[Borders Baggie]

Anyone see Arsenal Liverpool game and hear the comments made several times abouthow dire Arsenal were defensively? More than one pundit mentioned wba as an example of how to defend both Neville and souness said the one thing a team must do when you lose the ball is bust a gut to get back behind the ball and in your positions and that's what you get from wba and TP. That's why we're hard to beat and that's the first thing you need to survive in the prem then you can look at going forward creative attacking football. There in lies the conundrum TP has. Wba don't attract the big and best players sadly. We aren't a team challenging for cups and euro glory so we have to do what we can with less talent than most prem teams and that's down to canny scouting and grabbing the odd elder statesman here and tghere or a loan from the bigger teams. Hence hegazi Barry j Rod two of which have scored for us already. TP knows we do not have the ability to play attacking football like Liverpool Man U et al so he's made defence a priority and but for one defensive balls up yesterday we could have been 2nd on max points . Hegazi is only just settling in he's looking very capable and already earned praise from footballing pundits. Personally I think we need a left back and a goal scoring midfielder a la gerrard lampard etc then I think we will have a reasonably strong team. I'd rather have been a wba fan than an Arsenal fan yesterday with all their attacking talent they were a horror show and rightly all the pundits were gobsmacked Neville souness caragher were all great players and they were disgusted by arsenals performance and condemned it with venom whilst Henry said he wanted to leave the set and go home so my point is as always let's be thankful where we are and careful what we wish for 3 games 7 points early days yes but best start for eons

Indeed we should be greatful for what we have Valpayne.
Pulis' style can be frustrating and the Baggies may not play a very exciting brand of football at the moment.
But imagine if the calls to get rid of Pulis at the summer had been followed up and we had brought in someone like Frank de Boer. I'm sure Palace fans must have been licking their lips at the thought of the Dutchman having their team playing 'total football' and look where they are after 3 games.
I think it takes a lot more than a big name at the helm to win matches in the Premier League and I'm happy to have Pulis guiding the ship for the time being.

[Kennyg]

Having been at the game yesterday here are a few of my thoughts.
Yes it was a poor game - both sides cancelled each other out.
Great goal from J Rod - in open play too!
Barrie and Nyom were my stand out players.
Their goal was purely down to a defensive mix up. These things happen. We learn by it and move on. I am not going to slate Fozzie or Hegazi. They have had a superb start to the season.
The Stoke fans are dislusional if they think their style of football is any better than the Baggies style of football.
Their players still fall down and moan at the ref. Why was their player not booked for simulation when he dived in the box in the first half?
Mark Hughes is an absolute moaning twat! "A warm day! Long grass with no water on it!" Well Mr Hughes, you are wrong. The pitch sprinklers were on before the match and again at half time. What a complete prat is that man!
With a couple more signings (left back and creative midfielder) I think we should be ok.

[Zinman]

But it's easy to get men back in defensive positions when most of our players never leave them in the first place. My real frustration is that whatever team Pulis picks there is a real reluctance to get players into goal scoring positions from open play. t seems no coincidence that yesterday we scored from one of our very few quality crosses on a rare occasion when we had more than one player in the opposition penalty area. We all seem to agree that we need an attacking midfielder.....but what's the point if he's not allowed to actually get forward?

[Slick_Footwork]

But it's easy to get men back in defensive positions when most of our players never leave them in the first place. My real frustration is that whatever team Pulis picks there is a real reluctance to get players into goal scoring positions from open play. t seems no coincidence that yesterday we scored from one of our very few quality crosses on a rare occasion when we had more than one player in the opposition penalty area. We all seem to agree that we need an attacking midfielder.....but what's the point if he's not allowed to actually get forward?

You may have a point, but unless we get that player, we will not really know.

Chadli was allowed to get forward at the start of last season and chipped in with some goals before his injury. After that, his form tailed off.

Of the central midfielders who have started this season, we haven't had a player in that mould. Yacob, Barry and Field (who looks nowhere near ready for Prem football IMO) do not have that in their locker; while Mozza looked very leggy yesterday. It usually takes him 5 ot 6 games to get back to match fitness.

So we'll have to see. I'm not holding my breath, we hope the right type of player will be allowed to join in with the striker.