[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Albion observe a minute's silence for the late WG Richardson before playing Manchester City, 31st March 1959

And so we come to one of the most difficult and thankless fixtures on our schedule each season, with the team sliding down the table at an alarming rate, the players looking bewildered and incapable of the basics of football, and the fans rightly unhappy with the whole situation. From two winnable matches on the road Albion have taken just one point, and as we remain *still* without a win since mid-August and barely able to trouble the opposition goal in most games, the pressure is on Tony Pulis from all sides.

I said last week that the most Pulis thing in the world to do - perhaps even the most Albion thing in the world to do - would be to snatch a surprise result against City, but history really isn't on our side there. Frankly, Pulis is in a quandary here: to persist with the same defensive tactics as we've used in previous games would probably be appropriate in this match, but after weeks of such dross it'll only rile fans further, especially if it ends in defeat. On the other hand, going all-out attack will only invite a drubbing on the counter, and won't win him an ounce more support.

It's a pickle, but my reserves of sympathy have very much dried up. Pulis has navigated us into this mess all by himself, and it's on him to start steering us out of it. I fear this could be one to remember for all the wrong reasons.

Former Albion favourite Asa Hartford returns to the Hawthorns with Man City, 2nd April 1983

[drewks]

I think the bus will be parked, jacked up and the wheels removed for this one.
Deary me

[Zinman]

I'm looking forward to being really entertained tomorrow. I'm off to see BRMC in Birmingham.
As to the football, avoiding humiliation is as much as I can hope for - I can't even see him losing his job until after Huddersfield.

[Beefy 1965]

Dawson out for 8 weeks
Bleeding behind the cruciate ??

Morrison out for forseable future ??

Mmmm
Things going ok ain't they

[talkSAFT]

Name the players in the 1st photo (1959).

(In those days you were only allowed entrance to the Ground if you had a grey mac).

[4evaabaggie]

I hope city declare at half time or the ref steps in to stop the contest to protect us from a further battering ........

[Slick_Footwork]

With Pulis' job under serious pressure for the 1st time, it will be interesting to see if there's a change of tact or not.

Generally, we've done okay at home under TP against the top sides with our defensive style. However, Man City are the one side who have the ability to pick us off playing like that. If we sit deep, I've got no doubts they will beat us.

Maybe TP will learn from the cup game and have a go. I wouldn't hold my breath, but we'll see.

[Worldclassalbion]

I think we will possibly lose our next 4 matches even if we do get rid of Tony Putrid BUT another manager would have at least 3 weeks to start getting 'his' team to gel ready for the kick on after next month.

GET RID OF TP after today when sadly I can only see us getting Hammered.

[WBA-Josh]

Foster
Nyom - McAuley - Evans - Hegazi - Gibbs
Krychowiak - Livermore - Barry
Rondon - Rodriguez

Myhill, Yacob, Phillips, Brunt, McLean, Chadli, Robson-Kanu

20% possession, 1 shot, 0 on target and 3-4 goals conceded coming right up. Lose badly today and he will probably still be given the Huddersfield match before the International break to save himself.

[Zinman]

So if Dawson had been fit I suppose he'd have been in instead of Rodriguez. Every fit defender is playing....I suppose that's what he meant by a change of tactics.