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Albion blog: Whatever Next?
Friday 6th March 2009, 9:10AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill is starting to concede that the fight to stay in the Premier League is one the Baggies are not going to win.
We need to accept that relegation, although not yet a certainty, is looking more than likely the consequence of a disappointing season. The Arsenal game highlighted yet again our deficiencies in this league – we just can’t defend.
If we do go down it will go down as a season of what if or if only. If only we hadn’t had so many injuries, if only we had signed our current strike force in the summer, if only we had had better luck with refereeing decision and more importantly if only our squad had a better balance to it.
To stay up from our current position we would have to go on a phenomenal run of results, which at the moment does not look likely. We do have winnable fixtures ahead of us;, but we looked at Newcastle at home and Fulham away as winnable fixtures. Alas it was not to be.
A topic of conversation on Tuesday night prior to the game in the pub – the place and time when the world of West Bromwich Albion gets put right – was if we could turn back time to last summer, which player who we could realistically afford and was available at the time would we sign, who would have had the biggest impact on our season.
Pete ‘Hilltop Baggie’ Danckert and Luke had some interesting opinions, some of which included not who we failed to sign but who we failed to retain.
This blog has discussed that issue a number of times and I will not fan the flames. My choice of player we could have signed and who in my opinion would have had a positive impact on our season is now WIgan midfielder Lee Cattermole.
With Tony Mowbray being a Middlesbrough fan and I presume still having a number of contacts in the area, I am still surprised we never went in for him.
Middlesbrough made him available for transfer and the modest £3.5million fee the Latics paid for him looks to have been a shrewd bit of business.
His all action displays for Wigan have made him their clubs favourite for the player of the year award, and I go green with envy when I think what he could have added to our team. He would have gone a long way to providing the much needed balance to our team, he would have added some spit to go with our polish.
Hindsight? Yes of course, but Albion manager Tony Mowbray has talked about achieving a balanced squad since he arrived and unfortunately he’s still talking about it now.
It may be a pointless discussion but it amused me and the lads for a good half an hour, a lot more amusing than the game turned out to be!
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It has got gradually worse and Mowbray will have learnt an awful lot, although he does seem to be getting bitter about it, he needs to take on the chin and vow to bring the club back stronger.
The Boardroom problems havn’t helped with the Chairman and Directors up against eachother in Court, no sponsor, poor transfers etc. But the club MUST STICK BY MOWBRAY. I have a feeling he will come good but the club should of done more to keep Gera and Phillips, but I can’t knock Peace Albion and ourselves are very well run financially.
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Interesting. I too am virtually convinced of a return to the Championship as this season draws closer to an end. The games we are saying are winable may be too few to make us safe. Saying we even win them. Diabolicle defending has let us down but the midfield must also take some blame as they fail to offer any sort of protection. Hopefully WBA can retain the better players and develop the younger ones in readiness for a bounce straight back. We need to find a steady reliable partner for Olsonn who, at the moment, seems the only one capale of defending.
Finally, Mowbray is the man to stay in charge. WBA play some excellent football and as this is his first stint of Premiership management I am sure he has learned as much as any one else. Keep supporting.
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Going down but i fear Wolves will be in the same league next year……….so we are as bad as each other. At least you will have the parachute payments!!
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Speaking to a Blues fan yesterday who couldn’t understand why on earth after getting promoted last year,we sold Phillips to them?.We are the most successfull yo-yo team of all time.
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Jarrod, little to argue with here.
I’m now 85% down, 15% skin of teeth up, though still assuming some fight in there.
Yes, lots of things might have been, the only really important thing is what we can do going forwards; Players, Manager & Fans.
Let’s keep that support until the end, whatever that might bring, and see where to from there.
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So far, it’s not going to be a season to remember – but the game ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.
Who’s to say what the next 10 games hold in store?
Mid-season there was nothing to suggest that we would win 3 home games on the bounce – but we did.
We’re in a similar situation now.
I suspect we’ve hit rock bottom – it can’t get much worse than the overall performance against Newcastle.
The midfield improved against Fulham but the opposite ends of the pitch looked “short” to say the least.
A bit better against Arsenal. The forwards looked good. The midfield was functional, but the defence was pathetic.
Maybe all 3 outfield departments will get it together now and we can produce some results that no-one in their right minds would expect.
Remember the slogan:
“We’ve done it before, we’ll do it agin”
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Time to draw a line under all of the discussions about what we should have done this season and just focus on what we need to do over the next 10 games to have any hope of staying up.
Mowbray needs to pick a team for each of these games in isolation, which will most likely get us a result. Forget what players have done in the dim and distant past, forget the size of their transfer fee, forget whether they are up and coming “players for the future”, forget whether they have fallen out with the manager for whatever reason, forget whether they fit into the mould of how we generally want the team to play – just focus on a team to get points on the board, end of story.
We can all argue over what this would actually mean in terms of team selection but I would suggest that the likes of Kiely, Cech, Hoefkens, Pele, Bednar & Teixira would all come into the reckoning.
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I think the season would have been a lot different if we’d kept Philips. The games up til xmas where we created the chances and had nobody to put them away! With KP we would have at least 6 pts more than we have now! Without doubt we’re going down, and TM must keep the players upbeat and ensure the important players don’t desert us at the end of the season. It’s gonna be tough, but it’s essential we keep the likes of Koren, morrison, greening, ollson, bednar, brunt etc to ensure a speedy return to the top flight. The likes of Meite, Valero and zuiv I’m sure will be the first to put their names on the transfer list and should be allowed to go to finance so DECENT SIGNINGS! I’d have like to have seen Boateng bought in at the start of the season.
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I really want us to stay up BUT to be honest I’ve enjoyed the seasons in the Championship when we have done well. Certainly more than the four seasons struggling in the Premiership – even with the Gt Escape.
Its been a roller-coaster ride. The comments on this site from other baggies seem to suggest the same??
However!! – there is still hope- just 4 wins could do it!
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We all knew it WAS going to be a difficult season but what finally convinced me that we’d
be playing ‘Fizzy Pop’ League football next season was the wretched defensive display at home to Newcastle quickly followed by repeats against Everon, Fulham, and of course Arsenal.
Tony Mowbray has acknowledged his mistakes so for me it WILL be a case of rebuilding next season for tet another attempt to reach the ‘Greed League’.
But even if we did there is one OBVIOUS fact.
The club that pays the lowest wages invariably finds itself bottom of the pile and while Albion ARE a well run club the restricted capacity at the Hawthorns will never draw sufficienr revenue to challenge the middle tier of the Premiership teams, let alone those in the upper regions.
But then they’re still OUR team and without doubt, however disenchanted we feel, the ‘true’ loyal fans will still be backing thems.
“Come on you Baggies”
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Whatever league we’re in next season I think there needs to be changes all over the pitch. As I was leaving the Hawthorns Tuesday, me and a pal were talking about the last time we saw a decent defence, all four players. It dawned on me we have been this bad for years, but when we were scoring goals for fun, you dont notice it, now we’re coming short up front its highlighting the problem. A strong defence is always gonna be the base for a good team, fingers crossed Olsson is back sooner rather than later, and its got to be time to give Cech a run, if not in place of Robbo, on the left of midfield.
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JARROD if we do go down can we still have a party plz,aye boing boing john smiths plz gaff
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7-11, its no good going on about cech,theres obviously somthing wrong behind the scenes i dont think you will see him in albion shirt again,aye boing boing robbo
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Mowbray needs to take a huge slice of the blame.
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Back to the defence, it’s always been poor since TM’s been here. Just think back to last season all the goals from set pieces we conceded! TM said, “we’ve got to address the problem” time and time again but nothing ever improved! This season, he brings in new defenders with good potential like Zuiv, who started really well then drops right off, also Meite who was a good defender at Bolton then within a few weeks of being with us is useless. May I suggest that there’s some problem with the coaching at the club in the defence dept!? And with the inability to defend simple set pieces on several occasions the last few weeks just adds to the arguement. Last season we got away with it cos we scored more than we let in in each game, but as we’ve found out the goals are hard to come by in the prem!
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looking at the games we have left i really cant see where our next win is going to come from never mind the next three or four to cut along story short we are doomed i now that these comments might up set a lot folk but its my opinion that weve not got players good enough to pull off the great escape simple…
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A disappointing season yes, but the last thing we need is a summer of discontent. Whatever league we are in Mowbray must stay!!
Yes, he has made mistakes and christ some of the defensive displays have been awful but if we get rid of him now we have got to start all over again!! I just hope he has learnt from his mistakes and it makes him a better manager.
That said we are not down and whilst we are still in with a shout I will continue to believe. The last thing we need is the constant moaning and negativity from a section of fans that to be quite honest bores me!!
Hindsight does not change anything, lets look forward together, get behind the team and hope to god he is smiling on our Great Club!!!
Come on you Baggies!!!
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16H,bolton stoke,wigan,sunderland,liverpool at home,with the exception of stoke the otheres will be looking forward to the beach,west ham,pompey,man city,spurs,blackburn away its possible to get a couple of wins from those,it could still go down the the last game,so lets get behind the lads aye boing boing up the table we will go
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I agree with Baggie Rich, there are some right whingers at the Albion!
Just support your team or shut up. The ‘Mowbray Out’ brigade are a bunch of babies, crying cuz they can’t get there own way. They are completely blind to the fact that people can improve, and especially when they’ve had a trial by fire like ToMo has. The ‘Mowbray Out’ brigade would all make terrible managers themselves.
ToMo will come good. They wanted Fergie out in his first few years at ManUre.
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Jarod, You wonder why we did not go in for Cattermole?
I`ve said it before and I`ll say it again.
Jeremy only signs Championship players for Championship wages.
Pay em peanuts and you sign ——-
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At the beginning of the season we were all upbeat even though we had some reservations about our strike force. We all thought that we had enough quality to stay up as I’m sure TM thought. We were as naive as he was (weve been there before)so as we have learnt! I’m sure he will have learnt a lot about premier league. West Bromwich Albion is the only club in my heart and I would hate to see it go the way of some of the other clubs that have spent big and not stayed up. If, sorry when we are relegated I want TM to stay in charge and maybe he can do what Fergie did with MAN U (make the club better and stronger) but he will need to keep the quality players so we can bounce straight back.
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If we do go down I’d want to hang on to Olsson, Morrison, Koren, Fortuné, Bednar (because he’s good in the Champ). Maybe Zuiverloon because while he’s not perfect I still think he’s better than Hoefkens. I’d like to see Cech get a few more games before I judge, no idea what’s going on there.
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We are going down, it’s clear to see.
A season that promised so much has left me disappointed, but I’m still in the opinion that TM and JP have done what they think is best for the club.
Like you said Bomber, there are a load of if’s and but’s but they can’t be changed now unfortunately.
Sorry if anyone took offence yesterday, but I’m so fed up of hearing constant moaning and groaning.
Let’s just hope the defence is sorted for West Ham next Monday eh? Put in a few performances and pick up some more wins before the end of the season, who knows, they could surprise us all yet!!
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I am not a fan of “zonal” marking when defending set pieces, this is Tonys preferred method as he has talked about a few times and one he has been trying to get the team to use for two and a half seasons, it’s clear it’s not working so maybe the good old fashioned “man-marking” method is better. Liverpool use the zonal method and they concede from set pieces regularly too, Martin O’Neale tried it at Vile for a few games but soon reverted back to man marking pretty sharpish.
I’m not saying it’s the only problem, but it can’t help, and it might explain why Meite looks as bad as when Ron Atkinson slapped a number “5″ on George Reillys back and told him to play centre half (for those of you with long memories)
Our defenders have played badly, but it’s not just their responsibility to defend – the whole team has to defend – you defend from the front, no? All the best teams do it, you only have to look at Rooneys, Torres’ or Drogbas work rate ro see that. T
eams should defend and attack as a unit, seems to me that we try and attack as a unit, but when it comes time to defend, our back 4 is woefully exposed due to lack of cover.
I still reckon Donk could play as a defensive midfielder.
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Well said stroller steve,the mowbray out brigade seem to forget what he did last season.championship title, fa cup semi,how often do they come along for us.STICK WITH MOGGA,he can get us back up and learn from his mistakes.
KEEP THE FAITH!!!
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We should have signed James Beattie and Rob Earnshaw.They would have made the perfect partnership.We should also have kept Gera and signed Mulumbu and Sonko.We could not afford Beattie even with our 3years of parachute payments.Nevermind Stoke could and they will stop up because of it.Thanks Jeremy Peace,thanks alot.But i will still have my season ticket in my beloved Brummie and support my team like i have done for the last 36years.
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we are defending the same as last season if you recall.the premiership has just highlighted the problem.we need defenders who defend first and foremost,passing ten yards max or foot throu.more variety in midfield a mix of skill and work horses .up front we again need variety.AT THE MOMENT WE ARE TOO PREDICTABLE . lets give TM a chance to put it right BAGEEEEEZ
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Earnshaw? He was awful when he played for you the first time and has got worse throughout his career. Wolves will sign Olsson when we are promoted though, don’t really want any of your other players.
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At last some of the real fans coming back and speaking from the heart. I too think that your backs are against the wall and it is going to be monumentally hard to escape but as Supermaths says it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings and with the way some results have been going she hasn’t even started to warm her tonsils up yet. Hang on in there my Baggie friends, I’m still hopin’ for a Prem derby next year with you.
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Tony Mowbray needs to start playing Marek Cech
as Robinson will be the first name on the transfer
list 100% garanteed!
That bloke shouldn`t even be wearing an Albion
shirt after what he said after the play off final
defeat to Derby.
MOWBRAY needs to get a hard working 11 out there
for the Westham game to give us any chance,
CARSON,ZUIVERLOON,MEITE,OLSSON,CECH,GREENING,
MULUMBU,KOREN,MORRISON,FORTUNE,SIMPSON.
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Good man Nedball!
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Kiely, hoefkins, barnett, olson, cech, morrison, greening, mulumbu, brunt, moore, forunte.
Lets see what that side can do. Probably wont win, but it send a message to the regular starters and gives subs a chance to shine.
Simpson and fortune havent set the world alight at the albion. Ive read this week when ive had the opportunity and some posters said if we would have signed simpson and fortune we would have stayed up. Their goals ratio at present hardly suggests that. Simpson has scored 2 goals in 15 starts, 1 in the cup.
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Ill be realistic when i say we have know gone, results have gone against us lately and im now preparing myself for life back in the championship, we have no fight and for that matter were down.
But we will come back stronger!
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Mowbray has bought in some dross, and, a previous writer commented you should sell them to fund more acquisition. Valero and Moore wouldn;t command 1mill each, and as for Meite and Zuiverloon… 1/2mill for the two. Good news is though, you will have the parachute payments to compensate for the 5,000 glory seekers who will crawl back into teh woodwork, and, the club is very well run by Peace. I’d rather be in your shoes than Hull, when they eventually come back down, they will be in a shocking financial state.
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carson
zuiverloon olsson donk robinson
morrison greening valero cech
moore fortune
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Only a few of you have mentioned it, but I would say the biggest mistake you made was deciding not to resign Phillips. I have lost track of how many times he has come off the bench and won games for Blues this season. There are few finishers more clinical and with the 5 – 10 goals he could have given you this season we may have been looking at a Wolves – Albion derby next season after all.
I never bought into the negativity on our forum throughout our recent run. I maintained we would go up and suddenly that looks very real again. It is interesting an to be applauded that 90% of people on here, despite relegation being on the cards, are standing firm in their support of the manager.
If our fans showed as much faith in our manager our chances of going up would be greater, I know that much.
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