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+----- Thread: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth (/showthread.php?tid=12949)
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WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 15-02-2024
![[Image: image.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/MGwt8kz/image.jpg)
As disappointing as the late equaliser at Ipswich may have been, four points has been an excellent return from this week so far, and there's time for it to get better still as Southampton visit the Hawthorns on Friday evening fresh from a defeat at Ashton Gate on Tuesday which ended their 22-game unbeaten league run. Whether that result spells the beginning of a slump or is merely the long-overdue blip they'll be bouncing straight back from is anyone's guess, but at the very least, it's encouraging that Saints have conceded six goals in their two games so far this week (which is more than in their previous twelve combined), and if they ship three again tomorrow then it'll be the first time they've done so three times in a row outside the top flight since 1965.
A tall order perhaps, but Albion are also unbeaten at home on Friday nights since May 2017, and despite a pretty appalling recent record against Southampton, we came out 3-0 winners on their last visit in April 2021. This will be the first time they've played at the Hawthorns outside the Prem for nearly sixteen years, the last occasion being that April evening in 2008 when a 23-year-old Chris Brunt slammed in the equaliser that took Mowbray's Albion up, and all things considered, a repeat of that 1-1 draw would be a satisfactory end to the week.
We then trek down to Devon on Tuesday night for the postponed Plymouth encounter from last month, with Argyle remaining a hard-to-beat side who look almost certain to avoid relegation comfortably this year. They haven't beaten us at Home Park since August 1992, and our last visit fourteen years ago ended in a 1-0 win courtesy of Simon Cox; whether our away form will allow us the same outcome this time is more doubtful, and how we get on will probably be a barometer of our chances for the rest of the season. Win, and we can keep looking upward as the long-shot underdogs in the race going on above us; lose or draw, and it may be a case of playoff consolidation between now and May.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Stairs - 16-02-2024
What an amazing game this will be.
New owners and actually attending the game - the fans will be deliriously happy!
It must be a winning start.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Lord Snooty - 16-02-2024
Carlos.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - baggietrousers - 16-02-2024
How the f&$k has the ref missed that!!!!!
Best save of the game so far.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Salopbaggie - 16-02-2024
Well 0-2 but at the moment you can't say other than the penalty decision, its an unjust scoreline. They outplayed us at our own game, across all areas of the pitch.2
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Minizin - 16-02-2024
Strange set of subs - move our main wide threat to the middle at half time, and I do not know what Reach brings
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Stairs - 16-02-2024
Yes, the better team won on the night. Clear penalty which if given might have made a bit of difference.
End of the day it’s about a play off place which we’d have bitten hands off to have at the start of the season.
Fingers crossed we will get to Wembley this season.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - baggietrousers - 16-02-2024
They were three shocking substitutions. Fair enough Swift off but Johnston and Wallace!!!
Very reluctant to be critical of CC, but he’s cocked up there.
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - Slick_Footwork - 17-02-2024
We're just desperately short up front. Against the top teams, it shows.
Southampton came out the blocks pressing high so we needed someone up top to hold the ball and alleviate the pressure. Sadly, BTA is nowhere near good enough. His first touch is like a trampoline and on the rare occasions he does get the ball under, it's a coin toss whether he's going to lay it off to one of ours or just pass it to the opposition. He did a couple of neat turns tonight, but on other occasions he failed to lay off simple balls. I'm amazed we're doing as well as we are when you consider he's led the line all season.
Sadly, on the evidence of his cameo against Blues and tonight, Marshall is not a viable alternative. He looks like a rabbit in the headlights at this level.
I'd agree with the others that the triple change on 65 minutes was strange. I felt Johnston was our brightest spark and Wallace was doing okay too.
I can only assume that Corberan wanted fresh legs to really press them, but there wasn't any noticeable extra intensity after the change. With Reach and Marshall, the quality was drastically reduced too. I could've accepted Grady coming on for Swift as he was largely ineffective. But I feel it might've been better to wait another 10 minutes as we were the side in the ascendancy and it didn't look like any of the outgoing lads had ran out of steam.
I was also surprised not to see Weimann either as the half time change for BTA, or at least when Corberan brought on Marshall. I'm assuming he must've been carrying a knock as he's surely the best of the strikers we have available at the moment and has scored in his last 2 home games. Although if that was the case, no idea why he was named as a sub?
I've noticed we're constantly linked with Yann M'Vila as a free agent. Surely there's a decent free agent striker who can actually take the ball back to goal. One can dream I guess...
RE: WBA vs Southampton & Plymouth - harrogatebaggie - 17-02-2024
Disappointing result last night, we were dominated for the first 20 minutes, then we came into the game. The 3 subs we made second half didn’t work, but I understand why cc did it, to try and change things. If we had got the handball penalty then it may all have been different. Plus if okay had scored with the header it would have made the last 10 minutes very interesting.
Was impressed with Johnston, but needs to know when to release the ball, when to keep going, and when to shoot. I think cc can soon sort that out and we may have another Johnston wizard.
Good to see the new owner and glad to see the back of Lai.