Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Prove your worth urges Di Matteo
Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo has warned his side they must prove their promotion credentials by seeing off two league strugglers in the next 10 days.
The Baggies head coach has challenged his players to underline their quality by avoiding slip-ups at Sheffield Wednesday and Derby their next two matches.
Di Matteo’s team have won their last three games against teams near the top of the table but their three defeats this season have come against Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Swansea sides who were in the bottom half at the time.
Now they face a Wednesday side without a win in five matches before travelling to Derby, who have won just one of their last six.
But Di Matteo warned: “The next two weeks are going to be a real test for us. We’ve shown we can be competitive with the clubs who are the top end of the table, but we haven’t been able to get the points we wanted against teams in the middle or the bottom end.”
The second-placed Baggies travel to Hillsborough on Saturday to take on Brian Laws’ struggling Owls while leaders Newcastle face in-form Swansea at St James’ Park.
Di Matteo is unsure what to expect from Wednesday.
He said: “I’ve seen them a few times. Some games they make you go ‘wow’, because they are very good and very strong. But on other days I see them and think ‘we should be able to win’. It depends which team we face on Saturday.
“Their manager is a good guy and has been there for a while. It’s a great club with good history and tradition. They were in Premier League when I came over here and it’s sad to see clubs like them, Leeds and Charlton outside of it.
“There are some massive clubs in the Championship, some with bigger history and tradition than those in the Premier League.
“That’s why it’s the most difficult and exciting league.”
Di Matteo was today checking again on the fitness of Joe Mattock, who suffered a bruised foot in Saturday’s win over Bristol City, and the health of Roman Bednar, who missed the game.
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If we cannot beat Sheffield Wednesday and Scunny in all honesty we will do not deserve to go up.
Regarding the earlier story, it does not wash we need quality the signings so far have been poor. Jara is the exception. If we did get up then we need 7-8 quality premiership players not the shambles of last season and it would be worse without Jonno, Robinson, Fortune and co.
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1- laughingwolf
It’s just not funny anymore, at least vary your postings, instead of “we’re just not good enough; we need x many signings; signings so far have been poor” etc etc.
Also, at least try and get our next two fixtures right, we don’t play Scunny for over a month!!
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Thats rubbish mate, does that mean cause Burnley beat Man U they would not deserve the title.
presume your a dingle or just a really negative baggie and the fact you think we are worse without robbo probably proves my point
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1 – not sure if you are genuine, but i will respond as if you are…
Firstly, which signings are you critisising ? Is it Simon Cox who has had little opportunity, but is starting to prove his worth and had probably his best match against Bristol – or dorrens who is flourishing under RDM – as is Mulumbu – not exactly new, but two players we hardly saw last season. Maybe it reid who we’ve seen once or twice ????
Also – why are you measuring our promotion credentials just against certain game(s) ?? If we win enough points this season we will go up – whether they are against Wednesday, newcastle or whoever… i don’t understand your logic.
If we go up, our players will have proven themselves over 46 games, and so whilst we will then strengthen the team, your suggestion of 7/8 players needed seems a little excessive.
Finally, you call last season a shambles (which i disagree with) but then say that we are worse without the players we have let go – you can’t have it both ways mate…
Actually, now i have taken the time to answer your post, its obvious that you are a dingle, however I’m pleased to have the opportunity to have this debate & show you up for the moron you are.
Love you shadrag.x
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Dingle!!!
Our next two games are Sheff Wed & Derby.
Not too intelligent are you ?
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No1 we will do not deserve to go up !!!!
LW will you ever learn
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2. I am confident in saying I am likely to have supported the Albion for a great deal longer than you.
I am not negative just a realist. If we went up with this squad we would fair worse than last season as we have a far weaker squad. We do need quality. I am entitled to my opinion and if you disagree then that is fine but please do not start with name calling it gives our fans a bad name.
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Mick out Mick out Mick out Whoops wrong site and should have posted this monday
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No.1 you must be joking pal! it is quite obvious you haven’t a clue.Yoy say next season will be worse,if we get promoted without the likes of JG PR and Fortune.Well,quite frankley,that argument doesn’t stack up.They,the afore mentioned, helped to take us down.We are doing very nicely without any of them,end of.
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1. Shadrag, I mean Baggiebob, I mean BrummieroadBaggie. Please go away.
We’re on fire at the moment and on this form, no-one in the division can live with us and i include Newcastle in that. We have the best squad in the Championship and now RDM has tightened us up at the back, I’d fancy this current squad against half the teams in the Premiership including your circus at the custard bowl.
The futures bright, its blue and white.
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Childish No.1. But there, we have noticed you, patted your head, now go away and find something to play with. No toys? Well, we managed in the War. It should be a good game and we could shade this one 2-1 if we are on top form. Laws has done the rounds, is having to ‘make do and mend’ but his teams are never easy to beat. Let’s hope Mattock is fit as I would never change a winning team, especially one with so much going for them, but if not, all the best to Marek Cech.
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1 – I see your manager has now urged everyone to “grasp the R word”.
I’m guessing in your case it means Retard !!!!
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looks like we will be missing a few on saturday
mattock,martis,thomas,koren,bednar all doubtful
looks like im taking my boots
boing boing
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No.1 with comments like that you dingles don’t deserve to stay up.
If you are a Baggies fan do us a favour and go and support another team.
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On a different thread…. I’m pleased to see we have resisited the lure of the loan market this season.
Loanees are fine if you are struggling and can grab an experienced player to help you out – but some clubs seem to use the loan system like the transfer market – like we did under TM.
I liked RDMs statement about not getting other teams players fit and handing them back – we have a team of ALBION players, and that suits me just fine.
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Good point Happy (15)
Even though TM did use the loan system fairly freely, he was a novice compared to Tony Pulis.
Stoke were promoted with at least 5 loanees, it worked for them, so fair play.
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I don’t see how anyone can knock how we’re doing. had a little blip a few games ago but over it now. A lot more steel in the side under RDM which Mowbray never sorted out in 3 years or so. Jara, Mattock, Dorrans etc are far better all round players than we’re had before and anyway the likes of PR, JG etc have taken us down twice before so I think the new lads will all deserve there chance (if we go up!!)
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wbaforever – I agree that it can work well – I remember Keiron Richardson keeping us up that year – however I think that loan signings, a bit like the January window are often used in the wrong way by managers who are panicing – either about relegation or promotion.
We saw players come in under TM who obviously either didn’t have the heart to battle for the club – or whos performances highlighted why they were not getting as game at their parent club.
I’m not ruling out future loanees – but its great to know that all our players now are Albion players – its gotta count !!!
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