Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Unity a key ingredient for Albion
Tuesday 8th December 2009, 9:10AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill believes the unity shown by Baggies players in war at Derby just shows another key skill the class of 2009/10 have added to their repertoire.
Our 2-2 draw against Derby on Saturday seems to have drawn the same conclusion from fans and pundits alike. The consensus seems to be that most would have taken a draw before the game, but having taken the lead in injury time the draw feels like two points dropped.
On the balance of play, Derby may feel they deserved a share of the spoils and the confusion surrounding Simon Cox’s goal added more spice to a game that had a bit of everything.
My view of the game doesn’t really differ from what I have already read amongst the press and other blogs, but there are two points that in my opinion have been over looked.
Firstly, this was a game we would have lost under our former boss Tony Mowbray. Robbie Savage and Stephen Pearson would have bullied our former skipper Jonathan Greening and Robert Koren out of the game, which they tried in vain to do the same to our current midfield duo Graham Dorrans and Gonzalo Jara but their aggression was met with equal force.
Derby – with players such as Paul Dickov, Savage, and Pearson amongst their ranks – were always going to be physical and cause an annoyance to our fluidity. But Jara and Dorrans not only matched them for physical strength, but also played the better football in the face of spoiling tactics.
Secondly, there was one incident in the game that for me spoke volumes about our current set of players and the unity of the squad. For the umpteenth time, Savage had fouled Graham Dorrans and when the young Scot reacted a melee ensued.
What was pleasing for me – but I am not sure about Roberto Di Matteo’s view on it though – was that every single Albion player ran to get involved. You may think my pleasure in witnessing this act is a little strange, but please let me explain.
I perceived it as unity amongst a group of players working towards a common goal, not just hyped up players getting involved for the sake of it. It spelled out a clear message to the Derby players who set out with an obvious game plan of mixing it with our boys.
In recent years we have been accused – and rightly so – of having a soft underbelly, but not anymore. Any team that now wants to adopt a physical approach in the hope it will knock us off our game may have to look at other options. It was just another indicator towards the growing feeling of unity amongst our squad, which I believe could be as big an influence on our hopes of promotion as any other.
We have managed to sustain a gap between us and third place, so tonight’s visit of Cardiff to the Hawthorns will represent another test as we welcome our friends from over the border. Dave Jones’ side had a fantastic start to the season – don’t they always – and, although their form of late has been patchy, they still have some of the best players in this division.
It looks like the game will come too soon for Jerome Thomas and that will be a big miss for us. The winger has emerged as one of our most potent attackers and his absence is a void that will need to be filled, with my preference Filipe Texeira.
We are now entering a very important phase of our season and the games come thick and fast, so every player within the squad could be called upon. I hope our squads strength will see us continue to pull clear of the chasing pack, starting with the Bluebirds tonight.
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Afghanistan is a war from which young men come back dead. This was a football match from which wealthy young men come back a little tired.
Please try to keep a sense of perspective.
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Yep,good blog that….and to the point…They say a team mirrors its manager….well our team are mirroring RDM in the way he used to play…a bit of flair but could also mix it when required.
Chavage was there to wind us up,because he cant do anything else these days,but our kids gave as good as they got.
I really like the look of this team,and the way we’re going about things.
BUT…lets hope they dont get carried away too soon…
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Good points, well made Mr Hill!
On the topic of tonight’s game I’m really disappointed with the club:
I live in Cardiff and as such have many Cardiff supporting friends. When the two teams meet (either home or away) we always go together – when we’re down here I sit with the away fans but when they come up to us they all sit with me as Cardiff have a rule that their away support ALL have to be members of their Away Travel Club (which is no good for occasional away games).
Anyway, this year the club weren’t selling tickets over the phone nor on t’internet so I haven’t been able to get one – even though they know I have travelled up the M5 for that past 7 years or so (since I’ve been here).
The justification for this is the reputation of Cardiff fans.
Now, I know they’ve had their idiots – but I attend more Cardiff home games as a home supporter than I manage at the Hawthorns and I have NEVER seen any trouble. Inside the ground, outside the ground the atmosphere is fantastic.
There are MANY more families watching Cardiff now than I’ve seen at the other grounds I’ve been to – so why does this stigma stick?
And as for blocking me coming now – ridiculous.
The Albion administration need to take a look at the real world – and look after their existing customers.
Rant over!
Come on the Albion!!!! Make it an awful drive back for the Bluebirds!
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good blog and you made a good point. our defense looks more solid and we have only conceeded 2 from set pieces all season, which is a massive improvement from the mowbray era.
having jara and mulumbu in the side makes a massive difference.we look more like a team now and everyone has to fight for their place unlike the paul robinson’s of this world last season. our team is better than its been since the 80′s and its only going to get added with more strength and youth coming through e.g. chris wood, george thorne, beharino
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Bomber, picking up on your point of showing a battling, unified front, the best part of the day (after realising I was sat behind Sir Tez, morning mate) was at the final whistle.
The entire Albion team came to applaud the fans for their support (whoever said we were quiet on the match report must have worse tinnitus than me).
Lee Hendrie then came charging over to try yo spoil their ovation by gesturing to the Albion fans right in front of us. Roman Bednar spotted this and made a bee line for the poisonous dwarf, who then scarpered at the sight of the 6ft Czech striker and promptly disappeared up the tunnel and the players rightly so continued their applause.
Roman Bednar, people have knocked you and you made a terrible mistake last season. However, your commitment to the cause is undoubted and I feel this is being shared by your colleagues more so now than it has in the past.
Keep working for each other, your Manager and us fans and you will reap the rewards of being promoted again.
P.s. Blackpool tickets booked this morning. £24.50 for unreserved, uncovered seating by the seaside the week before Xmas………..can’t bloody wait :-)
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No1 If you read the blog Jarrod does not mention the word WAR ,Thats the E&S headline writer. We all feel for our lost troops.
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Jarrod – totally agree about the way the players supported each other on the pitch – the desire to get stuck in & fight for each other is something we have been missing since McInnes was leading the team – I agree that it was good to see (in a way).
1 – you mention a sense of perspective… terms such as “winning the battles on the pitch” – a “war” of words ect ect are all common everyday phrases… your inference that jarrod was not being respectful to our armed forces was petty, childish and very insulting.
This is a football forum !!
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Good Blog, agree we are now a physical match for most teams out there.
1 – What are you on about.
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Do you mean the Albion were not selling tickets on the phone or internet? I managed to buy tickets online for the game for my Dad and Step Brother no problem
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Spot on Jarrod,there’s a lot more fighting spirit in this team nowadays and 1, this is a football page, you want to talk war and politics go somewhere else!!
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Ive got this feeling its going to be `The Welsh
Horror Show Pt2`,with no Jerome Thomas I`d definetly play Graham Dorrans on the left-wing
as he could get passed players better than Tex.
CARSON,ZUIVERLOON,MEITE,OLSSON,CECH,
BRUNT,JARA,MULUMBU,DORRANS,COX,BEDNAR.
KIELY,MARTIS,MATTOCK,THORNE,TEIXIERA,REID,WOOD.
Graham Dorrans must of been flaming flipping
mad after scoring an excellent goal like that
only for Derby to equalise straight after,
felt so sorry for the kid.
If Roberto Di Matteo wants decent performance
levels from certain players then just send them
to THE MERRY HILL WESTBROM SHOP to sign some
stuff,it worked for Dorrans and Cox.
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i.e. The coward Savage ,check the BBC site and see the great man attack GD with a vicious tackle and then , when the mellee starts , walks away gesticulating ,turns around and complains to the ref and in the split second before the picture goes off appears to walk away from the trouble.
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Superb blog Jarrod, some excellent comments too leaves nothing much to add except I do feel for Supermaths and can truly see where he’s coming from. I think our club have got this one wrong, Cardiff should have been dealt with exactly as every other club, offered the allowed maximum and then reduced if they were not taken up. Give a dog a bad name etc.
If Thomas isn’t fit, I’d always give Tex a go but on the right wing and swop Brunt over to the left. A case of needs must. Weather looks good for football, can’t wait!
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5 ned you,l proberly be sittin behind me at blackpool as well,wrap up warm,see ya in wetherspoons aye boing boing
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as for hendrie it would have been worth a 3 game ban to see bednar flatten him the horrible little vermin of a man,i can put up with savage hes just a moran but hendrie just a horrible sly little piece of work,aye boing boing afternoon mate
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1.
If you’re in a fighting mood, I’ve heard the pedants revolt is about to begin.
Jarrod.
Once again you’ve come up with a very interesting topic. Totally agree about the lads standing up for each other, it’s what Man Ure do week in week out, an added bonus is that it confuses the referee over who to book (I don’t like this sort of gamesmanship but when you sup with the devil…) Cyril made a point on a previous thread that failing to hold onto the win may be a good lesson for the younger players. I think also that Graham Dorrans will have learnt a valuable lesson in not letting animals like Savage provoke him into retaliation.
On the subject of learning lessons. I wonder how many of the anti-Mattock brigade or the previous Robbo-haters would have been on here having a go if it had been them instead of Marek Cech at the end. I don’t bring this up to have a go at Cech but to suggest that some only see certain players mistakes.
3. Supermaths.
Sorry about your plight. I don’t very often disagree with Cyril but I wonder if the club may be acting on Police intelligence on this one. There are certain fans that seem to always cause problems, Cardiff along with Burnley and Leeds seem to fall into this category. Even if our fans were not the instigators in any trouble, the mud sticks. With our clubs appreciation of the value of money, I can’t see them turning down gate money lightly.
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1, 100% correct.
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great blod Bomber, looking forward to the pre match drink.
Number 1. Your a new name to me, not even sure if your from our side of the fence, but if you are let me assure you that bomber holds our troops in the highest regard. I KNOW, my son has served in Bosnia, Iraq and just returned from Afghanistan, and he and Bomber are the best of mates with Bombers generosity and frienshiptowards him faltless.Goaway and get things into perspective, these blogs are written with good intent by genuine people.
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3) I too know a lot of Cardiff fans having done a lot of business down that way, and for me, sitting in the Smethwick when we play Cardiff is one of the best atmospheres you get at the Hawthorns. The days of the Soul Crew are over, and as far as I can recall never caused a problem at the Hawthorns anyway, the powers that be should move with the times.
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I certainly do not want to return to the days when crowd trouble was endemic but with the surveillance we have now, Police can pick out individuals and collar them quickly. Then with seating all around it isn’t so easy to start a stampede as it was. The ‘give a dog a bad name’ bit works two ways. In the 60s the Liverpool Kop was spoken of with reverence by BBC and ITV, yet when we won there 1-0 in 1967, my kids, plus two young ladies and I had to run for our lives away from grown men who suddenly wanted to kill us after eating our sweets through 85 minutes. Then there was Shrewsbury in 1991 (?) the year of the Bobby Gould coffin. They were definitely NOT Albion supporters who took their surround fence to bits and ran riot. They were thugs looking for a fight, anywhere would have done. They never watched the game for one minute, spent the time waiting and looking for holes. They should be strung up by their scrotum pole and used as dart boards.
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Thanks for the responses Guys!
You surely must see that, 6, whoever wrote it, the use of the word ‘war’ at the present time when used in a sporting context is, to say the least, inappropriate. The English language is rich in other terms that could be used. Understood? Well, that’s another matter !
8. How simply would you like it explained? Does this site support pictures?
7. Want to test out your theory with the families?
16. I was there when Gordon Nisbet was a full back and the wonderful Ossie was in goal.
And generally, no, I’m not from any particular side of the fence.
In fact, I’m not a great sports fan at all !
:)
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21.
If you’re as old as you sound then grow up. Do you really think forces families are petty enough to worry about words being used out of context? As for your point that you went to a Baggies game once but you’re not interested in sport. I’m afraid you will have to explain that one to me, likewise what you’re doing on here in view of your lack of interest. Too much time on your hands. Do you watch also everything on TV in the hope of seeing something that offends you?
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22.
Nope. Only Jeremy Kyle.
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Cardiff must love coming to the Hawthorns when did
we last beat em? No doubt we were not at oue best
but near misses would have changed everything had they have gone in Cardiff would have to have been
more offensive. We were not direct enough maybe
due to Thomas n Moores absence ? As for Carson id
rather have Dean anyday. Lets hope JTs back for
QPR we do need the early goal.
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