[Albion] What happened next?

[DavePage]

Allardyce has the blueprint, personnel and organisational nouse for how to play against us. So we all know how that one will end.

Not sure about the other two games but I wouldn't be at all surprised if the results went against us. In fact I'm kind of expecting it. The fact that we spend as much time as we do worrying about the outcome of games we're not involved in has been the underlying narrative for 4 years now. Oh for a bit of mid-table mediocrity, just for a few weeks.

that will be to our advantage, they will need 3 points, which will open things up, its the other teams that rely on 9 in the penalty area that stifle us.

 

[sydney]

As I said, I admire your confidence, but we can only hope for the best, I still feel we are going to absolutely BATTER someone this season, please let it be at West Brom.

we battered palace for **** sake and look where that got us.

 

[oldboyroy]

I have my “we could be going down, but I hope we don’t” hat on.

It’s likely to be a stressful run in and I reckon, having blown our chance to put relegation on the back burner we are right back in the mix and mentally the weakest team for the final relegation place. I fully expect us to lose on Saturday and for Fulham to beat Palace. Before you post the thread [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION] I’ll take a point.

I think we totally blew our best chance last night.

Yep, sums up my feelings too. Last night was our big chance and we blew it. We won't get another chance to destroy a team as we had last night. West Brom aren't good but you can bet your life big Sam will have a plan.

 

[sydney]

Yep, sums up my feelings too. Last night was our big chance and we blew it. We won't get another chance to destroy a team as we had last night. West Brom aren't good but you can bet your life big Sam will have a plan.

well if he watched last night he will now.....10 behind the ball attack down the left....easy.

 

[Rookie]

The last game we need is one against a big Sam team. 10 men behind the ball, keeper will play a blinder and they will hit us on break. Fulham will smash Palace as well

 

[amexer]

Not quite a must win game but considering where else we will be able to pick up points WBA not far off. Sam no idiot and if Burn plays he will have there quickest player playing wide right.

 

[vagabond]

You just KNOW that the West Brom game is a pratfall waiting to happen. Them's the rules. Wouldn't be the Albion otherwise

We can’t afford to be mentally fragile in this game. Brom will know we’ll still be reeling and be completely up for it.

Big test for GP. I would expect a draw though.

 

[vagabond]

I do wonder if Potter will ring the changes at the weekend. I'd at least hope he benches Maupay.

Ditto, sorry Neal. The team comes first.

Give Tau, Arron or Zequiri a chance.

 

[Mellotron]

Mad to think that on Saturday we'll be playing a side 12 points and minus 30 goal difference worse off than us, yet we almost definitely won't win.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

We can’t afford to be mentally fragile in this game. Brom will know we’ll still be reeling and be completely up for it.

Big test for GP. I would expect a draw though

Same. Got 0-0 (or 1-1) written all over it

 

[Audax]

I'm hanging on to the hope that we'll find it a bit easier against West Brom.

Palace came and played for a draw, but with the hope they could steal something on a counter. They got lucky (twice, the cheeky blighters!) in that the game plan worked out perfectly for them (although, I note, they would have got butchered if we had a decent striker up front ... but then, if we did, they probably would have come with a different game plan).

West Brom, on the other hand, *must* play to win unless they've already made a decision at board level to go back down and hope they can bounce straight back up. They need the 3 points to keep their hopes alive, and that should hopefully provide us with some openings. We'll still, however, be reliant on someone finding a pair of shooting boots that work - but I'm confident we'll create chances with fewer defenders in and around our attackers than last night.

 

[maltaseagull]

If Palace set up like that against Fulham they'll get hammered.

As for us have we got anyone in the U18's that knows how to hit the net? I'm fast thinking we need a wholesale clear out of our 'strikers' and start again. We see a few flashes here or there but not one of them looks up to the part. More speculative acquisitions I s'pose .... needle in a haystack though

There was a lad called Connolly banging them in a couple of years ago.

Oh.

 

[Rugrat]

There was a lad called Connolly banging them in a couple of years ago.

Oh.

We might have different definitions of 'banging them in' unless you mean U23's.

I get that some young strikers develop but how long do you give them? Furthermore I suspect most don't develop and fade away into the lower leagues.

It's no criticism at all as it's tough as hell for a mid-lower table club to find a decent striker. If we went for a Toney or Armstrong in the summer they would more than likely end up in the same place as McBurnie, Brewster, Hogan, Vydra, Rhodes, Grabban etc etc. You could argue Bamford and Watkins break the mould but I'm not convinced given this daft season.

Don't know the answer but I worry it's not in our current crop

 

[Swansman]

We might have different definitions of 'banging them in' unless you mean U23's.

I get that some young strikers develop but how long do you give them? Furthermore I suspect most don't develop and fade away into the lower leagues.

It's no criticism at all as it's tough as hell for a mid-lower table club to find a decent striker. If we went for a Toney or Armstrong in the summer they would more than likely end up in the same place as McBurnie, Brewster, Hogan, Vydra, Rhodes, Grabban etc etc. You could argue Bamford and Watkins break the mould but I'm not convinced given this daft season.

Don't know the answer but I worry it's not in our current crop

Just three strikers/"strikers" (plus four wingers) younger than Connolly has scored in the league this season - Silva (2 goals), Greenwood (1 goal) and Foden (6 goals). Just like I would recommend being patient if those guys were at Brighton, I would also recommend people to be patient with Connolly. The answer to your question is "longer".

 

[Rugrat]

Just three strikers/"strikers" (plus four wingers) younger than Connolly has scored in the league this season - Silva (2 goals), Greenwood (1 goal) and Foden (6 goals). Just like I would recommend being patient if those guys were at Brighton, I would also recommend people to be patient with Connolly. The answer to your question is "longer".

I don't share your confidence but let's hope you're right.

If he can be performing at the level of Barnes/Mount/Greenwood or Neto (who is younger by the way) in the next season and a half then I will happily eat my (chocolate) hat ... I would love him to succeed, but have seen precious little yet that gives me a great deal of confidence

 

[Bodian]

Why are we all so sure Fulham will beat Palace. If Palace play like they did last night again, then Fulham will find it just as hard as us. I see it as a likely draw.