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Seasons in the sun for Albion
Friday 30th October 2009, 9:10AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill compares and contrasts the Baggies’ start with season goes by as the team look for the drive to carry into the Watford game.
As we prepare for the visit of Watford tomorrow in the Championship, I have realised why I am feeling the way I am currently. Since our former manager Gary Megson against the odds took us, or should I say dragged us into the Premier League, the way I have felt about the Albion has changed.
In the top-flight I have had hope of us getting results, hope of us staying up, while quietly admitting that our chances were always going to be slim.
But in the Championship I have held nothing but confidence, Megson took us straight back up after falling short of both money and consequently quality in the Premier.
Then new manager Tony Mowbray won the division in style, a style that brought huge entertainment and lots of goals, so I kind of presumed that this season would follow suit.
Yet, so far this season, when we head into games I have felt anything but confident. I know I have always been and always will remain somewhat of a pessimist but the reality is that, although I have often erred on the side of caution when writing this blog in the last six years, I have always fancied us against anybody in this division.
I have searched for the reason why my confidence has been dented this season, the change in manager to Roberto Di Matteo, the loss of Jonathan Greening and Co during the summer – or like my last few blogs have bleated on about – our lack of firepower.
The truth is when a team has the capability to score goals, you kind of feel a warm fuzzy feeling when walking up to the game. Go a goal down and you think ‘oh well we will score in a minute,’ or like the Megson days, if you have a team that can keep clean sheets for fun, you score a goal and you relax in the knowledge you have probably won.
But, so far, under Di Matteo I feel neither. Clean sheets are certainly not a certainty and our recent lack of prowess in front of goal has meant we have nothing to rely on, either goals or clean sheets.
To put things into perspective I appreciate RDM is still learning his trade, and the fact is we are third in a very competitive – although quality deprived – league.
I like many of his ideas, the way he has brought a broken squad together, the way he has added players that have balls, so I still live in hope he will conquer our recent problem of getting goals but not conceding them.
Lets face it, the Italian hasn’t been in the job too long and we must give him time, but do not confuse that statement with not giving constructive criticism on forums like this!
As for the game, Watford are the same as all the other teams in this division – great one week, crap the other. I hope for the latter, obviously. But the fact is that their blogger is probably writing the exact same thing about us.
Let’s hope for goals. Hopefully with Chris Brunt, Roman Bednar, Jerome Thomas, Graham Dorrans and Jonas Olsson – our most potent force on set pieces – on the pitch I can’t see why not.
Plus I fancy Simon Cox might just have a hand in what happens tomorrow. He has waited patiently for his chance, and with his strike colleagues struggling surely his chance is now.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man, maybe just maybe, cometh Simon Cox – or a loan signing. Either way, please please someone step forward who can become our goal scoring hero!
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i dunno why we doe go for that Iweluwuwumo off the Wolfs, he’s quality.
morning tarry
p.s. get off moore’s back you so called albion fans he’s quick you no
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Nowt wrong with constructive critisism Jarrod – sometimes its quite right to highlight areas for improvement and suggest options…. thats what being a fan is all about.
Its a million miles away from the “sack the chairman” or just calling for players to be dropped (or sold) with no plausible suggestion for plan B.
I hope Simon Cox gets some pitch time and that RDM and the fans give him the time & confidence to find his scoring boots !!
I know what you mean about the confidence a free scoring front line gives – I too always felt we would turn round an early goal – I think this squad needs a goal scorer to establish himself – and I think more competition up front is needed.
This squad has a different feel about it to previous ones – but I see no reason why (with a bit of tinkering) it won’t be another great team to watch.
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Jarrod, it’s me berfday today, they wouldn’t DARE lose tomorrow!
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Good blog Jarrod. I also have little confidence in us at the moment as the team doesn’t have the correct balance. RDM for me is not the man and I strongly feel the experience is the key on the management front. You Watch Strachan at Boro… I now tip them to win the league as the players he’ll attract will give them the edge. I think we will be settling for the play-offs.
And before you all go on that I’m negative….It’s my view and have seen enough over the last few games to see we look like a team missing the factors for this division.
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Interesting point about how you feel coming to games this season.
I must admit that even when we were top of the table and winning games, I still didn’t have the same sense of excitement as under Mowbray. In more recent games, particularly at Coventry, I was actually bored during the match.
I think we have been spoilt in recent times and just have to get used to a more “normal” brand of football. If we get promoted at the end of the season, then RDM and the players will have done their job.
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I have no difference of opinion with Jarrod. There is often a thin line between offering a ‘critical assessment’ as a watching fan and telling the manager how to do their job, Jarrod always stays the right side of that line. One area not covered, respecting the fact we have an inexperienced management team, is sometimes the decisions to “shake things up” show this inexperience.
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1, clearly you are drunk or just a dingle
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That Paula Radcliffe is pretty fast too, but it doesn’t mean she should start up front on Saturday!
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Jarrod is a Dingle, never has anything positive to say! Watch out if Happy reads this he will slate you mate! Everything is true, although I expect us to beat a poor Watford side.
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we have enquired about a loan signing of danny wellbeck it was on skysports this morning so lets hope and prayer tha something comes of it
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Hi Jarrod.
As usual this blog is challenging and thought provoking, I don’t agree with you and I’m about to say why but you’ve marshalled your arguments extremely well. I suppose my glass is as always half full with the other half of your empty half glass.
I think the striker problem is one of circumstances. Miller’s long term injury, Bednar’s short term injury and Luke Moore’s undefinable lack of anything. The thing is that coming in late, RDM had to give LM a chance, it would have been embarrassing if he’d got rid and he went on a scoring spree elsewhere (easy to laugh in hindsight I know.) Roman’s long lay off didn’t help the cause and the injury came at the wrong time. We don’t know about Simon Cox, was he ready, there were also rumours of an attitude problem so who knows? All I can say is that you have to trust the Manager on these things, he isn’t going to leave Cox out to prove a point as has also been suggested. Add to this that none of our fringe strikers have pushed themselves forward.
I think hindsight can be selective. I know you mentioned that TM got us up, but this was after failing to do so in his first season. There were also results like the Leicester one at home.
I’m probably Gary Megson’s No 1 fan for what he did for our club but it’s easy to forget that even in our second promotion season with him, it wasn’t as plain sailing as it seems it was now.
We have a lot of fringe players that RDM seems reluctant to use now. Like Moore, he needed to have a look at them but I’m sure the window will see a few go out and a few come in. Miller, Morrison and Clement have all been major misses for us and it’s easy to forget that they’re on the squad wage bill. I know we’re all saying get a loan striker in but this is easier said than done at this time of the season.
All in all, I’m more than happy with the way RDM is taking us. Football is a game that is decided on fine measures. The last few games we’ve not been at our best and Lady Luck has deserted us but to paraphrase Scarlett O’Hara ‘who gives a f**k, tomorrow is another day.’
Up the Baggies, cheer up Jarrod, it’s not a matter of life and death. It’s much more important than that. Sorry to go on so long but like I said, your blogs have that effect on me.
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2,HAPPY BIRTHDAY Cyril,bet the candles have cost a fortune,aye boing boing have a great day mate and nite
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firstly, anyone saying watford are a poor side need to think again, the two loanees cleverly and landsbury are very handy players, and they are on better form than we are at the minute.
secondly, there is no need to panic on the goal front. were the third highest scoring team in the league and were not giving much away at the back.
im extremely confident we can win tomorrow, i think he will start with wood and cox and i got a feeling a couple of strikers will get on the sheet.
stop with the pessmism, even the shower down the road have a bit more positivity than some of you lot. were not playing that badly at all.
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I think Moore has had enough chances and I have been one of the few to give him the benefit of the doubt. Let Cox have a run of games and see how he goes. As for RDM I agree he is inexperienced but Brunt is left footed so please play him on the left. Mattock has so far failed to impress me and Zuiverloon should also be left out. We have had weak fullbacks for anumber of seasons now and successive managers have ignored that fact. I also have a feeling that Dorrans is turning into Jonno Mk2. When he came into the team he was always looking to play a positive pass, over the past few games he just looks to pass it square. Its a big game tomorrow and we have to win.
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TRB – 11….. Surely it was Rhett Butler who gave us your wonderful quote – Scarlett O’Hara just told him to shut his pie hole !!!!
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7. Iwelumo would walk into our side and he was on Boroughs hit list, we have to face facts about our status.
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Your blog got me thinking back to when it all started in recent times. When megson came in and kept us up. I got off a plane in Washington desperate to know the score against Charlton-asked a taxi driver who didn’t even know what football was never mind west Brom. 2-0 and we stayed up. then the play off against Bolton 2-0 up at one point, we all know the rest. Never then thinking that we deserved to go up, just hopefull. Then up, and rollercoaster years, Wembley visits, champ title, great Prem wins, dire days like the last two games. But I’d much rather have what we’ve had than be stuck watching boring stuff all the time like some low end prem teams, and certainly wouldn’t want to be West Ham, Portsmouth,Hull, Southampton, Charlton. So overall I’ve got expectation that RDM will deliver, and confidence in Peace to do the right thing. If we don’t produce tomorrow, expect a loan in next week.
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11 – I’ve watched that film many times and I’ve never heard her say that line. I really must pay more attention, there could be loads of other things that I’m missing – maybe she also says that Coxy should get a go up front tomorrow ?
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Let’s all be honest here. We haven’t played brilliantly this season, but after a quarter of the season we are 3 points off top spot.
If we were more capable of finishing chances, we’d be well clear by now.
I try to never slate players, but I have lost patience with Luke Moore. Chris Wood covered more ground in the 1st 5 minutes after he came on, than Moore did for the previous 70 minutes!!
I think an extra option up front would definitely help us out, but it needs to be a better player than we currently have, as opposed to just another guy to shove on the bench.
Bednar – hasn’t hit top form yet this season but he can be lethal in the Championship.
Cox – still yet to see enough of him to make a decision, but if he puts a chance away I think he’ll start flying.
Wood – learning his trade but looks as though he could be a very good striker. I feel it’s harsh to have thrown him so far into the deep end without a partner a lot of the time too. He will be a very good striker though.
Moore – see above. Unfortunately I am losing patience with him, but will NOT boo him.
Miller – will he be the same threat after his injuries? Is he the same threat in the Championship without the know how of Phillips alongside him? We’ll see next year.
Reid – doesn’t look up to the Championship on the parts we’ve seen of him, but those have been fleeting glimpses.
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13…I think bully hoo must have the Directors cut edition of the film lol….
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12, 13 Happy Hoff.
It was Rhett Butler that said, ‘frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn which eleven DorransLovesBrom picks.’
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Sorry Hoff and Happy, tou’ve changed positions, oo er missus.
Cyril.
Forgot to add my best wishes, have a good ‘un, the West Midlands Fire Service have cancelled all leave.
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Happy Birthday Cyril!!
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I think I know where youre coming from Jarrod, I believe there is a sense of anti climax not only at the Albion but in football in general. We are seeing several premier league clubs with real financial difficulties and Glasgow Rangers are under pressure from their bank. It seems like the recession is affecting everything including football which after all is one of the greatest forms of escapism but the feel good factor is difficult to maintain in the current economic situation. At least under JP we’ll have a club at the end of it.
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I am too am thinking is DRM up too the task of getting the ALBION back into the Premier league. With Strachan now at Middlesboro he will turn them around and with us not scoring at the moment we have problems stacking up, we have not got a finisher a natural Predator for goalscoring why not go for one of our old boys LEE HUGHES he is still knockem into the back of the net just stick him in the opponets penalty area he will do the rest.
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Jarrod,
Very interesting, and I’d say that the blog realistically sober, rather than negative; three points if I may?
First, I sense that it is the uncertainty that challenges you.
With both Megson, and Mowbray, you knew pretty much what you’d get each game; it was written on the tin. With RDM, the same cannot be said … yet.
It’s the not knowing that troubles you, leading to a lack of confidence. Yet, given the recent past seasons we’ve all experienced, that’s perfectly understandable … it’s Ok :-)
Next, as Bully points out, injuries are problematic. A new/remodelling side needs time to work together and blend in.
Frankly, we’ve not yet seen a “settled” side, and these changes are quite disruptive to establishing our style. This in turn, exacerbates point 1.
Finally, as Nedball says, though our present run of form is more capillary than vein, we still are only 3 points from the top! Typically, we have been slow starters, only starting to come good somewhere towards mid-November & beyond.
Given we’ve got a strong set of starting results under our belt already, I am optimistic that once we gel, we will push on (please ?-)
That all said, like you suggest, it will be good to see us find that settled side, playing with some clarity in style, so that we can approach weekends with a little more certainty.
This in turn, will breed increased confidence all around.
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I thought it was a bit early for bonfire night – turns out it was just Our Cyril getting his cake…. A very happy birthday to you mate !!!!
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Happy birthday Cyril, put your lips up to the screen so I can give you a big birthday kiss
mmmmmmwhah just for you xxxxxxxxxx
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my albion team 2morrow carson zuiverloon cech olsson jara dorrans brunt teixeira koren cox bednar.
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Any team with Luke Moore up front is going to struggle. What are Peace & Ashworth doing, the latter is Sporting Director responsible for getting in loans etc. We have been short for weeks, losing & not scoring so what happens – nouthing. Peace does not want to spend his money, possibly not interested in promotion either. Boro are on the move, ok its Bent but at this level he could score. Come on someone at B71 lets get a Phillips in, now that would be good for him too better than getting splinters in his backside.
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I’m for putting Cox in the team and leaving him in there. Don’t pull him out prematurely and don’t keep pulling him off either during the match
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26 MTME.
Where have you been? welcome back.
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Anyone else think 28 is just Shadrack after some action ???
(only joking Jodie)…
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Jodie, can I come and live with you please? I used a blow torch to light the candles! Other than being homeless now, we had a lovely time. Ooh Kroist ar! Tarra a bit, an’ thank yer fer ‘avin’ we.
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30 Smethwick.
Have to agree, pulling him out prematurely or pulling him off during the match will definitely ruin the lads concentration.
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Bully,
Thanks for that.
I’ve been lurking, whilst holding my breath at some posts :-)
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worked out just fine today, next week is a test at the Foxes….
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