Albion blogger Jarrod Hill looks at the form guide as the Baggies draw the proverbial short straw, Chelsea, at the Hawthorns.
The start to this campaign has surprised fans up and down the country. Hull and Stoke beating Arsenal, the league being so tight, along with the fact relegation and title places are still very much up for grabs.
It has long since been argued that the Premier League is boring and predictable when it comes to the top and bottom placings, yet this season we are witnessing something of an enigma.
So can Albion survive in the Premier League? Lets take a look at some of the facts.
From sixth through to bottom, the league is extremely tight,. Two wins can take you from bottom to the top half of the table at present.
After the Chelsea game, we embark on a run of fixtures which will hopefully prove less demanding than the recent games against Man United, Liverpool, and the Premier League leaders.
We have a number of players who are still adapting to life in the Premier League and will improve as experience is gained.
Three heart warming and moral boosting points of fact. We also have the January transfer window, which will give us the opportunity to plug the gaps in the squad.
We have also received a number of plaudits from opposing managers regarding the style of football we play, but unfortunately kind words do not equate to points on the board. If they did, Stoke would be on minus 25 points.
Yet the stark reality is we are bottom of the league and we are bottom due to dropping points in games we have been the better team in.
Everton, Blackburn, Bolton, and Aston Villa have all stolen points from us, due to us not having that steely resolve to make draws into wins and losses into draws.
Some may call it luck or ‘the rub of the green.’ I am sick of hearing it all balances itself out across the course of the season. I used to believe that until I witnessed our first season in the Premier League.
Anyway onto the game and how do we stop the rampant Chelsea? Firstly, ignore their result in midweek against Burnley, as I do not expect many of that team to make up the starting 11.
I think if we stand off them and give their midfield as much room as we gave Liverpool’s last week, we could be in for a hiding. Chelsea’s biggest strength is their midfield and particularly their goal scoring threat.
From the middle of the park, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Deco are all regular goal scorers.
Combined with their clean sheet record, it is easy to see why they remain my favourites to win the title this season.
That said, John Terry is an excellent defender when facing long balls and crosses but he doesn’t like pace. For that reason, I would definitely play Ishmael Miller up front.
Chelsea’s full backs also like to push on, so I would play our two hardest working midfielders out wide, with Koren on the right and Morrison (if fit) out left.
But lets face it, this is Chelsea so we have to hope they have an off day and we play well to get anything.
Regardless I am going to enjoy it, especially after suffering with flu all week.
If you see me in the Vine before the game, it is for medicinal purposes only, honest.
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14 Comments
morning bomber, hope your feeling better. I have to agree with your points and would add that we havent become a bad team overnight. We have a lot to look forward to and like you i will just go and enjoy tommorrow what ever the resuly. Its the long term that we have to look too, and we have to realise that t.m. is building a football club from top to bottom, and given the time we will be an established top flight team with his philosophies. I for one find the wholr process very exciting and given the choice between t.m. way and the bolton/stoke way theres no contest. Keep the faith and enjoy what are very exciting times
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Jarrod.
From you this is worryingly upbeat. Having said that you make some excellent points and I agree that there is plenty to be optimistic about and hopefully send the ‘Dismal Jimmy’s’ scurrying back into their holes. One thing you’ve missed, possibly deliberately, is that we have four potentially key players to come back from injury, in Meite, Kim, Tex and Barnett.
One other thing. I’d like to say that I think Ryan Donk has had a rough deal from some quarters. Yes the tackle at Newcastle was poor but the Blackburn penalty was for something that players do week in, week out, all season. He’s a young player who has moved to a new country and is playing in a much higher standard league. Comparing him with Zuiv is unfair as CH is a position that leaves a player more exposed than RB. Donk has everything you need to be a great player except experience. Let’s get behind him and help him, not get on his back and destroy him.
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well boys like yourselfs im going to enjoy the game and if we get anything from it,it will be a big bonus..like hilltop said mowbray is building for the future and we need to support him and get behind the lads,,this is what we worked so hard for last season,now its here enjoy it,,me and terry will be having afew sherbutts in the social club before the match if you see us come and have a sherbutt or two with us…..LEARNING THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..p.s…baggie steward keep an eye on them cockney boys in the smethwick
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this is what the team worked so hard for last season so lets enjoy it,mowbray is building for the future so lets get behind the lads,,if we get anything it will be a big bonus and after this game we can start to pick points up again,,me and terry will be picking a few pints up in the s.c so if you see us come and join in for a few sherbutts,,,LEARNING THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOH YES,,,P.S BAGGIE STEWARD KEEP AN EYE ON THEM COCKNEY WIDE BOYS MATE……
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To be honest, you could shock chelsea tomorrow. These are the games in a season when shocks happen and i wouldnt already write your team off. i watched your game v liverpool last week and robinson looks horribly out of his depth along with bednar and donk,greening likes to spray the ball around but makes no progress. good luck.
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Whenever TM does an interview after a game he says we played nice football and he doesn’t look at the result too much.
I have to totally agree from a fans point of view. Its always nice to win, but the reason we all watch football is to enjoy it and i don’t think that means winning. Remember Cardiff at home last year, we only drew and that was one of the best games of football i have been to. Isn’t that what its about??
I would be more happy playing exciting football in League 1 than playing the Stoke/Bolton way in the Premier league. Yes it would be nice to see us stay up and compete at the highest level, but as long as i see an exciting game with my team playing GOOD football i’m happy and always will be!!
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We’re also bottom due to having the worst goal difference. Although it’s points that count, the GD reflects the gulf in standard too.
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I’m not looking for an Albion win tomorrow - as TM himself has said,if Chelsea play the way they have been doing so far this season, particularly away from home, then we will lose regardless of what we do.
However I am looking for a more professional and less niaive performance from us. If the strikers miss chances or the defenders make individual errors then there isn’t much that can be done about it, but I do expect us to play in a style that is appropriate for a game against the team that I believe will win both the Premiership and the Champions League this year. You don’t have to compromise your footballing beliefs against the best teams, you have to add an extra element of fight and determination on top of them. The best footballing teams also have a fantastic work ethic and never say die approach. It isn’t a case of having one or the other as is sometimes portrayed.
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The problem most west brom fans have is you think your team is much better than they actually are. The facts are that you won the poorest championship on record with just 82 points most of which was because of KP who you latter stabed in the back, this year the top 2 teams will have to have to have 90+ points to get promotion and Reading had 106 when they went up, also you sold proven players such as Gera, kumas, mcshane and KP and replaced them with unproved foreign rookies, face the facts you just aint that good boys
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If Terry doesn’t like pace why not start with Miller and MacDonald up front…
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I think that with Meite, Tex and Kim coming back into the fold, we’ll be looking much stronger and able to pick up the results we have deserved until January and the transfer window opens, allowing us to strengthen again!!
After this week we have winnable matches coming up and we WILL move up the table!!
Keep the faith, stay until the end tomorrow and support the boys….because remember, if we get a draw, according to yesterday’s logic, it means we are good enough to only lose the Champions League Final on penalties!!
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9 - Replace the words ‘West Brom’ with ‘Wolves’ and I think you’ll be able to read the 1st sentence of your statement again without really noticing the difference….Oh, and please remember, we did win the Championship as opposed to finishing 7th and deserve to be in the Premier League for doing so.
Best of luck for the rest of the season Watford, sorry, I mean Wulfies!!
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carl
So because you are clear in the championship it makes it a tougher league than last year, errm what????
The fact the league was so tight last year was because of the added quality of the three that got promoted. Think about it!!!
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Hi Jarrod
Good blog mate but don’t feel condemned to defeat just yet! Chelsea actually played a lot of their first team against Burnley in midweek and I don’t think they will go into the game with masses of confidence.
I remember when they came and gave us a 5-0 thumping, Crespo came on and scored 2 blinding goals and Lampard hit his usual one from miles out. With the Premiership so tight from top to bottom, it will probably matter more when you play the teams around you.
Have a good weekend and enjoy the game. Make sure the coins are chocolate!
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