[Slick_Footwork]

For anyone saying bring in Bis Sam Alladyce it’s a big no from me we are now trying to play football the Albion way, bringing in Alladyce would be like going back to the Pulis era. No I still think Bilic is the right man but if it does go T***s up then we have to look at a young manager Paul Cook springs to mind. We cannot go backwards after the Pulis Pardew sagas.

I'm probably the only person who has said Allardyce, I think he's too 'unfashionable' for most.

But for me, he's by far the stand out candidate. Can't think of him doing a bad job anywhere. Knows how to keep a team up. Knows the league.

I don't think any of us want to go back to the Pulis era, but the way we're headed right now is back to the Bobby Gould era... We are in freefall...

I can't see how Allardye could possibly take us backwards to be honest. Right now we are absolutely dreadful.

We have 3 points from 7 games... Less than 1 goal per game scored... Never looked like scoring against Burnley, Southampton, Fulham. We could've played all night and not scored.

This is not good football. It's embarrassing to watch.

Bilic has accumulated the least endearing West Brom team in my lifetime. I see almost the entire playing staff as a bunch of soft primadonnas who don't care.

Walking around, not breaking a sweat, not trying...

The football is drab. We are a soft touch. At the current ratio we will end the season with 16-18 points and haven't yet played City, Liverpool or United. Then there are our local rivals who will be rubbing their hands together at the thought of playing a soft Bilic team. Imagine Grealish tearing through our none existent midfield. Hell, we made Anguissa at Fulham look like Lionel Messi.

Cook did a decent job at Wigan, but their success was based on being hard to play against so not dissimilar to Allardyce. So unsure why you think he would be more favourable. He could be a good choice, but IMO he would represent a bigger gamble than Allardyce who knows the league and could hit the ground running. Allardyce good man manager so would get the best of some of our egos.

Bilic has managed the lads poorly. Calling Gibbs stupid publically. Said last season publically that the players were 'not men'. Is it any wonder they don't want to play for him?

These egos need to be massaged, not insulted. Big Sam knows that, he's managed at the top level with bigger egos than we have. His players always give him their all.

I'd have him on a short term deal to keep us up and then look to replace come what may at the end of the season. The big mistake with Pulis wasn't taking him on, it was keeping him long term.

[hibeejim21]

Is Bilic definitely going ?

[Slick_Footwork]

Is Bilic definitely going ?

I think he probably has Sunday's game against Tottenham to save his job.

He's an endearing character, so my heart is hopeful he can turn it around. However, my head says it's impossible as he's not a manager who is able to perform when the going gets rough. We saw that at the tail end of the season when we stumbled over the line to promotion, losing a huge lead over Brentford only for Brentford to screw it up when promotion was in their hands.

The position has looked untenable since the Hegazi sale, which he didn't sanction and was publically critical about.

You can see it from both sides... Hegazi was one of our better defenders so should've been kept. BUT at the same time, Bilic rarely picked him, so you can understand the board cashing in.

He's very emotional and that is his big shortcoming IMO. He often makes public criticisms of the players, the board etc. His emotional selections almost cost us promotion last season. Seems to lack the ability to step back and reassess with a cool head.

So no, he's not definitely going. But it seems inevitable atm.

Still hopeful we suddenly start playing well again... but it's getting on for 12 months since we've been good.

[hibeejim21]

Shame. I quite like Bilic and I thought he did a decent job at West Ham.

[wba13]

Sorry still cannot have a man who threw away his England career for being stupid and has criticised the Albion before. We need youth and exuberance not someone who’s Been out of the game for a while. For me the Pulis, Pardew, Alladyce and even Sean Dyche type of management is now a no from me to dull and defensive. Don’t get me wrong if it were to be a manager of this ilk I would still go as I am a die hard fan, but would much rather stay with the model we have started with Bilic and a younger more attacking stile like I was bought up on during the 60’s and 70’s. Love these different opinions that’s what makes forums special .

[drewks]

Sorry still cannot have a man who threw away his England career for being stupid and has criticised the Albion before. We need youth and exuberance not someone who’s Been out of the game for a while. For me the Pulis, Pardew, Alladyce  and even Sean Dyche type of management is now a no from me to dull and defensive. Don’t get me wrong if it were to be a manager of this ilk I would still go as I am a die hard fan, but would much rather stay with the model we have started with Bilic and a younger more attacking stile like I was bought up on during the 60’s and 70’s. Love these different opinions that’s what makes forums special .

Agree 13....but Slick, your post a few up is a good 'un and says a few home truths about SB, I have to admit.
BUT.... if our present players just showed passion, commitment and desire, I'd be OK with SB AND relegation; I still believe in playing football the right way and I think that SB is a great fit in this regard.
You're also bang on, 13, when you say about different opinions - great to be able to read others to your own, made in a considered and non abusive way.
Rock on, Sportsbabble!!

[Slick_Footwork]

Sorry still cannot have a man who threw away his England career for being stupid and has criticised the Albion before. We need youth and exuberance not someone who’s Been out of the game for a while. For me the Pulis, Pardew, Alladyce  and even Sean Dyche type of management is now a no from me to dull and defensive. Don’t get me wrong if it were to be a manager of this ilk I would still go as I am a die hard fan, but would much rather stay with the model we have started with Bilic and a younger more attacking stile like I was bought up on during the 60’s and 70’s. Love these different opinions that’s what makes forums special .

Don't get me wrong, Allardyce's actions were wrong in the England role. But did he really do anything any other manager wouldn't do? Or is it just that others haven't been caught? The game is probably awash with corruption. I'm not endeared to many managers or players at the moment, so I'm really just concerned with us employing someone who might keep us up.

Not too sure about his criticism of us. It's not something I remember and his time as a player was before my time. But in the interviews I've seen linking him with us in the past, he's been very keen to manage us.

Regarding style of play, I love the idea of good attacking football. I've been to watch Barca and Bayern live, just because of the football. I consider myself a purist. That said, I do not feel this side we have are exciting to watch at all at this level. The players who were good in the Championship are failing to impose themselves on games. Being honest, I'd say the tripe we served up against Southampton and Fulham was as bad as anything served up in the Pulis era. Probably worse, when you consider we don't even have a threat from set plays.

And I think it's because you have to earn the right to play at this level. We don't do that.

For every Pereira, you need someone who can actually win the ball and feed him. The best side we had in my lifetime was probably Steve Clarke's side and that was based on Yacob and Mulumbu in the centre of the pitch. With Yacob sitting and Mulumbu winning the ball, you had a platform for ball players around them. Our squad is so unbalanced towards creative players, that I think we almost need a 'negative' manager to come in and balance up the side. The thing is, I think our football would be better with a couple of ball winners as it would result in the likes of Periera having more opportunity to play.

Don't get me wrong, I would prefer a 'footballing' manager to come in and keep us up if that was possible. But I'm just not sure it is possible with this squad. I think we've got ourselves in a mess and we need someone to come in and organise these lot so teams can't continue to cut through us like a hot knife through butter. I also feel we have a few egos in the ranks, who need a good man manager to get the best out of them. Big Sam is the only name available who has a track record of doing that.

I don't believe in 'projects' in football, because if any manager or player does well, they simply leave. So get Big Sam in for the season then get shot if he keeps us up and get a 'footballing' manager in. That's what I'd do, as someone who also likes attacking football. I'd try to organise first and build attacking football on top of that.

[Salopbaggie]

You even get 6 month to show you can be a decent police officer, we are 7 games in, its a brand new league played under circumstances that could not be imagined 12 months ago. There are some people who would have sacked Bilic after game 3, but lets look at him, for much of last season many were calling him a tactical genius, he style of play was 'the Albion way'. We have to remember this was a two year project and SB did it in one, so I would think SB had expectations of where the team would be then, rather than now and it is not like he has been supported overly in the transfer market. How would some on here get on in their profession if they could only have 2/3rds of the tools they need to do it?

[Slick_Footwork]

Sorry still cannot have a man who threw away his England career for being stupid and has criticised the Albion before. We need youth and exuberance not someone who’s Been out of the game for a while. For me the Pulis, Pardew, Alladyce  and even Sean Dyche type of management is now a no from me to dull and defensive. Don’t get me wrong if it were to be a manager of this ilk I would still go as I am a die hard fan, but would much rather stay with the model we have started with Bilic and a younger more attacking stile like I was bought up on during the 60’s and 70’s. Love these different opinions that’s what makes forums special .

Agree 13....but Slick, your post a few up is a good 'un and says a few home truths about SB, I have to admit.
BUT.... if our present players just showed passion, commitment and desire, I'd be OK with SB AND relegation; I still believe in playing football the right way and I think that SB is a great fit in this regard.
You're also bang on, 13, when you say about different opinions - great to be able to read others to your own, made in a considered and non abusive way.
Rock on, Sportsbabble!!        

I think you fall in line with the vast majority of fans there, all we want is commitment.

We can handle getting beat by better sides, but they should have to work for it.

And that's what's really frustrating about this side. Yes, there are some talented footballers there, but none of them seem bothered at all. Barely break sweat, show no urgency, get beat to every 50/50. It's got to the point where I'd rather watch a Sean Flynn than a Pereria or Diagana. Just got this real worry that if we don't change our philosophy soon, we could be on the end of a real hiding when we play City or Pool. From what I can see, we don't have the ability to outplay anyone at this level so the persistence with all these flair players in pointless.

---

You even get 6 month to show you can be a decent police officer, we are 7 games in, its a brand new league played under circumstances that could not be imagined 12 months ago.  There are some people  who would have sacked Bilic after game 3, but lets look at him, for much of last season many were calling him a tactical genius, he style of play was 'the Albion way'.  We have to remember this was a two year project and SB did it in one, so I would think SB had expectations of where the team would be then, rather than now and it is not like he has been supported overly in the transfer market.  How would some on here get on in their profession if they could only have 2/3rds of the tools they need to do it?

I think you make some fair points and to be honest, you're right, it's not only Slav's fault. He hasn't been backed and clearly he didn't want the likes of Kipre.

That said he still wanted the likes of Krovi who wasn't even a nailed on starter last season. In the professional game, he shouldn't want players just because they are his mates.

In addition, the rot set in long before promotion. So while we can look at this season and say it's only 7 games. For me we have to look at the end of last season too.

As a manager in these trying times, you have to work with the tools you are given and is while Bilic hasn't been well backed, is he selecting the best team with the players we have at our disposal? I mean it's all about opinions, but I don't think he is. Can't for the life of me understand why Robbo has been dropped when he was our best performer early on. Don't know why Kipre hasn't been given a chance and Ajayi moved into midfield to protect the defence. No idea why Furlong has got back in the side when he was dropped in the Championship.

Some of his decisions are difficult to understand and his failure to recognise we needed a couple of enforcers in the summer - rather than the likes of Krovi - is inexcusable.

[Beefy 1965]

Lee Bowyer