[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Albion observe a minute's silence for the late WG Richardson before playing Manchester City, 31st March 1959

The start of the season's crept up on me a little, so just a quick thread for Monday night's match.  We've had a pretty typical pre-season with a fair bit of frustration, but (eventually) a steady trickle of new faces.  Hopefully, the latest of these - Venezuelan forward Salomon Rondon - will be presented to the crowd on Monday, but in the meantime, we're looking at an equally promising partnership up front between Saido and Rickie Lambert.  Furthermore, with a "Macca" on each wing now, there's a possibility Ideye might get another chance to prove himself, this time with proper service.  And that's before you even factor in the potential of young loanee Serge Gnabry.  It's difficult to believe we're the same team who resorted to sticking Jonas Olsson up front just a few months ago.  Without getting carried away, I hope we've got enough up our sleeve to spring a few surprises in the coming weeks over sides who've become used to the slow, ponderous Albion of recent seasons.

Former Albion favourite Asa Hartford returns to the Hawthorns with Man City, 2nd April 1983

I haven't paid Man City's summer business a whole lot of attention; I just work on the assumption that they've spent tens of millions of pounds on some new prodigy whose name ends with the letter O, and is about three years old.  This new player - we'll call him Toddlerinho - can probably run faster than Saido drives, and is more than likely an expert at finding the top corner from fifty yards out while ten opponents are closing him down, so we'll have to mark him right out of the game.  If we manage that, we'll only have to contend with seven laughable penalty decisions and having Gareth McAuley sent off because he's been mistaken for Victor Anichebe.  And of course, should the game be disrupted by a stray tornado while Manchester City have the lead, we can be sure the referee will bravely refuse to abandon the fixture, no matter how many spectators are now airborne or how many of our players have been crushed by an errant garden shed.  Ain't it great to have the Premier League back in town?

Neil Clement is the hero as Albion demolish eventual division champions Man City 4-0, 8th September 2001

But of course, I nurse the ray of hope that in a reasonably fair game of football, with City still on their holidays, we'll be able to clinch a win which would give us a real boost going into equally tricky fixtures at Watford and against Chelsea.  It's a long season ahead, but there's nothing like a summer night for indulging in a few fevered dreams.

COME ON YOU BAGGIES

[WBA-Josh]

I think the team will be:

GK - MYHILL

RB - CHESTER
CB - DAWSON
CB - LESCOTT
LB - BRUNT

RM - MORRISON
CM - YACOB
CM - FLETCHER
LM - MCLEAN

ST - LAMBERT
ST - BERAHINO

Subs
Rose
McAuley
Olsson
Gardner
McManaman
Ideye
Anichebe

Typical Pulis 4-4-2 but with Morrison instead of McManaman on the right side of midfield to offer more defensive cover. Man City will dominate possession and we will have to defend very compactly to restrict the amount of space that they will have in the centre of the pitch because that is where the majority of their attacks go through. Our counter-attacking will have to be on point to cause them defensive issues. 

A draw will be a good result. Anything more will be perfection. 

[silverbaggie]

If we manage that, we'll only have to contend with seven laughable penalty decisions and having Gareth McAuley sent off because he's been mistaken for Victor Anichebe.
Hahaha

I like it Ska'd does that mean you expect Gareth to get injured and start limping?

I don't expect big Vic to get on the pitch without injuring himself.

[drewks]

Ska'd, you should be writing comedy scripts for some moderately funny bloke - that is a brilliant start to the match threads

[betterthanbaird]

I've seen mixed messages about possible injuries to defenders, so it's hard to guess an exact team. Brunt Left-back, Chester and Dawson will both probably start, I'm not sure which will be where tho. Hopefully Olsson won't start unless it's necessary. Yacob Fletcher centre mid, Mclean and McMan on the wings but I wouldn't mind if Morrison plays instead of one. Berahino off Lambert, I'm not sure how fully match fit Lambert is because he's had some pre season with Liverpool but he didn't play loads and then he had a game for us. If he isn't ready to start then put Morrison off Berahino.

Gnabry isn't available for this game cos we signed him too late but we still have plenty of pace to counter City (it's nice to be able to say that). I think we have a chance of taking something and it's far from a foregone conclusion but I wouldn't be rushing to put money on us given our recent record against City.

Hopefully we'll be able to emulate this performance https://youtu.be/FYpYdMKZpo0

Also I'm sure some of you noticed today on the opening titles of MOTD they showed Laurie Cunnigham's albion sticker and a clip of the Cyrille Regis goal of the season against Norwich. We're massive.

[Dingle-Dingle]

Never mind 1-0........ lets have a repeat of this.....

West Bromwich Albion 4 Manchester City FC 0.

https://video-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo...e=55C6AB19

DD 

[talkSAFT]

I've missed your Match Previews, Ska'd.

Now, who can name the 1959 players on Page 1? (Wonder if the mascot's a ST-Holder)

[aries22]

Ska'd, great pic of the Albion team from 1959. Can you or anyone name the players, please, from left to right??
I can only name with certainty Ray Potter (and I'm not even sure that's him) Don Howe and Ronnie Allen.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

I'll start things off with the obvious ones: Don Howe third from left, Derek Kevan sixth from left.

[aries22]

I've missed your Match Previews, Ska'd.

Now, who can name the 1959 players on Page 1? (Wonder if the mascot's a ST-Holder)

Great match preview as ever, Ska'd - thank you, and thank you for the pic, too.
I can only name Ray Potter (GK) (and I'm not 100% sure it's him) Don Howe and Ronnie Allen.