[SpenB]

Hi all,
 
I have not posted much on here as I don't believe I have the knowledge to post comments (with, along or even to disagree with you all) because I have been living up in Scotland for the last 10 years and all I manage to do is see games on Sky and gather much information form this site.
 
My 13 year old daughter is an avid WBA fan. Wears all the tops etc. and gets much abuse for this at school etc - crap team etc, english b*t*h on many an occasion too.
 
As the kids were on half term we planned in advance and to come down for this game.
How wonderful it was to find out that her first game would be ASTLE DAY – WOW.
She was over the moon and surely we could get a win against lowly Leicester to complete the day.
 
So I booked a day off and we travelled down on the Friday. Came to the game – WOW again.
What a brill day everyone made us happy, the atmosphere, the fans etc.
 
We even scored first to take the lead – well we all know what happened after that.
 
Disheartened fans leaving early, hurling abuse etc.  What a first game introduction.
 
So we went to a match – does that mean I feel I can post confidently? I don’t know – I will let you lot be the judge of that?
 
Well, I’m going to anyway:
ASTLE DAY – the players 120% pumped up for this one – give the KING a great day.
How disappointed can a person be? We must of passed to Leicester players more that we passed to ours. Saido was never going to score as he spent most of the time in our half chasing the ball, good job really as we were struggling to cut it out. Brown well, what can I say, for a big bloke he can’t be very strong cus he couldn’t use his size to get through – mind the same could be said for big Vic. These 2 should be forcing their way through with the ball or even just into space.
Fed up now just re-living it.
 
Listened to WM on way back – So TP is to blame is the unanimous vote. I’m not here to say yes or no to that, but what I will say is. Whether a manager (any manager) plays the wrong tactics or not. There are 10 players (the goalie can’t do very much about it) who can at least give their all and try. No manager is going to survive if the players on the field can’t be bothered.
What I saw on this massive big WBA occasion was exactly that – players that couldn’t be bothered.
I believe my 8 year old lad could have (not played better – I’m not that stupid) even with his type 1 diabetes, tried harder and gave his all for the cause. Even when he’s at the side line when we have had to sub him because he’s having a hypo and we are treating him, testing him, injecting him all he want to do is get back on the pitch.
Rightly or Wrongly it’s the players that are representing the manager in their job – If you do something wrong at work – lazy / mistakes. It’s YOU that gets a ticking off – NOT the manager
 
Well, If you still reading this well done and thanks for lasting through my rant / comments lol.
I hope I haven’t upset anyone with what I have written and you still allow me to be a member of this wonderful forum.
 
And after all that it’s still my team and my daughter still loves WBA and we will continue 100% supporting from afar.
 
Even better she loved it that much she wants to come down again – another 530 mile round trip!

Thanks Spen

[Onetruebaggie]

Hi Spen,

Welcome to the world that is the Albion!! They have an ability to lift you with one hand and pull your pants down and smack you with the other!!! Like you I felt for sure Astle day, the supporters, the weather the atmosphere and the occasion would be enough, unfortunately the players forgot their lines and the rest is history as they say.

The fact your daughter wants to do a god almighty round trip is testimony to this club biting you and not letting go, that's football unfortunately, welcome to the forum, you are more than welcome. A nice frank, eloquent observation and feelings on what was a bitterly disappointing day/outcome.

Regards OTB.

COYB

[Dingle-Dingle]

Great post. DD

[talkSAFT]

Give that daughter a big kiss from us all. She'll regret being a Baggie, like we all have.........but we all come back for more punishment!

Great post, Spen. Keep posting. (I only manage 3-4 home games a year since I moved to Cornwall, but that doesn't stop me talking saft on here!)

[bomberbrown1968]

Top post Spen and whether you go to games or not being a Baggies fan gives you as much right as anyone to comment and your spot on with everything you say IMO.

I only get to 4 or 5 games a season now, and dare I say it, apart from the atmosphere, you see more on Sky and online streaming with all the replays and analysis than you do being there.

My 11 and 14 year old daughters are Baggies fans too, not as passionate as I've always been but fans all the same so hats off to your girl too.

[WillieJohnstonsGreenhouse]

Shut up Spen, you sound like a quiche

Say what you like mate - these lot know less than Pulis's image consultants.  

Well done for making the game - just so sad THEY ruined your day.    

Never be scared to voice your opinion. You have enough knowledge and obviously more than enough stupidity to support Albion

Speak up - makes the place interesting  

[silverbaggie]

Well done Spen.!
I just wish that one of my offspring or Grandkids was keen to support the Baggies.

I too can't get to games now. It's a problem with walking any sort of distance rather than living 200/300 miles away as you do.

You are never going to get 'blackballed' on here for expressing an opinion (unless you're name is Firey) so keep posting whenever you want and, yes you can get a better impression of what's going on from watching the telly.

The main disadvantage is not savouring the atmosphere as there's nothing quite like actually being there.

One of my last games was at Swansea (I lived there at the time), the one were Ish Miller scored late on and we won 2-0. Being in the away end that day with several hundred Baggies fans took me back to my younger days in the Brummie Road end.

Oh what an atmosphere!
Oh what fans!
Oh what joy to feel part of it again!

Give your daughter a big hug from me too but prepare her for all the disappointments she's going to experience in the years to come.
It's all part of being a Baggie.

[SpenB]

A very big thanks for the kind words.

Your right - what a communitiy we have here.

Now... I am still out on the descision of TP, so...

TP's job criteria would have been survival - that does not mean win every game by playing atractive "THE BAGGIES WAY" football but staying up. Therefore we have to decide if 1 point was better that losing 3?
Up untill the Ville games I would have agreed the job was getting done. the deffence looked good. but it fell apart from a great height.

A couple of points that were brought up on WM where that the team thought they were safe (via media and fans etc) and have sat back and got complacent. I even heard TP saying this in the post match interview. What's all that about? I'm nearly finished the job i'm doing so i'll just go up the canteen and get a tea and read the paper - Yeah right! like i'll still be in a job tonight.
Secondly, it was said that TP had anounced a few weeks back that during the summer there will be major rebuilding as the present crop were no good - How bad is that? What a confidence knock OR... is it a kick up the bum? I know if that was me i'd be going out my way to prove him wrong and then if I still went the boss would look a laughing stock.

Rightly or wongly, I think you can only judge a manager on his own crop of players.
But at the start of the season we were all saying this was the best collective of players we had assembled for a very long time.
Surely a good manager can work with any player? Yes/No??
Might not win games but the fans should see a good improvement and at least 100% effort.

Could there be a point of the old guard getting their backs up again?

[drewks]

Could there be a point of the old guard getting their backs up again?

Some good questions raised in your full post there mate; if any of us knew all the answers I guess WE'D be negotiating with JP in the following weeks! 
Just the above question first tho - IMO Mozza was the best outfield player by a mile; put in a good shift and also made the only runs we had into space and with the ball. Brunty too - although he's no full back it's TP who choses to play him there; yeah he was found out several times by players running at him but I, for 1, wouldn't fault his effort.

Square pegs in round holes. Not an ounce of pace throughout the back 4 (5 with Olly joining in!) and very little confidence and NO guile in midfield.....crying out for Sess and/or Mac after 45 mins to provide that - but no.

I seriously hope TP will be man enough to look at the evidence and admit that he lined us up all wrong for this game, and continued in the same vein with his substitutions. If he doesn't, I fear that we will finish on 33 points and that we will be caught.

Keep posting Spen....oh, and get help for your daughter! 

[Worldclassalbion]

Spen a massive WELL DONE. Firstly for making that huge journey and for keeping the Albion in your family with your daughter being a fan! Brilliant mate. I moan about my trip but Jesus its nowhere near yours!

I was absolutely disgusted after that 45 minutes and i was raging but i didn't Boo, in fact i felt like crying!

I honestly don't know what the answer is as I can't see us getting another point this season.

Hope we stay up and next time you make thd trip the team win for us all especially your daughter.
PS we may be cack at the minute but we'd still beat 99% of the teams in Scotland. Tell your daughter to pass that on to her mates. This is the EPL the best league in the world.