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Albion blog: The magic of the cup
Tuesday 6th January 2009, 8:55AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill is not amused with the Baggies approach to the FA Cup and draws up his own player guidelines in the long search for a star centre-forward.
Everything about the Peterborough FA Cup game was disappointing, apart from the company of my fellow Albion fans.
I was lucky enough to have time for a beer with the legends that are wbaforever, hilltopbaggie and Kev after the game and the mood was sombre.
First of all, I must applaud the Peterborough team and their wonderful fans that looked like they were having the time of their lives. To be honest, it’s what the FA Cup is all about.
Due to having to give up my seat in the Smethwick, I decided to sit with the rest of my family in the East Stand.
Our performance was lacking desire and I was surprised to hear Mowbray after the game commenting that some of our players had failed to rise to the occasion, due to the ground being half empty and the atmosphere being a little flat. The comment made me as mad as hell.
First of all, there were over 18,000 fans in attendance.
Secondly, the atmosphere was flat because every FA Cup home game we have to re-house the Smethwick enders, who do 90 per cent of the singing. Thirdly, more important above all others, the players are PAID to play for our club.
Tony, I think you are our best manager for decades, but please do not insult us by using such a pathetic excuse for a poor performance. You may have to explain why we have that type of player within the squad?
Or was that comment made to distract fans away from questioning your decisions throughout the 90 minutes?
You replaced Luke Moore, who looked our main threat, you persisted with Borja Valero and Jonathan Greening together in the same midfield, which produced some of the slowest build up play ever witnessed, and you replaced Robert Koren, who looked our best midfielder.
I appreciate injuries may have been a factor, but I thought all three substitutions were ineffective.
Anyway that’s my rant over with (no doubt I will have the usual crop of “your too pessimistic” or “how dare you question Sir Tony” brigade blowing a gasket).
Our topic of discussion before the game was who has been our best player so far this season. I struggled to choose between Jonas Olsson and James Morrison, both of whom have been picked up for peanuts.
It is those signings that provides me with so much hope for this January transfer window. The rumour mill is churning up many European striker names, so it seems only a matter of time before we see another striker added to the ranks.
Personally I would like to see a striker signed who is dominant in the air. I think Moore would love to play alongside someone of that ilk. I am also tired of seeing Chris Brunt whip in crosses that no one gets on the end of.
Talking of Luke Moore, I bet he is itching to play his old side this weekend. It is usually the unwritten law that returning strikers always score against their old clubs and I hope to see it continue at Villa.
We also have the small matter of an FA Cup replay at Peterborough to fit in, I did hear a fan saying as we left the Hawthorns that we play them that often his car knows the route on its own.
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everybody saw on saturday why we have too keep morrison,everytime greening gets the ball he stops and turns round the other way while moore is screaming out for the ball,aye boing boing donk
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spot on jarred regarding velaro and greening in the same team,it just doesnt work does it the two playing together,,i think ollsson is a snip of a buy and improves every game..morrison has been my player of the season so far..if we get this forward from benfica at 6ft 4in he might just be what were looking for….with a home draw in the next rd i hope mowbray puts out our strongest team possible against the posh,we need OUR yearly visit to wembley dunt we,,see ya soon jarrod for a few sherbutts hopefully….STAYING IN THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
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theyve never ever took six points off us in the prem jarrod,,,get ya fiver on moore scoring and a 1-1 draw…..lovely jubbly…MOORE TO SPANK VILLAS BOTTOMS AND THEY DUNT LIKE IT,,OOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
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Good Blog again mate. I think it’s abit harsh saying the 3 subs were ineffective, personally i thought Simpson looked very strong and definately posed a threat on the left.
Well guys i’m hoping for a win against Villa on Saturday, i’ve got a feeling Moore will shine as he’s impressed me and taken his chance in the team well.
Boing Boing! Keep the faith guys!
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morning bomber, once again your observations are quite right, and as we said after the game it was going to be very difficult to find any positives from the match to write about. I suppose we can at least say we are in the next round, and have to hope that we can dothe business next week. Like you i was gutted at the atmosphere, and it goes to show what we and most in the smethwick realise that the singing and encouragement is nearly always generated from that section of very passionate supporters. Should we get through to the next round we ought to nominate a section of the ground where all the smethwick can congregate and try to get the rest going again. Anyway, onwards and upwards, cant wait for the villa game, although id buy the point now you never know.
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Morning Bomber, happy new year mate.
I can’t find any fault in what you’ve posted at all.
It was extremely quiet on Saturday because the Smethwick was disbanded, I, like you ended up in the East Stand longing to be back in the Smethwick.
We weren’t good at all on Saturday, the midfield was far too slow to get the ball forward and sat too deep. I’ve been knocked for saying it before, but I am still to be convinced that Greening and Valero can play together in the centre of midfield. Both are excellent footballers, but it’s just not working. That is just my opinion though.
Without Mozza in the team (who we cannot afford to sell by the way) we didn’t try to take on a full back at all.
The strikers we are being linked with all seem to be giants, so hopefully they will give us that aerial threat in the opposition box we need.
We’ll all be guessing at who will end up at the Hawthorns come February though.
If anyone is going for a beer on Saturday morning before the match, please let me know where you’re gonna be, as at present it looks like a quick pint in West Brom before driving over to Vile Park.
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lets swop brunt for mickel-smith,morning worcester me ole pal,hows your darling wife, aye boing boing donk
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I am one of TM’s biggest fans but I have no problem with anything that you have said Jarrod.
I have said elsewhere that I can’t understand why TM persists in picking Jonno at the moment, either pick Jonno or Valero, but not both..
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Completely agree with your rant about TM Jarrod! Greening and Valero don’t work in the same midfield. He’s got to make a bold decision and drop one of them, and for me it would have to be Greening dropped and the captaincy given to Olsson. I think Saturdays performance was terrible, and it really showed how important Morrison is to us, lets hope he’s fit for saturdays game against the vile! As for Luke Moore, I’ve been very impressed with him since the man city game and with some better service from the midfield I feel he could score plenty of goals! Bring in 3 more players, central defender, defensive midfielder and another striker and we have a good chance of survival if we keep our home league form! Boing Boing
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Morning Bomber thanks for the name ckeck, Totally agree with the blog and with Hill Top. The idea of relocating all smethwick is spot on.Moore and Simpson up front on sat come on you Baggies
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3,worcester,they aint ever took 6 points off anybody in the prem cuz dem useless guin to vile the MOWBURY WAY IN STYLE OH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
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Good blog as usual Bomber.
I think most people agree that Greening and Valero do not work as a pairing. I think our movement of the ball has been too slow all season. Morrison provides the urgency in midfield and we need anaother like him, maybe young Dorrans is the answer here. We always look more effective when we play with some pace. I would play Simpson and Moore up front against the Villa, leave Greening out and play Morrison, Valero, Dorrans and Brunt in midfield. Hopefully the Back four will remain unchanged from the last two games. I am feeling strangely optimistic today and predict an Albion win 2-1
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9 – I reckon we need a left winger, a striker, and a snotter in midfield.
I’d keep Greening in myself and drop Valero…..thank God other people have realised that the CM duo doesn’t work together.
Good idea about designating specific areas for people in the Smethwick to go, but it’d be a nightmare to sort out with all of the season tickets that people wouldn’t give up in the East Stand or Brummie Rd.
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6) The weatherspoons in birmigham open early 9ish, try the figure of 8 square peg or the one by snow hill. A few of us are getting to the peg around 9 . But any of them will prob have loads of baggies in them.
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I agree fully with the comment that Greening and Valero cannot play as a midfiled pair. Valero is a very talented player, and when incorporated in a five man midfiled, he can be very effective as he is great at picking up loose balls, and rarely gives the ball away when he has it.
If we are going down the 4-4-2 route, I think Valero needs to be sacrificed as Greening still has the experience and despite a few off games the consistency to help us to safety. It’s a known fact though that we miss Morrison as an attacking midfield option, he has been far and away our best player this season, works his socks off, mucks in with the goals and comes across as a good lad.
Further to this though, I disagree the subs who came on were completely ineffective, i think it was merely the manner they were applied, Valero should have made way for Simpson and not Koren.
Simpson looked positive, as to did Dorrans, and Beattie looks a changed man, sharper and fitter.
We will win the replay, I have faith. Oh, and I’m having a cheeky tens on us to beat villa the weekend.
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It`s not the first time that the Smethwick has been given over to the opposition, but it`s the first time i can recall it having such a damning effect on the atmosphere.
So was the lack of noise due to the Smethwick enders being relocated ?
Personally, i think us the fans approached the game in the same manner as the players, ie, expected to win easily, and therefore performed as lacklustre as players.
No one will convince me that had we played a higher profile team and given them the entire Smethwick, that the atmosphere would have been less than superb.
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14 – Lovely work. Cheers bud
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I agree with Nedball regarding the need for a midfiled snotter/destroyer.
If only we could get hilltop baggie fit im sure he would do a job!!!
Please tell me we are not going to sign Harewood!!!!
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The lack of atmosphere was also down to the fact many season ticket holders didnt attend. All around me where people i had never seen before
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There wasn’t much on display to get excited about. The build up was back to it’s slowest, sideways being preferred direction. What happened to the short ball-long ball we’d used so effectively just days before? The atmosphere was poor but noise still came from the Smethwick end, though not for us! Peterborough were able to impress THEIR style on ours and we suffered, but as I have said before, we need Olsson as captain, from the defence, from the back, yelling them on, because Johnno isn’t at his best right now. That doesn’t mean I think he’s a bad player all of a sudden, but he needs to think just about his own game and we need him desperately at his BEST! You won’t find a better ‘engine’ in this League, he can play all day if needed.
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Well i thought it was a very poor game overall, the only plus was that i was impressed by the prospect of Jay Simpson. He definately looks like a player who can and will score and he knows it.
Looking forward to the game on Saturday and i’ve got a feeling that Moore will have a wonder game and bury the winner…I hope!!!
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Oh i almost forgot, good blog again mate! :)
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Should i look out 4 the men in white coats by
posing the question could Lee Hughes be a short term fix 13 goals so far ok its Oldham but he would walk all the way to his beloved Hawthorns.
I understand hes a reformed character.
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Am a WBA fanatic for over 40 years (I’M OLD) but I backed Villa w/o top four at 6/1 at start of season and I’m money mad. You can see my dilemma. I’m off to Vile Park on Sat but where will I stand. Also would I get a headkickin in The Weatherspoons.
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Just one thought,why is Greening playing the ball sideways and back all the time instead of going forward.
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The reason The Smethwick now drives and creates the atmostphere is that half is now made of the ex Brummie rd,I was born in Smethwick by the way.LETS ALL GET BEHIND THE TEAM WE ARE ALL ALBION SUPPORTERS.
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i wouldnt bother you will get stuffed it might be vile park but youll comeout crying,as the last season you wasin the prem wba fc were bottom again for christmas
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I AM SO FED UP WITH MOWBRAYS REMARKS, IE,IT WAS AGOOD GAME ETC ETC ETC, WAKE UP AND SMELL THE ROSES .ME MY DAD ARE FED UP WATCHING HIS GOOD GAMES WITH NO RESULTS TRAVELLING TO AWAY GAMES WITH NO RESULTS . MY BOYFREIND SCORES MORE THAN HE AND HIS TEAM DOES AND MY DEFENCE IS ROCK SOLID.WHY DO TOU AS TRUE ALBION HARDCORE STICK BY CLEGGY .OH RADIO WM ARE THEY BIAST OR WHAT BOYCOTT THEM AND LISTEN TO LES ROSS AND BOMBER INSTEAD TRUE ALBION HEARTHROB IS OUR BOMBER..
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I like many Albion fans must have felt weeer doomed going to Posh especially the way they caused us so many problems previously.However TM had the right game plan it was nice to see thePosh press saying such nice things about us.Pleased weve signed the french guinean (Cyrilles birthplace)hardly a prolific scorer though. However why risk someone whose got to get match fit’ acclimatise etc. We havent given Beattie a fare go since his return ? Finally try Robbo in midfield and Cech at left back.
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