Chris Brunt warns of drop danger
Monday 24th January 2011, 11:33AM GMT.
Albion captain Chris Brunt has warned the Baggies to avoid a repeat of their last Premier League relegation by ending their ‘hard-luck stories.’
The midfielder admitted he was tired of reflecting on unlucky Premier League defeats, after the team again gifted Blackburn goals in yesterday’s 2-0 defeat at Ewood Park.
He said: “It wasn’t the worst performance but ultimately we got no points again and that’s been the story of our last six weeks.
“Last week, the one time we didn’t play overly well against Blackpool, we picked up three points and it’s getting a bit frustrating.
“It’s sounding like two years ago all over again. We shot ourselves in the foot just before half-time and that’s a poor time to concede goals.
“Paul Robinson had a couple of decent saves but apart from that we didn’t create a lot of chances. It’s disappointing but we’ve got to move on now.
“The worst thing is we’ve got a long time now until the next game. We spoke at half-time and said ‘do not concede early’ and that’s exactly what we did.
“It was a great strike from David Hoilett but he had far too much space. It’s gone now and we have to look ahead to the game against Wigan. We need to start picking up points fast and that is a good opportunity to do it.”
“It’s frustrating because we know how dangerous Blackburn are at set-pieces but we defended them pretty well, so it’s disappointing to give them a goal from a mistake and a pretty soft second goal.”
Brunt also played down the controversy over referee Mark Clattenburg’s failure to award Albion a penalty.
Replays showed Peter Odemwingie was chopped down just inside the penalty area but Clattenburg gave Albion a free-kick just outside the box.
The skipper said: “I did think at the time he had given a penalty but there weren’t too many complaints that he had given a free kick. A few people said it was a penalty but that’s football.
“Sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t.”
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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Thanks for pointing this out Chris, without you drawing it to our attention we may of not realised the seriousness of the Situation !
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Our old friend Kevin Muscat is still at it. Have a look at the Talksport site. Vile man who should have been banned for life many years ago.
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No.1 Brunt is only stating facts. I said the other day, the defence needs sorting. We have now started doing own goals!! the second goal was like watching the Red Sea parting (Warren) We didn’t want it enough, they wanted the ball more than us. There was no urgency about us, very sloppy. Next 3 games are, crucial. Need to start playing 2 up front, hope Dorrans is back, Morrison too lightweight.
By the way Warren, can you send me some of those Rose Tinted Specs please. just whilst the end of the season. It will relieve the pain of what I’m seeing (Top Man)
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Think we all realise the prospect the table shows.
Hard luck stories.
As captain I think you need to lead by example, as all too often you are seen being the spoilt kid when things go against, with your chin on the ground.
Body language says a lot.
To me Olsen or Scharner should wear the band as they play with their heads up and walk tall.
Don’t think you’re armband material,sorry. Need someone to rouse everyone up when needed.
Hope the bad weather returns for the Wigan game cus Sky are a jinx for us.
BAGGIESBAGGIESBAGGIES
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Typical, when the lead sports story should be how we were denied another blatant penalty, there is an out break of foot in mouth disease at sky. Sack them both and Clattenburg… and give Tamas a rest once we have enough fit back men to cover him.
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OK THEN BRUNTY WHY DONT YOU ALL TRY A BIT HARDER!!!!!!! TAMAS PERFORMANCE JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH THATS ALL THERE IS TO IT LET THE SPAINISH MAN HAVE A GO HE S NEVER LET US DOWN
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Sorry Brunty but Captain material you aint!! Yours is the first head to drop when things are not going well and I don’t see you gee’ing up the players when it’s not going our way.
As for making chances what about the pathetic free kicks you took blasting them straight into the wall, surely you work on free kicks in training and if this is all you can come up with then God help us.
That spark we had earlier in the season seems to have gone, the build up is far too slow and predictable, insufficient support in the box when we do break on teams as was the case again yesterday.
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Just when I thought referees were improving, “Clatter the Burger” turns up.
See match blog for my other thoughts.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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There’s not too much wrong with our defence-that removing Tamas from won’t correct. Below average pace and powder puff in the tackle at this level- Went to Everton away and Tamas and Carson were accident’s waiting to happen. Unless Di Matteo signs a replacement this month, then we probably need to drop Scharner in alongside Olsson and let Mulumbu sit in front. It ain’t all about “attacking”- the next few games are about defensive shape and organisation… Point’s win prizes. Ps Morrison too lightweight and it’s time to give Tchoyi an extended run. Cool heads are needed
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On the subject of new faces coming into the club, I have to say I’m very disappointed with our lack of activity in the loan market. We seem to be doing plenty of other clubs favours by loaning out our players, but there’s nothing happening in the other direction. When he was appointed, I thought one of RDM’s plus points would be his ability to exploit this area of the transfer market, because of his esteem and his contacts in the game. Seems I over estimated these qualities. Have we actually got anybody on loan at the moment? What about ex baggie Rob Hulse if he’s fit. He’d give us a presence.
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21 games without a clean sheet is the reason why we may be staring relegation in the face once again.Terrible yet again with the free flowing football happening in patches but the midfielders not getting in the box to support the lone striker.Very lightweight in every department with very little fight and get up and at em attitude.Disgraceful decision again by the ref but I didnt see many(if any)players moaning at the ref at the time.I will state the obvious and say that we are more like Mowbrays team as the season goes on.
Roberto,you are fighting for your job old pal because this constant self destruct button within the team must be got rid of and its your job to get rid of it.
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Quite rightly RDM has been given much praise
however his choice of capt is way off Brunts tform has dipped is it the weight of capt ?
OK we lost but we have only been outplayed by
Chelsea thus far. many have said Morrison is to lightweight what does Cox have to do to get on the pitch Peter needs help from someone who can finish with two holding players we dont need JM lets face it 451 is not working weve a poor record conceding.
Surely six is enough to protect Myhill who
continues to impress lets hope he stays injury free an incoming striker will only be
cover for PO what was the point spending £2ml
on Cox? the money we pay any recruit is not
going to be better than Odemwinge I think we
will stick with what weve got.
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Poor players poor managment no compasion we all know where this season will end again. No ambition who have we signed ? No one again, I was born a baggie in West Brom but im getting awful fed up with a club that doesn’t go anywhere, so annoying.Cant see us winning another game with these players,i feel desperatley sorry for Mulumbu man of the match every single game that tells you the whole story.Championship here we come again
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Just looked at transfer speculation and cant see us getting anyone better than weve got we
have to face up to it we dont have the dosh its a mad scramble with just a week to go we
probably would have got Carew but for Heskeys
suspension time will tell if weve missed out.
We probably have to go with present squad
Bedner n Cox will give 100% If we survive can
we hold on to Peter suprised no ones made a
bid for him how about Roman n Peter up front
even dingles have ditched 451
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As they say in ‘My Family’, ‘Mikey, Mikey, Mikey’ cheer up lad. Although we now know Mikey bats for the other side, so being born in West Brom doesn’t mean you couldn’t be a Wulfie. Yes, it was depressing yesterday, but no more so than Blues and Wolves had to suffer. On another day Villa would have lost by a sackful too, Saddlers can’t buy a win, the West Midlands is in a footballing mess. Yet this morning, my neighbour had some quite bad news health wise and that puts it in perspective. You know why? He’d still been to buy his tickets for the next Walsall match!
BEAT THAT for a supporter! Great bloke.
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We will never do any good whist jp in charge cus he never spends his money ,he is just taking us for a ride buying shares off supporters on the cheap .we can’t do the simple things like marking a player and never see Carson or brunt commanding his troops .jp spend that money we have loads of over the past 5years,25million cone in to club and the sky money comes to 70 million for 1season and he’s spent nothing .jp go and sell the club .sorry to be negative people just really gets on my nerves .
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2. TRBH – couldn’t agree more. That man is absolute scum. Awful challenge yet claims he plays the ball, makes no enquiry as to whether his opponents leg is still attached to his body then gives the referee an absolute mouthful for being shown a red. Scum – as you say should have been banned a long long time ago.
Without jumping on an anti Tamas band wagon I’d personally play Scharner at the back as his midfield displays worry me – he’s too slow and takes up the holding midfield role meaning Mulumbu gets pushed out wider and is less effective as per yesterdays performance.
As stated a week or so ago Morrison in the advanced midfield role isn’t working but what is the answer? A striker (new signing, Fortune, Bednar) to allow PO to play the role? Dorrans? For me Cox probably isn’t the answer but deserves a chance at this point in time.
13 mickey – pathetic effort, simply pathetic.
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People need to look at themselves before sputing off. Brunt has hardly been inspirational lately and Sharmner has a quiet one yesterday and I thought was lucky to stay on.
The truth is our defence, at prem level, has been very poor over the season we have been in. it seems it’s the one position we cannot get right.
The Midfield are all “Playmakers”, pretty boys. We need someone who is willing to stick thier foot in and be a leader in the Keane, Ince mould and we haven’t had one of them for years.
Cannot for the life of me understand the blatant lack of activity in the transfer market either. it seems we were pinning all our hopes on Carew. it’s not as though we have only just learnt that we needed to strengthen in ALL departments, so tragets should have been identified in Nov / Dec with replacements in hand in case our No1 Targets do not come off.
Pretty bad state of affaris really
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15 Cyril- I’ve just finished a lengthy post on the match result thread (it should be around no.60 if the mods. allow),and having now read your current post,we seem to be saying almost the same thing! I can only conclude that we must both be mental-or should that be psychic?
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8 JtH- talking about useless Referees,I’ve just had Bolton v. Chelsea in the background on Sky,and 10 minutes from the end,Anelka was brought down in the penalty area by Paul Robinson,with a completely mis-timed challenge,as clear a pen. as you could wish to see.There was no other player near them,and the Ref. was less than 10 yards away,with a crystal clear view,but he waved the appeal away.Commentator Sam Allardyce was laughing,because it was a stonewaller,but the official obviously didn’t have a clue-and his name just happened to be Chris Foy,the very same that didn’t see Graham Dorrans kicked up in the air from behind by Gary Neville.At least he’s consistent-he gets it wrong EVERY time.Trouble is,he’s got a few mates who do exactly the same in their games.Amateurs.
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Cyril, as always, a fantastic post that made me chuckle and does put everything into perspective. Fair play to your neighbour.
As I sit here and further consider Sunday’s debacle for some morbid reason, I just don’t think we can play a 5 man midfield if the lone striker is Odemwingie. The reason I say this is because Pete’s game is to use his pace and run the channels and try and get behind the back line. If you play one up front you need a Mark Hughes type player who is strong and at his best with his back to goal. He can hold the ball up just long enough for the midfield to arrive in numbers. That is not Pete’s game. You would never have played Owen in his prime in that role either. This isn’t a knock at Pete, I think he’s been a great addition but I’d like to see him up front with a strike partner in a 4 4 2 formation. Surely at home against Wigan we can make the extra man up front count, enjoy more possession in their half and not get over run in the middle of the park.
We need to change it up somehow and get everyone going again.
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15 Cyril
Thanks mate for a positive note!
Because reading the above responses and watching yet another live performance many miles away from blighty, I couldn’t take a positive note. We didn’t do a lot wrong, but we simply didn’t do enough right. Agreeing with many before me, Brunty ain’t no captain. I love RDM but for the life of me, can’t understand why he took Mulumbo off, our best most consistent performer. I now have lot’s of fear, Villa have spent well, Blues have yet to play through a good patch, and Wolves are playing like a team with belief!
Come on me baggie boys, pull us through
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OLSSON FOR CAPTAIN!
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15 Cyril.
What a fantastic post.
First, in the nicest possible way, you tell mikey what you think of him. Whether genuine or imposter a 100% proof t****r.
Second you remind us all what being a football supporter is all about. It’s not following Man U (’cause me dad was a glory hunting red’ excuse etc’) or even us or Wolves who at least enjoy occasional success. It’s supporting Walsall or Chesterfield like your neighbour, through thin and thinner. I have every admiration and wish him all the best.
Wonderful stuff Cyril although I fear it may have gone over the head of some of our fickle fans.
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Thank you gentlemen, one and all.
Anybody can support Chelsea, Man.U., Arsenal, but who would you want next to you in the trenches when the pooh hits the fan? The LOYAL man/fan, because they are the salt of the Earth. Being a Black Country bloke is something to be proud of. Our heritage is immense, but we do love a good moan. They could make a film if the stars hadn’t all gone to the ‘Big Dressing Room In The Sky’.
“Carry On Moaning” and bags me Sid James part!
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(13)
M,
On your bikey, Mikey, back to the dark side from whence thee came.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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