Now im not quite in the ‘let’s sack Irvine’ club YET …but I have enquired about how to join.
I commented after Chelsea game that I still have patience with Irvine, but it will run thin if the results remain the same whilst the team remain the same!
I had written off the Chelsea game so the result was no biggy for me, Arsenal at home however was a different prospect. Whist they are a good team, they are not the Arsenal of old and can be got at!
Now I understand that like Chelsea, A.I. may have picked a team to contain Arsenal and hit them on a lucky break – like the Berahino offside chance. But by doing that, you put the onus on the opposition to attack you from the off and more often than not, one of their many attacks works and they score. As we saw yesterday.
Because of this, I find it hard to comprehend the complete lack of creativity and width in our selection. The performance yesterday has to be the most narrow I’ve ever seen Albion play and possibly the most narrow team in premier league history !
The amount of times players had to come back inside the pitch as there was absolutely nothing being offered out wide was embarrassing. Our full backs were the only players offering anything out wide when they decided to push forward. If this is what Irvine had in mind, then the likes of Gamboa must play! I like Wisdom and think he has been one of our few decent consistent performers but he is not naturally as attack minded as Gamboa obviously. But even with attack minded players on the pitch, they can still be compact, if coached and drilled properly, with the advantage of them being able to expand the game as and when required to do so.
This is not my main worry though. My main worry is the constant selection of Chris Brunt (and Dorrans to a lesser extent). I said in a separate thread at the start of the season that I genuinely don’t know what he offers us? The only thing he ‘should’ offer is a good pass or good set piece delivery once in a while. But like yesterday, if he isn’t giving us that, then he is giving us nothing. He is pedestrian pace and he slows the play down at every opportunity so he can cope. His is a casualty that the team are carrying for no reason.
Whist your cant knock his loyalty to the club, the bloke is an average championship player at best. I ask you this specific question, if he wasn’t playing for West Brom, would he be a player that we would try and sign? The answer is NO!!!!
When Samaras came on, we actually had an inject of pace and some urgency for the first time in the game – apart from a heavily isolated Sessegnon. How Varela and Blanco can be left out the side for this guy is beyond me!
The only possible excuse A.I. has (and a few of you have already mentioned this In the match thread) is, if he is saving our attack minded wide players for the next 4 games. If that is the case, and we pick up good results (anything less then 2 wins is not good enough) then it may have been worth it. If that isn’t the case, then I will not only be joining the ‘let’s sack Irvine’ club, ill be chairing it and leading the recruitment drive!
Would be interested to here your thoughts
Up the Baggies!
I commented after Chelsea game that I still have patience with Irvine, but it will run thin if the results remain the same whilst the team remain the same!
I had written off the Chelsea game so the result was no biggy for me, Arsenal at home however was a different prospect. Whist they are a good team, they are not the Arsenal of old and can be got at!
Now I understand that like Chelsea, A.I. may have picked a team to contain Arsenal and hit them on a lucky break – like the Berahino offside chance. But by doing that, you put the onus on the opposition to attack you from the off and more often than not, one of their many attacks works and they score. As we saw yesterday.
Because of this, I find it hard to comprehend the complete lack of creativity and width in our selection. The performance yesterday has to be the most narrow I’ve ever seen Albion play and possibly the most narrow team in premier league history !
The amount of times players had to come back inside the pitch as there was absolutely nothing being offered out wide was embarrassing. Our full backs were the only players offering anything out wide when they decided to push forward. If this is what Irvine had in mind, then the likes of Gamboa must play! I like Wisdom and think he has been one of our few decent consistent performers but he is not naturally as attack minded as Gamboa obviously. But even with attack minded players on the pitch, they can still be compact, if coached and drilled properly, with the advantage of them being able to expand the game as and when required to do so.
This is not my main worry though. My main worry is the constant selection of Chris Brunt (and Dorrans to a lesser extent). I said in a separate thread at the start of the season that I genuinely don’t know what he offers us? The only thing he ‘should’ offer is a good pass or good set piece delivery once in a while. But like yesterday, if he isn’t giving us that, then he is giving us nothing. He is pedestrian pace and he slows the play down at every opportunity so he can cope. His is a casualty that the team are carrying for no reason.
Whist your cant knock his loyalty to the club, the bloke is an average championship player at best. I ask you this specific question, if he wasn’t playing for West Brom, would he be a player that we would try and sign? The answer is NO!!!!
When Samaras came on, we actually had an inject of pace and some urgency for the first time in the game – apart from a heavily isolated Sessegnon. How Varela and Blanco can be left out the side for this guy is beyond me!
The only possible excuse A.I. has (and a few of you have already mentioned this In the match thread) is, if he is saving our attack minded wide players for the next 4 games. If that is the case, and we pick up good results (anything less then 2 wins is not good enough) then it may have been worth it. If that isn’t the case, then I will not only be joining the ‘let’s sack Irvine’ club, ill be chairing it and leading the recruitment drive!
Would be interested to here your thoughts
Up the Baggies!
Good post Danny.
