We are heading in right direction – boss
Monday 30th March 2009, 10:14AM BST.
Albion manager Tony Mowbray believes his side can climb into the top half of the Premier League – regardless of whether they are relegated this season.
The Baggies boss claims his side are “not too far away” from competing well in the top flight and even challenging for Europe, despite the troubles at the foot of the table that are threatening to lead to a return to the Championship.
The team are seven points adrift of the safety line with eight matches remaining and are lengthy odds-on relegation favourites – but Mowbray is adamant he is moving the club in the right direction in the longer term.
He said: “I’d like to think we’re not too far away from being a top half of the table team in the Premier League every season – not a team that scrambles to try to stay out of the bottom three but a team that plays in the top half of the Premier League and, when it has a good season, gets into Europe and, when it doesn’t, finishes 12th.
“I have felt it. We went to Goodison Park and were more than comfortable in the game, against a team that is sixth in the league.
“We have felt in the football match, ultimately if we’d had the centre forwards to stick the chances in and the centre halves who feel as comfortable as most centre-halves feel in the Premier League, then we would have a pretty good team.
“But, at this moment, we haven’t got all the pieces of the jigsaw.”
Mowbray’s side take on Stoke at The Hawthorns on Saturday knowing defeat would all but kill off their receding hopes of avoiding the drop.
But Mowbray has urged his players to ignore the pressure from outside the club.
He said; “There are such fine lines between success and failure in this league. There is the media pressure that comes.
“I try to shield my team from it and I try to shield myself from it at times because I genuinely feel we are moving in the right direction.
“That’s not meant to be in any way comical, because we’re at the bottom of the league and moving down.
“That means that as a club we are trying to develop a philosophy of play – and trying to bring in a quality of player that will ultimately reap benefits.”
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TBH we should have made more of a fist of it this season
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We might one day be in the top half of the Premiership, but not under Mowbray!
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I *heart* ToMo
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Tony, at the moment I’m struggling to gain any comfort from your comments and find it pretty hard to agree with you, but if you need any comfort, I would ‘suggest’ that those over at the Custard Bowl are over the moon that we are heading the ‘right direction’!
On a separate matter, can we at least try and give Stoke a game this weekend!
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In denial Tony!
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4: Steve Poole Baggie; well said.
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You just gotta laff
‘because I genuinely feel we are moving in the right direction.’
“That’s not meant to be in any way comical, because we’re at the bottom of the league and moving down.
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who sung that song THE ONLY WAY IS UP?
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All we need is a new defence, forwards, midfield, game plan, spirit, desire, board that will spend money, and we’ll be there. What a joke. Mowbrays just embarassing himself.
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i agree TM glad u don’t read this m8 as most fans forget what you did last season, and the money we spent. its mainly down 2 wages not transfer fees. we did make some pointless signings and have been unlucky not to win a lot more games. mistakes will make us stronger. just have faith in TM. u people slagging him off would make good guests at a jimmy hill sunday supplement
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4.. I has to disagree although I can see your point of view I can also see where TM is coming form.
In my opinion and it is only my opinion as a team yes it has not happened/gelled/come together what ever you want to call it this season, BUT as a club I think we are progressing, we have a very good youth acadamy policy which WILL produce future first team players we have a good fan base (who may have come to expect to much in the short space of time)we have a club that is ran in a way we should always be able to see our team playing at a decent level. yes it may not be a great season but I think as a club its hardly the end of world
I actually think the following statment from TM about somes up the season
“We have felt in the football match, ultimately if we’d had the centre forwards to stick the chances in and the centre halves who feel as comfortable as most centre-halves feel in the Premier League, then we would have a pretty good team.
I really think that we are 3/4 players off a top 10 side again just my opinion
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8,YAZHOO,if ever you want to know anything just txt know all terry ,standerd txt rate applys some mobile fone companys may charge more aye boing boing im so clever
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From a Wolves fan, we thought Mcarthy,s mad but
this bloke must be on Drugs.
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12 – Tezza, It was Yazz, not Yazoo….that’s a milkshake with a big dinosaur on the label….not that I drink them myself obviously……I’ve seen poor kids drinking them!
13 – As an Albion fan, I think Mad Mick’s mad too!! I give him until October until he’s picking up his P45
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11. We may well have a club which is well run with a good business ethic, however it is the 1st team that counts. We are a few players short of a good team. We are not ruthless enough in front of goal and naieve when defending.
When we lost to Derby in the play offs the team was not all of TM’s choice and there was an undercurrent in the ranks. TM said judge me when it is my team. The thing is now it is his team and we are judging. I am sick and tired of being the charitable club!
I am trying ot be positive and have been all season but time is running out and if we go down we have no devine right to return back next season.
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I know so called football fans can be fickle, but last season you were all saying that Mowbray was the best thing since sliced bread as we scored boat loads of goals, playing good free flowing attacking football.
Mowbray has stuck to his principles and tried to continue in the same vain, but unfortunately there is a huge difference in standards between the Championship and the Premiership and we have struggled somewhat. I still have huge belief in Mowbray and I believe if he had been backed by the board he would have kept us in the premiership. Blame the board, not Mowbray for the position we are in now.
I believe that if we do get relegated we will bounce straight back. In Mowbray we trust!!
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14,ned whats a ooooooooooooo between friends aye boing boing oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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Going in the right direction e’h Tone!bloody ‘ell, it’s a funny old game,”I would suggest” as in your immortal word’s, that we are not.Not yet anyway,but who know’s what might happen in the future.It might not be with you Mobes but you never know.But “hey” “plenty of positives” a mate
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tony! stop drinking that fizzy pop. Well that’s where we are going, down down down. Bad direction.
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15 – Of course we have no divine right to come back up, but I for one believe that we will.
I also believe that the brand of football being installed into the club will only benefit the Albion in the long run.
We are, as you quite rightly say a few players short of being good enough for the Prem as we are too inconsistent (especially away from home).
Finishing chances has been our biggest problem, and the silly mistakes at the back have cost us dearly. Let him address the problems and see where we go from there. I’ve got faith in him, as do the majority of fans I speak to, but can see why you’re losing heart because of results in the short term.
I believe TM can turn things around and make us a better team / squad and club!
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ask yourself this if you do go down and come back up again will the wage structure be altered,because if not it will be the same old same old
i hope my club(if we go up)does not make the same mistake but i feel it probably will
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Comments fine, headline foot in mouth.
I loathe to say it but you do play good football, maybe you should have sat back in a couple of games rather than try and play it around.
If you go down I cannnot see you staying there unless there is a migration of players.
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Ned – that milkshake is Yoohoo … yazoo were that 80s duet with Alison Moyet.
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“a team that plays in the top half of the Premier League and, when it has a good season, gets into Europe and, when it doesn’t, finishes 12th.”
Am I the only one here thinking TOMO has lost the plot. Look at our results people, do they suggest we could be challenging for Europe with 3-4 new players? Enoughs enough, Someone needs to tell Mowbray that although we got away with playing nice football in the championship, we will never have the finances or the appeal to quality footballers to do it in the top flight.
The losses and the draws I can cope with, but to have this muppet try to tell me we are not far away from european footy takes the biscuit, does he think were all thickos.
TOMO, either credit us with some football savvy or pack your bags and go
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Okay I’m game for a laugh; those who want to bitch and ditch, who would you replace TM with?
Please take into account Peace and reality…
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8)
I’ll think you’ll find it was the South Bank mate. C’mon me babbies!!
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16. totally agree with you mate
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10.you are so right lets have some faith this is the guy we won the champoinship with and playoffs the year before.
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Mowbray’s made mistakes this season, but he’s an intelligent guy and a talented manager.
Those of you who would rather see him go are short-sighted and I think, quite frankly, that it’d be an idiotic move.
What happened to……..
Watford MINUS Boothroyd;
Derby MINUS Davies;
Wolves MINUS Jones;
Sheff Utd MINUS Warnock; and
Crystal Palace MINUS Dowie?
They all got relegated from the Premiership and parted company with their manager (Derby aside…which I think was mid-season), tried starting again, and look where they all are now, only Wolves have achieved success and it’s taken them 5 years. Some of you have short memories.
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ACTUALLY IT WAS YAZZ AND THE PLASTIC POPULATION.8 +12.TAKE IT FROM ME A DJ.IF YOURE GANNA COME ON THIS SITE,GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT.KEEP THE FAITH ITS THE BEST FOOTIE SINCE BIG RON.ROME WERENT BUILT IN A DAY !
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FOR ALL YOU DOUBTERS-DOBIE GOT THE WINNER AGAINST STOKE.!LUKE MOORE-STEP UP TO THE PLATE.YER LAST CHANCE.
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Ref:9 Spot on! Mowbray out at the end of this disasterous season, and Peace. 3 managers and 4 seasons in Prem.and look at where we are under this Chairman.
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What a complete muppet. We’re only moving in one direction under this clown – Get rid now.
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11 BB.
What a fantastic post. You’ve hit the nail on the head with people expecting too much in a short space of time. Look where we were ten years ago. We are going forward as a club but sometimes a little patience is needed and you have to take a step back to take two forward.
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most teams in the bottom half of the prem are only 3/4 players away from a top half team.
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16 – Mowbray had money to spend and wasted most of it. Mowbray implemented the “everyone gets equal pay” regime which means that talented players will never join us. Mowbray refuses to change the way his team play even though we have become consistent at losing. This season has been sacrificed trying to get Mowbray aclamated to the Premiership. Even after endless mistakes, the guy openly refuses to change.How can you back someone who has the gaul to come out and say we are heading in the right direction when we are probably 1 game away from relegation. The man has openly lost the plot.
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Unbelievable! Sorry Tony. Where are the men with white coats? So embarrassing.
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30 bob, well i was half right,aye boing boing yazzzzzzzzzzzzzzooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
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I’m glad we got to the bottom of the Yazz / Yazoo / Yazz and the plastic population quandry sorted….that is a relief!!
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I think TM will make a great politician when he leaves football, he’d be great during the run up up to an election, says all the things he knows you want to hear, then when it doesnt happen, says something else he thinks you want to hear.
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25 – I wouldn’t.
TM’s the man for the job IMO
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So we’re heading in the right direction???
Please explain to me Tony why it is that we have to be relegated first before we can make the progress you are talking about?
Forget about the pie in the sky notion of us being a club in the top half of the premiership. I would prefer Tony to tell us all, in his opinion, how long it will take this team to actually get back into the premiership? I have a nasty feeling that it could take a lot longer than those fans with the rose coloured glasses expect.
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Being a football manager is a masochist thing. When you win:Genius. When you lose:Instant sack.
This is the thinking of many Chairmen of football clubs so I suppose we must accept it will be the thinking of SOME supporters. A stupid and volatile situation. I would suggest that thousands of Baggies still want TM to manage the club and the same thousands can see what JP is doing. That leaves a few hotheads who want to put down the club cat with the club and a few staunch, loyal supporters who don’t. Both of these two minorities spouting off on here. In the end, it’s what JP does with TM that counts and I sincerely hope he KEEPS him. Only Brian Clough was allowed to say,
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, bit I wasn’t on that job”. And even he couldn’t cope with the Leeds egos. Er, anyone noticed where Leeds are these days???
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35 michael.
Is it really you? Bit of a dull post by your standards but good to have you back.
42 Aussie Baggie.
Despite numerous requests, you still haven’t revealed whether you’re an Australian Baggies fan over here or a Baggies fan living in Australia. If either answer embarrasses you I’ll understand and won’t ask again. Come on, this is your last chance.
GaryGarland, BaggieBoy, Wiltshire, Cyril, BaggieBob, JimBob, Warren and Nedball.
Good to see a few with memories longer than a goldfish. How many of this lot would love to see Aidy Boothroyd come in and be calling for his head next season if we didn’t come back up?
By the way, I’m sure Tony Mowbray didn’t write the headline for this article. Yes he may have said it during the article but that should be taken in the context that it was meant. Rome wasn’t built in a day, nor was Arsenal, Man U, Liverpool etc.
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wasn’t aidy boythroyd the man who couldn’t bring watford back up and got sacked?!! no this is a bit l8 but those goldfishes am so clueless to what a talented manager TM is.you all forget where we were before megson, and the idea that we could be a top 10 premiership team soon makes me happy. i might be one of the only albion fans who agrees with what JP is doing. the mans done a great job to be honest, looks like the youth team sorted out, ment to have 1 of best training facilities. im gonna shut up
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It would be wrong to sack Tony Mowbray. He has made some bad mistakes, but is a talented, intelligent manager who is learning. His biggest mistake was to have let Kevin Philips go, who would have scored at least half a dozen goals this season.
But take that aside, the future of the club looks secure. There is an excellent crop of young players coming through the academy, who are playing at international level. The club is financially sound. The chairman has brought stability to the club, without resorting to knee jerk reactions and reckless spending. The side is short of some key players, i.e midfielders who can bring in some steel and defensive qualities. But TM knows this and will act on it. TM has brought stability to the club, has the support of the majority of his players and is constantly looking ahead at ways to improve his side and the success of his club. I have watched a few games at the Hawthorns this season and we are two or three players away from being a very good Premiership side. If we still had Kevin Philips and hadn’ been hit with so many injuries, I think we would have been out of the relegation zone at this stage
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No 46. You should be renamed ‘Weighbridge’ as you put such a ‘balanced’ argument! Great post mate.
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