West Brom match thread

[rudedog]

If we hadn't conceded that late goal at home to Arsenal, we'd now be 3rd in the league

[Craig_H]

A win.

What we all wanted and we got it.
Stop ****ing moaning everyone - WB never even looked like scoring.

Disagree. They threatened a fair bit for who they are, and i very much doubt many were sat in that ground or watching it on tv, feeling comfortable in the last 10 minutes. We could very easily have dropped points today. I'm not going to post all my thoughts on the game now, because it wont make pleasant reading and i just want to relax a bit now. Bit it wasnt very poor today and if this level doesnt improve by a chasm, we'll get found out on a regular basis.

[Craig_H]

On another note, is Skrtel as thick as pig ****? Does he think he's Vidic playing at Old Trafford or something? Could have cost us the game with his blatant karate kid style shirt pulling.

TBH, i noticed this in the first half, but in the second half, he was about 150 yards up the other end, so i didnt see if it continued. In the first half, he was worrying me a lot and i thought he'd give away a peno - at least once or twice, he had such hold of his opponent's shirt in the box, that it looked a clear cut penalty to me. That said, by the 2nd half i'd forgotten all this and have named him as my MOTM in the MOTM thread

In fairness, the nervous(?) rash shirt pulling stuff aside, i thought he did little else wrong.

[little dave hedgehog]

there were times when we were defending in midfield and you couldn't even make out any real formation. those banks of 4 were gone without a trace...

[Craig_H]

That's not true y'know. The thing that stopped them scoring was that they couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. But they were getting plenty of shots in.

Against someone half decent we would have conceded today at best.

We didn't dominate, and I don't get why our central midfielders were so deep. It felt like we had 6 at the back for most of the game when we were just at home to West Brom.

There were very few options ahead of the ball, and despite that West Brom were still managing to get crosses in and get shots in, and had too much space (even at 10 men) whenever they had the ball in the attacking third.

Three points yes, and I'm thankful. But lacklustre is the best way to sum us up today.

Totally agree mate. We looked like we were ****ing scared of them, we sat so deep and almost sat back and invited them onto us, while being content to try and play counter attack - at home to West ****ing Brom.

They looked like the home side, and they also looked like the team who felt they had superior players. I thought we were too cautious and too worried about ****e opposition under Rafa, but my goodness, today took it to new levels.

I'm hoping it's just a confidence thing, along with Roy and the players still getting to grips with each other and the new-ness of it all.

[Icon]

...WB never even looked like scoring.

That's not true y'know. The thing that stopped them scoring was that they couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. But they were getting plenty of shots in.

Kinda the same thing.

I know is wasn't vintage but I always felt that a winner was coming is all I am saying.

[alunevans]

Kinda the same thing.

Kinda but not really.

One relies on us defending well and controlling the game.

The other lets them have as many shots as they like and hopes they will be cack at actually shooting.

Even then, Pepe was the busier keeper.

[alunevans]

Sneaky edit there Icon :-)

[alunevans]

I was sort of relying on our extra class in terms of personnel to be the difference too, so I know what you mean in terms of feeling a winner would come. But West Brom shouldn't have that sort of space against us at home or getting 11 shots in. Off to bed now to dream of better days

[little dave hedgehog]

the big difference today is that wb took lots of shots whenever they got near our goal, and we fannied about waiting for someone else to shoot and knocking it around one too many times. it's not that we were never in similar positions to wb, we just never got many shots away, preferring to dally, pass to a defender, run into a blind alley, etc... when some sort of shot was on, even if it was low-percentage.

but you've gotta wonder wtf considering who was in goal...

edit: big difference as far as in front of goal i should say.

[little dave hedgehog]

probably also worth noting here that we didn't get our breakthrough in turkey t'other day until pacheco tried his luck from a bit of distance instead of trying to pick out kuyt.

[DannyMan2006]

probably also worth noting here that we didn't get our breakthrough in turkey t'other day until pacheco tried his luck from a bit of distance instead of trying to pick out kuyt.

We did as Johnson put a killer ball in and forced the OG.

[DannyMan2006]

On the game today, it was a bit poor but for me Lucas and Poulsen is a poor midfield at breaking teams down, just as Mascher and Lucas was last year.

Luckily that midfield is not the long term plan as Mascher and lucas was last year.

We have Raul to come in and also Gerrard if we play Cole off Torres, or indeed pair the new striker we are after with Torres.

That said, the fact we won the game with that midfield is also promising as it means if we do get injuries that midfield is capable, if not a little weak. Also, we know Poulsen is a bit of a distance of match sharpness just yet and is still adjusting. He'll get better.

[little dave hedgehog]

We did as Johnson put a killer ball in and forced the OG.

i meant scoring our own goal, obviously

[little dave hedgehog]

On the game today, it was a bit poor but for me Lucas and Poulsen is a poor midfield at breaking teams down, just as Mascher and Lucas was last year.

Luckily that midfield is not the long term plan as Mascher and lucas was last year.

We have Raul to come in and also Gerrard if we play Cole off Torres, or indeed pair the new striker we are after with Torres.

That said, the fact we won the game with that midfield is also promising as it means if we do get injuries that midfield is capable, if not a little weak. Also, we know Poulsen is a bit of a distance of match sharpness just yet and is still adjusting. He'll get better.

it's going to be fantastic finally having a dynamic midfielder, isn't it?

(i mean apart from gerrard)