Roberto Di Matteo downed by slump
Monday 22nd November 2010, 3:00PM GMT.
Albion boss Roberto Di Matteo admits his squad have been floored by the five-game slump that has rocked the Baggies progress.
Di Matteo’s men have now picked up one point from the last 15 following Saturday’s latest setback against long-standing bogey opponents Stoke City.
It was a defeat the head coach, who watched his team dominate the game, struggled to comprehend and he admitted both he and his players were now facing a battle to end the slump.
Di Matteo said: “That’s how things are going at the moment. We’re not getting much joy in scoring and a few things are going against us. It’s just little decisions that aren’t going for us.
“But we’re a bit down at the moment, I have to be honest, because we haven’t picked up many points from the last few games.
“We have to roll our sleeves up and work harder, try harder and keep going, keep fighting. There are still a lot of points to play for.
“It’s a difficult league, we knew that, and that’s exactly how it is a the moment.”
Albion head for Everton next weekend in search of a fresh start and will spend the week hoping key midfielder Chris Brunt, who missed Saturday’s clash because of an injury suffered playing for Northern Ireland in midweek, can recover.
Di Matteo said: “We’re hopeful he might be fight for the next game. But he’s still a doubt and we’ll have to see how this week goes.
“He’s an important player for us. He gives us a lot. If we need to win a game in an ugly fashion we need to do that.
“We are in the games, those little decisions are maybe not the right ones and then you lose the game.”
UK Sport
Latest Blog — Same again for West Brom
What a strange two weeks it has been since our last game. I haven’t looked over my neighbour’s fence with as much interest since Pamela Anderson moved in next door and regularly used her trampoline, writes Albion blogger Jarrod Hill.
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I would have said they were BIG decisions we have had against us. How to lift the spirits?
Let’s listen to Fred Astaire singing, “Pick Yourself Up, Dust yourself off, Start all over again” and play that in the dressing room. Oh, and on the PA instead of that ruddy awful ‘Jump Around’.
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chris brunts mid field absence very noticeable and slump has dovetailed with olssons rear end steerage . coincidence?
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odemwingie taking corners whats that about? no wonder we cant score goals
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time to make changes roberto,scarhner to slow-bring in dorrans more foward minded,barnes not good enough-time to give somyi a chance,twister thomas how many times does he need to get the ball crossed in,fortune no wear good enough-to weak,get bentner back in the squad,we are missing olson big time.shifnal baggie
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Our slump started when Olsen got injured, we lack a real leader. We should not panic there will be 3 worse teams than us in May.
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I agree with Shifnal, what does Scharner actually bring to our team? Steven Reid is IMO better in that position ,And why does RDM prefer to play players out of position ie. Cox in midfield when Dorrans sitting on bench, Also Morrison is more of a wide midfielder than a centre. And why do we continue playing right sided players on the left and vica versa. We are missing Olson, but we we quite lucky during the first part of the season.. lady luck has deserted us for the time being. I suppose we all make great managers in our own minds but RDM aint doing too bad is he?
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On the plus side, we still have 2 more points at this stage of the season than we’ve ever had before (I think).
It’s all very well saying it’s more important to take points of the teams around you than off the big boys, but points are points. Do we know when Olsson is back?
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Wigan Baggie
You’re right, RDM’s not doing too badly. Brunty’s had his best season yet on the right as a left-footer, Scharner was part of those brilliant displays at the Emirates and Old Trafford where Morrison did okay as a centre-mid. These things only become a problem when we lose.
Scharner was unfit when he came and has played 11 games on the bounce, he’s probably not at his best, although I’m not sure Reid’s got the energy at his age to cover as much ground as that role demands in the Prem.
Shifnal
Bendtner plays for Arsenal. Bednar played against Fulham and looked sluggish, is he the answer?
None of these things were a problem 4 weeks ago. The players have got a week off, hopefully they can rest and come back playing the high-energy, up-tempo game that got us off to such a good start. No need to panic yet.
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We have the class and fitness to overcome this situation. I don’t hear the fans making players scapegoats. Reform and go again.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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It’s all about perspective isn’t it? If we’d lost at Old Trafford and the Emirates but beaten Stoke and drawn with Wigan we would be on the same points but thinking we’re doing okay. Beating a couple of big teams and making a good start has heightened peoples expectations to unrealistic levels. We’re still the new boys and all most of us hoped for was to stay up and improve from there.
We’re three points behind Stoke in seventh place, without Mr Foy’s intervention we would probably be level with them in thirteenth place, that’s the difference a win makes in this division. A Sun reporter on the radio has just said Fulham will have to be careful not to get dragged into the relegation dogfight. Fulham are two points worse off than us, yet the media seem to think Fulham, Blues, Villa, Everton are doing okay whereas we are struggling.
I wouldn’t dream of offering our Manager advice on who to pick but would recommend that he starts to complain about referees to the media every week. It seems to work.
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PS Hall Green.
I heard on Saturday that Jonas may not be back this side of Christmas. Also St Peter’s knee still isn’t 100% and he’s trying to play through it.
Altogether now. Fingers crossed.
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No one (including the media and a Stoke fan on here) except for a couple of our own fans seems to think the first one was a penalty.
I’ve just read on another site that Whitehead (the ‘fouled’ player) has said that the second one shouldn’t have been a penalty either. At least he’s honest off the pitch, if not on it.
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10) Spot on.
I think we can take comfort in the fact we know we are at least competing, absolutely nothing we can do about dodgy decisions, just push on and the results will come.
in RDM we trust.
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Many are waiting for the return of Olsen and he is an inspirational figure on the pitch , but central defence is not the problem. Fuller and Jones hardly had a kick on Saturday against Pablo and Tamas so the problem lies elsewhere. As well as Odemwingie played apart from his shooting you cannot expect him to be effective with no support from the midfield. I can understand RDM playing one striker away from home but you need two central strikers against teams like Stoke at home. We struggled all afternoon to get players in the box.
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You guys can moan as much as you want but goals win games and you got nil! Yes they were dodgy pens but if you had our luck over the past few weeks you wouldn’t mind having a couple of decision’s go your way.I really really hope West Brom stay up..Because that will be 6 points again next season for us!!!
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14 Robin.
I agree that our two central defenders on Saturday were excellent. I think we miss Olsson for his leadership, his organisational skills and by no means least he is naturally left sided and gives great balance to the defence especially when bringing the ball forward, a very much undervalued part of the game.
I think as well that Cech has gone back to his old ways. People used to complain about Robbo being preferred to him but I think that was the reason why. He was constantly out of position on Saturday and I noticed at least a couple of times Morrison had to cover the left back position.
I think we learnt a lot from Saturday. Shorey is our No 1 left back. Tchoyi looks raring to go and potentially a real danger. Perhaps he doesn’t always track back but that can be worked on, at the moment we need his threat. I thought that in his brief run out Dorrans looked more like himself, hopefully he is getting his mojo back.
Everton will be tough but I’d like to see RDM go out to attack them and let them worry about us. It’s not a game we’re expected to get anything so nothing to lose.
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I know that the bad slumops will come to haunt us at times this season, but as a baggie who started supporting our our boys, a few hours before the FA Cup Final in 1968 (when I was just a toddler, and fellout with my brother who has converted nephews, and other family to the ‘villains’—I am sure we will post some memorable, character filled victories this season, to emulate (if you can) MAN UNited, and Arsenal results.
We are going places..!!
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I get this feeling Roberto Di Matteo `s Albion
are turning into Bryan Robsons squad of
boaring negative football.
CARSON-KIRKLAND
JARA-WATSON
TAMAS-GAURDDSOE
IBANEZ-PURSE
SHOREY-ROBINSON
THOMAS-KAMARA
SCHARNER-WALLWORK
MULUMBU-CHAPLOW
BRUNT-CARTER
MORRISON-GREENING
FORTUNE-CAMPBELL
ODEMWINGIE-EARNSHAW
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Carson worst ever captain in the history of the club will cost us 15-20 goals a season. Never talks never seen him get angry with anyone apart from when balls in the back of net. Watched them train day before wigan game Carson and myhill in training game you’d have thought myhill was club captain he never shut up….Carson never said a dickie bird!
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NO 1, WHY DONT WE GO WITH YOUR SONG SELECTION ALONG WITH A TARTAN BLANKET AND A MUG OF HORLICKS…DO YOU SIT IN THE HALFORDS RETIREMENT LANE BY ANY CHANCE, BOING BOING BUT NOT TOO LOUD THOUGH! SSHHHHHHHHHH
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14 Robin Brittain.
Beat me to it on the return of Olsen being our problem.
10 TRBH
Bang on! about where points have come from.
6 Wigan Baggie
From the games I’ve been at this season I thought Scharner may not have had man of the match displays but he has been very affective in his partnership with Mulumbu.I listened to Albion player on Saturday and they said it was his best display this season.
As for Reid,I would think he was signed as a crock with his injury problems and so has to be managed,the same as Barns and JT I would imagine,you don’t see JT running back to much.
Keep the Faith and don’t forget lads TRANQUILO!
Cyril,Does Jump Around make you leave the dance floor when you go RAVING? You youngster you!
Adeu
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I think we’ll get relegated easily this season.
The game against Man Utd could easily have been 4 – 0 but somehow it went 2 – 2. There have been lots of games where the win could easily have been a loss. I’m not sure of any performances where we’ve been totally convincing.
We lack the creativity and resilience. Whereas other teams around us can be more confident of carving out a result (Blues, Blackpool, Wigan, Blackburn, even Wolves) we look utterly fragile and capable of going from winners to losers in seconds.
Oh well. It was fun whilst in lasted.
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As said by TRBH,it is all about perspective.After a few good results,some people were getting over-excited,now we’ve had a bad run,some are almost suicidal.All that matters is what happens over the entire season.According to the official site,we had 63 per cent of posession on saturday,and Albion also totalled 15 shots as against Stoke’s 6.Sometimes it goes your way,sometimes not (although never for us against them).One good result will bring the confidence back.I also feel RDM will be bringing in a couple of players come January,and I’m certain it will include at least one decent striker.Keep the faith.
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19 PAUL
One Hundred percent correct mate , at least one supporter on here can see the truth.
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15 denis bedson
Very original and typically Dingle.
18 DorransLovesBrom
Utter claptrap.
19 Paul
I agree all our troubles are down to Carson.
I had a bottle of red wine the other day and it was corked I’ve sent it to Carson for a refund because it must be his fault.
Cyril,I see you’ve upset the youngsters,bet you’re really hurt,keep it up son!
22 Rebecca
Please get somebody in your house to hide all the sharp objects and put a lock on the medicine cabinet,we don’t want to loose anybody.
Adeu
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22 lonely laughing Rebecca- I suppose posting here for a wind-up takes your mind off the fact that wolves are already preparing for championship football next season.By the time your captain Henry is fit again,he will have already made plans to jump ship and looked at which club he can go to in the january window.No doubt Jarvis will also see where he can escape to at the same time.The rest of the squad may have to wait for offers.Probably from Doncaster or Scunthorpe.
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22 Rebecca- ‘wolves are more confident of carving out a result’-yes,every week,and it’s always a very bad one.
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15 Dear Denis.
I really don’t begrudge you the points and if we both stay up I’ll feel the same next season, after all you have little else to look forward to than the accumulation of points.
Stoke fans always remind me of skinflint millionaires, you both love gathering the object of your desire but experience little in the way of joy along the way.
The last time I remember Stoke playing attractive football was when you had George Eastham and Terry Conroy playing in the 70′s. We’ve had our low points but we have the memories of Regis and Cunningham and the recent years of free scoring beautiful football played as it was meant be played. I know we’re not Arsenal but at least by aiming for the sun we sometimes touch the stars.
Good luck and I hope you keep slogging away at it.
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18. DLB.
That’s not really DLB it’s you isn’t it Shadrag.
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25 Kev.
My fence blew down in the recent high winds. B****y Carson.
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Denis Bedson
We had a man sent off after 10 minutes 2 weeks ago (a red card that was later rescinded) and it cost us a game. Every team has the odd decision against them. By suggesting your luck is worse than everybody else’s I think you’re buying into Pulis’s victim siege mentality. Re: goals, yep you’re spot on. But if Stoke have 3 shots on goal in each of their next 12 away games, I don’t think they’ll be breaking any scoring records either.
Paul
It’s obviously all Carson’s fault. If only he’d lost his temper on Saturday, we’d have gone up the other end and scored 4. Maybe you should throw some more abuse at him next home game, to see if you can tip him over the edge, that’ll solve all our problems.
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1 Cyril.
I’ve heard that Scott Carson picks the records that are played.
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3 Solihull.
I’m afraid that it’s down to Carson.
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26 CR78.
I think it’s Lonely and I think it may be my fault. I suggested to him in a post that he was like a woman trapped in a man’s body except that in his case he’s a Baggie trapped in a Wulfies body. I’m very afraid that he may have taken me too literally, hence his name change.
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Haven’t been around to post for a day or so, Scott Carson insisted I see Doctors, Dentists,
Physiotherapists and lord knows who else.
Up to yet though, he’s been right.
20.Albion. I used to sit in the Halfords until 2002 when the club decided that The East Stand needed livening up. The DJ only has ONE old tape to ‘Jump Around’ to. I offered Caruso, Nellie Melba, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, etc., but they’ve never heard of them ! Off to the Doctor’s again now. Beam me up Scotty !
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TRBH
My daughter-in-law’s pregnant,Carson had better keep his head down her hubby’s looking for him.
Adeu
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35 Cyril- talking about DJ’s and music at the Hawthorns,my favourite was the visit of Red Star Belgrade for a European game (late 70′s?).Albion wanted to play the national anthem of both countries,but at the last minute,they realised no one knew Yugoslavia’s anthem,so they tried instead to improvise.With both sets of players lined up,and before ‘God save the Queen’,we were treated to ‘Midnight in Moscow’ by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen.The Red Star players were suitably bemused.I laughed so much,I had tears running down my leg.It was certainly more entertaining than the game itself.
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37CR78. We used to get a wide spread of tunes, songs and even marches in those days, although I can only vaguely remember the incident you speak of. There was a spell in the 50s when on very cold days we danced (?) to Scottish reels and suchwhich. I did want to suggest for last Saturday we should have found room for a grand old march called
Colonel Bogey, but decided no one else was old enough to get the point. It’s this one:
********, that’s all the band could play,
********, they played it night and day, etc.
Still better than ‘Jump Around’ though !
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38 Cyril- there’s probably plenty of music that could have been played before the Stoke game,the first that came to mind was Sinatra’s ‘witchcraft’,the second was by my favourite blues guitarist,Irishman Rory Gallagher,who released an album some years ago simply called ‘jinx’.Not to mention the classic ‘I put a spell on you’………
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The word I missed out that was too rude was
‘HORLICKS’. Now you can sing it !
Clever ay I ?
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CR78 and Cyril.
Sorry to but in.
Cyril.
I suppose it’s an age thing but it’s never seemed 100% like the Albion for me since they stopped playing Stars and Stripes Forever.
CR78.
I’m also a fan of Rory Gallagher, especially when he was with Taste. At the end of Saturday’s game ‘What’s Going On’ seemed most apt.
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WARREN!!
Never been into abusing my own players and never will however carson’s there to do a job as club captain and for someone who’s represented his country, played for top sides and holds a champions league winning medal i expect a lot more from him. A club captain should be inspiring and help the not so experienced players through and not just the 90 mins on the pitch. Carson’s a liability and we and i mean we (WEST BROMWICH ALBION .F.C.) cannot afford these kind of players. Why have other clubs got rid of him???
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41 TRBH- I started watching Albion as a young lad at Junior school (Albion Junior in Halford’s Lane of course)in 1964.It was a couple of weeks after we signed Big Jeff,and in my first game we beat Liverpool 3-0.I remember looking up to the players as if they were Gods at the time,and when ‘Stars and Stripes Forever’ rang around the ground,I couldn’t contain my excitement knowing they were about to run on to the pitch.Whenever I hear it played these days,the memories come flooding back.By the way,Taste were a great band,but they argued and split because the finances were badly handled and money went missing.They really needed JP’s Dad to manage them at the time,I’m sure he’d have saved them a fortune.
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Did anyone else notice John Walters had a slug
on his top lip…
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Paul
I agree he could probably be more vocal, but so could Jerome Thomas, it doesn’t make him a liability to the club. The fact he is captain isn’t his fault, he was appointed captain by RDM, who obviously sees something through working with him every day that neither you or I do. By questioning it, we are questioning RDM more than Carson.
Leeds United sold him because Liverpool offered £1m for a 19-year-old goalkeeper when they were struggling financially and his contract was running out (they offered him a new one).
He went on loan to Charlton and got voted their Player of the Year, but didn’t stay because Rafa Benitez didn’t want to sell him.
Aston Villa didn’t sign him because Liverpool were asking for £6m and Martin O’Neill considered that too high, and that the high transfer fee had been demanded because of the ongoing Gareth Barry/Xabi Alonso transfer saga, but he was preferred to Sorensen when he was there.
Liverpool sold him because Scott Carson wanted first team football and wasn’t going to get it with Pepe Reina in front of him. We bought him.
Only Milner has more England Under-21 caps and he made his England debut at 22, 3 years younger than when Seaman did and 5 years younger than James. It’s not really that bad a CV.
I’m not saying he’s faultless, but realistically, who are Albion going to get who’s a better and more promising goalkeeper?
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42 Paul.
Scott Carson has fallen foul of the boo hiss brigade. These people like to latch onto a target. I think this has given people like yourself a false impression. He is a good goalkeeper. Who says so? Well I can understand you not taking mine or Warrens word for it. I suggest that our management believe he is but let’s go back to the Blackpool game. Discussing the sending off after the game Ian Holloway said, ‘I don’t think it was a sending off. If he’d stayed on his feet he still had Carson to beat and not many people do that do they?’ You could listen to this very experienced manager or you could listen to a few morons on our terraces. Your choice.
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43 CR78.
I was twelve in 1964 and like you regarded the players as Godlike beings. I used to feel a tingle of anticipation every time ‘the Stars in Stripes’ played as the players ran out. I’m going to the Classical Spectacular in a couple of weeks and they usually play it. Physically I’ll be in the NIA but my heart and mind will be in the Smethwick End in the early 60′s.
PS. Rory’s bass player Gerry Mcevoy is still doing the rounds with Nine Below Zero, a very good blues outfit. I’m sure if Rory is looking down he’d approve.
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47 TRBH- I was only eight back in ’64,so I used to go with my older Brother.We also stood in the Smethwick End,right side near the corner flag,usually inbetween the away supporters (very rare to see any kind of trouble then).Being small,with tall guys standing in front of me,many times I would climb the wall and sit on it to get a better view (no trouble from stewards moving you then either).Happy days.As for Gerry McAvoy,bought his book recently about 20 years on the road with Rory.Went to Cork with my Wife a few years back,and visited Rory’s grave.He was very underrated and sadly missed.
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47 TRBH- After this,I think we may both be writng our memoirs.I don’t think mine will sell as many copies as Cheryl Cole’s though.
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TRBH AND CANTELLOROCKET78
Rory Gallagher , now we are talking class, got to see him many times , including one show at Nottingham when he played for over three hours , which was good, except i had work the next day and did not get to bed till after three in the morning. One of those guys who never really understood how talented he was and how much his fans adored him , really sad .
Did not know Gerry played with Nine Below Zero, good to hear he his still going.
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50 WHB- I last saw Rory at the Academy in Birmingham in ’87.He looked overweight and tired because of his illness,but still managed a blistering three hour set.The bar was on and we had 7-8 pints,one of my mates ended up hanging over the balcony by his feet,we had to drag him back up to safety.Great memories,can’t beat it.
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(38)
Cyril,
” The German officers crossed the Rhine “. remember that song. Dare not write the words or I’d be banned for life.
To all the dingles on this string, as there are too many to name. Feeling the jitters now, ay what.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Wal Heath.
Isn’t it great agreeing about something.
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