[Tom_Wba]

The fans are calling for a response but i don't think it will be a lot different to Tuesday night people are deluded if they think we'll turn up on Saturday all guns blazing lets face it Pulis knows one way away from home and thats negative/dull/drab/defensive performances some with Blue and White specs may choose to call this solid & organized, I'm not really complaining he's doing a decent job but this is the way it will be away from home while he's in charge (certainly this season anyway!) hopefully next season might be different but i don't hold out much hope which is frustrating cause we can match most of these teams away from home....Let the handbrake off Tony

[JH Baggie]

In the league, yes.

Different kettle of fish in a winner takes all trip to Wembo.

[valpayne]

I must admit I'm a bit intrigued there's still a lot of negativity about TP here, surely the players are the ones out there so they should take some blame. My opinion for what its worth is we aren't exactly blessed with pace and youth especially at the back. Villa were a one trick pony under lambert defend and counter attack with pace so I'd imagine TP would have been aware of that and set us up to be wary of that factor. somehow however villa played a different game by taking it to us and we obviously decided to all have an off night bar few, that's the players at fault. They obviously got a roasting at HT and were a bit better if not dazzling. However we were heading for a nailed on draw away and another point meaning just two more wins would see us on 37 pretty much over the line I'd say? BUT, One fatal stupid error from BF and that was it. game over  and yes as others have said here, it is really infuriating to lose to them like that. I'm angry, gutted, P****d off but, I still believe without TP we'd be a lot worse off in the league and probably not in the cup still. The guy is a good manager, every football pundit, every fanatical football fan I talk to believes so. TP looks at a team and looks at the players individually then sets up a system that suits that team not the other way round. So what's he changed at the Albion? Well we're a lot harder to beat for starters, we've kept 7 clean sheets in 11 games and only lost 2. Please don't shoot me down but I think that's a pretty decent return and I'm backing us to survive, then, in the summer, I pray we don't do a palace (Mr Peace take note) and get players in that he identifies/needs to start improving our squad and believe me there will be players that he can attract that AI certainly wouldn't have. Lets keep the faith even though I'm, not so secretly worried about the cup game :/ I am however intrigued about our next league match at home against Stoke, Hmm! Very intrigued what will happen there against our number one bogey team in years gone by COYB

[Borders Baggie]

Well said Valpayne. Glad to see that now that the dust has settled after Tuesdays game, people are taking a step back and making measured and sensible judgements on the two games.

It was a bad day at the office. Too many not at the races, Foster having a poor game all round and Villa fighting for their lives. Having said that, we nearly came away with an undeserved point.

As mentioned in a previous post, apart from Fletcher being cup tied, I can't see TP tinkering with the team too much. A good way to take something from games is not to concede goals and this has been proved in performances so far under the new regime. We would all like to see us pouring forward and scoring a few, but I'll personally take a scrappy 1-0, or taking them back to the Hawthorns wouldn't be a bad result.

A knee jerk reaction would be to change a few players, but if (god forbid) they turned us over again, Pulis would be getting it in the neck for it. Let's put our trust in the manager and back him & the selected players to get us all the result we crave.

[drewks]

I like the cut of your jib, valpayne!
Agree with all you've said - those who don't rate TP as a good Manager/HC should just look at the results he gets. Simples!

If I was being critical though I'd just like him to mix it up a little - we're too predictable, especially away. The best performance by far was v West Ham, but I think I'm right in saying that THAT starting line up hasn't been picked since. We need Sess, or Mac, for that bit of pace & creativity
...Yacob, Fletcher AND Gardner, IMO, don't give us much creativity - obviously TP sees Fletch as almost undroppable but the difference was seen when he was cup tied v WHam and Sess replaced him. I'm not saying it's that simple at all, to me it just indicates that maybe 2 of these 3 plus Sess may give us better balance

---

UH-OH.....

Victor Anichebe is still ruled out with a groin problem, while Callum McManaman has a foot injury and Stephane Sessegnon is also doubtful because of personal issues.

Baggies boss Tony Pulis will send his team into FA Cup quarter final action against Aston Villa demanding a positive response after Tuesday's last gasp Premier League defeat.

But he admits that there are concerns over several players potentially being unavailable.

“Callum has done a little bit of work today but we’re not sure if he’ll be fit for Saturday," said Pulis.

"That’s been a little bit of a set-back for because we certainly need his trickery, especially at the back-end of games.

"It would have been nice to have brought him on on Tuesday having wrestled the initiative off Villa. "We could have done with that little bit of extra quality up front.

“Sessegnon has had one or two very poor personal problems that are really disappointing at the moment for himself - well devastating for himself. So we have had to go careful with Sess as well.”

C'mon Sess - WE NEED YOU!!

[valpayne]

Thanks Drewks and BB
Well there you go that explains why TP didn't make many subs against Villa He had no choice really if Mac wasn't fit Sess isn't coping and Vic still frail It makes sense he would stick with SB and BI up front especially on their recent form they could have easily nicked a goal for us then leave it late to make your subs and take the sting and pace out the game otherwise known as time wasting Fozzie knows all about that In fact the only sub I thought he should have made was mulumbu for yacob only because it sounded like CY was up to his old red card tactics. There's always a lot behind the scenes we don't know which is why we cant always jump to conclusions. That said I'm now very concerned for Saturday

[betterthanbaird]

Thanks Drewks and BB
Well there you go that explains why TP didn't make many subs against Villa He had no choice really if Mac wasn't fit Sess isn't coping and Vic still frail It makes sense he would stick with SB and BI up front especially on their recent form they could have easily nicked a goal for us then leave it late to make your subs and take the sting and pace out the game otherwise known as time wasting Fozzie knows all about that In fact the only sub I thought he should have made was mulumbu for yacob only because it sounded like CY was up to his old red card tactics. There's always a lot behind the scenes we don't know which is why we cant always jump to conclusions. That said I'm now very concerned for Saturday

Fletcher can't play in the cups, so Mulumbu for Fletcher will probably be the only change.

[aries22]

I like the cut of your jib, valpayne!  
Agree with all you've said - those who don't rate TP as a good Manager/HC should just look at the results he gets. Simples!  
If I was being critical though I'd just like him to mix it up a little - we're too predictable, especially away.

That's my only criticism of TP - we should start attacking teams away from home more. Not go gung-ho, but attack in numbers when the time is right. I can't comment on the Villa league game and  I gather they could/should have been 3-0 up at half time, but second half, after equalising, did we attack or take the game to them? I just hope we're able to give it a much better go on Saturday, especially for the travelling fans. If we go down (in this game), we go down fighting. I also would pick Boaz Myhill for this game. Won't do Ben Foster any harm to have a break.

[Squirrel Regis]

Aries,
Very nicely put "won't do Ben Foster any harm to have a break"
Don't get me wrong we are very very lucky to have a keeper as good as Ben but there are no sacred cows and after that shocker against the Vile he needs a rocket up his ar#e !
Fingers crossed we put in a far better performance and get stuck into them. Don't think I could take any more stick from Vile fans this week !!!!
C O Y B

[aries22]

Aries,
Very nicely put "won't do Ben Foster any harm to have a break"
Don't get me wrong we are very very lucky to have a keeper as good as Ben but there are no sacred cows and after that shocker against the Vile he needs a rocket up his ar#e !
Fingers crossed we put in a far better performance and get stuck into them. Don't think I could take any more stick from Vile fans this week !!!!
C O Y B

Rocket up his ar#e - I knew there was a better phrase - I just couldn't think of it! And yes, we are lucky to have him, and Boaz Myhill as well, who is at a really good club and has always been extremely professional. And yes, I want to see us get stuck into Villa.