WBA Build Up

great line up. confused about PEH but willing to give MP benefit of the doubt - could be tactical, slight injury to PEH, whatever. Good decision to start Lemina and Boufal, as well as JWP. I’m optimistic given Albion’s injuries.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop, you're killing me!

Romeu for hojbjerg for me would have been perfect but I'm not going to quibble over one player choice. A much better starting lineup than previous games so let's see how it goes. Hopefully the change of lineup will also see a change of tactics.

It's fcking bizarre to go (on paper) more attacking away than at home to brighton.

That could possibly be explained if Pellegrino knew he was in last chance saloon and he has to get a win today or be sacked. A final throw of the dice perhaps so has gone more attacking than his normal cautious approach.

If you think that this team is anywhere near a good team you are deluded. It is a cowardly selection and again picks five midfielders and one not very quick forward who in the words of the manager needs time. It is just another rotation of the same players who have got us in this situation because they lack pace and the ability to score regularly. The one plus is the useless Davis left out. The stupidity is compounded by leaving Hojbjerg out. This is just another unbalanced, pass it around because we lack the pace team.

Saying that, we could win or get a point because we are playing the worst team in the league and maybe the lunacy expecting a different result might cause the lighning to strike at the Hawthorns but I'm not holding my breath. We should be playing two strikers and our three best midfielders, it is just cowardly to do otherwise. The timid mouse hasn't a clue. I just hope he gets a bit of luck this afternoon because we need it.

As for JWP's delivery on Wednesday, before he took it he raised his arm up signifying to me the same as usual whipped in flat cross. He scuffed it and it wasn't even towards one of our players it was only the deflection off the defender that put it into Stephens. JWP's dead balls hardly ever result in a clear chance let alone a goal. He is nowhere nearly as good as his hyped up reputation as a dead ball specialist. Sigurdsson or Eriksen are ded ball specialists, JWP is nowhere near their ability.

All in all a good lineup.

That’s a pretty decent team for once. Cue the half time substitution of Boufal for Yoshida.

As for JWP's delivery on Wednesday, before he took it he raised his arm up signifying to me the same as usual whipped in flat cross. He scuffed it and it wasn't even towards one of our players it was only the deflection off the defender that put it into Stephens. JWP's dead balls hardly ever result in a clear chance let alone a goal. He is nowhere nearly as good as his hyped up reputation as a dead ball specialist. Sigurdsson or Eriksen are ded ball specialists, JWP is nowhere near their ability.

I would like to see Boufal given more of a chance at the dead ball.

Would have played Yoshida instead of Hoedt, problem is having to rely on Tadic and Boufal who are hopeless at creating this season. About time we tried Sims or even Hesketh.

If you think that this team is anywhere near a good team you are deluded. It is a cowardly selection and again picks five midfielders

It looks to be a 4-2-3-1 system, why is that so bad? It is the formation Koeman led us to 6th place using. What is key is the tactics of where the defensive line is held, Pellegrino often opts to fall back deep when not in possession.

one not very quick forward who in the words of the manager needs time.

How does he get time if Pellegrino doesn't pick him? That is self defeating.

He has to try Carrillo at this point, but wow what is Gabbi thinking. He's the obviouse 3rd choice now, and soon to be 4th once Austin gets back. I could see MP going pretty strictly to a Austin-Carrillo rotation once Austin is back (assuming Carrillo looks good), pushing Gabbi out of the team.

If you think that this team is anywhere near a good team you are deluded. It is a cowardly selection and again picks five midfielders and one not very quick forward who in the words of the manager needs time. It is just another rotation of the same players who have got us in this situation because they lack pace and the ability to score regularly. The one plus is the useless Davis left out. The stupidity is compounded by leaving Hojbjerg out. This is just another unbalanced, pass it around because we lack the pace team.

 

Saying that, we could win or get a point because we are playing the worst team in the league and maybe the lunacy expecting a different result might cause the lighning to strike at the Hawthorns but I'm not holding my breath. We should be playing two strikers and our three best midfielders, it is just cowardly to do otherwise. The timid mouse hasn't a clue. I just hope he gets a bit of luck this afternoon because we need it.

 

As for JWP's delivery on Wednesday, before he took it he raised his arm up signifying to me the same as usual whipped in flat cross. He scuffed it and it wasn't even towards one of our players it was only the deflection off the defender that put it into Stephens. JWP's dead balls hardly ever result in a clear chance let alone a goal. He is nowhere nearly as good as his hyped up reputation as a dead ball specialist. Sigurdsson or Eriksen are ded ball specialists, JWP is nowhere near their ability.

Every player in the league raises their arm before putting in a cross. It is essentially meaningless.

I'm a glass half full guy, always thinking about when we win our next game. Where we could have been...

Of course I want us to beat WBA.

But you know what's really important today...?

Not losing...

OK so he's put our most expensive players in the side - the problem I foresee is that these players do not know each other's game well enough...that's why they look so clueless.

is the Saints website down?

Decent side that.

Harsh on PEH. Been far superior to Romeu this season.

Not only that, he’s been the best player in the team. Only MoPe would do such a thing.

a player raises and lowers his arm to signify his run up is beginning. It's for timing purposes (getting free of your marker and moving towards the goal)not a secret signal regarding where the ball is going to end up.

Hmmm!

Bugger me, a decent team selection at last. Just a pity they left Ward Prowse in having benched Davis and Long, would have preferred Hoj

Sorry, I thought the mods would bleep it!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop, you're killing me!

Aw thanks mate!

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Hmmm!

Ha ha ha, and it's not even half time!

West Brom's line-up is crap. We should get something.

is the Saints website down?

Might be. I'm having trouble getting to the "live" commentary.

That line up highlights what an appalling manager we have.

Satisfied with most of the starting line up.

Shouldn't have dropped Hojbjerg - he should be in for Romeu on current form.

JWP needs to start making his 'quality delivery' work for the team. Scoring some free kicks would be a start - didn't he get a scorcher against WBA a couple of years ago?

I'd still have preferred a 2nd striker to feed off Carrillo (surely that's Gabbi's strength?), but maybe Boufal will serve that role a bit. Tadic likes to go forward, too, but I expect him to be playmaker with Boufal in the 'free' role. It may even have been a chance to try out Redmond again - don't shoot me!

We'll find out soon enough.

That line up highlights what an appalling manager we have.

Does it? I think it is one of the best line-ups he has picked all through a poor season. What is key is the tactical instructions he has given them.

What would you have picked for today then?

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Hmmm!

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Does it? I think it is one of the best line-ups he has picked all through a poor season. What is key is the tactical instructions he has given them.

 

What would you have picked for today then?

Don't encourage the troll!

It's not playing Carillo. He must absolutely play but he needs support, not to be isolated on his own.It has destroyed Gabbiadin's confidence having no support. Whichever three we have played makes no difference, they pass it sideways and backwards but none of them make the runs or breaks the lines that are required to support one striker because they lack the pace. Long or Gabbiadin should be playing, so should Hojbjerg, Lamina and Romeu to give us the bite in midfield. Add Boufal to that and we might just have a decent team.

Does it? I think it is one of the best line-ups he has picked all through a poor season. What is key is the tactical instructions he has given them.

 

What would you have picked for today then?

the fact we are in this position with that 16 is a Disgrace, which is my point

Other than Hojberg for Romeu that's probably the team I would have picked. We now need to back it up with an attacking performance - get the ball wide and get crosses in for Carillo, Boufal, Lemina and the opposite winger to attack

Any decent links please??

Rooting for the lads. Love this team. Let’s do this!

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Might be. I'm having trouble getting to the "live" commentary.

You can get commentary via the WBA site by registering for free

Yes a loss would probably get rid of the manager, not that I'd put it past our board to stick by him, but for me, I really want to see a win against WBA. Even to the point that it buys Pellegrino time. Maybe we can lose 10-0 against Liverpool next week to get rid of him, but for this game I really want us to win. This is the round of fixtures where we could potentially get cut adrift, and we're running out of games. Certainly "winnable" games, if you can call ANY fixture winnable this season...

 

It's hard to know what our best first team is because the manager himself doesn't have a clue, but I'd like to see an attacking as hell team against the Baggies, really go at them - if we're going down (which IMO we are under Pellegrino) at least we can do it fighting.

 

I'd be playing something like:

 

-----------------------McCarthy-------------------------

 

Cedric----Stephens-------Hoedt-----------Bertrand---

 

----------------Lemina-----Romeu----------------------

 

----Gabbiadini--------Boufal-------------Tadic---------

 

---------------------Carrillo-----------------------------

 

SUBS: Forster, Yoshida, McQueen/Pied, Hojbjerg, JWP, Sims, Long.

 

Sacrificing Davis for the more attacking Sims on the bench as Redmond seems to be massively out of favour. That, to me, looks like a good team. Which is why Pellegrino won't pick it.

 

4 points from the Brighton and WBA games was the very minimum we needed for survival IMO, although when I initially said that I'd had us winning the home game. That makes this match MASSIVE. This is probably the biggest game we've faced in years. Sturridge hattrick then...

He read my post! I'm the manager! OK JWP for Gabbiadini aside, but this is the first team that I've wanted to see for weeks. So on one hand, fair okay to Pellegrino for picking an attacking line up, but on the other hand, it should have been done weeks ago.

At least he's given us a chance of winning today, which is more than we can hope for...

Does it? I think it is one of the best line-ups he has picked all through a poor season.

Exactly. It’s taken him 25+ games to figure out a decent starting XI

It is surprisingly positive...

 

Pellegrino showing some balls at last? That is more or less our strongest available line up IMHO (depending on Carillo being better than Long or Gabbi which, let's face it, is not asking a whole lot based on this season alone).