[BBB]

The reason i am worried, is that we lost TWICE to a team that could hardly score goals and were below us in the league by 4 goals to 1. Also it would seem Sherwood has more clout in the dressing room than Pulis over these games, got them to want more.

And three chances to score!! And not one converted !  So I say to put on Ollson after a long lay off  is non-sensical. Also to not play Malumbu is stupid for what for us was chance of getting to Wembley for many years.

I do hope the players can pick themselves up after these humiliating defeats, and get us to stay in the Premiership - which i' m sure they will, but it will be very close, goal averages counting.

Am I wrong?

[aries22]

8 points clear of the relegation zone. No wingers, no full backs, 2 half fit strikers. I don't know about 'clueless pulis', more like  'best manager outside the top 6'

He is the reigning Premier League Manager of the Year, a title you don't get for nothing.

---

I'm not anti-Pulis by any means, but we have 4 recognised fullbacks in our squad and a winger Pulis signed himself on the bench so I don't think that can be used as an excuse. He has to take a chunk of the blame, as do the inept performances of the majority of the players and Foster for giving them the win in the league match.
Personally, I think the first thing we need to do in the summer is cut out the dross freebie signings of the likes of Gardner and Baird

It's obvious Pulis doesn't rate Pocognoli or Gamboa, and it doesn't matter if they are recognised full-backs - if they're not good enough, they don't get in the team.
I agree about Baird, he's too much on the periphery and doesn't look like breaking into the team at all, but I do think Gardner should stay.
I also agree Pulis has to take a chunk of the blame - for the way we're set up away from home. For me, it's too negative.
And yes, people like Foster and Brown Ideye and Joleon Lescott will be reflecting on poor goalkeeping and missed chances which could so easily have led to wins.
I'm going to keep this in perspective. We've lost the return league fixture, which was disappointing, but winning one and losing one is better than two draws. And for a team that was Championship-bound under Alan Irvine, we're looking tons safer now in the league and we've had a fair run in the Cup. Now, Alan Irvine really WAS clueless! We've come on in leaps and bounds compared to how we were doing under him.

[wba_1996]

8 points clear of the relegation zone. No wingers, no full backs, 2 half fit strikers. I don't know about 'clueless pulis', more like  'best manager outside the top 6'

I'm not anti-Pulis by any means, but we have 4 recognised fullbacks in our squad and a winger Pulis signed himself on the bench so I don't think that can be used as an excuse. Simply, Pulis picked the 4 centre backs and slow wide players through preference over the other options and they couldn't contain the pace of Agbonlahor, Sinclair, Delph or N'Zogbia throughout the two games. He has to take a chunk of the blame, as do the inept performances of the majority of the players and Foster for giving them the win in the league match.

Personally, I think the first thing we need to do in the summer is cut out the dross freebie signings of the likes of Gardner and Baird who were signed for the sake of it purely because they were free. It was obvious neither were a step up on what we had and, as with the Anelka and Lugano signings it is just leaving us with a number of below-par ageing players who need to be cleared out each summer. Funds need to be made available to TP in the summer if we are ever going to get back to the comfortable midtable seasons like we had under RH and SC.

personally don't know how you can say Gardner is a bad signing. Probably one of our better players this season.

I agree! I've been pleasantly surprised by Gardner almost every game! 

Fair enough. He does work hard and he certainly talks the talk on twitter, but as a PL footballer he is very limited. I'd group him with the likes of Brunt, Dorrans and Morrison as the players who just don't cut it to start in our team anymore.

As a defensive mid he is nowhere near as good as Yacob, as a box to box Mulumbu and Fletcher are a class above, attacking mid Sess wins every time and on the wing McManaman and even Brunt offer more.

I'm a bit disappointed that many of our fans are happy to settle with "triers" after 5 consecutive seasons in the PL, I think we should be pushing on to sign better footballers now.

[Salopbaggie]

Just read the club statement on the official site about the "troubles" on Sat and I am sure we would all agree with the sentiment.  

However the last paragraph in the statement talking about the fans did make me shake my head,

But we urge them to absorb the disappointment of Saturday’s result and, like Tony Pulis and the players, come back more determined than ever to play their part in bringing the season to a  successful conclusion.

So basically all we have to do to have a "Successful Season" is stay in the Premiership, that might work for the people who have a financial interest in the club, but for those of us where the finances are going in the other direction, I don't class as surviving by the skin of our teeth (if we do) playing football which at times that would put a corpse to sleep, as having a successful season.

Before anyone points out that "bringing the season to a  successful conclusion" and having a "successful season" are two different things I do appreciate that but it does not make it feel any better.

Finish in 12th or above then I might say that is "bringing the season to a  successful conclusion"

[Slick_Footwork]

While I'm not happy with the results against in the Villa games, I'm struggling with the
fact that people are calling Pulis clueless when he's performed miracles to get us to 30
points this early IMO.

People were critical when we defended for our lives and got the 0-0 at Everton. I saw
people saying we should've attacked them, they're not a very good side, etc. Well,
they absolutely wiped the floor with us at our place under Irvine. That game and the
Newcastle game at home this season were the most spineless performances I've seen
from a Baggies side for years. That is the side that Pulis inherited.

Under Pulis, we've grinded out a couple of decent points away while winning tough
games at home. Southampton came to us on the back of 5 away wins in a row and we
beat them. Swansea are never easy, but tactically, we got it spot on and beat them.
The West Ham game was some of the best football we've played for years. They too
rolled us over at our place under Irvine.

I'm coming to the realisation that we're not really that good and if anything, Pulis has
had us punching above our weight so far to pick up so many points. The individual
errors that cost us the games against Villa are the reality of the quality we have at
the club.

Pulis' plan is what he feels will get the most out of this group of mediocrity. Maybe a
more attacking approach might do better, but it's hard to argue with the majority of
results we've picked up under him. To be fair, everything was going to plan on Tuesday
(we looked more likely) until Foster's error. And there really isn't a lot any manager
can do about that sort of nonsense.

[Beefy 1965]

How Myhill didn't react to this I will never know.....

Spat at in the face ... disgusting.

Dont worry Villa are not obsessed with us.

I hope Sherwood takes this pile of Shite down..........

Nothing will give me greater pleasure

[aries22]

Beefy, isn't that a really shameful and cowardly thing to do. I wonder what Myhill's reaction was. If ever I see the day Albion fans do that sort of thing, I will stop going to games. I hope that idiot is identified, made to go to the Albion training ground to apologise to Myhill man to man, charged by police and then punished with a life ban from Villa Park.
And Slick - very well said.

[Beefy 1965]

Beefy, isn't that a really shameful and cowardly thing to do. I wonder what Myhill's reaction was. If ever I see the day Albion fans do that sort of thing, I will stop going to games. I hope that idiot is identified, made to go to the Albion training ground to apologise to Myhill man to man, charged by police and then punished with a life ban from Villa Park.
And Slick - very well said.

Aries there are a few pictures on Twitter , Morrison, Bera, Lescott & Mcmanaman were all in some way "confronted"

I think they should be kicked out of the cup and the Baggies reinstated 

[St Charles Owl]

Be careful Beefy!! The pitch invasion was stupid and certainly potentially dangerous for the players, but there are a lot of stories out there regarding the seats being ripped out and thrown by Albion fans as well. No doubt most of the Villa fans were on the pitch to celebrate but as always some are idiots and hopefully the police will be able to use film to identify them, but coming down heavy on Villa will also likely mean they will come down hard on Albion as well!!

[Beefy 1965]

Be careful Beefy!!  The pitch invasion was stupid and certainly potentially dangerous for the players, but there are a lot of stories out there regarding the seats being ripped out and thrown by Albion fans as well.  No doubt most of the Villa fans were on the pitch to celebrate but as always some are idiots and hopefully the police will be able to use film to identify them, but coming down heavy on Villa will also likely mean they will come down hard on Albion as well!!

St Charles i agree completely 

The pitch invasion caused the Albion fans to react,

That is not what I want from Albion fans either 

If both should be punished so be it, thugs the lot of em ..........

The Witton arms was attacked by Albion fans before the game also, so im led to believe although I'm not 100% sure on that.

Derby day morons who probably wont go to another game this season if the truth is known