[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

There comes a point when you just give up trying to predict outcomes for Albion, or suss out how they go about preparing for matches. The teams that should wipe the floor with us instead get played off the park; the teams who've barely got an ounce of fight in them roll us over with ease. The good news this weekend is that for better or worse, there's rarely any rhyme or reason about the performances we deliver and results we get against Stoke.

It was our trip to the Potteries last autumn that caused the campaign to start crumbling, and it would be fitting if Stoke's return visit were to kickstart a revival in our fortunes, though the "if" there is enormous. Four places below us, the Potters are winless in their last eight league games away from home, and that's a near-certain sign that they're suddenly going to dredge up some world-beating form from somewhere on Saturday. But as Steve Bruce has at least managed to get Albion scoring again - we've netted as many goals since the beginning of March as we did through all of November, December, January and February put together - and there seems to be some momentum and positivity on home soil for the first time in a long time, we're in with a fighting chance of the three points.

[BaggieSteve]

I can't help thinking that one of the reasons for a slight upturn in our fortunes has been the presence and contribution of Andy Carroll.

I went to the Reading game earlier in the season when he was playing for them and I remember commenting in the forum that he was shocking and typical of a player on the way out who was stealing a living. In my defence, his only contributions that day were to wave his arms despairingly and clear an Albion corner off his own goal line.

I just want to say how wrong I was. In retrospect, his arm waving was due to the complete lack of ambition shown by his team mates and any level of support when the ball was hoofed up to him. He would have been justified walking off the pitch in protest.

I feel he has been a revelation for us; sure, he lacks any discernible pace - he was never that quick in his pomp - but his ability to hold the ball, control it, put defenders under immense pressure and, of course, to win the ball in the air has made us look, at last, like a team that has some level of attacking threat. I'm not pretending we have solved our problems - it's less than a week from the disgraceful performance at St Andrews - but if we don't give this guy another contract, regardless of the situation with Dike, then Gourlay should resign.

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

Seems Carroll and Diagana worked well with Robinson being a threat in the bornmouth game. He also did well in the Fulham game with Grant who is now injured. I say keep him and play him more and give him better service, and he's scored 2 goals in a barren period.

[Baggievicar]

Off-topic, but it's been announced that Colin is retiring from management. YEEEESSSSS!!! No danger of ever having to see him come to the shrine.
And SB apparently is a contender for manager of the month. Who nominated him, his wife?

[talkSAFT]

0-1 16 mins og ffs

[talkSAFT]

0-2 59 mins

[baggietrousers]

WTF is up with this squad!!!!

[talkSAFT]

1-2 Robinson 73mins. COYB

---

1-3 (93 mins). What a load of rubbish!

[Baggie_One]

Has potato head gone yet??

[BaggieSteve]

Has potato head gone yet??

Baggie One, they'll give him a contract extension for the fantastic work he's done in turning the club around