Ally Robertson: Mixed feelings about a magic West Brom win at Old Trafford
Sunday’s stunning victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford conjured up mixed emotions.
On the one hand it was great to see such a brilliant performance from the players and the attitude they showed was exemplary.
But on the other hand, it’s frustrating that we haven’t seen that sort of fight earlier on in the season when survival was still a possibility.
Looking back now and Darren Moore should have been installed as caretaker boss a few weeks before he was.
The players are playing for him, and as James McClean revealed, he’s actually telling them what to do!
Under Alan Pardew, there were so many times that Chris Brunt would come over to the touchline to ask what was going on.
Darren, on the other hand, was shouting instructions at his players constantly and his organisation seems to be paying off.
It’s such an indictment on the previous regime to see this turn around, but it’s also a positive for Moore.
He’s reinstated McClean to the side and on Sunday, the winger was making things happen.
He’s put Craig Dawson back to his preferred position and all of a sudden Ben Foster is back to his best too. A lot of supporters will wonder how it can change so quickly, when it’s the same players going out on to the pitch.
But I’ve been in dressing rooms when you’re not behind the manager and even if you’re trying your hardest, when you don’t agree with the tactics, it doesn’t come naturally.
The dressing room is the most important part of the club and if the manager loses it, like Pardew had obviously lost his, then you may as well walk away.
Darren’s great start to life as a caretaker will undoubtedly get people talking him up for the permanent job.
I personally think that’s premature, but I do believe he would make a great assistant to the new man.
There are certain ways of doing things and he seems to know how to do them. He would be great with the players and I think he deserves to stay at the club if he wants to.
It would be great to win another two or three games before the season finishes to end on a positive note, but even though relegation is not confirmed yet, I’m afraid it is too little, too late.
We’d have to win all four remaining games and hope other results go our way. It would be 10 times greater than the Great Escape!
But at least we might go down fighting under Moore.
