When celebrating diversity and a landmark appearance of one of our longest serving players, it is only natural that the showing on the pitch takes the shine away.
Despite taking a 2-0 lead early on through long-suffering Salomon Rondon and captain Jonny Evans within a short space of time, Albion never really looked as comfortable throughout as opponents, Watford.
Granted, Watford have made a great start to the 2017/18 campaign, but they are still a team that would be in and around us over the course of the season. Yet, we all know Tony Pulis will never change. Whether it be Manchester United or Brighton and Hove Albion, he will want his players to keep the game tight and maybe nick it by the odd goal.
This is our seventh consecutive Premier League campaign, yet we are still acting as underdogs. Watford are into their third, with a forward-thinking, ambitious manager, but we still have to be cautious.
Arguably, with our new recruits, we now have the best squad we have had in the Premier League, so why do they play in such a rigid and restricted manner?
Supporters should not have to pay their hard-earned wages just in hope of an uneventful 1-0. As someone tweeted me a few weeks ago, "if football is only about results, we might as well all stop at home and watch Final Score."
The enjoyment is being sucked out of watching our beloved Albion. A Pulis team struggling to defend says it all.
Saturday, 30 September 2017
Thursday, 24 August 2017
Craig Dawson Appreciation Post
Yesterday West Bromwich Albion's centre back/right back, Craig Dawson, signed a contract extension that would keep him at B71 until the summer of 2020. Brought to the club in 2010 by Dan Ashworth, 'Daws' could well follow in the footsteps of fellow Albion teammates James Morrison and Chris Brunt by making it to a testimonial. That in itself, considering how patchy his Baggies career has been until the last couple of years, is an impressive feat.
Now I know virtually everyone reading this knows how much I adore Craig, and no doubt you'll think of this as a very biased post.
Dawson has many critics, especially from his own supporters (I sit in front of some of them at the Hawthorns and have to bite my tongue!) and it has to be said that ever since the despicable abuse for Brunt has faded poor Daws has become the latest scapegoat.
Granted, he may not be a world-class player. He wouldn't be a West Brom player if he was! But he has been at this football club for seven years, bided his time in breaking into the first team with the likes of Jonas Olsson, Gareth McAuley, Joleon Lescott and Jonny Evans as mentors and, when called upon, has done his job and, more often than not, done it well. At times he has even outshone his more experienced partner at the centre of defence.
After brief spells in the first team under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, Steve Clarke and Pepe Mel, as well as loan spells at Rochdale and Bolton, it was when the much maligned Alan Irvine arrived at the club where Dawson really started to prove his worth. Having handed in a transfer request after three years of playing understudy to others and with Burnley interested, Irvine convinced Dawson that he was very much in his plans and, alongside Lescott, was a rock for the early stages of the season and gained valuable experience along the way.
Under Tony Pulis, and for once I will give credit where it is due, Daws has largely played at right back in the Welshman's standard tall and solid. Albeit unfamiliar and even to this day not quite looking the part Pulis has nurtured and drilled our promising centre half into a good Premier League defender.
Having done some research, in the games Dawson has played for Albion at both centre half and right back, we have kept 35 clean sheets in total and he has chipped in with ten goals. He may be seen as a "typical Pulis player" but if Pulis is what we have to put up with I'm glad he has been able to get the best out of a player who always puts in 100%, never causes trouble and is an all round nice person.
I hope that he will one day get a call up to the national squad. If others don't agree with that, fair enough, but I struggle to think of many others more deserving.
Now I know virtually everyone reading this knows how much I adore Craig, and no doubt you'll think of this as a very biased post.
Dawson has many critics, especially from his own supporters (I sit in front of some of them at the Hawthorns and have to bite my tongue!) and it has to be said that ever since the despicable abuse for Brunt has faded poor Daws has become the latest scapegoat.
Granted, he may not be a world-class player. He wouldn't be a West Brom player if he was! But he has been at this football club for seven years, bided his time in breaking into the first team with the likes of Jonas Olsson, Gareth McAuley, Joleon Lescott and Jonny Evans as mentors and, when called upon, has done his job and, more often than not, done it well. At times he has even outshone his more experienced partner at the centre of defence.
After brief spells in the first team under the stewardship of Roy Hodgson, Steve Clarke and Pepe Mel, as well as loan spells at Rochdale and Bolton, it was when the much maligned Alan Irvine arrived at the club where Dawson really started to prove his worth. Having handed in a transfer request after three years of playing understudy to others and with Burnley interested, Irvine convinced Dawson that he was very much in his plans and, alongside Lescott, was a rock for the early stages of the season and gained valuable experience along the way.
Under Tony Pulis, and for once I will give credit where it is due, Daws has largely played at right back in the Welshman's standard tall and solid. Albeit unfamiliar and even to this day not quite looking the part Pulis has nurtured and drilled our promising centre half into a good Premier League defender.
Having done some research, in the games Dawson has played for Albion at both centre half and right back, we have kept 35 clean sheets in total and he has chipped in with ten goals. He may be seen as a "typical Pulis player" but if Pulis is what we have to put up with I'm glad he has been able to get the best out of a player who always puts in 100%, never causes trouble and is an all round nice person.
I hope that he will one day get a call up to the national squad. If others don't agree with that, fair enough, but I struggle to think of many others more deserving.
Wednesday, 16 August 2017
Jonny Evans to City?
For the past 12 months us Albion fans have been biting our nails over the possible departure of one of our best players in Jonny Evans. Last season Arsenal had been courting him for the summer; this time round Everton and Leicester had been strongly linked. This afternoon, however, it has been reported that Manchester City have had (in Baggies supporters' view) an insulting and derisory bid rejected.
£18m may seem like a huge amount, especially to a club like ours, but in the current outrageous market where City themselves have already spent over £200m to shore up their backline, we would want much more than that to not only replace a very good centre half, but also an influential player and our newly appointed captain.
On social media, where Sky Sports have reported the story, many "top six" fans have been laughing at City's move for Evans. The fact that 1. he has been in the running for our Player of the Season both times since his arrival at Albion and 2. he is constantly linked with the best teams in the elite of English football, shows to us that these "fans" don't actually pay attention to the "irrelevant" teams lower down the league.
Yesterday, Evans' fellow Northern Irishman, Chris Brunt, celebrated his 10th year anniversary as a West Bromwich Albion player, a mere couple of weeks after James Morrison celebrated the same feat. Whilst it would have been most unlikely that Evans himself would have reached the same achievement with us there is a feeling about the place that it may be a long time before we will see this again, if we ever will.
With the departure of Darren Fletcher back in June, Evans was handed the captaincy in a possible ploy to persuade him to stay with us, but with the signing of Gareth Barry from Everton and now the news of interest from the North West, it now seems likely that it will be a case of how much we will sell him for. Gylfi Sigurdsson's arrival at Goodison Park paves the way for Nacer Chadli to head to Wales, so Albion could be looking at an influx of cash that should be spent on strengthening the squad. However, it may take a lot of work to convince supporters with quality when Evans and Chadli, both considered quality acquisitions, could be on the way out.
Personally, I hope we are able to hold onto Jonny Evans, as he is a very classy player whom many of us at Albion consider too good to be at B71. The sad reality is, however, that even though he will most likely be further down the pecking order at Manchester City, and their supporters may not deem him good enough, we have to face the fact that all we'll ever be is a stop-gap for players wanting to better themselves or a retirement home.
As is the way of the Premier League and lack of loyalty in football.
£18m may seem like a huge amount, especially to a club like ours, but in the current outrageous market where City themselves have already spent over £200m to shore up their backline, we would want much more than that to not only replace a very good centre half, but also an influential player and our newly appointed captain.
On social media, where Sky Sports have reported the story, many "top six" fans have been laughing at City's move for Evans. The fact that 1. he has been in the running for our Player of the Season both times since his arrival at Albion and 2. he is constantly linked with the best teams in the elite of English football, shows to us that these "fans" don't actually pay attention to the "irrelevant" teams lower down the league.
Yesterday, Evans' fellow Northern Irishman, Chris Brunt, celebrated his 10th year anniversary as a West Bromwich Albion player, a mere couple of weeks after James Morrison celebrated the same feat. Whilst it would have been most unlikely that Evans himself would have reached the same achievement with us there is a feeling about the place that it may be a long time before we will see this again, if we ever will.
With the departure of Darren Fletcher back in June, Evans was handed the captaincy in a possible ploy to persuade him to stay with us, but with the signing of Gareth Barry from Everton and now the news of interest from the North West, it now seems likely that it will be a case of how much we will sell him for. Gylfi Sigurdsson's arrival at Goodison Park paves the way for Nacer Chadli to head to Wales, so Albion could be looking at an influx of cash that should be spent on strengthening the squad. However, it may take a lot of work to convince supporters with quality when Evans and Chadli, both considered quality acquisitions, could be on the way out.
Personally, I hope we are able to hold onto Jonny Evans, as he is a very classy player whom many of us at Albion consider too good to be at B71. The sad reality is, however, that even though he will most likely be further down the pecking order at Manchester City, and their supporters may not deem him good enough, we have to face the fact that all we'll ever be is a stop-gap for players wanting to better themselves or a retirement home.
As is the way of the Premier League and lack of loyalty in football.
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Let's talk mental health
The devastating news that Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington has taken his own life is particularly hard-hitting to anyone who has had experiences of depression and feelings of self-loathing.
In the past couple of years the discussion of mental health has become much more open and accepting, as more are coming forward to share their stories. I have shared my own experience on here and on my social network pages, although this tragic death has sparked a memory I had in my own dark times.
A couple of years ago I was at the peak of my anxiety, where I had been made redundant from one job and felt I wasn't good enough for my next venture, I really doubted myself. Although I had, and still have, a very loving and close family, I had no friends - only acquaintances - and was attending therapy sessions I felt were going nowhere. I was stuck in a dark hole I thought I'd never get out of.
One question that had been posed to me by my GP, CBT counsellor and therapist quite often was "have you ever had thoughts of taking your own life?" My immediate response would always be no with a slightly nervous laugh to suggest I'd never imagine doing that to myself.
However, in the mindset I was in at the time and how hopeless I felt, it could have been a possibility had something tipped me over the edge so much. I recall one particular evening I have mentioned in the past when Albion played Manchester City first game of the season on a Monday night. I had never felt so sick and overwhelmed in my life and I just wanted it to stop. Even something as trivial as that can feed anxiety or depression.
It scares me to think I had gotten to a stage where I was so unhappy with everything, all accumulated into a night which should have been fun, and for some reason my anxiety chose the moment I was with people I loved, and with people who loved me, to make me feel my worst.
Ever since that night I can't say I'd had that feeling as badly again but i was still feeling pretty worthless. However, my life has been on the up on the whole with me making some very good friends through many means, getting a full time job I enjoy and having a nice connection with the football club I adore.
Our recently departed captain of said football club, Darren Fletcher, played a part in helping me with my progression unwittingly with his story on his debilitating illness. He talked about how he felt when he was suffering and then recovering from ulcerative colitis and how he has become stronger in his fight against it. At the club's end of season supporters club dinner I talked to him at length about how inspirational he had been to me in my own battle.
The fact that mental illness can hit anyone at any time is extremely terrifying. I never thought it would happen to me. But no one should be afraid to talk to someone if they are suffering. I felt so ashamed and embarrassed that I had even the slightest thought of the worst case scenario eating away at me. But without support I probably wouldn't be where I am now.
IT'S NOT ATTENTION SEEKING. IT'S RAISING AWARENESS.
In the past couple of years the discussion of mental health has become much more open and accepting, as more are coming forward to share their stories. I have shared my own experience on here and on my social network pages, although this tragic death has sparked a memory I had in my own dark times.
A couple of years ago I was at the peak of my anxiety, where I had been made redundant from one job and felt I wasn't good enough for my next venture, I really doubted myself. Although I had, and still have, a very loving and close family, I had no friends - only acquaintances - and was attending therapy sessions I felt were going nowhere. I was stuck in a dark hole I thought I'd never get out of.
One question that had been posed to me by my GP, CBT counsellor and therapist quite often was "have you ever had thoughts of taking your own life?" My immediate response would always be no with a slightly nervous laugh to suggest I'd never imagine doing that to myself.
However, in the mindset I was in at the time and how hopeless I felt, it could have been a possibility had something tipped me over the edge so much. I recall one particular evening I have mentioned in the past when Albion played Manchester City first game of the season on a Monday night. I had never felt so sick and overwhelmed in my life and I just wanted it to stop. Even something as trivial as that can feed anxiety or depression.
It scares me to think I had gotten to a stage where I was so unhappy with everything, all accumulated into a night which should have been fun, and for some reason my anxiety chose the moment I was with people I loved, and with people who loved me, to make me feel my worst.
Ever since that night I can't say I'd had that feeling as badly again but i was still feeling pretty worthless. However, my life has been on the up on the whole with me making some very good friends through many means, getting a full time job I enjoy and having a nice connection with the football club I adore.
Our recently departed captain of said football club, Darren Fletcher, played a part in helping me with my progression unwittingly with his story on his debilitating illness. He talked about how he felt when he was suffering and then recovering from ulcerative colitis and how he has become stronger in his fight against it. At the club's end of season supporters club dinner I talked to him at length about how inspirational he had been to me in my own battle.
The fact that mental illness can hit anyone at any time is extremely terrifying. I never thought it would happen to me. But no one should be afraid to talk to someone if they are suffering. I felt so ashamed and embarrassed that I had even the slightest thought of the worst case scenario eating away at me. But without support I probably wouldn't be where I am now.
IT'S NOT ATTENTION SEEKING. IT'S RAISING AWARENESS.
Friday, 14 July 2017
The Curious Case of Callum McManaman
As always this will be my own point of view, so not everyone will agree with my thoughts.
When Callum McManaman first came to prominence in 2013 it wasn't for the right reasons, having put in a horrific challenge on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara. He became one of those figures booed at most stadia, but he was lauded by Wigan Athletic fans in the latter stages of what would be their relegation season. He scored the winner against us, ironically, that almost gave them a glimmer of hope for survival and I'll never forget those players, led by McManaman, in their red away kit celebrating in front of the Latics fans at the Smethwick End. It haunts me to this day.
And perhaps the former Evertonian youth's finest hour of his career came during Wigan's unlikely FA Cup Final triumph over Manchester City, where McManaman put in a Man of the Match display. After that, it was a little bit surprising that when Wigan were relegated to the Championship, he remained a Latic for around another 18 months.
When Tony Pulis took charge of Albion in January 2015, he hadn't really gotten his feet under the table before he was thrown into the deep end of the transfer window, where new blood was needed to improve a team struggling after a disappointing tenure under Alan Irvine. McManaman was a player linked throughout the month and Pulis himself said he wanted the tricky winger who had "enormous potential". He believed he could emulate players who he managed at previous clubs, such as "Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington at Stoke" and "Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon at Crystal Palace".
The most important quote from Pulis when McManaman signed for the Baggies was "I think the crowd like individual players who can take players on." To me, that is true. I recall his second game for the club coming at an incredibly foggy Turf Moor, a 12pm televised game on Sky, and he provided the assist for Chris Brunt's header before half time. He was a nuisance throughout on the wing. The two games that followed, Swansea and West Ham at home, McManaman coming on as a substitute in the latter, gave us more brief glimpses at the "enormous potential" talked about by our Head Coach. His chance late on against West Ham that just skimmed the left hand side of the post had the entire ground gasping!
Much of the remainder of the season was hampered by injury, which is has been a downfall in his progression. On his return in a 0-0 stalemate at home to Liverpool, he lit the Hawthorns alight by "taking players on". It may have been a brief spell from the bench once more, but I don't think a player has gotten me as excited running down the wing as Callum McManaman did that day.
A few games later he started THE game of the season at home vs the new Champions, Chelsea. A 3-0 drubbing in our favour, McManaman provided much of the creativity, even crossing the ball into Chris Brunt who slotted Saido Berahino through on goal to be taken out by John Terry for a nailed on penalty.
2015/16 season had begun and following a successful preseason (and if I remember rightly, a goal or two in that time) McManaman started the season off brightly, putting in another Man of the Match display against Chelsea in a game we lost 3-2, but we played very well second half mainly due to his trickery and creativity.
The turning point came against Southampton on 12th September. McManaman went down, apparently softly, under a Matt Targett challenge in the penalty area. Post-match, Tony Pulis tore into him, explaining there is no place for diving in football. Rightly so.
A couple of games around Christmas aside, he has rarely been seen since. Now, it is common knowledge that if a player upsets Pulis then he gets frozen out, but a player of such potential, and a player HE brought in, should arguably be nurtured into improving aspects of his game, such as stamping out diving and managing his erratic behaviour.
I, for one, think it's a real shame that a player like McManaman has been kicked to the curb when, even if he's not a 90 minute player, he has contributed to us winning games and exciting supporters. He may not be the answer, and I feel many fans may have forgotten how well he played for us back when he first joined, but if he shows passion we crave from a footballer and he does a job then why should he be frozen out? Especially when we're in need of bodies so badly!
It looks as though there's no way back for Callum McManaman, but what a shame to waste such "enormous potential".
When Callum McManaman first came to prominence in 2013 it wasn't for the right reasons, having put in a horrific challenge on Newcastle's Massadio Haidara. He became one of those figures booed at most stadia, but he was lauded by Wigan Athletic fans in the latter stages of what would be their relegation season. He scored the winner against us, ironically, that almost gave them a glimmer of hope for survival and I'll never forget those players, led by McManaman, in their red away kit celebrating in front of the Latics fans at the Smethwick End. It haunts me to this day.
And perhaps the former Evertonian youth's finest hour of his career came during Wigan's unlikely FA Cup Final triumph over Manchester City, where McManaman put in a Man of the Match display. After that, it was a little bit surprising that when Wigan were relegated to the Championship, he remained a Latic for around another 18 months.
When Tony Pulis took charge of Albion in January 2015, he hadn't really gotten his feet under the table before he was thrown into the deep end of the transfer window, where new blood was needed to improve a team struggling after a disappointing tenure under Alan Irvine. McManaman was a player linked throughout the month and Pulis himself said he wanted the tricky winger who had "enormous potential". He believed he could emulate players who he managed at previous clubs, such as "Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington at Stoke" and "Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon at Crystal Palace".
The most important quote from Pulis when McManaman signed for the Baggies was "I think the crowd like individual players who can take players on." To me, that is true. I recall his second game for the club coming at an incredibly foggy Turf Moor, a 12pm televised game on Sky, and he provided the assist for Chris Brunt's header before half time. He was a nuisance throughout on the wing. The two games that followed, Swansea and West Ham at home, McManaman coming on as a substitute in the latter, gave us more brief glimpses at the "enormous potential" talked about by our Head Coach. His chance late on against West Ham that just skimmed the left hand side of the post had the entire ground gasping!
Much of the remainder of the season was hampered by injury, which is has been a downfall in his progression. On his return in a 0-0 stalemate at home to Liverpool, he lit the Hawthorns alight by "taking players on". It may have been a brief spell from the bench once more, but I don't think a player has gotten me as excited running down the wing as Callum McManaman did that day.
A few games later he started THE game of the season at home vs the new Champions, Chelsea. A 3-0 drubbing in our favour, McManaman provided much of the creativity, even crossing the ball into Chris Brunt who slotted Saido Berahino through on goal to be taken out by John Terry for a nailed on penalty.
2015/16 season had begun and following a successful preseason (and if I remember rightly, a goal or two in that time) McManaman started the season off brightly, putting in another Man of the Match display against Chelsea in a game we lost 3-2, but we played very well second half mainly due to his trickery and creativity.
The turning point came against Southampton on 12th September. McManaman went down, apparently softly, under a Matt Targett challenge in the penalty area. Post-match, Tony Pulis tore into him, explaining there is no place for diving in football. Rightly so.
A couple of games around Christmas aside, he has rarely been seen since. Now, it is common knowledge that if a player upsets Pulis then he gets frozen out, but a player of such potential, and a player HE brought in, should arguably be nurtured into improving aspects of his game, such as stamping out diving and managing his erratic behaviour.
I, for one, think it's a real shame that a player like McManaman has been kicked to the curb when, even if he's not a 90 minute player, he has contributed to us winning games and exciting supporters. He may not be the answer, and I feel many fans may have forgotten how well he played for us back when he first joined, but if he shows passion we crave from a footballer and he does a job then why should he be frozen out? Especially when we're in need of bodies so badly!
It looks as though there's no way back for Callum McManaman, but what a shame to waste such "enormous potential".
Saturday, 27 May 2017
TP's Tenure
You might be thinking "for Christ's sake, not another one of those Tony Pulis blog posts." It should be accepted by now that the Albion Head Coach is one of the most divisive figures in football, and my thoughts on him have never been hidden, but as the 2016/17 closed a little less than a week ago I feel I can give a real review of his tenure.
Two and a half seasons ago, Tony Pulis took charge of what West Bromwich Albion; a ship that had been on the verge of sinking for 18 months. Upon his arrival on New Year's Day 2015 he immediately set out his plan that he wanted our great club to become great again (that's right, "tinpot" brigade) and during an FA Cup 3rd round tie against Gateshead is influence was seen straight away. 40 minutes against opposition we should have turned over as easy as a pancake on Shrove Tuesday, we were made to look like the non-league side. This was a game in which Pulis was supposed be as much a spectator as you and I, but he'd had enough. Once his instructions were given, Saido Berahino scored the first of four stunners and we went on to win 7-0.
This was the biggest margin a Pulis side had ever won a game by, and with the right motivation, showed that the team he had been handed were capable of ultimately climbing up the table. Freezing out squad players Sebastian Blanco, Georgios Samaras, Jason Davidson and, upsettingly to me, Silvestre Varela, as well as sending stalwart regular Graham Dorrans on loan to Norwich City, the new Head Coach was clearly making his mark. The signing of my favourite captain Darren Fletcher was a move in the right direction to give a sense of real leadership to a group of great lads.
The latter end of 2014/15 endured the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,but ultimately we were better off than we were 12 months previously.
And that is where we should have said "thank you very much Tony for a job well done" before it began.
That summer Albion's recruitment shifted hugely in that Pulis wanted control of transfers (understandably as he'd be the one working with them directly). Dorrans left for Norwich permanently and much-loved Youssouf Mulumbu followed shortly after. Those on the periphery also departed and in came James McClean, Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans, all capable replacements, as well as James Chester, Rickie Lambert and Anders Lindegaard. The latter three would come to be a main focus to why many are sceptical of Pulis' policy.
The 2015/16 was a very mixed bag. As I look back on it I cannot think of a single game in which I enjoyed it so much I can talk about it now with fondness (I know what those i know are thinking, Tottenham away was for different reasons!) like I do with others. Other than achieving safety it is not a season we can look back on and say it made a huge difference to the history of our club.
Last season is still very fresh in our minds, and compared to the aforementioned, more memories were made, albeit after a sluggish start and thoughts of "here we go again". The turning point was defeating reigning Champions Leicester City on their soil and we went on an outstanding run for four months without losing to a team below our 8th place standing. The belief of it being a "fantastic season" comes from this run, where a player Pulis has had a longstanding admiration for, Matt Phillips, was an integral cog. But let's not forget the returns of our own current longstanding figures who made a huge impact; James Morrison and Chris Brunt.
After putting Arsenal to the sword on 18th March, Albion didn't find the net again until 6th May! And the fact that right back Craig Dawson scored four of Albion's previous seven goals proved just where the weakness lay. We were extremely close to catching Everton in 7th place in February with a significant gap between us and 9th place. In the penultimate week Southampton finally overtook us; at one stage being around FOURTEEN points behind us, and Bournemouth completed the feat on the final day to make us drop to 10th. Tottenham Hotspur have been called "bottlers" for constantly ending their seasons with a whimper. To have been 8th place since November to let it slip from our grasp in the final TWO games in our "fantastic season", what does that make us?
Albion fans have the right to feel angry, upset and underwhelmed after finally having times to be happy, to have ended the previous two seasons in worst form under a manager with a great survival record than under the previous three who had been sacked for much less.
The argument that Pulis is yet to have his own squad at his disposal also frustrates many. Yes, we should be grateful he enticed Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans to sign for "little old West Brom", but with jury still out on Matt Phillips due to his injury record (albeit he had an outstanding mid-season), and certainly Jake Livermore, who replaced Claudio Yacob in arguably the best form of his Albion career. Flops (under his stewardship) such as Callum McManaman, James Chester and Rickie Lambert still stick in the mind aswell.
The first few links of this summer to be John Terry and Charlie Taylor, both defenders, also feels quite disheartening when our biggest struggle is scoring goals. Not only that but the character of many Pulis regards is questionable. He tends to look at players with history of issues and will always bring controversy to our club.
Whilst I'm a big believer that all we should care about is how the player plays on the pitch, it is difficult to accept a player who we have booed in the past, although this is just part and parcel of football. And many say to me "who cares what others think of us? I love being hated!" I happen to at least want us to be respected. Tony Pulis is respected in the game, so why does the club he manages not get that respect?
Pulis is a "product of the Premier League brand", a phrase that makes me angry more than anything in the world of football. The club are happy for us to at least finish top half of the elite of English football, so if the Welshman guarantees that, no matter how tedious or in what way it is achieved, they will carry on with him.
From a personal perspective, Albion could be in League 2 with an 80 year old Gareth McAuley and I would still go home and away. I know a lot of fans would jump ship if we got relegated, and a lot of people I respect would lose their job, but coming from a supporter, I'd take entertainment and love of the game again lower down than mediocrity with nothing more to achieve than Premier League safety. Under the Pulis regime, it seems this is all we can ever hope for.
Two and a half seasons ago, Tony Pulis took charge of what West Bromwich Albion; a ship that had been on the verge of sinking for 18 months. Upon his arrival on New Year's Day 2015 he immediately set out his plan that he wanted our great club to become great again (that's right, "tinpot" brigade) and during an FA Cup 3rd round tie against Gateshead is influence was seen straight away. 40 minutes against opposition we should have turned over as easy as a pancake on Shrove Tuesday, we were made to look like the non-league side. This was a game in which Pulis was supposed be as much a spectator as you and I, but he'd had enough. Once his instructions were given, Saido Berahino scored the first of four stunners and we went on to win 7-0.
This was the biggest margin a Pulis side had ever won a game by, and with the right motivation, showed that the team he had been handed were capable of ultimately climbing up the table. Freezing out squad players Sebastian Blanco, Georgios Samaras, Jason Davidson and, upsettingly to me, Silvestre Varela, as well as sending stalwart regular Graham Dorrans on loan to Norwich City, the new Head Coach was clearly making his mark. The signing of my favourite captain Darren Fletcher was a move in the right direction to give a sense of real leadership to a group of great lads.
The latter end of 2014/15 endured the highest of highs and the lowest of lows,but ultimately we were better off than we were 12 months previously.
And that is where we should have said "thank you very much Tony for a job well done" before it began.
That summer Albion's recruitment shifted hugely in that Pulis wanted control of transfers (understandably as he'd be the one working with them directly). Dorrans left for Norwich permanently and much-loved Youssouf Mulumbu followed shortly after. Those on the periphery also departed and in came James McClean, Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans, all capable replacements, as well as James Chester, Rickie Lambert and Anders Lindegaard. The latter three would come to be a main focus to why many are sceptical of Pulis' policy.
The 2015/16 was a very mixed bag. As I look back on it I cannot think of a single game in which I enjoyed it so much I can talk about it now with fondness (I know what those i know are thinking, Tottenham away was for different reasons!) like I do with others. Other than achieving safety it is not a season we can look back on and say it made a huge difference to the history of our club.
Last season is still very fresh in our minds, and compared to the aforementioned, more memories were made, albeit after a sluggish start and thoughts of "here we go again". The turning point was defeating reigning Champions Leicester City on their soil and we went on an outstanding run for four months without losing to a team below our 8th place standing. The belief of it being a "fantastic season" comes from this run, where a player Pulis has had a longstanding admiration for, Matt Phillips, was an integral cog. But let's not forget the returns of our own current longstanding figures who made a huge impact; James Morrison and Chris Brunt.
After putting Arsenal to the sword on 18th March, Albion didn't find the net again until 6th May! And the fact that right back Craig Dawson scored four of Albion's previous seven goals proved just where the weakness lay. We were extremely close to catching Everton in 7th place in February with a significant gap between us and 9th place. In the penultimate week Southampton finally overtook us; at one stage being around FOURTEEN points behind us, and Bournemouth completed the feat on the final day to make us drop to 10th. Tottenham Hotspur have been called "bottlers" for constantly ending their seasons with a whimper. To have been 8th place since November to let it slip from our grasp in the final TWO games in our "fantastic season", what does that make us?
Albion fans have the right to feel angry, upset and underwhelmed after finally having times to be happy, to have ended the previous two seasons in worst form under a manager with a great survival record than under the previous three who had been sacked for much less.
The argument that Pulis is yet to have his own squad at his disposal also frustrates many. Yes, we should be grateful he enticed Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans to sign for "little old West Brom", but with jury still out on Matt Phillips due to his injury record (albeit he had an outstanding mid-season), and certainly Jake Livermore, who replaced Claudio Yacob in arguably the best form of his Albion career. Flops (under his stewardship) such as Callum McManaman, James Chester and Rickie Lambert still stick in the mind aswell.
The first few links of this summer to be John Terry and Charlie Taylor, both defenders, also feels quite disheartening when our biggest struggle is scoring goals. Not only that but the character of many Pulis regards is questionable. He tends to look at players with history of issues and will always bring controversy to our club.
Whilst I'm a big believer that all we should care about is how the player plays on the pitch, it is difficult to accept a player who we have booed in the past, although this is just part and parcel of football. And many say to me "who cares what others think of us? I love being hated!" I happen to at least want us to be respected. Tony Pulis is respected in the game, so why does the club he manages not get that respect?
Pulis is a "product of the Premier League brand", a phrase that makes me angry more than anything in the world of football. The club are happy for us to at least finish top half of the elite of English football, so if the Welshman guarantees that, no matter how tedious or in what way it is achieved, they will carry on with him.
From a personal perspective, Albion could be in League 2 with an 80 year old Gareth McAuley and I would still go home and away. I know a lot of fans would jump ship if we got relegated, and a lot of people I respect would lose their job, but coming from a supporter, I'd take entertainment and love of the game again lower down than mediocrity with nothing more to achieve than Premier League safety. Under the Pulis regime, it seems this is all we can ever hope for.
Sunday, 16 April 2017
Tony Pulis and Albion's Forgotten Men
I always feel I need to write a post whenever Albion disappoint me.
After Ben Foster brightened up injury time against Liverpool by deciding to show some much needed passion and determination to push for an equaliser, Tony Pulis insinuated post match that he wasn't happy with the stopper's decision to abandon his post. Fans have been outraged by this, especially as this is now the fourth consecutive game in which the team have failed to find the net. I, for one, was particularly impressed that Foster, who labelled himself a "Baggie for life" earlier this week, inspired the best passage of play for the hosts, albeit with little time left.
This is not the first time Albion's head coach has come out with frustrating comments. The fact that he'd rather Foster prevent a second goal to be conceded than lend a helping hand in search of picking up a point shows a particularly negative mindset and his lack of trust in said player. Pulis has been known to "namedrop" particular players in the past, whether rightly or, in my opinion, wrongly. Gareth McAuley on Astle Day for an uncharacteristic Cruyff turn fail on Jamie Vardy, Foster again for his penalty gaffe at Villa Park and poor James Chester was supposedly the sole blame for a loss against Everton. These particular moments cannot help confidence, and Chester was rarely seen again.
It is often said that making a mistake in a Pulis team can cost a player a place in the squad, and ultimately freeze them out completely. The likes of Callum McManaman and Sebastien Pocognoli made a number of mistakes and were sent on loan to Championship clubs. Chester, surprisingly a Pulis signing, was shipped out after a single season for supposedly not being tall enough. Players who Pulis is trusting continuously may have as many errors to their name as those on the periphery. Only those behind the scenes know the story there I guess.
That said, fans are now worried that our squad is too small to maintain our 8th place standing in the Premier League. Ever since the end of February in particular it has been plain to see the lack of depth we have, with the same players playing week in week out. But whilst they may not have been world beaters or Albion starters even, surely it wouldn't have hurt to have aforementioned players in the ranks for when this slump inevitably started?
If not, there were two options. Firstly, when Craig Gardner left on loan for Birmingham City and He Who Must Not Be Named departed to the Promised Land of Stoke, we had to bring in at least two new faces, which we did in Jake Livermore (Gardner's replacement) and Marc Wilson, who is yet to kick a ball in the stripes. But we didn't purchase the most important item on the shopping list: a striker. And now we are four games on the bounce and six in seven without a goal...
The second option was to play the kids. Jonathan Leko, Sam Field and Kane Wilson are three promising academy prospects, the former two already having Premier League minutes under their belts. Pulis said that once our safety was secured these three would get a chance. Albeit Leko spurned his chance with a rather appalling mistake that led to an Andros Townsend victory-sealing goal for Crystal Palace, Field has looked the real deal during his cameos and Wilson would be welcomed as a natural full back!
This has obviously come from the frustration of three consecutive losses and four games without scoring, but for a couple of seasons, the workings of Tony Pulis has baffled me. This season has been dubbed a "fantastic season", when in reality the period from November to February, on and off, was the pinnacle. We are now in danger of tailing off with a disappointing end and even at risk of being caught by Southampton and Watford behind us in 9th and 10th place respectively.
I have enjoyed much of this campaign but the sobering words of our head coach that this is "the best we'll get" puts a huge dampener on the implied lack of ambition from him. If his negativity is anything to go by, all credit must go to the players for giving their best shot, especially with the fight and passion of the loyal Ben Foster.
After Ben Foster brightened up injury time against Liverpool by deciding to show some much needed passion and determination to push for an equaliser, Tony Pulis insinuated post match that he wasn't happy with the stopper's decision to abandon his post. Fans have been outraged by this, especially as this is now the fourth consecutive game in which the team have failed to find the net. I, for one, was particularly impressed that Foster, who labelled himself a "Baggie for life" earlier this week, inspired the best passage of play for the hosts, albeit with little time left.
This is not the first time Albion's head coach has come out with frustrating comments. The fact that he'd rather Foster prevent a second goal to be conceded than lend a helping hand in search of picking up a point shows a particularly negative mindset and his lack of trust in said player. Pulis has been known to "namedrop" particular players in the past, whether rightly or, in my opinion, wrongly. Gareth McAuley on Astle Day for an uncharacteristic Cruyff turn fail on Jamie Vardy, Foster again for his penalty gaffe at Villa Park and poor James Chester was supposedly the sole blame for a loss against Everton. These particular moments cannot help confidence, and Chester was rarely seen again.
It is often said that making a mistake in a Pulis team can cost a player a place in the squad, and ultimately freeze them out completely. The likes of Callum McManaman and Sebastien Pocognoli made a number of mistakes and were sent on loan to Championship clubs. Chester, surprisingly a Pulis signing, was shipped out after a single season for supposedly not being tall enough. Players who Pulis is trusting continuously may have as many errors to their name as those on the periphery. Only those behind the scenes know the story there I guess.
That said, fans are now worried that our squad is too small to maintain our 8th place standing in the Premier League. Ever since the end of February in particular it has been plain to see the lack of depth we have, with the same players playing week in week out. But whilst they may not have been world beaters or Albion starters even, surely it wouldn't have hurt to have aforementioned players in the ranks for when this slump inevitably started?
If not, there were two options. Firstly, when Craig Gardner left on loan for Birmingham City and He Who Must Not Be Named departed to the Promised Land of Stoke, we had to bring in at least two new faces, which we did in Jake Livermore (Gardner's replacement) and Marc Wilson, who is yet to kick a ball in the stripes. But we didn't purchase the most important item on the shopping list: a striker. And now we are four games on the bounce and six in seven without a goal...
The second option was to play the kids. Jonathan Leko, Sam Field and Kane Wilson are three promising academy prospects, the former two already having Premier League minutes under their belts. Pulis said that once our safety was secured these three would get a chance. Albeit Leko spurned his chance with a rather appalling mistake that led to an Andros Townsend victory-sealing goal for Crystal Palace, Field has looked the real deal during his cameos and Wilson would be welcomed as a natural full back!
This has obviously come from the frustration of three consecutive losses and four games without scoring, but for a couple of seasons, the workings of Tony Pulis has baffled me. This season has been dubbed a "fantastic season", when in reality the period from November to February, on and off, was the pinnacle. We are now in danger of tailing off with a disappointing end and even at risk of being caught by Southampton and Watford behind us in 9th and 10th place respectively.
I have enjoyed much of this campaign but the sobering words of our head coach that this is "the best we'll get" puts a huge dampener on the implied lack of ambition from him. If his negativity is anything to go by, all credit must go to the players for giving their best shot, especially with the fight and passion of the loyal Ben Foster.
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