MaVilla Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 45 minutes ago, Keyblade said: This is why I can't wait for the summer. Our team is gonna be sweet next season regardless of which league we're in. If we are in the championship next season there is no guarantee we will still have Mings, Tuanzebe, El Ghazi and Abraham, they would be a big loss and difficult to replace. We will jist have to hopes smith can unearth some gems if they aren't with us next season if we are still in the championship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TRO Posted May 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 12, 2019 If the scoreline was more in our favour....it could paradoxically work against us. Its close, and that is good.....it provides the impetus for us to go for it. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 20 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said: This is what really pisses me off about some fans. It’s a squad game and you pick what you think is the best team. Yes in hindsight it may have been the wrong choice and he should have changed it sooner but to label the selection of one player over another as a ‘big mistake’ is just way over the top and bordering ridiculous. It’s clear you are never going to be happy with Smith and it’s becoming really tiring to read. Just get behind the manager for a least two more games FFS. He is allowed his say, surely.....but where I agree with you is, all managers are equally allowed to make a mistake, if it was one?.....not sure Whelan was a mistake ,he has been playing well, but his substitution worked.....It might not work in every game, but it worked yesterday. The manager needs to be left alone to do his thing.....there is no perfect manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 14 minutes ago, MaVilla said: If we are in the championship next season there is no guarantee we will still have Mings, Tuanzebe, El Ghazi and Abraham, they would be a big loss and difficult to replace. We will jist have to hopes smith can unearth some gems if they aren't with us next season if we are still in the championship. Norwich made an incredible fix........its not impossible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 49 minutes ago, TRO said: If the scoreline was more in our favour....it could paradoxically work against us. Its close, and that is good.....it provides the impetus for us to go for it. I would not have turned my nose up at a 4-0 win. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villalad21 Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 1 hour ago, Vive_La_Villa said: Just get behind the manager for a least two more games FFS. I am, but that doesn't mean i won't point out if Smith make mistakes. And it has nothing to do with hindsight, Their manager made it very clear at the press conference how they were gonna approach the game, leaving out Hourihane was a mistake and i think Smith realise that and will learn from it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaVilla Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 1 hour ago, TRO said: Norwich made an incredible fix........its not impossible. Oh agreed it's not impossible, I just mean it would be a challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davkaus Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 1 hour ago, brommy said: I would not have turned my nose up at a 4-0 win. 4 would do it. As we all now know, 3-0 is the most dangerous scoreline in football Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Adam2003 Posted May 12, 2019 Popular Post Share Posted May 12, 2019 My pet peeve is when a manager makes a substitution that works and people say “aha! So you were wrong to start Player X.” I bet Alex Ferguson doesn’t worry too much that he picked the “wrong strikers” for the Champions League final in 1999 because it was his subs who scored. I can see a strong argument for starting Hourihane and a strong argument for starting Whelan. Good. That’s how it should be. 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 25 minutes ago, Adam2003 said: My pet peeve is when a manager makes a substitution that works and people say “aha! So you were wrong to start Player X.” I bet Alex Ferguson doesn’t worry too much that he picked the “wrong strikers” for the Champions League final in 1999 because it was his subs who scored. I can see a strong argument for starting Hourihane and a strong argument for starting Whelan. Good. That’s how it should be. Indeed. Also it is impossible to hypothesise whether Hourihane is given that much space to take his time and hit it so cleanly had he started the game. Hourihane is at his best from open play when he comes on against tired legs and tired minds and finds himself in those pockets which open up in such circumstances. With that in mind, Albion are going to have to go for it on Tuesday so he is likely to find more situations like that, so I would definitely start him. Plus there is the dead ball threat and my general feeling is we only need one goal, one moment of magic to seal the tie. Now is the time we want all weapons on the pitch from the off and that clearly includes Conor. That doesn't mean it was the wrong decision to start Whelan on Saturday. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay.P.A Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 2 hours ago, villalad21 said: I am, but that doesn't mean i won't point out if Smith make mistakes. And it has nothing to do with hindsight, Their manager made it very clear at the press conference how they were gonna approach the game, leaving out Hourihane was a mistake and i think Smith realise that and will learn from it. It wasn't a mistake. You need a great Plan B. If you go chucking all your eggs in one basket then you're effectively getting ready to fail. Playing Whelan and Adomah when the game was going to be tight, then replacing them in two faster players in Hourihane and Green to run at WBA's tired legs makes complete sense. If we had done what you're talking about, we wouldn't have come away with a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 (edited) 20 hours ago, villalad21 said: I am, but that doesn't mean i won't point out if Smith make mistakes. And it has nothing to do with hindsight, Their manager made it very clear at the press conference how they were gonna approach the game, leaving out Hourihane was a mistake and i think Smith realise that and will learn from it. We will have to disagree because I thought it was a tough choice and was leaning towards Whealan as it gives Grealish and Mcginn more listen to get forward. Turned out Albion put 10 men behind the ball and sat deep so nullified the threat of runners from midfield. If you worked out they were going to play like that from a press conference then you should be working for Bielsa mate. I do think he could have made the change sooner though. Edited May 13, 2019 by Vive_La_Villa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vive_La_Villa Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 10 hours ago, TRO said: He is allowed his say, surely.....but where I agree with you is, all managers are equally allowed to make a mistake, if it was one?.....not sure Whelan was a mistake ,he has been playing well, but his substitution worked.....It might not work in every game, but it worked yesterday. The manager needs to be left alone to do his thing.....there is no perfect manager. It’s not so much the fact he thinks the manager made a mistake. I have no issue with that. Its how it’s referred to as a big mistake that we got away it! As if Smith f**ked up big time but we got lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Not beyond the realm of possibility that Brom had 2 different strategies prepared depending on who played in CM for us, Whelan or Hourihane. They might have played a different game if Hourihane had played and not been as comfortable letting us have so much possession. No guarantee starting with Hourihane would have made the same impact as subbing him on did. In hindsight, yeah Hourihane changed the game, probably should have started against a Brom side sitting that deep. It wasn't obvious from the start thou. And again now in the away leg one might want to start him after that performance, but this game might be more suited for Whelan. But is he fit enough to play 2 games so close to each other... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Stevo985 Posted May 13, 2019 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted May 13, 2019 9 hours ago, Adam2003 said: My pet peeve is when a manager makes a substitution that works and people say “aha! So you were wrong to start Player X.” I bet Alex Ferguson doesn’t worry too much that he picked the “wrong strikers” for the Champions League final in 1999 because it was his subs who scored. I can see a strong argument for starting Hourihane and a strong argument for starting Whelan. Good. That’s how it should be. Also the complete disconcern for tactics. People saying Hourihane changed the game so he should start the next one without any thought to the scenario. Well the game suited Hourihane at the time. We were a goal behind and needed to get back into it. WBA were sitting back and we needed to break them down so of course Hourihane suited that situation perfectly, and we didn't need to have a dedicated DM in Whelan in there. But for the next leg, we're a goal ahead, we're away from home, we'll probably be facing a fired up, more attacking WBA team. So despite Hourihane playing so well, Whelan is probably the better option for the scenario. But you know that if Whelan starts people will be going mad about Hourihane getting "dropped" 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BleedClaretAndBlue Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Whoever starts, and I think it will be Whelan again, both have the ability to change a game (remember GW coming on at 0-3 vs. Sheff Utd). Everyone can make a mistake and everyone can turn a game. The most important thing is we are turning games more often than not thesedays as a squad. Our bench is very useful however it's rotated. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 16 hours ago, Keyblade said: This is why I can't wait for the summer. Our team is gonna be sweet next season regardless of which league we're in. Is it? If we stay in the Championship we have no idea what affect FFP will have on us so we may have a few buttons and some haribo to spend. It is also highly likely we will be without Grealish, Abraham, Tuanzebe, Mings and McGinn. Thats a lot of quality that needs to be replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMAICAN-VILLAN Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 50 minutes ago, BleedClaretAndBlue said: Whoever starts, and I think it will be Whelan again, both have the ability to change a game (remember GW coming on at 0-3 vs. Sheff Utd). Everyone can make a mistake and everyone can turn a game. The most important thing is we are turning games more often than not thesedays as a squad. Our bench is very useful however it's rotated. I'd be inclined to start Whelan again in the second leg, and start Hourihane in the final, when we need to go gung ho! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkLillis Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 We were passing along the edge of the box during the majority of our attacks. One of those passes would fall to Whelan who would take a touch and spread it out wide. It was a pattern of play the West Brom were very used too...and comfortable defending. Id argue that this is why Hourihane had so much space for the goal. If....and its a big if, this entered Dean Smiths thought pattern when he made the substitution then it was a very smart move! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NIVillan Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Have we not been waiting for a long long time for a manager that could identify early enough when his tactics are not working and adjust? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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