this league.
The performance on Sunday was simply outstanding, to a man, everybody played well.
We kept possession and were patient in our build up play, and through the excellent Greening created chance after chance, and when you have Super Kev and the Moston Mauler on your side you know you are going to score goals.
The team responded to the Hawthorns hosting its biggest attendance of the season.
Sunday sent out a firm message to Mr Peace, make the games affordable and the fans will turn up in droves (whether it is on the TV or not), and is it a coincidence that we give our best performance this season when we have our biggest crowd of the season??
I think the two go hand in hand, fans can act like a twelfth man, and we all witnessed the players respond on Sunday.
Next in town are Stoke, we all know that Stoke are our bogey team and my own personal tip is that they will make the top six this season, but if we perform to the same standard as the QPR game we will win.
It will be interesting to see if Mowbray makes any changes, 9 games in and we still haven’t witnessed an unchanged side.
After Sunday’s performance it would be difficult to leave anybody out, however, when sitting in second place and watching some of the best football I have ever witnessed at the Hawthorns, it is difficult to argue with the managers methods.
But if he does make any changes what or who could they be?
Baggies fans, what do you think? Have your say below.
20 Comments
I would try Ceaser and put Alby on the bench—-I thought we were fantastic going forward but flaky at the back and I’d like to see a stronger more physical centre half against Stoke.
Yea I can agree with you there glenn, I felt un-nerved by QPR’s late attacks and even went as far as thinking ‘we’re gonna concede one here’.
Not to take away a great performance though but there is always work to be done.
Villa fans….what happened!
TM has been picking the 11 to play the team in front of us. Stoke are a different proposition to QPR and so we MAY see a small tweak in either personnnel or formation.. although I’m not sure who or where.. THATS why TM gets the big bucks.
Jarrod - not sure the media have been saying it was only QPR - unless you include the wolves comments published in this paper.. everyone else I’ve heard have been full of praise for our performance.
Agree with the point about lower prices meaning bigger crowds… its got to be a winner !!
BoingBoing666
I too thought we were going to concede late on,
but not because of any defensive frailties, more down to the team on the whole “going through the motions” for the last 15/20 mins and basically switching off.
Bomber/Jarrod
thoughts on any possible team changes, i wont repeat myself, they are on the previous thread to this one.
Yea I know what you mean ‘Wbaforever’ we’ve got a great knack at doing that sometimes but I’m really looking forward to Stoke now, lets see if we can’t put this bogey team demon to rest
The starting 11 against QPR has to be the starting 11 against Stoke.
I definitely would NOT want Cesar playing his first competitive match in this league against Cresswell and Fuller.
Albrechtsen may not be the tallest but he’s done alright so far.
I wanted to make a point about the attendance on Sunday. It proved to me that the gates are purely down to the price of admission. Lets face it they didnt turn up on Sunday because it was QPR, it was on the box, the opposition were hardly inviting, and the game was played at a time when most people are usually munching beef and pud.
Yet, due to the PRICE, fans turned up in large numbers.
I am sure Peace has noticed, however it becomes a numbers game, 15000 fans paying £23 generates more revenue than 30000 fans paying £10, and somewhere along the line we need to strike a balance so that the fans can afford to come to games, and the number of fans is sufficient to give support to the team.
I know it is an emotive subject and the article only touched on it, but i think over the next few years (with the cost of living going up by the minute) it will become a bigger issue.
On another note, Slusarski scored two for the reserves last night, (McDonald got one aswell). May only be a couple of weeks away from being in the first team squad.
Oh and the reserves scored 6 last night, its raining goals halaluah its raining goals!!!
I would leave it alone. After a performance like that no one deserves to be dropped. I may be tempted to play Pele.I know everyone is slating him for his performances so far but he may be needed against Stoke. Lets face it the job he does is to win it and give it and I for one think he has done OK and we know it will be physical against the potters.
Stoke is probably the sort of game that Pele was bought for but,he would have to improve greatly on his last performance. I note that he was taken off early in the reserves game last night so he will probably figure. I think TMs tinkering is quite clever because he is keeping a number of players on the boil, and if we get an injury we have cover that is not rusty. Well done the lads on sunday but this one will be a totally different proposition.
I see Macdonald and sluzarski both did well in the reserves, Even more ingredients for Mowbrays melting pot!
Do you pick Pele from the off and then change it if we get a couple of goals or leave him on the bench and maybe we end up bring him on after conceeding… OR… do we think, hang on, its only Stoke and they should be more frightend of us - and play the same 11 as Sunday, scoe another 4 - 5 goals and go TOP OF THE LEAGUE…
great game on sunday, but my point is about the price of tickets, what about us people who have already purchased season tickets a while back, june to be precise, where do we get our discount from? kids season tickets aprrox £100, adults £450, then you find out kids can get in for a quid,adults for a tenner where is the fairness in that for the ‘loyal’ supporters the ones who turn up game after game regardless of who we are playing or whether its on the telly!!!
Baggi boy
Some very good points, and well presented.
I myself fleetingly asked the same questions,
however the “bigger picture” tells me, that this pricing policy on sunday will prove to be an unmittigated success, in the clubs awareness for the need to bring in new fans, the future of the club.
this squad is far better and stronger than ive seen in a long time i dont thik we have to worrie about stoke as long as the back line is strong we dont want to let anymore silly goals in. SAY WE ARE ALBION SAY WE ARE ALBION
baggi boy
I agree, we must ensure fairness to our most loyal of fans.
Either we offer rebates on next seasons season tickets (incorporating any reduced prices across the course of the season)ie if any games have reduced rates add them up across the whole season and offer as a rebate for the following season, or preferably, have our ticket price strategy in place before the season starts.
As i have already stated, the issue of ticket prices is an ongoing dilema, one i think will become more important
Guy’s
Regarding ticket prices I think it is a difficult call for the club. As with some previous posts I paid £99 for my sons ticket and £450 for mine. This means that you can only miss 3 games beofre it becomes cheaper to pay game by game. I agree with Baggie Boy that a rebate system may be the answer but no one can deny that with the additional 5000 people in the place it was rocking on Sunday. Long may it continue. I would probably play the same 11 who styarted on Sunday and when we have scored 2 or 3 bring Pele on to shore it up a little. I am convinced that this time our class will tell
Ticket price’s are the same for all clubs, they never seem to get it right or please everyone anyway. Afterall I had to give up my seat for you lot and pay 5 quid extra for the priviledge of moving!
Clubs tend to put on an offer when the match is broadcast on the tele. Not sure a rebate scheme is the way to go though, imagine the admin in that, ticket price’s would increase!
Albion are looking good at the moment, hope this pelé isn’t that one from Brazil?
We must swallow the ticket price reduction for certain games. If you had been asked at 11 am on Sunday, “3 points in exchange for letting an extra 5,000 in on the cheap” what would you have said? “Lerrum in fer f,f,f, free” or something similar. Maybe the Halfords could get re-built and we could fill the place at a lower price. That’s the way forward methinks.
Guys i’ve watched pele a few times and sorry but i don’t want too see him again! Not being critical he’s probably a nice bloke but the guy needs a good shake! He is so laid back. Otherwise he may be ok. Send him out on loan for a few months..
A lower in table club like QPR, Barnsley, wolves…
Can’t w8 2 see sluraski, bentner, cesar.
Anyway how can anyone suggest changes? Play like sunday and stoke will not touch us.. This bogey team stuff is non sense, if they’re not a good team they will end up like the previous teams we’ve played in the league.. BATTERED.
Up the albion.
i would rather lose money on my season ticket and see a full house than see a 19000 attendance week in week out