I know Mowbray has stated he wanted the Baggies to be the entertainers of the Championship but Saturday was taking it way too far, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
Getting the three points was imperative, and we are now in a strong position to attack an automatic position, but I ask you, can your nerves take anymore of this high drama??
2-3 down going into the ninetieth minute, I was all doom and gloom, even when the equaliser went in I was still glum at the thought of only one point against the worst team seen at the Hawthorns this season.
Then up stepped bang bang Bednar, the will to win the game and with all of the Brummie Road End sucking the ball into the net we escaped with all three points. Colchester were poor, but had managed to score three goals from their three attacks, and it looked like being one of those days were we would outplay our opponents and not win. Dean Kiely had an awful game; his decision making was all over the place and both of the first two goals he could have prevented.
Many fans are now calling for Mowbray to give Danek an opportunity, but with us now entering into such an important week of football I am not sure whether that risk will be taken by our management.
We play Cardiff tonight and three points would see us move up to second spot, but our recent record against our Welsh friends has not been great and a point would not be the end of the world.
Chris Brunt had a great return to the team, he has been missed in recent weeks and we saw what we have been missing on Saturday, his wing play and delivery of balls into the box are a class above what most right backs see in this division.
His goal was superb, but what was even more impressive was when in the last minute with the pressure on he delivered the perfect cross for Bednar to attack. If he can stay fit until the end of the season our chances of achieving promotion will be enhanced.
It was also pleasing to see Morrison back; Mowbray’s attacking options are now looking much brighter, and with club man Clement making a surprise return, my confidence is starting to grow. Clement looked very assured when introduced and could be the man to plug the defensive lapses that have threatened to derail our push for promotion. He also offers a threat from set pieces and we all remember the days when he used to bang in a free kick or two, yes it was great to see him in an Albion shirt again.
Seeing Robbo all bandaged up and still carrying the fight to the opposition was a fantastic sight, his displays this season have been consistently high and must be in contention for player of the season. Not only our best defender, he also has the most assists this season, which is amazing for a left back, he never stops going and his crossing is good for a full back.
I know many fans are worried about the amount of games we still have left to play, but I think it will help us, if we can get a result tonight we can build some momentum that can hopefully see us do enough for one of those top two spots.
Good luck tonight boys, shhhhhhh do not mention the W word, we must focus on promotion.
Baggiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeesssssssss!!!!!!!
32 Comments
Jarrod you have touched up on what I said yesterday regarding Colchester being the worst team we have seen at the Hawthorns this season.
The return of the trio of players you have mentioned is a massive plus at this stage of the season.
How confident will we feel tomorrow if we get a positive result tonight, fingers crossed.
Baggiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeesssssssss!!!!!!!
Seeing Robbo all bandaged up….reminded me of seeing John Wile, after the clash of heads with Brian Talbot, in that semi…..was it really 30 years ago?
That was one of only 3 Albion games I missed that season,as I went to my mates wedding on the same day.Heaven knows how many were listening to the match,via little earphones,in the Church!
Good luck this weekend Vs Pompey.
It’s been 40 long years since Graham Williams lifted that certian piece of silverware.
Maybe you could get Frank Skinner to do a remake of Three Lions?
Throstles on my shirt
FA Cup still gleaming
40 years of hurt
I never stopped believing….
Morning Jarrod
A month or so ago I was dreading the derby game, but now I can’t wait. Its a shame that we are not playing you this weekend with the form we are in.
See you soon.
Nath.
My neves can’t take much more!!!!
can’t wait for tonights game a win and I think we will kick on. Lets hope so. Come on boys a final push for the remaining games and the spoils will be ours
Jarrod.
Well done. Up to the usual standard. I don’t think you have covered the euphoria felt at the final whistle as you mentioned it in a previous posting. I think that feeling was akin to Balis’ penalty going in, it made everyone think perhaps we’re going to do it after all. The bloke that sits next to me, a respectable middle aged gentleman who normally claps politely was boinging and hugging everyone in sight.
I think you’ve covered most of the standout performances by players. Brunt, imperious. Clement, so good to see him back. Phillips/Bednar/Morrison important goals. You didn’t mention Hoefkens, why was he taken off? Miller, I felt sorry for him stranded out on the wrong side for him, why? Although you mention Robbo, I’d like to emphasise your comment. Starting with the head injury, as he didn’t show to much sign of being hurt, my first thought was, he’s gone down for treatment to avoid the risk of a booking. Should have known better. What really summed up this and indeed every performance that he gives was a second half incident. Ball running out at BRE, full back happy to let it go, Robbo goes on a lung bursting chase for a ball he has no chance of getting. Robbo launches into a sliding tackle on the now panicking full back, and comes out of a scrap with the ball at his feet. If this doesn’t inspire the other players and the supporters nothing will. It’s the reason I stay in place at the end of every game to applaud Robbo as he always comes to acknowledge the fans at the end of every game. As David Ginola would say ‘because he’s worth it.’ And to those Wolves fans who need a life gaurd at the shallow end of the gene pool. You know who you are and will no doubt be on here confirming it. Robbo puts his body on the line every game and yet has rarely missed a game for us through injury. As for his transfer request, I don’t think any of us begrudged him wanting another go at the Prem after the service he’s given. And dirty, perhaps in todays pat-a-cake mentality he’s on the borderline, ten years ago he wouldn’t have got a second look and anyone who accuses him of this has obviously never played in a Sunday League game. Sorry if this is longer than your blog Jarrod, presuming you’ve got this far without nodding off.
I think Mowbray has done a very good job but failed miserably because of the squad that he inherited. mc carthy turned up we had 9 pros on the books and tipped for relegation. you should of ran away with it last season and this season you have played good football but since xmas not reakky been a top 6 side. If you beat pompey you will win the cup and i do think it will go to extra time. The derby game will be fantastic, wolves playing well and albion will be up for it, be great under the lights. i think conceeding another 3 goals to the worst side in the division then scoring twice in injury time prooves you are not good enough to go up unfortunately, all the best for saturday.
Another big game tonight. A win and we go into the automatic promotion spots with a game in hand, or a defeat and all of a sudden it’s out of our hands. No pressure there then !
Having Brunt and Morrison back on Saturday gave us a a big boost and Brunt in particular gave us something which had been missing for the last few games. Like everyone else, the defence scares the brown stuff out of me although I’m convinced that it’s not the personnel that’s the problem, its the (lack of) mental strength and determination that we have as a team when we’re up against it.
WHAT A GREAT BAGGIES SONG 3 THROSTLES ON MY SHIRT!!! it must be sung fantastic so happy going up no probs
The Hoff
If we lose tonight automatic promotion will still be in our own hands, due to our goal difference and still having a game in hand.
The real bully, loved your blog!!! We celebrated so hard we fell on top of the people in front of us, such a relief, my brother in law said after the game that if we do acheive promotion that we would look back
and see the Colchester game as a defining moment.
Good blog again. I’d be more than happy with a point tonight, but a win would be massive psychologically . If we manage to break into the top 2 with the game in hand, it piles the pressure back onto the others. Anyone think that Kanu might come back to haunt us??? Is Defoe Cup tied on Sat???
cardiff can still get into the playoffs so they will be going all out, a draw would be the best result for us as i still think with albion having the majority of their games away from home and having to come to us we can still finish above them
Good blog Jarrod, always interesting to hear the albions fans points of view.
You mentioned in your blog about albions attacking options now getting better, when has your attacking options ever looked bleak or indeed failed to find the back of the sprout bag?
Enjoy wembley albion fans, are you going to make it a happy hunting ground this season? I think if you son’t beat us in a couple of weeks you might go back there again in the playoffs.
Wakeybaggie is your email working mate, i keep getting undeliverable to you?
Yes Defoe is cup tied. Pompeys big boys will scare our back 5 half to death off set pieces. Lets hope we give a good show of ourselves and then concentrate on going up as Champions.
Love the 3 Throstle idea, we could keep it going for hours….
Kent.
What a top idea, Three Lions, one of the all time great football songs. As Frank is one of us, why shouldn’t we claim it. I’ve took the liberty of updating the words with a view to Saturday’s game.
He’s smiling down, he’s smiling down, he’s smiling.
King Jeff’s smiling down.
He’s smiling down, he’s smiling down, he’s smiling.
Astle’s smiling down.
Blue and white striped shirts.
Tonight we’ll all be steamin.
Forty years of hurt.
Never stopped us dreamin.
This is a first attempt, anyone can improve on this (shouldn’t be too difficult) feel free.
Let’s rock Wembley and drown the Pompey chimes.
Kent - no no no!! There is wishing albion all the best and then there is giving them songs to sing! You need to decide where you loyalty lies chap. Think living outside of the black country has deeply affected your way of thinking.
Remember in 1990…Alec Ferguson dropped his “experienced” former Aberdeen goalkeeper Jim Leighton after a poor display in the final and controversially selected Les Sealey for the replay….Was the “tough decisions” aspect of his managerial style(much as I can’t stand the bloke!)- that has made him the success he is(+ dosh)….So I think TM can learn from that…It could be the type of action that takes him and us to the next level…..
Momentum….a cliche ?……definitely
an overused one ?…….perhaps
absolutely relevant ?……..absolutely.
In the aftermath of Saturday, and the tidal wave
of emotion that gripped both the fans and the players…..you bet your life it`s relevant.
And because of that, i believe tonight’s game
will define our season.
Beat Cardiff tonight (no easy task) we will go to Wembley on a high in the knowledge that we have strengthened our promotion chances,
a defeat will deflate everyone for Saturday,
and possibly the remainder of the campaign.
Apologies if this sounds negative,
but i honestly believe that tonight is THE big
one, and will shape our season
Nathan 15…. Nope its called being a football fan
17.. Agree Cardiff is the big game , they are a very good side although a little inconsistant.I would love 3 points but to be honest I would be happy with 1
Saturday is a day out at Wembley win or lose its all about the enjoyment of the day.
I am very torn about win the cup or promotion my heart says the cup because its the greatest domestic tornament in the world, But my head says promotion because the prem lures better players to the club which of course makes the club a beter club.
Ideal world :
Fa Cup Winners —- WBA
Promoted —- WBA and our Wolfie friends
Need to win tonight Wbaforever’s reasoning is absolutely spot on. Guess that degree in psychology came in handy after all Wba
Any way I am off to the wilds of the Welsh hills see you there
Do we know which strip we will be wearing for the Semi? I have not heard anything?
21 … Blue and white
In that case Baggie boy think of a pro wolves song then……………….
Wakey
For the first time since 54 we are in our famous
stripes
Thanks folks I would hate to turn up improperly dressed.
NathanWolves:
I never metioned 3 throstles on the shirt.There’s only ever been one.
Frank Skinner & Matthew Marsden on vocals, Eric Clapton on guitar.
All profits to the Birmingham Childrens Hospital.
I might even help out with the lyrics…..
2. Kent Wolf. Just to clarify. If you only missed three Albion matches that season, does that mean that you support both Albion and Wolves or that you used to support Albion and now support Wolves?
Kent Wolf… which side of the fence do you fall on exactly?
27 john:
As a boy,I’d got to the Hawthorns one week, Molineux the next.
When I was in my late teens/early twenties,I was governed by work commitments, so went to games as & when.I saw Wolves get promoted as Champs in 76/77 season & West Brom up to the quarter finals v Notts Forest in 78.I saw West Brom get beat 7-0 against Ipswich & thrash Coventry 7-1.
I married a Wolves fan in 1980 & that’s where I eventualy stayed.
I was fortunate enough to go to my first West Brom game in 68/69 season,a 1-0 win against Arsenal.
I’ve seen West Brom in Europe…now I’m giving my age away (I was 50 last November)& I used to stand on the Smethwick End with the rest of the “Tipton Skinheads” & drank in The Blue Gate before kick off.
I’ve seen a lot in football during my 50 years.My saddest was Hillsborough, though Bradford & Ibrox come close.
One of my fondest was seeing Ally Robinson lifting the Sherpa Van Trophy after all those barren,medal free years at West Brom.
I get to as many games as my health will allow now,saturday being my latest Wolves Vs Charlton.
I wish Albion all the best for next Saturday.It would’ve been nice to be there,but hey ho!
Good Luck to Wolves & West Brom for the rest of the season.
May it end in promotion for BOTH teams!
29. Kent Wolf. Shame you moved to Kent having had such fun in the Black Country.
hmmmmmmmm, Kent, i think you should change your name to “Kent - Black Country Football Fan”
my name is isabelle hill, hello daddy, good luck for Saturday