I have spent all week taking distressed calls from nearly every Albion fan I know, I feel like a counsellor, writes Jarrod Hill.
I think many of them call me thinking that as I am the forever pessimist my doom and gloom will somehow make them feel better about their own depressing thoughts.
I said in my blog on Tuesday that I didn’t want our situation to turn into a witch hunt. I don’t think it is wise to point the finger of blame, but having spoken to many fans this week most have had a point of view on the reasons why we find ourselves at the bottom of the league.
The word luck and the saying `rub of the green` came up on a frequent basis, my feeling is that we are reaping what we sowed during the close season.
We knew before any other promoted team that we would be playing Premier League football this season, yet our activity in the transfer market seemed disjointed.
Our failure as a club to replace the players who left has been part of our undoing, I have no problem with the fact Kevin Phillips left us to join Birmingham and I wish him all the luck in the world. But we never replaced him, Gera left, and although I feel Morrison is probably the best right midfielder at the club and a perfect replacement for Gera, Morrison has been deployed on the left due to Brunts poor form and Koren has been filling in on the right.
Mowbray has signed some excellent players though; Valero, Zuiverloon, Olsson, and Meite have all added strength to our squad, but you cannot go into the toughest league in the world even slightly ill prepared and that’s what I feel we have done.
When the transfer deadline came and went my gut feeling was that we were lacking players in a few key positions and as I sit here and write this blog I just keep thinking that we do get relegated we will have missed a huge opportunity.
Mowbray is an excellent manager and I support him 100%, many fans forget that he is still young and relatively inexperienced. He will continue to learn his trade and I hope it will be with us, I believe if we stick by him he will move us forward as a club.
January’s transfer window gives us a chance to put our mistakes during the summer right, and I would be looking for a left winger, a central holding midfielder, and at least one, preferably two strikers.
One thing that more than one fellow fan has pointed out this week is Mowbray’s poor record so far on signing strikers. Slusarski, MacDonald, and the ever frustrating Luke Moore have all had little impact on the first team, Miller and Bednar have had moderate success and I hope his next addition will fair better.
Anyway onto Sunday’s game, I am hoping Portsmouth’s European game and lack of time to prepare for Sunday gives us an edge in a game which must be classed as a must win match.
I must admit I like Portsmouth football club and their fans are what I call proper fans.
I will always remember the part they played in survival Sunday and how they helped generate a party atmosphere, but I am afraid the only thing I want on Sunday is three points.
My team for Sunday would include playing Koren back in the middle and a 4-4-1-1 formation.
Carson
Zuiverloon, Meite, Olsson, Robinson.
Morrison, Greening, Koren, Brunt.
Valero
Miller
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37 Comments
Jarrod, cheer up mate. I remember 1946 being wet in summer with a cold, snowy pre-Christmas followed by the 1947 Winter being the worst for over 200 years. And all we had to wear was ‘Utility’ see-through clothing, the gas on low pressure, electric switch-offs and no coal. But we still went to The Hawthorns filled with hope if nowt else! Generally we are playing well enough to survive if we had a ‘natural’ goalscorer. The chances are being made and missed. If they weren’t being made, then that would be the end. TM will get it right. Believe it.
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Bomber, I’ve been saying it for some time too that we need the 4 players you pointed out a left winger, a holding midfielder, and everyone who has seen us this season knows we need at least 2 x strikers.
Having missed the last 2 matches by being away, I can’t comment on them, but I hear it’s the same old story.
Play well, some pretty football, miss chances and make stupid mistakes to gift goals away.
The players I’d look to bring in or that have been mentioned are:
CM - Didi Hamann;
CF - Oscar Trejo; Leroy Lita (loan); Carlos Vela (loan) and if at all possible Henrik Larsson.
LW - that kid from Arsenal Merida (loan); Jermaine Pennant (loan) I know he’s a right winger but get him in and continue to play Mozza or Tex on the left maybe???
I’m pretty sure that there WILL be significant business done in this transfer window both in and out and it’s almost guaranteed that some random player we’ve never heard of will be bought in from Europe.
Keep the faith, let’s get behind the lads on Sunday and pick up the next 3 points we need to stay up!!
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Cyril.
AH! As one who remembers that WORST EVER winter of 1947, that bought back memories.
The difference between football in the 40’s and now, is that it wasn’t a total disaster if a team was playing in the Second Division.
The cash differential made little difference,
Sadly should the Baggies find themselves in the ‘Fizzy Pop League’ next season it WILL mean starting all over again at places such as Watford, Burnley, Palace, Barnsley, Blackpool, etc.
I’ve seen every game to date (apart from the mid week away game at Newcastle) and sadly the quality of finishing from clear cut chances has been DREADFUL.
Without serious stengthening in January THOSE are the ‘delights’ Baggies fans anticipate.
“Come on you Baggies”
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‘Mowbray is an excellent manager and I support him 100%, many fans forget that he is still young and relatively inexperienced. He will continue to learn his trade and I hope it will be with us, I believe if we stick by him he will move us forward as a club.’
This is a very romantic comment. Great if it comes to fruition. However, would you gamble £50m and the prestige of playing in the best league in the world just because you like Mowbray?
This is the risk if we continue with Mowbray. There is no place for inexperiance and hesitancy in this league as you quite rightly state Mowbray has shown.
Pay the cash and get a proven manager, just like Tottenham have done.
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4. No disrespect mate but what top manager would want to join you at the bottom of the league??? You cant put Spurs and Albion in the same category.
Seriously give us a few names of who you have in mind.
I think TM is the best your gonna get and I suggest you get behind him.
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Let’s stick Lateef Elford-Alliyu up front on Sunday. Can’t be any worse.
and Smitter - yes, sticking with Mowbray is a gamble but so is the alternative, and I *like* the way we play. The best clubs either have long term managers or megabucks, and I think the former is a better model.
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NEGATIVE, NEGATIVE……
Get a grip mr blogger.
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swapping managers as soon as things got tough is what condemned us to years in the wilderness. I think he mis-judged a couple of things in the transfer window but top class strikers cost a bomb and getting the right one with our funds was never going to be easy. I would like to see him stay for the long term and I am confident that would be the best for the club
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Said it before,6.Give this lad a chance.We will never know what he can do?unless this happens.Arsenal give the youngsters a chance,that way they find out how far they have progressed.What would we think if Lateef scored a brace on Sunday!!!!!!!
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Great blog Bomber, it’s comforting to know others have been through the same pain after the JJB. I’ve refused to look at any papers and even covered up my Albion calendar in the kitchen to stop thinking about it.
Cyril, Terry, you’ve seen far more than I, I’m only 27, but even under Gould, Buckley, Smith, Little, have I rarely felt as disheartened as I have this week. No matter what division we’re in, the emotions you experience are always relative to your expectations and even with a poor summer in the transfer market, I don’t think any of us expected this!!
Still, with 23 games and a transfer window to go, we can’t give up yet although I can’t help feel this rut has come at a crucial time.
Smitter, your short-term fix thinking is the reason this club fell so rapidly between the early 80’s and 90’s. Mowbray’s made mistakes this season, we all acknowledge that, but most genuine supporters can see he’s a good manager building a future for the club.
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hell jarrod, did u say “the part Portsmouth played on survival sunday?” dont u mean ‘the part Portsmouth DIDNT play on survival sunday? The whole football world knows that Manderic ordered his team to make sure they relegated Southampton & Redknapp. He even told Perrin to leave top scorer Yakubu out of the 16! Their fans sat there in albion shirts kinda gave the game away. that match was a disgrace to sport on a par with west ham/tevez but without the publicity. u never deserved to stay up. u only won 6 matches. even wolves won 7!! if that ‘fixed’ game had relegated,say, alex ferguson he’d have had the bloody league shut down!!
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mmm i get fed up of doom and gloom allways the same i agree with some things jarrod mate but only
slightly im fed up of the bitching about phillips
the guy didnot want to stay he didnot want to be a bit part player,he got his 2yrs what he wanted that was not the factor ,he didnot want to keep the bench warm so he went to blues whats he doing
keepin the bench warm,.gera went for money nothing more we had the best out of him he is ashaddow of his former self,the only mistake i can see is luke moore hes bringing the team down he dont wanna play and its effecting the squad
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For sure I agree that chopping and changing managers is disruptive and sometimes unsuccessful, but we have seen alot of loyalty from newly promoted clubs into the premiership who have failed to survive the drop as a result. Namely Dave Jones, Worthington, Billy Davis, Boothroyd Bruce, Warnock, Keane, even Brian Clough couldnt live with the greed league.
My fundimental point is that the premiership is a league like no other and an experianced premiership manager is crucial for survival. They attract quality, they know the oppositions weaknesses better, they get the respect from the players through there experiance, they are confident, but above all they can bring survival. Namely Rednapp, O’ Neil, Allardyce, even Southgate is applying his trade well but only through his premiership experiance.
I for one would like to see Bilic or even Houlier, there are lots of choices.
Which is better business, £3m for a quality manager or £3m on Luke Moore??
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4 - Smitter, that’s the worst idea possible….try having faith in a vision that JP and TM have to make this club a success for many a year to come…..the ups will outweigh the downs with TM in charge eventually I’m sure!!
7 - Is this the first blog of Bomber’s you’ve ever read?! I love them personally as it makes me realise that I’m not the most pessimistic Albion fan in the world!
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Warren (10) - GET A GRIP MAN!!!
Gould? Buckley? Smith? Little? (And dare I say Robson?).
What we have now is a gazillion (and I have checked - it IS a number!) times better than those dark days.
Are you seriously saying that that dismal day at the Gay Meadow when we didn’t get promoted and Goulds coffin was passed round is better than being in the Prem and only 9 points from the Top 10??
I think your memory has become a little rose flavoured - although “how” is beyond me!!
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STOP this Mowbray out rubbish best manager and football we have played for years get behind the lot of them on sunday STOP the doom & gloom
COME ON YOU BAGGIES
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Smitter, you’ve answered your own question, you’re examples of loyalty:
JONES- Sacked, remains only man to get Wolves into the Premiership
DAVIES- Sacked, remains only man to get Derby into the Premiership
BOOTHROYD- Sacked, remains only man to get Watford into Premiership
WARNOCK- Sacked, remains only man to get Sheff U into Premiership.
Where are Wolves, Norwich, Derby, Watford, Birmingham and Sheffield United now? In the Championship because the managers you mentioned weren’t shown loyalty.
Only Wolves and Blues look likely to come back, both have taken time to rebuild since the managers you mentioned were sacked.
If we sack Tony Mowbray, it will take months/years for another manager to stamp his own style on the club, from top to bottom.
Tony Mowbray will do this club good, we need to stick by him.
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Supermaths
If you read what I said, it’s that I’ve rarely felt as disheartened than I have this week and that all emotions are relative to your expectations.
No I haven’t forgotten:
Gay Meadow
Twerton Park
Woking
The Shay
Swansea (h) 2-3
Buckley 11 in a row
Losing at Walsall under Little
And we’re in a far better state now. BUT we were rubbish by comparison then!!!!
This season I genuinely thought we’d have a real good go at this league, and by comparison to those expectations, I’m probably as disappointed after Wigan as I was back then, because back then I didn’t expect as much.
Last week was an absolute kick in the nether regions, that’s all I was saying. They and Blackburn were as bad as we’ll play this season. If we can’t beat either, we’re in trouble. I hope not!!!
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Seem to remember a certain Alex Ferguson hung onto his job by the skin of his teeth in the first couple of seasons with United.
Can’t see that TM’s future is really a debatable issue and feel this is mischief at work.
The get Mad Mick out brigade are looking for a new target to vent their frustation as he has proved to them what a skewed short term outlook they have.
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Does anyone remember the season of 1985 that was really bad only 4 wins for the whole season. But in the old Division 1 as it was then. Shock Roy Keane walking out on Sunderland. I am 100% behind TM and the open style attacking football he advocates. We go down, we come back up with him much more wiser and stronger. Have seen a piece of Transfer news up here linking Lee Hughes with a move back to the Albion ? Is this story circulating down in the midlands area ?
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Great discussion guys.
JP has got the man he wants and TM seems to be in it for the long term.
JP seems happy to go back down to the CCC and maybe get a few players in who are cheaper and on less wages.
It seems to me that a very long term game is being played and we as the fans have to sit, watch and suffer until things really improve!
It will be many years before you see JP sanction any decent Big Buy players.
Having said all that - I still prefer the type of football we play but would like to see the players show a little more balls/passion.
It is the right style of play for the Prem.
Maybe after Christmas, with loads of prayers and goodwill, we may start to score some goals and win games.
Way back, Albion used to have a terrible Sept. to December and then woke up and had some cracking wins.
Heres to the new year!!
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11. Bitter and twisted!!! if you really think that then write to trhe fa and the premier league to have it investigated you complete and utter idiot!!!!!!!
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Express and Star - Where are todays Transfer Rumours??
Its Friday 5th December!!
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i remember saying at the time that id sooner we got too FA CUP final instead of promotion cuz this happens everytime we go up,if we dont take 6 or 7 points from next 3 games we are down,aye boing boing donk.
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As an outsider, I have to say that there is not a lot wrong with your team, which seems to play pretty decent football.You do need two or three quality additions, which I hope you are able to get. I really want us to be playing you in the premiership hopefully next year. I rate your managership greatly and if you are unable to succeed with them I will be surprised. Hope you get the necessary players in January and that your luck turns quickly, Baggies.
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Sunday -
Pompey fans = Over Rated
So lets lift the tempo as high as we possible can, everyone behind Mowbray and everyone behind the team, no1 sit down neither lol lets be fanatical an be the 12th man ay
Cmon!!
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Will it be a full house on Sunday, not if the weather forecast is wright
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I can see the point (11) is making and it is true tbh and Im a villa fan. He doesn’t need to be bitter its the truth haha
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17. Turner got watford up in 99
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Jarrod.
Don’t very often have a go at you but this blog is inviting the Wolves mischief makers and our own doom merchants who mostly don’t go to games.
It’s great to have hindsight but how many of those coming on here with criticism or damning with faint praise were singing the praises of TM earlier in the season.
I don’t like calling people idiots, so I’ll just say the person who thinks we should bring in a ‘big name’ manager names Bilic or Houllier. Bilic has no club experience, Houllier took Liverpool steadily downhill.
Tony Mowbray will turn this club into something special if he is given time. Let’s get behind him. To all the people on here who have done this, well done. It’s all to easy to have a knee jerk reaction and throw out the baby with the bath water.
PS Smitter. Bryan Robson is a big name manager who could attract ‘big name players.’
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27,wont be full house pompey aint sold out,still 1,500 tickets left in smethwick,aye boing boing donk
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23 jeff, on teletxt,aye boing boing donk
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You’re lot are suffering like we did last year - dominating games and missing chances. The fact we only missed out on the playoffs by two goals tells it all….
If only you still had Phillips if only for half an hour each game….
I hopoe you stay up but Mowbary did not buy well in the Summer and must do a lot better in January. We’ll sell you Keogh for five million - he’s the sort of player who could feed Miller. He disrupts defences, he never stops running and we need the money to buy another striker ourselves. Tell your manager to do it E11wolfs way - HIS way ain’t working.
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As another outsider, it’s disappointing to hear that some of your fans are getting on Mowbray’s back. You’re having a tough time, yeah, but your boss is on a learning curve in the Prem. The football you play is excellent on the eye, it just needs finishing off. I just knew that the Philips thing would come back to haunt you, but all’s not lost yet.
As for the WBA v Pompey game survival game, no offence but it was a done deal that Pompey would lose. We all know that. Relegating ‘the Scummers’ was all PFC were interested in.
My mate and his family are all Pompey ST holders who live down there. He told me there was “no chance whatsoever” that PFC would even pick up a point, and that was well before the game even took place. The Pompey lads were all out celebrating Southampton’s relegation BEFORE the game…what does that tell you?
Football’s most certain result, that’s what….and any Baggie who doesn’t realise that fact lives in Cloud Cuckoo Land.
Good luck with your fight for survival. The Premiership deserves a Black Country derby.
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Are we arguing about the Portsmouth game? I never had any confidence in Robson winning any game. For most fans it was a double edged sword, we wanted to stay up but losing would have gotten rid of Robson earlier.
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baggie boy (22)chill out man. i’d had a few!! beers afta a heavy workin lunch! i was just windin u lot up. i’v had loads off u lot at work for 2 years. sorry if u took it the wrong way. just stay up and hopefully we’ll have that belated black country Derby next season. Good luck against Pompey tomorrow.
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I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again.Valero is totally overa rated and was a shocking buy.What would you sell him for now, 2 mill at best.Only 4 weeks until you can do dsome deals, hopefully TM buys and loans better than he already is.Pompey is a must win. You won;t beat Man City Or Sunderland…they will want to impress their new manager, and fresh impetus will be given
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