[Beefy 1965]

Interesting points mate,
As I say I'm not against him getting sacked ,
But for the risk of relegation and preferring that I'm not so sure,
Who would want to sign for us then ?
As I say if Lai did pull the trigger, boy what a job for someone to take us forward

[WBA-Josh]

Tony Pulis probably does deserve one more season at the club after what he has achieved this season in terms of league position and the better style of play which up until February was decent. However, if 12-15 games into next season we are behind our target, which should be a top ten finish, better points tally than this season (45-50 points) and reach the quarter finals in the cups, then the trigger should be pulled and end Tony Pulis' time at the club.

If all goes well next season then at the end of the season, which is when his contract ends, we should be thanking him and then looking at going all out for a quality replacement even if it means paying a couple of million in compensation.

---

I'm not bald anymore Beefy, I have my hair back. I got fed up of looking like the lovechild of Bruce Willis and a capybara.

[drewks]

Interesting points mate,
As I say I'm not against him getting sacked ,
But for the risk of relegation and preferring that I'm not so sure,
Who would want to sign for us then ?
As I say if Lai did pull the trigger, boy what a job for someone to take us forward  

....now THAT'S an interesting one - surely we WOULD be a pretty attractive proposition for a fair few prospective high flyers if the financial backing is there?

[Stairs]

If there is real money to back the manager then West Brom does become a very attractive package for a potential new manager. But where is it said that is the case?

I have read that there will be a gradual investment in the squad and fans should not expect huge spending
I read that TP is flying there to ask for a £40m war chest. That's good but not overly rich considering how much Newcastle and Reading/Huddersfield will have to spend after promotion.

I'f I was the owner I'd give TP the £40m as he has been recognised by his peers and those in the know to have over achieved given resources. It deserve recognition, appreciation and reward.

But I'd tell him that I wanted to see positive, attacking football and I'd give him a top half league position target for the end of December in order to trigger an automatic one year extension to his contract with the club.

It seems TP needs to be pushed, driven to set up the team to attack - it's carrot and stick time!

[bomberbrown1968]

What does worry me is that attacking instincts seem to be put on the back burners with TP, Nacer Chadli arrived at the baggies and looked a snip at £13M, admittedly injury halted his charge but where's that player gone now, stuck out on the wing with duties to track back whenever the opposition has the ball.

That's all very well but when the opposition have around 70% possession in most matches, home & away that's a lot of tracking back and what it does is diminishes any attacking threat he carries, he's not a winger, not a wing back and not a full back, he's a creative attacking midfielder but that seems to have been strangled out of him and it's hard to see it coming back with our tactics and formation.

We all drool over these fast exciting attacking players that we'd love to see down the Albion, but the truth is would they want to come to our set up and if they did would they be allowed to play their natural game, I've got my doubts.

I'd not call for TP's head just yet but if the season starts badly after a busy transfer window where we see better/younger players coming in but with no change in formation or tactics then I'd love to see McInnes down here who I still have a hunch has unfinished business with us

[aries22]

I'm bovvered as well, I don't like to read newspaper reports and other clubs' fans panning us for not trying harder to play positive attacking football. It's not like we haven't got the money to buy players, but what we do have is a manager whose whole approach to football in away games this season has been to frustrate the opposition rather than go out and win. Like Beefy and a few others on here, I've defended Pulis from the word go. I even shouted out for his recruitment, and Alan Irvine's sacking, when he left Crystal Palace. But his approach to football games is doing for me. Josh has nailed it with his summary of the last twelve games - one win, two draws and nine defeats. That is a pathetic record. Even a draw today would have got us 8th place. But we would have barely deserved that. The players have got to shoulder some of the blame, for all the missed chances in front of goal in particular, but ultimately TP is responsible. And quite simply it's just not good enough.

[drewks]

Dear Mr Pulis
Teams don't need just good work rate; they also need pace and skill.

Regards

A lifetime Baggies fan

[Dingle-Dingle]

Yes I`m ¬Effin bothered. I read about a £40Million war chest. But after TP spends £16M buying a diamond encrusted zimmer frame for John Terry, Where will we find a half decent centre back who wont cross the halfway line for the other £24 M, never mind an attacking player who might actually score goals.

DD is PISSED off. DD

[brokenmanrepaired]

If there is real money to back the manager then West Brom does become a very attractive package for a potential new manager. But where is it said that is the case?

I have read that there will be a gradual investment in the squad and fans should not expect huge spending
I read that TP is flying there to ask for a £40m war chest. That's good but not overly rich considering how much Newcastle and Reading/Huddersfield will have to spend after promotion.

I'f I was the owner I'd give TP the £40m as he has been recognised by his peers and those in the know to have over achieved given resources.  It deserve recognition, appreciation and reward.

But I'd tell him that I wanted to see positive, attacking football and I'd give him a top half league position target for the end of December in order to trigger an automatic one year extension to his contract with the club.

It seems TP needs to be pushed, driven to set up the team to attack - it's carrot and stick time!

---

I enjoyed Stairs and Bombers posts
We finished 10th.... a position we all would have been delighted with at the start of the season. We are punching well above our weight and the 8th position we occupied for a time was, if we are honest, well beyond our capability. This is as good as it will ever get, and I am not completely comfortable with it.
The premier league is truly horrible, the obscene wealth of the top six clubs means they have a monopoly a modest club like Albion can never emulate.
Even if these six clubs pissed off to a European super league we would have finished 5th in the remaining English league. Would that have qualified us for Europe? Who knows who cares?
I remain ambivalent about Tony Pulis. He has kept us in the premiership but at what cost? I will admit I would not want to be relegated and enjoy the superiority I can feel against the dingles seals and bluenoses so can forgive him much of his excesses. I always enjoyed the popularity we enjoyed amongst the supporters of other clubs for many years.
In particular I felt incredibly proud that the Newcastle fans voted us as their favourite supporters a few years ago. I travel a lot around the country (and the world) on business and I do not enjoy the antagonism I now get because of the negativity of our Pulis induced style of play. This is the first time In 50 years of being a baggie supporter I have ever experienced any disapproval of my beloved team amongst neutrals and it is most upsetting.
I really don’t know what to think at the moment I need a counsellor or baggie Vicar to offer confession.
I feel Pulis has earned another season if only because no other successful manager will join such an unambitious club as we are. However if we don’t see a few exciting signings or a hint of positive attacking football by Christmas I think Pulis should be given his P45

[Slick_Footwork]

I think the fact we are disliked by neutrals is a myth.

I work around the country and most fans of other sides say they've seen us 'play some decent stuff' and are shocked when they hear our fans calling for Pulis' head on talksport.

I also think it's a myth that our football is the worst in the league. While I agree, it is very negative, is it really any worse than any of these?

Middlesborough
Sunderland
Burnley
Watford
West Ham
Palace
Stoke

I don't think so...

IMO Stoke haven't come on at all since Pulis left - despite Hughes spending millions on creative players like Shaquiri, Bojan et al. IMO they're just as boring as ever.

I detest watching all of the sides of TV...

Southampton play a lot of tippy tappy possession, but they've even scored less than us this season!

The fact is, negative football is a 'norm' in the modern game. Especially in England.

Playing backs to the wall stuff is pretty much the norm for anyone outside of the top 6. In fact, I've seen Mourinho dish up our style numerous times over the past 10 years even with the best clubs! Did anyone watch Man Utd play City a couple of weeks ago? Mourinho set up for a 0-0 - managing a side with the most expensive player in the world!

Let's not even get into him 'parking the bus' against Liverpool a couple of years back...

Get used to it. If Pulis goes, we'll play negative stuff again... Even if we hire a foreign coach, young Brit or whoever else...

Why? Because the Premier League is money driven and negative.

Marco Silva is the exception to the norm with sides at the bottom, he tried to play possession based stuff, but his Hull side just lost 7-1 to Spurs at home... Hell, that result could cost him his next job. Is it any wonder managers are 'scared' to play expansive in this league?

Since Mowbray, Pepe Mel is the only manager who has tried to play football IMO.

Mel tried to play high pressure stuff and the players revolted. They preferred us sitting back like we did under Uncle Roy...

Di Matteo was negative as they come and got promoted by default with Mowbray's team. Irvine's football was absolutely dyer even in comparison to Pulis' - but his self proclamation that he was a 'football purist' seemed to make him immune of criticism for the dyer football.

Hodgson and Clarke were similar to Pulis, but had better personnel in Odem and Lukaku. Rondon is a willing runner, but doesn't have anywhere near the ability to create something out of nothing that these guys had. We're often impotent on the break because Rondon either can't trap a ball or pass it to someone in the same colour shirt...

Pulis gets more stick from West Brom and Stoke fans because of the stigma, but I don't think other clubs fans dislike us.

I personally dislike Pulis' style of play and wish some of our players could actually pass the ball!

But this is the nature of English football. With the exception of the top 5 or 6, nobody plays against decent. There's a plethora of foreign managers serving up the same negative dross too!

Until there's less money involved, we're not going to see good football in England regardless who manages. Managers set up their team with a 'rather not lose' attitude because of fear. The Tony Mowbray style is the exception to the norm and look where that got us... The plus side of Pulis is, at least we'll be watching the best players next season rather than Millwall, Burton Albion et al - like the Sunderland and Boro fans will - despite playing terrible football too.