Baggies ordered to meet challenge

Thursday 26th February 2009, 11:35AM GMT.

ALBION 19  SL 07Albion manager Tony Mowbray has ordered his players to ‘stick their chests out’ and meet the challenge head-on in the face of increasing fans’ grumbles.

The Baggies head to Everton on Saturday with pressure rising, after back-to-back horror shows against Newcastle and Fulham which have prompted the first signs of dissent among supporters.

Mowbray is demanding a show of character from his players, who will take on the Toffees looking to improve a record of one point in 10 away games, since they won at Middlesbrough in September.

He said: “Ultimately, results can dictate how you’re feeling and how you are, and it’s about who’s driven and who’s not.

“But with any adversity in life you either roll over and let it overcome you or you can stick your chest out, enjoy the challenge, face it head on and try to do something about it.

“I hope we’ve got enough of those players in our team to carry us on.”

Mowbray admitted his team are missing the leadership qualities of injured duo Jonas Olsson and Jonathan Greening, but he reckons all his players have a role to play in galvanising the team.

He said: “Personalities are what they are. I’d like a whole team of leaders and any manager wants natural leaders all over the pitch. But not everyone is a natural leader.

“Of course we want people to step up to the mark. Jonathan and Jonas are big personalities in the team.

“They are two of the bigger voices in the side and, while they have been a loss to us, we have to keep going.

“Hopefully we’ll get them back pretty soon but, if it is another two games without them, we’ve got to make the most of it and look for people to step in and do that job.”


  1. 1
    Nedball

    Come on boys, I could do with some good news for a change over the weekend……plus I’ve got to spend the afternoon with my Toffee mate in the Pool, and I’d rather be gloating than drowning my sorrows!!

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  2. 2
    marcwba

    common baggies do something to earn the money u r on, mowbray toughen up on them !!!

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  3. 3
    Paul Rose

    Yes lets sharpen up and get results or all over. Come on players play for that big wage you get………
    boing boing

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  4. 4
    TERRY ROMEO BAGGIE

    1,ned you mix with ALLSORTS dont ya,aye boing boing stickyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

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  5. 5
    Derek of Streetly

    Typical Mowbray rubbish – try changing the style of play!

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  6. 6
    baggie 9

    Common you BAGGIES players and fans together we can do it ,weve done once well do it again. Pompey are on the verge of admin.

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  7. 7
    Cyril Randle

    Back in 1931 we were away at Everton in the FA Cup. My dad used to tell me this one. We hadn’t a cat-in-Hell’s chance, but we won 1-0 and went on to win the Cup with promotion. Then in 1968 we won 1-0 at Wembley just after Everton had thrashed us 6-2 at The Hawthorns in the League. Has this team got the same ‘bottle’ to battle?
    I have 11 programmes from the 70s going for free if anyone wants them. No, I haven’t jacked it in, just clearing out bits and bobs.

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  8. 8
    albionfivepinter

    …back-to-back horror shows against Newcastle and Fulham which have prompted the first signs of dissent among supporters…
    The supporters started planning for the Championship after the 4 – 0 thrashing by manager less Sunderland mid December. The ground empties most weeks just after half time and the fans have been moaning for months. Any one who thinks that the discontent started two matches ago is out of touch with reality.

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  9. 9
    W.BA.44

    7 no this team hasn’t got the bottle they like the money not hard work.

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  10. 10
    BigBaggie

    We should support Mowbray whilst he learns. At the moment his words lack credibility and his team lacks leadership and determination.

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  11. 11
    flabaggie

    The 64,000 dollar question.Is the comedy of errors known as the defence, Mowbrays fault or the players.I can,t figure it out.

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  12. 12
    Albert Steptoe

    I’ll have them Cyril.

    Hercules keeps running out of bedding

    aye, boing boing HAAAAAROLD!!!

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  13. 13
    Jeff

    7.Cyril. Bottle to Battle – NO!

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  14. 14
    Tim

    Yep thats it stick your chests out and act like pigeons…. the show is over if you can call it that will you be having a relegation tour????

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  15. 15
    James williamson

    We need to take the game to them on saturday and we need a performance from the defence and the attack who were out of the game on sunday.
    We need to start closing players down a lot quicker which we didnt do on sunday.
    BOING BOING

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  16. 16
    alex Baggie

    I’ve been waiting for these words to come from ToMo. Been a long time coming. Come on lads for crying out loud do something NOW, if anything to keep some form of pride! If we go down, we have to go down fighting…not with a whimper.

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  17. 17
    WBA4LIFE

    Judging by the way we played against Fulham on Sunday,weve got no chance in any away games and we need to drop Valero,just cant see what Mowbray sees in him

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  18. 18
    baggie man

    dont talk the talk just get on and do it

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  19. 19
    shrew

    The fans are as fickle as Wolves fans these days, the last two games have been bad but we have had horrendous injuries before that we were playing pretty well

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  20. 20
    boy from the REAL bl

    And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson,
    hopefully Marek Cech will have to play,
    God bless you, please Mrs. Robinson,
    holds the baby off til saturday,
    Hey, hey, hey

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  21. 21
    yoyobaggie

    going down the mowbray way……….with a wimper

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  22. 22
    TERRY ROMEO BAGGIE

    12 HAROLD, I LIKED THAT ONE, AYE BOING BOING YOU DIRTY OLD MAN

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  23. 23
    yoyobaggie

    kiely cech meite donk loon mulumbu robinson morrison koren simpson fortune………..lump the ball up field and hope for the best

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  24. 24
    willenhall wanderer

    19,shrew
    you really dont believe that do you?????
    everton have got far worse injury poblems so go get them

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  25. 26
    D.J.B.aggie

    19- the injury problem has definately hindered us but for me the only players we really miss are Miller, Greening and Olsson (esp him). I would’ve include Mulumbu as we desperately need a defensive midfielder; its just we never even got the chance to see him play before he got injured. The fitness coach issue has to be addressed!
    As far as us being fickle I am half way between both sets of opposing views; if TM is to stay he needs to take an honest look at the way he does things, admit his mistakes and then do something about them. Its not just the players who need to roll up their sleeves and show some character, he does too, starting with the way he is pitchside. If things are going wrong he should give the players an earful from the edge of the dugout instead of leaning against the wall with his arms folded sulking or laughing when we miss a penalty! I thought TM was into psychology, surely seeing the manager (when he does bother to stand up)look so uninterested or resigned to another loss is going to hinder the players. He wants us the fans to lift the players then he should too!
    If we can somehow manage to stay up this season then hopefully things could be so much better next time.
    The Lord Is My Shepherd.

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  26. 27
    Dean

    I agree with #17, its time to drop Valero, a total waste of 4.75million pounds. Dorrans would be a better choice. Drop Robinson also for Cech and Barnett for Donk or Pele!!!

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  27. 28
    Albion Fan 16

    baggie man: Yes i agree they need to show their desire on the opitch and just not talk about it.

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  28. 29
    Albion Till I Die

    19. were nothing compared to Wolves fans, maybe the odd 1 or 2 around.

    The lads should be up for this saturday especially if you remember that the first home game was against Everton and we totally dominated them and some how, and i still dont no how we lost

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  29. 30
    sidsidhu

    best form of defence is attack, lose the momentum , lose the battle. Its not about wages every week,the whinging and moaning etc its about the name of the club and the badge,the colours the pride.So come on u baggies

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  30. 31
    BRIAN

    BRISBANE BAGGIE SAID

    I AGREE ALBION FIVEPOINTER
    I SEAD BEFORE CHRISTMAS TM SHOULD CHANGE TACTICS

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  31. 32
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    A big difference between Fulham and us on Sunday was that they’ve had a settled side, virtually injury free, especially their defence. Which brings us back to our fitness coach. Fulham seemed to be quicker to every ball than us and every second ball. Which brings us back to our fitness coach.

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  32. 33
    TERRY ROMEO BAGGIE

    GOOD MORNING GENTLEMEN AND YOU LAFFINWOLF,well i think we will get a point at everton tomorra then turn arsenal over on tuesday,aye boing boing staying up the MOWBURY WAY IN STYLE OH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

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  33. 34
    Nedball

    I agree 100% with the posts that say Valero isn’t up to the PL unfortunately he doesn’t add to our game at all.

    TM has, and will continue to, make mistakes, but he is not a bad manager. He may not be the most animated manager on the touchline, but that’s just not his demeanour.

    Fluke a win on Saturday and we’ll all be smiling again. Come on boys n girls, stick together and back OUR team.

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  34. 35
    TERRY ROMEO BAGGIE

    I still say that after the west ham game we have 5 winnable games that could just give us the points we need for the great escape 2,so come on get behind the lads aye boing boing come on me babbiessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

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  35. 36
    Nedball

    35 – Terry. Change of plan, my mate the toffee reccomended we go in the ‘Thomas Frost’ pub which is a Wetherspoons (guaranteed to be open) on Walton Road, about 10 mins walk from the ground.

    I agree, we still have enough winnable matches to keep us up. Damage limitation for tomorrow, if we nick 1 or 2 points from the next 2 games I think that’s a bonus.

    Sunderland, Wigan, Bolton, Pompey, Stoke are all winnable and we’ve got to surprise someone at some stage this season haven’t we?????

    COME ON ME BABBIES!!!!

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  36. 37
    albionfivepinter

    36; you don’t have to surprise anyone, you could continue as you are. No surprise at all.

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