[Slick_Footwork]

I think negative football is just the current era of the Premier League. A lot of people say the Premier League is the most exciting league in the world, but IMO that's just a myth based on the fact that the Premier League was exciting 10 years ago and has been well marketed since.

Pulis has a stigma attached to him that he's a defensive coach, but IMO he's one of many. I'm one of these sad guys that watches every televised match and almost every match is extremely boring in the Premier League this season. It's not just the bottom teams either; Man Utd went to Liverpool with the same philosophy that we did, they were just a bit better at it.

Burnley, Boro, Watford and Sunderland all have a very similar approach to us. Even Leicester's approach is very much like ours, they just have that bit more quality so when they do break, it often results in an opportunity rather than passing the ball out to touch.

Then you've got sides like Bournemouth and to a lesser extent Southampton, who keep the ball but do very little with it in terms of creating chances. Their end game is very similar to ours, struggle the life out of teams and perhaps win it by a set play. They just struggle the life out of teams by passing around at the back rather than soaking up the pressure. I watched Southampton beat Burnley last week, but for all their tip tap possession, their goals came from set plays.

Then you've got Stoke who I keep reading are much more exciting under Hughes, yet whenever I watch them, including against us, it's like pulling teeth. It's like the media just regurgitate the same crap about how exciting they are - but really, are they?

If Pulis does go, I wouldn't necessarily expect us to be anymore exciting. We're one of many boring teams in a boring league where managers are crippled by the fear of playing too openly. Plus our squad is full of players who frankly, aren't very good footballers. Klopp and Guardiola are refreshing because they actually try and play football properly, but even the majority of foreign coaches seem to have to be 'pragmatic' when they come into the Premier League.

[drewks]

Great post there, Slick, and one that I definitely agree with from the limited football I watch - and THAT'S because I find it generally boring!
IMO it's the huge amounts of money that's the problem. Managers just have to mostly play it safe cos 3 or so consecutive defeats means that their job is on the line.
I'm no fan of tippy tappy possession stuff either - bores me rigid. For all his faults Ronaldo was (is) a great player to watch - one of the few that will try and beat a defender by running with the ball at his feet,  rather than out manoeuvre players in tippy tappy chess style.
Seems it's all about work rate these days, which is sad, but I agree that TP ain't alone here.

[4evaabaggie]

I do get the negativity surrounding OUR negativity, I really do.......but we mustn't lose sight of the fact  that we've just played the 2 in-form teams in succession. 1-1 and 1-2 aren't that bad in that context. I think a more cavalier approach to these games would've been suicidal.
Before I'm shot down, I do share the frustration that surrounds TP's tactics, and also wish that we WOULD take the game to the opposition generally; however, I think we must recognise that the days of managers taking too many chances are over in this 'sack the coach after 3 defeats' era.
A bit more entertainment WOULD be good tho,  eh?  

Drewks, I totally agree, the results were good my only gripe and I mean only gripe is the lack of entertainment (performance) as much as I love the Albion 38 0-0 draws will keep you up most years but who would watch it.

[Zinman]

I had a season ticket for 30 years until this summer. I still own shares in the club and I've travelled to such delights as Hartlepool, Darlington, Halifax and Torquay to watch the team I love. Yesterday I chose to walk my dogs rather than watch the match on the Liverpool Show (aka BT Sport).

The sad thing is.....I made the right choice.

Thanks, Tony.

[talkSAFT]

Don't understand how anyone can run tiki-taka down. Barcelona are beautiful to watch, and yet some prefer 1950s boot-it-upfield football.
Give me Tony Mowbray's relegated team anyday over Pulis' work-hard any-draw's-a-good-point-home-or-away shite.
Yes. I'd rather get relegated if that's what it takes. What's so fecking special about the Prem, when we get bored to death, and everyone else hates us as they STILL do Stoke.

[drewks]

Don't understand how anyone can run tiki-taka down. Barcelona are beautiful to watch, and yet some prefer 1950s boot-it-upfield football.
Give me Tony Mowbray's relegated team anyday over Pulis' work-hard any-draw's-a-good-point-home-or-away shite.
Yes. I'd rather get relegated if that's what it takes. What's so fecking special about the Prem, when we get bored to death, and everyone else hates us as they STILL do Stoke.

talkSAFT, personally I'm not saying I prefer the 'boot-it-upfield' approach at all - just that the tippy tappy stuff generally nearly always means lots of possession but with defenders & midfielders constantly passing square and back to KEEP possession in the parts of the pitch where possession means zilch. Barcelona are an exception in that they DO try to get forward!

Pretty relegation or boring PL survival? Difficult question to answer - I think I'd rather us survive by the skin or our teeth on the last day and play in an adventurous way than be like we are at the moment....but relegation? Pass!

[4evaabaggie]

Drewks, again I agree with most of your post, I do not want park the bus, I do not want Birmingham airport to have to redirect flights to avoid high balls, I do not want kick and chase and I do not want tippy tippy sideways back ways anyway but forwards possession football. whatt I want is passing attacking overlapping football, a team that can pass to players in the same colour shirt, a team that can mix it up playing aspects of all of the above, be unpredictable but most of all entertaining and trying to win and not by the odd goal in one.

Is it to much to ask ........ as much as I would love that not at the cost of relegation ...... I hate everything premier league but you can not change it from the outside ........ 1970's football on a level playing field.

[BaggieSteve]

It's really interesting to read everyone's views on our style of football and I guess it's getting that balance between success/results/survival and a desire to see entertaining, attractive football. Personally, I want the best of both worlds; I hate seeing my team relegated but I also hate seeing my team play the negative football designed to prevent such a relegation. I also honestly don't believe it has to be one or the other, I think both are achievable. I loved watching Atkinson' team of the late '70's and I equally enjoyed Mowbray's championship team but I also recognise we can't turn the clock back and that football has moved on dramatically since both of those teams. But I can't accept that we need to play this sterile brand of football to, in effect, stand still because we sure ain't progressing. We are being asked to accept 30% possession football at home (I can almost buy that in away games) with few shots on target, little creativity or movement but that's OK because "the lads put in a shift". Tony, please offer us some crumbs of footballing comfort.

[BBB]

Not sure about relegation TalkSaft, however I would prefer the closeness of the teams to each other in skill, goals and points.

Though this year a few points could get us from 13th to 8th position, so again its gonna be tight when it comes to league places - or relegation.

As for the way we play - though we are capable with the forwards we have to score goals, its obvious the defence tactic of tiring the opposition out until the 65th or so minutes and then attack has worked on occasions - though a boring tactic.

LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAYERS THINK IS BEST

[talkSAFT]

"LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAYERS THINK IS BEST"
---------------------------------------------------------------
I'll bet that 37 y-o GaryMac and 33 y-o Olssen are wishing they didn't have to work so bloody hard!! Not to mention the other players in out back 10.

I'm not unambitious for the Albion, but when 1/2 our fans say (in August):-
"let's hang on this season, and we'll see what next season brings. Tony will make sure we're in the top 17"
- I despair, and I honestly would prefer to go down fighting (not just in our final 1/3 of the pitch), then have a good crack at getting out of the Championship with a smile on our faces.

Those who say "Wolves and Villa are envious" are not saying it now. Even they pity us.