EPL Talk - Latest Comments in Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

AngleseyBaggie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:39:38 -0000

The fact that you mention Albion and Stoke City in the same breath leads me to believe that you haven't watched any of the games. The concept of a USAian commenting on English grammar and spelling really amuses me. TOTALLY!

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Michael — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:49:59 -0000

I'm not denying that what WBA, and for that matter, Stoke City, has done is an achievement. I think making it out of the Championship is a terrific accomplishment given the relative equality and parity in the league.

I just don't think any of the three promoted teams will survive next year. Just my opinion, and I'll wait until I hear someone else other than a West Brom fan make a convincing argument for me to reconsider it.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

eplnfl — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:23:39 -0000

Well done by WBA for sure. It's an achievement no matter what your views are of the quality of the Championship. Is it a forgone conclusion that they must go down. No! lets face it a 15th place finish in the Prem is completely within reach, not to mention 16th. The lower level clubs in the Prem have nothing to be really excited about, lets face it they barely have hung on this year. We should not forget the race in the Prem this year was for what 2 teams would go down, since Derby gave up any hope the day they got promoted to stay up.

The real issue seems to be has the quality of the championship declined to such an extent that only one club can hope to stay up. That I think has to be answered in the affirmative.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Michael — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:19:26 -0000

No, your previous comment was irrelevant to the subject matter of my post.

Apparently you Brits have no understanding WHATSOEVER of spelling and grammar. COMPLETELY.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

no1baggiesfan — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:51:11 -0000

Its completey relevant Michael, you Americans have no understanding whatso-ever of proper football, all your sports games are based on stats, have you ever watched a game of football properly, I doubt it.
Please try and gain some competence in your subject of discussion before you blindly stumble through your articles.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

smethwick end. — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:02:35 -0000

Well said Ian. I worry all this talk of where we'll finish next year has potential to look very embarrassing if the highly unlikely outcome comes true!

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

ian james — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:10:15 -0000

Could all this just wait until we ARE actually up?

It's not done and dusted yet!

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

baggymayhem — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:27:49 -0000

this is all getting a bit argumentative isn't it?
i think the one thing the baggies really have going for them is a brilliant manager in Tony Mowbray. this is the guy who put together a great team at hibs on a tiny budget and beat the likes of rangers 3-0 at ibrox on a number of occasions.
if the baggies are to stay up (which i think they will), it will be down to the tactical know-how of TM, who is streets ahead of the likes of southgate, bruce etc.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Telford Baggie — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:52:23 -0000

Michael, your comments and references to statistics contradict your original prose.

Statistically, as your original piece suggests, the Championship has become more competative in recent years, i.e. the teams competing have become more even, with the emphasis being that the league has become stronger than ever. This is demonstrated by looking at the points spread between 1st and 10th placing.

Since 2001/02 season this has typically been 30points with the exception of 2005 season when the run-away leaders created a gap of 45.

Seasons 06/07 and (as it stands today) 07/08 the gap shortens to 19 and 16 points respectively.

The fact that Derby and Sunderland finished on higher points last year compared to those holding their relative places this year is simply not testament to how the promoted teams will perform next season.

There are endless other considerations, more applicable than any statistician could apply that will determine a promotion winning teams fate.

Style of play being a major influence, when WBA got promoted in 2002, with a points tally of 89, their style of play was very defensive. This style of football has helped many a team conquer the Championship, but has barely been successful in the top flight.

This season WBA have played, for the majority of games, fluent passing football more adept to that performed in the Premier. They have scored goals from all positions amassing 85 league goals alone, (in 2002 WBA scored 61) this will keep them in good stead next season.

A financially stable club (which could not be said of at least 10 Premier Clubs) that continues to invest in its infrastructure, West Bromwich Albion have been working towards a sustained period in the Top division for some years.

Expect to see further investment in players during the close season, together with the young talent that Tony Mowbray (Manager) has already put together and I feel WBA will be a competative team in the Premier.

Of course they have yet to get there, and if they do this year, I have no expectations of finishing any higher than mid table, fourth bottom will do for year one.

Your comments are unwise and totally without foundation. The Championship has had an excellent season, with more twists and turns than ever before, it is good that you have taken time to reflect on it. It's just a pitty you didnt do more research firstly.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Sir Jack — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 04:42:45 -0000

Michael, youre article says nothing, makes no sense and is basically utter drivel.
I think you would have lost most discerning readers after the 1st paragraph due to the fact that your summing up of who needs what to be certain to go up was completely wrong.
Stick to whatever it is you do best and don`t give up your day job

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

The Insider — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:37:24 -0000

Michael,

Your logic falls most heavily if you consider what happened to a team called Ipswich when they were promoted about seven years ago. They didn't win the Championship by a mile, yet took the Premier League by storm and finished fifth in their first season, playing flowing attacking football similar in style to that played by West Bromwich this year. Oh and I nearly forgot, a certain Tony Mowbray (now team manager of West Brom) was on their books at the time.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Jeff Hash — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 23:06:18 -0000

The honest truth right now is, it's hard to tell if WBA is going to stay up or not. The summer transfer window could bring any number of positive or negative changes, and then players go through good and bad spells on top of that.

I know fans love to go into constant chatter modes about team futures and such, but the honest truth is that, until we see who comes and who goes, it's all throwing darts in the dark.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Michael — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:51:55 -0000

I'll tell YOU something, AngleseyBaggie, no team coming up from the Championship will stay up after next season. West Brom is fun to watch, I'll grant you that, but they're playing against much weaker competition than what they'll see in the Premiership. It's one thing to beat the likes of Cardiff and QPR, and another to beat mediocre Premiership teams like West Ham and Blackburn.

Either way, we'll see after next season. Come back to me then. If you're right, I'll man up and admit I was mistaken, and you'll look like a genius.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

fsquid — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:11:13 -0000

WBA will stay up. Usually 2 teams stay up each year anyways.

The sad thing is my Wednesday. We are going down!

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

AngleseyBaggie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:53:39 -0000

"I couldn’t care less about the style you play in the Championship because the reality is, you can’t do that and succeed in the Premiership."

Thereby showing your total ignorance of the game, go play Yankee rounders, oh basebollocks isn't it?

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

AngleseyBaggie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:46:33 -0000

Oh and Michael, what do you know about the 'quality' of our players? I assume as they didn't cost zillions of bucks they must be rubbish. I'll tell you something, watch and learn.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

AngleseyBaggie — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:40:28 -0000

Oh dear. Our cousins the other side of the pond just don't understand soccerball do they? You seem to base your argument on statistics, we actually watch the game and are well aware that a team that keeps the ball can finish mid table in the EPL. The bottom teams play the 'long ball' giving possession away, Albion are top of a league that plays big rough defenders that kick you all over the park. We are far more suited to the Premiership where the referees will give a free kick for a swipe with a hanky.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Michael — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:58:39 -0000

OK, that's nice that you're the best team in your league, that you score a lot of goals, and you play attractive soccer.

I don't really care.

You do those things in the Championship, which is a world apart from the Premiership in terms of a quality.

Sunderland won the league last year with 88 points, and will finish very near the relegation zone. Derby finished third and won the playoffs with 84 points, and are the worst team in Premiership history. Your team, WBA, has 78 points right now, and would need to win their last two games just to match Derby. I'm not saying the same thing would happen to your team next year, but they have no chance of finishing in the top 15 in the Premiership. Reading won the league with over 100 points three seasons ago, and look where they are now.

WBA doesn't have enough money or enough quality players. The TV contract that kicks in for Premier League clubs, even the worst Premiership teams, exceeds what WBA will get for jumping up to the Premiership. I couldn't care less about the style you play in the Championship because the reality is, you can't do that and succeed in the Premiership.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Cuzer — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:26:32 -0000

I'm afraid your comemnts about not stopping in the Premiership show you up for your complete lack of knowledge of the Championship

We've been renowned all season as the best footballing team in the league, we do play football, we keep possession and we generally score goals

I'm not saying for one minute we'll finish in the top 6 but we have the ability and equally as important the manager with the right philosophy to stay in the Premier League, to think otherwise I'm afraid is a tad naive!

Cuzer

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

deebee — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 18:08:33 -0000

It's good to see US folks picking up on WBA/the Prem/the Championship - my son and I are STH's at Albion and I can't say I have much of an idea about American Football but I know the Albion. After this season a lot of Baggies fans would n't care if 2009/2010 sees us back in the Championship because this year's been great and oing forward we'd have a load more dosh. The fact is though we are going up with a stronger squad, a 1st class manager, strong fan base, a better academy. There are 13 teams in the Prem that won't be stronger than we are. We're in a win - win - if you think about it.
Here's a new version of the okey-cokey ...... from the Wolves games last week

"You put your Gera in, your Gera out. In out, in out, he scores and makes yer shout.
He gets the flamin’ winner and you’re top of the league.
That’s what it’s all about!
Oh unhappy dingles, Oh unhappy dingles ….
Knees bent, arms up, boing boing boing."

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

WBAmatt — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:49:49 -0000

Its also fair to say though we could of made this championship look a lot easier we have won games in many different ways; coming back from a goal down, last minute winners and late one-nils. I'm sure ToMo will playing this amazing football (that has got us about 210 goals in two seasons but its winning games the ugly way that will be the difference in us staying up or going down. I think we've got a good chance with the minimum of 20-25 million being avaliable.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

williemecki — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:05:13 -0000

I do not think we will replicate to such an extent where we finish way up the league but the bottom half of the EPL are not much better or may be not as god as some of the teams at the top end of the championship, as a lot of championship sides showed in the F.A cup this season on their day they can give anyone a good game, this includes us with portsmouth it was not a case of us hanging on but out playing a top 6 EPL team for long periods and they have gone on to lose only one of their last four games plus the WBA team will bring in players to strengthen the side if/when we get promoted.

For me i think we would probably finish in the bottom half butnot relegation with the type of football we play now rather than ten men behind the ball and maybe nick one one the break.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

TheScout — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:47:26 -0000

I think West Brom will do quite well next season. They will probably not finish in the top 10 but I don't think they will be relegated either. If they keep the core of their team and add a few they'll be in good shape.

Don't forget they outplayed Portsmouth, a top 10 club, in the FA Cup and were unlucky to not advance. I'll take the group of players that know what to do with the ball over the "lump it long" crowd any day.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

Michael — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:20:29 -0000

Nothing to do with anything, completely irrelevant. Nice try though, it just makes you look that more ignorant and childish.

Re: Congratulations to West Bromwich Albion

no1baggiesfan — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:14:49 -0000

And thats why americans dont play football.