Wolfcastle

Their annual manager haranguing draws closer

'sometimes its better to travel in hope than arrive'

Have thought about being ruthless at times regarding the amout of times he's injured, but then there's not many as good or better. Another top class striker and half a season of Wilson will feel more squady than a glaring miss.

The likes of Bruce feel like indepenent contractors anyway, just casing banks to do over. A blanket rule would apply managers that are trying but not quite good enough or find its not for them and hard working lower league one's unfortunately.

Just read his pure Bruce half sly half gormless comments about West Brom having not won enough in the last 2years 'apart from the first 10 games of last season'. Under selling the previous job - they won every other game for the first half of last season, the win ration has been massively effected in the negative him and also including their premier league season as an unfair comparison (even then they won 5 in 30 which is better (given the level) than Bruce's 7 in 28 now). A fairer comment would be 'they've always rode high in this league for the last 20years, until I rocked up'

When I heard "Mr Large has been sacked" I naturally assumed it was the other Black Country club.

Couldn't ask any more really. Bit of a sickener to concede but we'd have taken 2-0 at a solid performance. Cant ask more than to utterly control the game and we did. We must be horrible to play against if we can notch a lead.

Would love to know the medias thoughts. Very quiet on how a manager we shouldn't have sacked after 0 wins in 9 has dropped West Brom from 5th to the cusp of the relegation zone (courtesy of Coventry having played 3 games less).

Gotta be. His record there is scandalous

Their distinctive hallmark of empty seats and litter on the pitch.

Our boy would have been in with a shot had West Brom logically binned him off by now. That one scabby win he's had has cost his trapezoid scam £1millions.

That was liberating for me. We played 5-a-side indoors that morning/midday and remember superstitously feeling a bit guilty about it, like I shouldn't have been having fun before a game and instead focus and paying penance, also had a nagging feeling that I wasn't worried enough about it. (the lesson of Grimsby the year before perhaps). Arguably when it really kicked off for us. Promoted with West Ham, they had a decent season but we blasted away.

Yep. England clean lost three games out of seven at the 2018 World Cup, beaten by every good side they played. Looks a lot more spectacular than it was. Compared to say Italia 90 when the only clean loss was the play-off and played much tougher opponents. Same results but really not the same things. No qualms about the Euros though - never watched a single tbh

On paper that's true but, and I don't care for the English national team so I can't say, a closer look can still warrant this. Gullit/Dalglish got us to cup finals but it was wholly appropriate they were sacked. At international level the same for Sacchi (WC final loss) and Bilardo (one WC final one WC win). Arguably even Ranieri at Leicester.

Don't know about humidity, Just know the average in New York for July is 85 and Qatar rarely hits that in December. As i recall it was the humid venues that caused the most trouble back then. - Just checked, its again supposed to be a bit lower in Qatar than pretty much anywhere in America in the summer

It'll actually be cooler than the 1994 World Cup (temperature wise only) most of the time. I doubt that'll get mentioned ever though.

Were turning them over yet again I see.

I suppose it would be too much to ask for the sake of easy content to make the Europa/Confrence Leagues - cups like the UEFA/Cup Winners. Cuts down the number of games and number of uninteresting games massively. Added bonus would be people might actually care about those competitions again and differentiating it from the Champions League instead of just being a D and F version of it. There's a reason why those competetions get infinitely more interesting in the latter stages - use it.

Still satisfied with 9th, both picking it and as a finishing position. More so now I really feel we're having teething problems in the transition to controlling games versus sitting back and countering. Was too simplistic to simply carry on last seasons form without a few more signings (injuries were always going to happen) even though the margins have gone against us (with the worst will in the world, we've warranted more points than this)

Totally agree. We now control games and have to break the opponents down rather than the other way around. We had more space going forward then and even then those players (ASM included) often didn't play well. Now it requires more, or perhaps less - like crossing, which none of them bar Fraser can do either. Were controlling games as a team and gameplan but individual ability is lacking. Its about as much as can be asked of the manager with what he has. We needed more to move forward on the second half of last seasons form. Couple loans would have made a world of difference.

Can't be arsed and too much like hard work is what it'll boil down to. Nice commute for him and his mates to the midlands/north from his base. No way would he go to Europe like Pardew. At least he's trying to be a manager. This bloke just wants an easy life. Comfortable commute, all his mates on pay-roll and now family members too. Easy as possible. And he only charges £millions for his services.

I just dont get it. What leverage did he have to say "oh and by the way I want the double-lock and double-salary of having Alex on payroll, it'll make my life easier"? Now I read he had a break clause and after failing his trial period miserably they still take him and the double-lock on?! f*cking eh!!?!?

Hogan v Bruce

Its a ridiculously rational appointment, especially if this is an indication of what's to come from that ownership - that they wont react if they don't win a few games under Potter and won't inflict marquee signings on him he doesn't want.

Definitely best not touching, even subtly, anything political. When as a fan base/country/world we've people on both sides of it all - and rightfully so