+- Sports Babble - sports forum (https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk)
+-- Forum: Football (https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: English Football Leagues (https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=2)
+---- Forum: Sky Bet Championship (https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=49)
+----- Forum: West Bromwich Albion (https://www.sportsbabble.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?fid=21)
+----- Thread: Is our season over already? (/showthread.php?tid=4942)
Is our season over already? - Stairs - 17-01-2017
I stole this from the HITC website rather than paste the link.
Interesting angle and can't make my mind up if I am happy or sad......
Article reads:
It's January, we are just past the halfway mark in the season and most teams are searching frantically to identify January targets to help their cause; whether that be winning the title, making the top four, qualifying for Europe or merely maintaining their Premier League status.
For West Bromwich Albion though, such targets or fears do not really exist. The Baggies currently lead the way when it comes to the 'best of the rest' of the teams outside the top seven, impressively having more points at this stage of the season than arguably more fancied teams during pre-season such as West Ham, Southampton and Leicester.
With 29 points to their name, 2 wins from their remaining 17 games would all but confirm Tony Pulis' men retain their place in the Premier League for another year, whilst it would take some effort to displace any of the teams above them for a shot at a European place. Everton are the only team the Baggies would have any chance of catching, but their respective performances against Tottenham and Manchester City at the weekend would suggest such an event is unlikely.
Knocked out of both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup at the first possible opportunity, to Northampton Town and Derby County respectively, Pulis' men don't even have the hope of cup glory to turn their attention to, during a time of such mid table obscurity in the Premier League.
One could argue then, that West Brom's season, in terms of genuine aims and objectives, is already over in all reality. It is a reality that dawned on some Baggies fans following their 2-1 defeat in the third round of the FA Cup at the hands of Derby County, a game in which Pulis fielded a relatively strong side.
A victim of their own success, perhaps, the Baggies obviously wouldn't wish to be further down the table and have more to play for as a consequence, but Tony Pulis and his team have to find some way to motivate themselves to put in the same levels of performances that they have in the first half of the season between now and May.
One target which the Baggies could set themselves is to match or beat their highest ever Premier League finish and points tally. Their best Premier League season to date came in 2012/13, when Steve Clarke guided them to an 8th place finish, setting their record points tally of 49 in the process.
If West Brom managed to maintain the points per game tally that they have set so far this season for the remainder of the campaign, they would narrowly beat that record 49, most likely finishing up on 52 or 53 points.
Finishing any higher than eighth is likely to prove even trickier though. As alluded to earlier, Everton are the only team above the Baggies that they could realistically catch, and that would take some doing. In truth, if they could hold on to their currently position of eighth, that would have to go down as an impressive achievement.
The Baggies final placing is also increasingly relevant on the financial side of things. Each position in the Premier League table is worth an extra £1.25 million, meaning the difference between finishing 8th and 15th would be worth £8.75 million for the club, enough to finance a first team recruit in the summer.
RE: Is our season over already? - baggietrousers - 17-01-2017
Good article, and probably spot on.
RE: Is our season over already? - Beefy 1965 - 17-01-2017
Yes
Just hope the players don't think so
RE: Is our season over already? - drewks - 17-01-2017
I suppose there are a lot of truths in the article, but I'd like to see players playing for their places; for pride; for their team and fans ......
.......and also obviously for their bonuses too.
Seriously tho, they shouldn't need motivation, surely, to go out and compete to win? Deep down most athletes know they're unlikely to actually WIN a tournament, a title, a race, a cup, but that doesn't stop them trying! If the suggested mentality of the article was accurate, and commonplace then surely sport would be dead!
RE: Is our season over already? - talkSAFT - 18-01-2017
As Stairs says
"Each position in the Premier League table is worth an extra £1.25 million, meaning the difference between finishing 8th and 15th would be worth £8.75 million for the club".
Pragmatically the Chairman should award the Coaching Staff (say) £100k between them for every position above 18th, ensuring that £1.15m (per place) goes straight into the Club. The Coaches then get some sort of an incentive, instead of putting their feet up when we avoid relegation.............IF we do.
RE: Is our season over already? - meandbrenarebaggies - 18-01-2017
Is the season over? Has the Fat Lady sung yet? No. I don’t think we
should alter our initial aim because the results, so far, have been what
they have. Our aim should always be to win every game over a complete
season of 38 games. The minute we go onto a pitch with anything less
than that ambition is when we disrespect the traditions and values of
The Albion built over years of effort. I am little impressed with the valid
argument that we should play motivated by league position/money in
the same way that I am totally unimpressed by TV money ruining the
game over the last 30 years. I don’t know if we can technically still win
this league (and I’m not going to check) and I accept that modern pro
players have zero local allegiance but if a club ever gets to “going through
the motions” it should be dragged into a court of law by the Trading
Standards people and punished. Yes, we play for money, but more than
that, we play for respect.
RE: Is our season over already? - 4evaabaggie - 18-01-2017
I said this year's ago, it is why I hate the premier league, the fa, the fa's new academy system, the champions league, UEFA, in fact modern football in general ...... everything is geared around a few clubs in whichever country you choose being protected by their governing body so that they get richer and fewer and fewer teams win silverware. I used to love the FA cup third round weekend for the passion, the glory, the upsets, must teams limp thorough the competition trying to not get relegated because of it.
Don't won't to become one of those fans that just accepts mid table obscurity as though that is achieving something ... bring back the days of level playing fields teams being competitive, teams climbing from the fourth division to the first ...
Oh how I yearn for some glory ....... apart from winning the championship we have won nothing in my time supporting the Baggies, I was two in 68, lost semi-finals, play off finals one win one defeat. The none event of this transfer window is making me cranky. Help me .......
Come on you Baggies .......... do something
Meandbren, we have 51 points to play for we are 23 points behind Chelsea, we can win enough points to finish above current leaders Chelsea but if all the variables make it possible for us to win the title I don't know