[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

The win at QPR last week eases the pressure on Albion somewhat in this final week of pre-winter domestic football, but thanks to other results we remain two points off safety in the bottom three, and as ever, these unexpected triumphs on the road must be regarded as bonus points in a dogfight. The job in hand is still getting results at home against the teams just above us, and to that end we welcome (in the loosest possible sense of the word) Stoke to the Hawthorns this Saturday.

Since beating them 2-0 this time three years ago, the Baggies have lost every encounter with the Potters: a trio of regrettable additions to the sixty-three total occasions on which Stoke have got the better of us in history, a tally which comfortably dwarfs their win-record against literally any other side in existence. Moreover, their awaydays have yielded five clean sheets so far this season - an achievement bettered only by Preston - along with 14 of their 25 points. It's not a promising prospect all in all, but as Corberan continues to find a starting XI he can work with, reverting to a back four and finding a solid core in the centre of the park, it may be that he has a trick or two up his sleeve yet. Blackpool set up to shut us out in our last home match, but we dug up the scrappy goal needed to see them off; if we can find the same kind of set-piece threat that will undo Stoke, then we're in business.

Losing would be a psychological blow that we don't need going into a four-week break. A draw wouldn't be the end of the world with the QPR points in the bank, but if we can hit a three-game winning streak for the first time since August 2021, the winter ahead will look a lot less bleak.

[Dingle-Dingle]

On November 7th, 1920, in strictest secrecy, four unidentified British bodies were exhumed from temporary battlefield cemeteries at Ypres, Arras, the Asine and the Somme.
None of the soldiers who did the digging were told why.
The bodies were taken by field ambulance to GHQ at St-Pol-Sur-Ter Noise. Once there, the bodies were draped with the union flag.
Sentries were posted and Brigadier-General Wyatt and a Colonel Gell selected one body at random. The other three were reburied.
A French Honour Guard was selected and stood by the coffin overnight of the chosen soldier overnight.
On the morning of the 8th November, a specially designed coffin made of oak from the grounds of Hampton Court arrived and the Unknown Warrior was placed inside.
On top was placed a crusaders sword and a shield on which was inscribed:
"A British Warrior who fell in the GREAT WAR 1914-1918 for King and Country".
On the 9th of November, the Unknown Warrior was taken by horse-drawn carriage through Guards of Honour and the sound of tolling bells and bugle calls to the quayside.
There, he was saluted by Marechal Foche and loaded onto HMS Vernon bound for Dover. The coffin stood on the deck covered in wreaths, surrounded by the French Honour Guard.
Upon arrival at Dover, the Unknown Warrior was met with a nineteen gun salute - something that was normally only reserved for Field Marshals.
A special train had been arranged and he was then conveyed to Victoria Station, London.
He remained there overnight, and, on the morning of the 11th of November, he was finally taken to Westminster Abbey.
The idea of the unknown warrior was thought of by a Padre called David Railton who had served on the front line during the Great War the union flag he had used as an altar cloth whilst at the front, was the one that had been draped over the coffin.
It was his intention that all of the relatives of the 517,773 combatants whose bodies had not been identified could believe that the Unknown Warrior could very well be their lost husband, father, brother or son...
This is the reason we wear poppies - we do not glorify war; we save lives.
We remember with humility, the great and the ultimate sacrifices that were made, not just in this war, but in every war and conflict where our service personnel have fought - to ensure the liberty and freedoms that we now take for granted.
We will, on the 11th of November, remember the Unknown Warrior.

DD#No1

[4evaabaggie]

Dingle Dingle, great post, brought tears to my eyes, I am of a generation, born in the sixties, twenty years after the second world war finished, that remember seeing many veterans living in our neighbourhoods. Real people, some of them broken by their struggles and their losses. People we can relate to. We know what they sacrificed, we appreciate that many young men and women gave up their tomorrow's for our todays. I fear the modern generation, not all but a large proportion, do not share in this. They have different ideologies, they are happy to abuse their rights and freedoms without appreciating that freedom isn't free it comes at a price, someone has to pay, just ask Ukraine. they lack a sense of duty, shared culture, pride and patriotism in our great country and our military. It upsets and shame me how few people you see wearing poppies nowadays.

THEY SHALL GROW NOT OLD AS WE THAT OUR LEFT GROW OLD
AGE SHALL NOT WEARY THEM NOR THE YEARS CONDEM
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

[Baggie_One]

Winning
Bartley
Playing like a new team

---

Assante
2-0
Stunning overhead kick

[Stairs]

BRILL - E - ANT

This is my Albion. Thank you CC for restoring my pride

[Slick_Footwork]

Football is a simple game sometimes...

Playing players in their best positions can make a huge difference. Full backs at full backs. Wingers on the wing. Have protectors in front of the defence so the flair players have a platform.

It seemed obvious to me, but Bruce and Beale couldn't seem to see it...

Reverting back to a flat back 4 with Yokuslu protecting has lead to 3 clean sheets in 3 games.

Kyle Bartley being the hero with 2 goals wasn't what we expected, but that is one of the benefits of having proper centre backs on the pitch, they can head the ball at the other end too.

I have a concern about our lack of goals from open play, but hopefully after the international break, the return of Dike will help. Will also be nice to have Ajayi back too.

Hopefully this resurgence will mean we have seen the end of Karlan Grant being used as a main striker. It's no coincidence we've held the ball up far better since he's been injured.

[BaggieSteve]

Football is a simple game sometimes...

Playing players in their best positions can make a huge difference. Full backs at full backs. Wingers on the wing. Have protectors in front of the defence so the flair players have a platform.

It seemed obvious to me, but Bruce and Beale couldn't seem to see it... 

Reverting back to a flat back 4 with Yokuslu protecting has lead to 3 clean sheets in 3 games.

Kyle Bartley being the hero with 2 goals wasn't what we expected, but that is one of the benefits of having proper centre backs on the pitch, they can head the ball at the other end too.

I have a concern about our lack of goals from open play, but hopefully after the international break, the return of Dike will help. Will also be nice to have Ajayi back too.

Hopefully this resurgence will mean we have seen the end of Karlan Grant being used as a main striker. It's no coincidence we've held the ball up far better since he's been injured.

What’s interesting for me is the improvement in Bartley and the development of BTA which I really believe is a result of Bruce’s departure and Corberan’s ability to coach improvement. It also makes it interesting when Ajayi returns from injury; let’s be honest, three games ago he would have been a shoe in for Bartley but not now, particularly if Corberan persists in a flat back four, which he almost certainly will.
Likewise, Dike is now available but it would be very harsh on BTA to be omitted, particularly after yesterday’s performance. I agree with Slick that it’s hard to see anything but a walk on part for Grant