Albion blogger Jarrod Hill had a good time at the Hawthorns on Saturday against Chelsea - despite the result.
This may sound strange but I thoroughly enjoyed Saturday’s game against Chelsea. The first half highlighted both our strengths and our weaknesses.
For half an hour, we were the better team out passing and often out playing one of the best teams in Europe, but we need to be more clinical when in and around the opposing box.
We had a number of promising opportunities but lacked the killer ball, or our shots went wide or over the bar when we needed to work the keeper.
I thought Ishamel Miller had a good game but him and Roman Bednar were often way too far apart. At one stage a ball was floated up to Bednar who did well to flick on, but Miller was forty yards away.
If we can play like that against Stoke this weekend we can put our bogey side to the sword, but eventually Chelsea’s individual class won the game but I thought 3-0 flattered them slightly.
It was good to see Filipe Teixiera back, he looked bright when coming off the bench and caused Chelsea some problems. He certainly got a better reception than Chelsea striker Didier Drogba!
Drogba must be one of the most despised footballers on the planet, although he did provide the source of a bit of humour.
I am guessing ‘Match of the Day’ or Setanta didn’t show it but for those who were not there, upon his entrance onto the field a Baggies fan strolled onto the pitch to offer him some loose change from his pocket.
Now I am not condoning contravening FA rules but it was as funny as hell, even the stewards who led him away thought it was funny.
The Smethwick fans were louder than normal and by the look on some of the Chelsea fans faces they didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe it’s because they don’t find themselves 3-0 down too often and still singing!
I thought the referee was terrible yet again. If it is true what they say regarding decisions balancing themselves out across the course of the season then I can’t wait for all those decisions to go our way.
Even the linesmen struggled, I watched in disbelief as a ball clearly went out only for the linesmen to do nothing and allow play to carry on.
The league still looks as tight as a drum and our next four fixtures are huge. With three of them being away from home, our boys need to find some steely resolve.
I had to laugh when, having a jar or two after the game, I overheard two baggies fans basically saying they liked the Championship more than the Premier League. They had a number of reasons to back it up.
Firstly they could get tickets easier, secondly we won more and thirdly, wait for it, the queue at the bar wasn’t as bad, I nearly choked on my pint laughing.
As for laughing, did our defender Paul Robinson have a bet on how many corners Chelsea would get on Saturday? He certainly helped up their tally, on a serious note I thought both our full backs had poor games. Gianni Zuiverloon needs to stop being caught going forward.
Just one final gripe, why have our midfielders stopped making runs into the box?
I believe it is the reason our goal scoring record is poor this season. Every time we cross the ball into the box, it seems our midfield lack either the belief our the confidence to make those telling late runs.
Anyway that’s me done and keep the faith. Just remember if the worse comes to the worse, it will be easier to get served at the bar!
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22 Comments
Nice blog Jarrod - I had a great time on Saturday aswell, i thought it was a very entertaining game, and isn’t that what its all about. I enjoy almost every game i watch, even though we don’t win them.
I’d rather not win another game this season than pay like Stoke/Bolton.
Changing the subject slightly, i think that we need another player that can beat a man, with pace and skill. I know Tex is back, but other than Morrison we don’t have a suitable player. May i suggest Scoot Sinclair in January???
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Another semi positive Blog Bomber, I’m getting worried about you! I can confirm I didn’t enjoy the game - as with the Liverpool game I was sat there expecting a solid first 20 mins and then the first Chelsea goal to arrive - ending any chance of getting something from the game. Altho we passed it well when at 0-0 and 1-0 we never looked like scoring (just like ManU and Liverpool). We are so naive at the back and have to learn fast if we are to keep clean sheets (which is what is needed when you score as few as us). I understand that we’re not expected to get anything but we need to because 0 points and -11 goal diff from the big 4 isn’t good enough.
Not that this influenced the result but the challenge on James Morrison in the 2nd half which saw him limp off was absolutely disgusting and chelsea should have been down to 10 men without question - no mention on the sky coverage nor match of the day - funny that!
I agree with Great Barr Baggie and have been saying it for the past month or so - we are missing a player like Gera or Richardson who run forward with the ball. Morrison is the best we have at this but we need some quality in to really hurt teams.
Worryingly I’m confident I’ll see my first win away at win at Stoke on Saturday - everything they’re good at we are weak at. However, at a similar time last year we went away and out classed the bully boy long ball specialists Watford. A similar result would be just the ticket but every player will have to be on there game and must stand up and be counted!
P.S. Fuller being suspended is a bonus for sure
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cracklng blogg jarrod,agree also about the midfield,would like them to be abit more supporting.to all the smethwick endders stand up & take a bow they seemed to be having agreat time my daughter says we need a drum in the brummie or shes going to change ends,shes been golng since she was 3yrs,shes 16 now and has only missed games when ill.
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Cracking Game a Cracking time,now thats the last of the big ones for a while just sit back and watch us rise,Boing Boing
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I sit right in front of the camera in the smethwick and i can say i am proud to be a smethwick ender!! I sit down for half time and thats all.
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Quality blog!
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next time you see them 2 blokes tell um that if they had gone too games when we was in championship the tickets would be easy too come by,
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The picture at the top of Drogba in a baggies shirt makes me feel physically sick!!
He epitomises everything i hate about modern day footballers.
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your right bout midfielders,i only said yesterday greening and co need to start going forward too help ish out kim got in the box on saturday and made 2 decent chances for himself but couldent take them,aye boing boing donk
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Of all the players we put out, Who is our inspirational leader who can fire up the players during a game?
We need someone in the style of Derek MacInnes or Premiership equivalent, who works hard and can get the best out of other players in a match. What do you guys think??
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Bomber, I couldn’t agree more. I feel sick to see him in a Baggie shirt, I can only imagine how you feel.
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Bomber, Malvern, couldn’t agree more with you my friends. He is the epitome of the ‘bad face’ of football - regardless of his talent. However someone on the field on Saturday obviously didn’t think so because they swapped shirts with him!!
Terry me old mate, how are you ? Glad to see you and the usual suspects are still holding their heads high. It has been an eye opener over the past few days to see how many Baggies fans (or so say fans) have turned against TM in the twinkling of an eye. Another all too unfortunate face of the so say modern game.
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Hello my favourite Wulfies Malvern & Filton.
Filton, unfortunately there is a queen element amongst our number these days……………
I want it all and i want it now.
I suspect that the TM detractors are in the main fairly infrequent attendees, obviously there will be the ever present doom monger, we all have them.
If any of the doubters witnessed the dire fare served up in Bryan Robsons tenure or worse still the utter embarrassment under Bobby Gould, then thier collective memories have failed them badly.
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Jeff, number 10. Couldn`t agree more. This has been a problem for years. Remember Megson`s crazy idea of changing captains every game. It was only because there was no obvious choice, we even used Kanu once. Only Robbo seems prepared to run through a wall for the cause.
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At this point in time I’d happily see Drogba in an Albion shirt on Saturday!
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I too thought the fullbacks were poor and agree that Zuvi seems to get caught going forward and then jogs back rather than busting a gut to get beack. Robbo has been poor all his career and whilst he may run through a brick wall I would prefer him to stop crosses coming into the box which is what he is paid to do. I was a bit dissapointed on Saturday as I felt that there was a lack of fight and that should be the least we can expect. I fear another loss on Saturday but you never know.
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13. Hello forever- trust you’re in good health. Was that a Queen element or a Queer element ? Maybe both but I know what you mean ?!!!! I agree about the fact that the main detractors could well be infrequent attendees, but why should that be ? As you can probably guess from my location I’m not a frequent attendee but I do try to get to as many games as a I can. However, despite this I never have been and never will be a doom monger. That’s not to say I don’t have a moan occasionally but I like to think that I put my case and how I feel. If others don’t like it, ok, I accept that. What I won’t do is come out and just say “sack the manager” etc - there has to be some reasoning behind it otherwise it just becomes senseless drivel - and we’ve seen that on both our sites !!
15. beevower, don’t take this as a dig at your present position but if Drogba was with you, he would probably invent some reason not to play. He’s such a prima donna and thinks he’s God’s Gift that he couldn’t possibly play for a club at the foot of the table. So in actual fact he would be bu**er all use to you !!
Sorry this is so long but I don’t get too many opportunities to chat with you all these days. Just one more comment and it is a personal one so I’m happy to take the flak. Just to pick up a point that Baggie paul made. He said that Robbo is always prepared to run through the wall for the cause. unfortunately, from what I’ve seen of him this season he is becoming a little boy lost in the Prem. Far too often he’s getting caught too far forward and he does lack that little bit of finnesse. There’s no doubt he was an excellent Championship player but I think his credentials are being found a little short at the moment.
Cheers my Baggie mates I’m off for an ice cold glass of lemonade !!!
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Good blog
Tbh I have a good feeling about Stoke saturday, but then again I ain’t going to put a bet on it as when ever I back the albion they always lose
Also I wouldn’t mind seeing Drogba and an Albion shirt again
I personally think this thing about him throwing a coin in the crowd is being blown up too much, I don’t blame him for what he did, if someone throws it at him they should expect it back, it would be like someone punching you in the street, you ain’t going to let them carry on you will punch them back
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“we need to be more clinical when in and around the opposing box.”
“why have our midfielders stopped making runs into the box?”
Tex is back, these issues will be resolved to a certaim extent. Watch the difference this guy makes. We have certainly missed him.
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Beevower, behave.
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christ what was them two guys on most fans of clubs would give their right arm to be in the prem
As for tex quality player,well done smethwick end good noise all through, cockneys looked a bit mystified only heard em occasionally in brummie.
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Good blog Jarrod … common sense & practical with some humour too … good point about the midfielders … have we got someone who can come thro late & attack the ball in the box? We certainly need support for the strikers who so often seem so isolated & left with all the responsibility to score.
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