Roy Hodgson’s brave new Albion
Wednesday 23rd March 2011, 9:10AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill explains how new boss Roy Hodgson has made the Baggies unbeatable as the team keep up the pace in the Premier League survival race.
Roy Hodgson remains undefeated as Albion’s new head coach and, although that in itself is a remarkable achievement, it’s the new belief he has brought to both the fans and players alike that brings us hope we can beat relegation from the Premier League.
Saturday’s game against Arsenal at the Hawthorns was the perfect example of the new regime.
All of Roy’s experience showed by tactically setting out to condense the midfield by squeezing the play from front to back.
It meant Arsenal failed to find any rhythm in midfield and the first-half was a game that saw us ride our luck at times, but deservedly go in a goal to the good.
Steven Reid scored and he typifies what Hodgson is looking for – determined, methodical at times, but always gives 100 per cent and the truth is it’s working.
Our second goal may have been down to some comical defending from a team chasing the title but we also missed two excellent chances, so don’t be fooled by the national media who predictably focused on how poor Arsenal were.
Both Chris Brunt and Marc-Antoine Fortune missed good chances at critical times and, had they gone in, we would no doubt be celebrating doing the double over Arsenal.
I know we were two up and came away with a draw, but I have taken a great deal of confidence away from the game.
Our boys had worked so hard to restrict Arsenal it was obvious we would tire. The fatigue of our players coincided with their manager Arsene Wenger throwing the kitchen sink at us and the effect was an Alamo approach.
What gave me great satisfaction was the fact that Arsenal equalised with 12 minutes remaining plus injury time and, at that point, I would have bet the farm on us losing the game.
But we managed to see the game out, collect a point from a difficult fixture and move on to the next with our momentum intact.
What Hodgson has managed to do in a very short time is change the team both tactically and mentally.
The shape of the team when we do not have possession is unrecognisable to the one we have become accustomed to under recent regimes.
We sit at the back of the Smethwick End and from our lofty position we can see the shape of the team better than many others.
Our wingers are tucking in forcing play out wide, while our full-backs are marking wide players tightly. Combined with Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner providing a protective shield to our back four, we are looking a great deal more solid.
Going forward we may not be so cavalier and James Morrison still looks to be learning to play the Graham Dorrans role, but I do get the sense that every player knows their role within this team.
I could not hold my hand on my heart and say that of previous regimes – and I mean both Roberto Di Matteo and Tony Mowbray.
We may still be hovering precariously on the precipice of the relegation places, but so are another half a dozen other teams.
The debate on who will go down is still rumbling on, although I would guess that it will go right down to the wire this season.
It does highlight how many teams in this division are similar in terms of quality, I just hope that Roy Hodgson the wise old owl can keep pulling rabbits out of his hat and keep us up.
If we can remain on our unbeaten run then surely we will have enough to stay up, strangely the true test will come when we lose a game under Hodgson’s control and see how we react.
I hope we do not have to find out the answer to that question until next season.
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Well said Jarrod. We certainly do look a lot more solid in defence. Some tricky games ahead though, but I have a sense of hope now. Let’s get behind the lads and Roy and roar them over the finishing line.
COME YOU BAGGIE BOYS. BOING, BOING
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One thing I’ve noticed is that as Albion have looked much better in recent weeks,there’s been a dramatic decline in the amount of people coming here to knock our Chairman.
Looking at JP’s appointments,it’s hard not to be impressed.
He brought in Mowbray and RDM as young Managers who were doing well at their existing clubs,and despite the obvious down side,they did both lead us to promotions.
We enjoyed some very attractive and entertaining football with both men,but ultimately they showed weaknesses,probably being a bit naive and inexperienced at top level.
But the Chairman did have the courage to make a massive decision-to change Managers at a critical point in this season.
Many people said he was being very brave or very foolish-so what’s the verdict?
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Jarrod.
I’ve seen a few Managers in my time supporting the Baggies but I can’t ever remember there being such an instant and distinct change in the way the team is set up,style of play and confidence and concentration of the players in such a short time.
I’m not getting carried away there’s still one hell of a battle ahead but if we carry on with the same determination I’m sure we can achieve our goal.
I’m also going to contact the club to see if Roy can come up the Brummie Rd to install the same commitment in the crowd so we can play our part as the 12th man for the full 90mins and try to cut out the nervous quiet periods.
Come on lads it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say anythin’ about crowd participation.
Adeu
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Changing the manager seems to have worked for you. Not least because of who you’ve brought in! I think what your chairman has done has worked because of your circumstances.
I bet Villa wish they could swap with you – at this late stage they seem to be damned either way.
As for Wolves (and blues), we are both better off sticking with what we’ve got! As I hope we will be able to prove to you in a few weeks time!
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2,CR78
A very brave decision is the answer to your question and the correct one as well.
For weeks before Di Matteo was sacked,I said on these blogs that he must fear for his job only to be replied that he was one of the brightest young managers in the game, that may be but he lacked two things and that was experience and tactical nous.I will never forgive him for making nine changes in the qtr final of the league cup against a poor championship team.Again I have knocked Jeremy over the years on many occassions but I back him 100% on this issue and in the summer when we have survived lets push on a bit more as long as Roy doesnt sign Kamara & Greening again for 10.5 million!!!!!
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2 CR78.
To add to your point. Seeing what the Glazers have done at Man Ure, anyone still hankering after foreign ownership?
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We’re only 3 points off the bottom! Oh no!
On the other hand, we’re only 3 points off mid-table…
I’m a mid-table man myself.
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7 HGB-
I haven’t checked the table,but if we are only three points from mid-way,does that mean we’re only three points plus. off a European place?
Or am I pushing it a bit?
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8. CantelloRcoket 78.
Spurs are currently in 5th with 49 Points. we lie in 16th with 33, only 4 points behind Stoke who are 10th.
Boing Boing!
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Cantello
Lay of the Bathams son, talking of which will you be in the Vine before the Liverpool game? I’ll be there at 12pm for an hour.
Adeu
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For those that belittle Peaces stewardship of
the club they have their answer the mans an asute bussinessnan we saw from the transfer
dealings. Like the majority i was staggered at RDMs going but a look at the dismal run it
was the right action and to get Roy Hodgson in
is inspirational. Ifully realise that Baggies
have a very difficult task and if we had the
choice of the next two home games they would be the last we’d choose weve a terrible record
v Liverpool n Chelsea still it is the silly season so heres hoping.
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10 Kev-
As things stand,I should make it to The Vine,and they better have the Bathams on.
Might go this weekend for a practice run.
Adeu to you,too.
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9 Russ-
So mathematically,we can still do it?
I’ll be disappointed if we only make the Europa.
Still,if it has to be……….
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If we go down its down to one man and thats JP,if we stay up its down to one man Roy Hodgson,fact.
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Lucky Roy was out of a job.
Lucky Jeremy was able to convince him to join us.
Got to have a bit of luck to go with our talented players.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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14 40 coaches-
So if we stay up,you say it will be because of Roy Hodgson,who would then be seen as the hero.
But he couldn’t pull it off if he was still out of work.
So who was responsible for giving him the Albion job in the first place?
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16,if we do go down the fans will turn on JP bigtime,he took a gamble on Roy which may just pay off,but JPs refusual to again release any money is why we are in this situation,and dont forget we are paying some of the dearest ticket prices in the country,you can defend JP all you like but at the end of the day its his fault,ask Megson,Robson,Mowbray,RDM,and at the end of the season proberly Roy.
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17, hi shadrag my old mucker, how’s it going down there in the bottom 3?
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40 COACHES
I’m not a JP fan at all for various reasons,one being his treatment of a personal friend in his forced take over in the boardroom but I don’t think you can criticize him continuing the sound financial path started by Mr Thompson.
There have been various facts and figures posted on the pages which we don’t want to go down the same path all over again but the bottom line is we are having our best season for many a season coupled with the fact that we ain’t going down the Portsmouth Leeds etc road to ruin.
Never mind the boardroom situation at the moment lets concentrate our energy by giving the team all the vocal support we possibly can to put the icing on the cake by avoiding the drop.
Adeu
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17 40 coaches-
This issue has been raised many times before,and it’s very easy to criticise,but can anyone come up with a workable solution?
By all accounts,Albion have spent around 24 mil. on new players,and the same amount on salaries.
So a total of almost 50 million has been spent on the playing squad,and the official figures show that the Club is currently 7 million in debt.
So what money can the Chairman release?
It’s also worth considering that Blues and Wolves have spent more money on new players than us,but they’re both below us in the table.
Apart from this,JP has publicly offered to step down if someone wants to buy the club,but no one else has come forward.
So if you’re unhappy with the way the guy is doing the job,can you suggest a better way of running things?
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17 40 coaches(laughingstock)-
It was pretty clear from some of your wording who you really are(like your habit of putting FACT on the end of sentences),but it was interesting to see how long you would reply to what I say.
I was hoping to get more insight as this develops,but other posts have now blown it.
Two things continue to disturb me-
1) That you spend SO much of your time putting posts on the Baggies site,
and 2) That you know more about Albion than some of our own fans (you love studying FACTS and figures,don’t you?).
From a psychological point of view,there’s only one conclusion-
Your jealousy and resentment of Albion,after years of Baggies domination,has boiled up into an obsession that you can’t control.
What a real Saddo you are.
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18. It’s going just fine for us down here in the bottom 3, lets see how much your utter arrogance will come back to bite you in a few short weeks time, I almost forgot that you were flying high yourselves and doing really well, oh yes that was in October last year wasn’t it my haven’t you done well since!!!!
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22 wolves1877-
You said-
‘It’s going just fine for us down here in the bottom 3′.
We don’t really need to say anything,you just keep shooting yourself in the foot.
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Can’t argue with you, Jarrod. It’s on record that I wasn’t happy with the timing of RDM sacking and neither was I convinced Roy would be up for the task – but he’s proving me wrong.
My criticism of Peace and the Board – often wrongly represented here – doesn’t mean I can’t acknowledge when they get things right. Whether Albion stay up or not, what is clear is there is now a new professionalism on the pitch which should provide a firm foundation for next season.
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22 wolves1877-
talking of ‘utter arrogance’,and ‘coming back to bite you’-
In the Summer,wolves fans were queuing up over here,saying ‘we were playing in the prem. last season,and we’ve got new strikers worth millions,so we should finish at least mid-table,but Albion will be rooted to the bottom all season’.
Have those painful bite marks on you healed yet?
I can’t remember knowing any bigger hypocrites than you lot.
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The majority of people who attack JP are those who never take the time to read where our money goes and blindly ignore facts put in front of them.
40 Coaches illustrates this perfectly by claiming we’ve spent no money, when we’ve spent more than teams like Fulham, Newcastle and Blackpool. Last time we were up we spent more than Blues who finished 8th.
JP can only provide a sound structure. If some of those buys (Valero, Zuiverloon, Moore, Barnett etc) don’t work, there’s not a great deal he can do as to some degree, all buys are a gamble. He can only look at the scouting system, which to a large extent has been a success.
Unfortunately the world is full of blind cynicists, who ignore basic logic to pursue a mindset they’ve developed themselves.
I don’t suggest JP is faultless, nor is he immune from criticsm, but at least make it constructive.
For the record 40 Coaches, £5 on the ticket prices works out at roughly £2m a year in extra turnover. That’s a signing-on fee (Odemnwingie perhaps?)/a loan fee(Vela maybe?)/or wages for Scharner for less than a year…….it’s not going to massively change the course of our season and is a splash in the water in our overall finances.
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16 CR78.
Just shows how easy it is to misread something. I looked at 40 Coaches post at 14 and was about to congratulate him. I thought it was a clever attack on the anti JP gang, ie everything that goes wrong at Albion is the Chairman’s fault whereas anything that goes right is down to serendipity.
PS. Don’t be so hard on Wolves 1983. He’s only echoing his Manager who keeps saying how comfortable he is in the bottom three.
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23 & 25 cr78 You need to look in the mirror then you will see the biggest hypocrite ever, I was being tongue in cheek about being in the bottom 3 but then I don’t expect someone of your ilk to understand Irony, Talking about the bottom 3 you lot will be there very very shortly have a nice day steptoes.
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28 wolves1877-
I called you lot hypocrites because you come over here bragging on a regular basis,then you call US arrogant.So what I said must surely make sense.
You call me a hypocrite,because….????
You don’t like what I say?
You don’t like Albion?
Or more like,you don’t like the truth.
And as for not understanding irony,I invented it,mate.
Now THERE’S arrogance. And that’s being ironic.
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Dingle, hit a raw nerve have we?????
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29 cr78. What so we don’t get any of you lot over on the light side bragging and being wums?
I called you lot arrogant because you’re acting as if the relegation places have already been decided and the season is already over, ever heard of counting chickens until eggs have hatched?
I called you a hypocrite because you slate people for exactly the same things you do and say, ever heard of not throwing stones in glass house’s?
yes you are right I don’t like you and I certainly don’t like sandwell town and you wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped you in the face!
Yes you are Arrogant but like the rest of your kind over here on the dark side you lack wit and humour, I have plenty of both mate!
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Wolves fans have this feeling of foreboding. It’s been with them all season and it’s still there owing to their league position. Their inanity proves the aforesaid.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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31. 1983.
Regarding your last line. As Big Fat Ron used to say ‘don’t tell us, show us.’
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‘Yes you are Arrogant but like the rest of your kind over here on the dark side you lack wit and humour, I have plenty of both mate!’
The irony of that statement is actually quite humorous. One thing though, you have to have intelligence to have wit and your use of cAPitAl letters all over the place indicates you have neither.
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31 wolves 1877
I recon you should have a go on the comedy sceen mate. With all your wit and humour it would be a disservice to the world for you not to share it.
I for one would find it hilarious to watch a grown man have a nervous breakdown on stage over weather Albion are better than Wolves or visa versa. You could call it ‘Falling down’ which I beleive is what the club have ear marked as your season summary video this year.
Boing Boing
Note to self: must stop being so Arrogant.
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