West Bromwich Albion 4 - Charlton Athletic 2

Date: Saturday 15th December 2007 Live on Satellite TVReduced price tickets or special offers available
Competition: Coca-Cola Championship
WBA:
8.4
Steele 5.5, Hodgkiss 5.2, Pele 7.3, Cesar 7.1, Robinson 7.0, Gera 9.0, Greening 7.5, Koren 7.0, Brunt 8.8, Filipe Teixeira 6.3 (Phillips, 72 7.6), Bednar 8.0 (MacDonald, 90+3 5.8)
Unused subs: Barnett, Beattie, Martis
Manager: Tony Mowbray 8.3
Charlton:
6.4
Scorers: Bednar (43), Gera (50, 80), Phillips (84)
Referee: P Taylor (Hertfordshire) 6.6
Attendance: 20,364   Home Fans 7.6   Away Fans 4.9

Dave Watkin:

Valiant Baggies go top-of-the-league

In an exciting match at The Hawthorns, both 2nd placed Albion and 3rd in the table Charlton Athletic looked quality football teams. However on the day the Baggies were well worth their victory, which took the Club to the top of the Championship.

Three of the four ?reserves? who played so well last weekend retained a place in defence, the unlucky one being Shelton Martis, who lost out as Jared Hodgkiss was switched to the right to allow Paul Robinson to return after suspension. Bostjan Cesar was also recalled, in place of Leon Barnett. Both midfield and attack were unchanged, but fit again top-scorer Kevin Phillips was among the substitutes.

The match opened with important last ditch interceptions. First, Pele prevented a goal at the Brummie Road End and then Brunt was robbed in front of the Smethwick. Next Chris Brunt was only inches away with a right foot shot from distance which whizzed past the foot of a post. After a quarter-of-an-hour the Baggies were desperately unlucky not to take the lead from a delightful move. Pele stroked the ball out of defence to Zoltan Gera, who played a one-two with Robert Koren before racing down the right and crossing for Roman Bednar, who hurtling in volleyed spectacularly against a post. The only serious threat from the Addicks came when Read curled a left footed shot just wide of the angle of post and bar. Back came the Baggies and created havoc from a Brunt corner, forcing first the keeper and then a defender to clear off the line. Then, in the 37th minute, against the run of play, the Baggies went behind. Thomas bamboozled Hodgkiss wide left and picked out Iwelumo with a pinpoint cross. The striker was hobbling on one leg but managed to rise above the defenders and head powerfully into the net. It was important that Albion got back into the game quickly and they did so in the 43rd minute. Bostjan Cesar brought the ball out of defence and found Roman Bednar with his back to goal. He laid the ball off to Zoltan Gera, raced into the box and from the return pass, swept a low shot wide of the keeper?s outstretched right hand. Albion?s flowing football created one more opportunity before half time, when an instinctive half volley from Jonathan Greening thirty yards out, drifted just wide of an upright.

In the 50th minute, Albion took the lead with a superb goal. This time Robert Koren and Paul Robinson combined to release Chris Brunt wide on the left wing. He swung in an exquisite deep cross and at the far post Zoltan Gera jumped high and placed a header just inside the upright. Minutes later the two combined again, but this time Weaver scrambled across his goal-line to push the header from Gera around the post. The visitors had their best spell of the match around this point, missing a clear-cut chance in front of goal, but even so a two goal margin to the home side would have been more appropriate than what happened, an unsatisfactory 73rd minute equaliser. The Addicks took an offside kick quickly, ten yards ahead of where they should, before pumping a long clearance forward to Varney. He pulled the ball back to McLeod and somehow his first time shot from ten yards squeezed past Steele and into the net. Fortunately, Albion remained composed and created another excellent goal in the 80th minute. Once again the ability to pass the ball out of defence proved vital. Pele fed Roman Bednar and he laid the ball back to substitute Kevin Phillips, who fed Chris Brunt wide left. In a replica of the earlier goal, he swung in a tremendous cross and Zoltan Gera leapt higher than everyone to direct his header home. Gera could and maybe should have had a hat-trick, but after gaining possession from a Bednar cross he fired wide from well inside the penalty area. In the 84th minute Albion packed the box for a Jonathan Greening corner and it paid off. The ball dropped for Paul Robinson who scooped it goalwards to where super goal-poacher Kevin Phillips lashed a shot high into the net from point-blank range. The game and three vital points were secured against the best side to visit The Hawthorns this season.

This was an excellent performance. The combination of Pele and Bostjan Cesar allows us to build attacks from the back, the competitiveness of Paul Robinson stops the opposition settling and our skill in the centre of midfield, most particularly yesterday from Jonathan Greening, means that we control the middle of the park. Roman Bednar has an ability to link up with the midfield and to score goals, five in five full appearances, whilst yesterday we had top scorer Kevin Phillips to come on and make the game safe. Of course the two big players yesterday were Chris Brunt and Zoltan Gera on the wings. The uncanny knack of the former to pick out the latter and his ability to leap from a standing start, made them unplayable yesterday. Looking forward I would imagine that Tony Mowbray will be intending to add height to the defence at Stoke, with either Hoefkens, Martis or Barnett replacing Hodgkiss at right back. In the transfer window our no.1 aim must be to retain all our best players, especially Gera and to look to secure a first class keeper.

STATISTICS

Charlton had won each of their last four matches at The Hawthorns, including all three Premiership clashes. However, the Baggies reversed that trend to record their highest ever home victory over the Valiants.

ALBION FORMRATE: VERY GOOD

MEN-OF-THE-MATCH: CHRIS BRUNT & ZOLTAN GERA

We?ve now demolished four of our six closest challengers for promotion. Before Charlton, we beat Ipswich 4-0 at home and Watford 3-0 and Plymouth 2-1 away. Against the others, Stoke and Bristol City, we?ve only drawn, so the next two games will be a great opportunity to prove we?re superior to all our greatest rivals.

Finally, a question. Are we seeing the best football from Albion for twenty-five years, since the days of Brendon Batson, Derek Statham, Bryan Robson and Cyrille Regis?

smethwick batman:

Three lovely points against a rival and top of the table - and judging by the first half showing we were going to win them with ease despite young Hodgkiss having a mare and Charlton going in front with one of the only two chances they had on goal for 45 minutes. We dominated, we were vibrant, we got great width, we passed the ball about brilliantly, we were constantly disrupted by a nasty niggling Charlton side the ref should have stamped on but we took them to the cleaners.

A stunning nutmeg ball from Gera into Bednar, who finished like Marco Van Basten, was sadly all we had to show for some great attacking football but we had Charlton on the back foot so often it might have been so many more. Mogga favoured Pele at the back to Barnett alongside the returning Cesar (quite justified on Leicester showing) and switched Hodgkiss back to the right instead of Martis but it was in the middle and with Bednar up front on his own that we oozed class. Strikes from Brunt (three times), Tex and Greening might have gone home another day and there were four wicked crosses from either side that were a whisker away from conversion - the closest a brilliant Greening play in to Gera and a first time whip which Bednar struck onto the post. There were plenty of other "if only" crosses too and a glorious opportunity missed by Cesar (well he is a defender) from the spot which was still nearly re-deflected into the Charlton net. Andy Reid (fattest man in the pub) curled one just wide for the Reds but it was all Albion otherwise. Only danger appeared to be Hodgkiss who was mullered twice by their number 14 (Thomas?) in a pretty even opening first ten minutes. We didn't heed the warning and the third time Thomas (?) left him dumped on his bum there were Charlton players queueing up in the box to head home the resultant cross. I thought the keeper looked hopelessly flat flooted by a header back across him but Pele aand Cesar hardly helped. Still we got back in it eventually and more than deservedly. And when Brunt slung in one of those wicked crosses from the left early doors second half and Gera rose like a salmon to bury it at the far post there was only going to be one winner of this game. Right?

Wrong, of course - it's the Albion we're watching here! Charlton bizarrely abandoned their niggling foul tactics (although on reflection its a bit hard to keep it up when you've got the ball all the time and not us) and sprayed it around with increasingly threatening abandon for 20 minutes. Jared had obviously been earmarked as a dodgy target in the half time dressing room (sorry lad, you were, much as I've taken to you) and the equaliser finally and inevitably came from yet another foray down the right though Cesar and Pele never closed the incoming ball or the player on the end of it and Steele should have done better with the resultant shot. Charlton could thankfully do nothing about the increasingly polished Brunt and Gera magic show (Paul Daniels and the lovely Debbie made a fortune from this for 20 years - perhaps Zolly and Chris ought to do Great Yarmouth this summer). Two games, three identikit goals and you tell me how to stop it as a defender! Keep practising on the training ground lads - I was happy with one goal a game which is 38 a season but if you're going to do it twice every fixture who am I to complain?

Bednar had continued to lead the line excellently - much brighter than he was at Leicester - and when Mogga took Tex off for Superkev the 4-4-2 nearly produced three further goals. Oh, as well as the one the king poacher bagged to put the game beyond doubt. I think Mogga persisted with the defence he put out (Jared in particular) cos it was character building for the lad - if not for my underpants at times. No matter, a great result, a great three points and maybe a chance at last to start putting some blue water between us and the play off positions.

Players

  • Steele - 5 - Frightened me to death to be honest. One bizarre moment second half when Cesar let the ball go over his head and bounce in the box said it all. Robinson had a go at Bostin. Bostin had a go at Robbo. They both looked at Luke... he shrugged his shoulders. Never mind that's the home debut out of the way son but you should have done better with both goals and you've got to be in charge in that box.
  • Hodgkiss - 5 - Oh dear Jared, we all want you to succeed mate but you were all over the place today. Never mind, we won and your contribution so far has been excellent. Write it off as a bad day at the office.
  • Cesar - 6 - Not his usual authoritative self but did ok. Needs to play back into form by the look of it.
  • Pele - 6 - Not Beckenbauer today Pele (or Cruyff or whatever your name is) but like the Roman emperor next to you at least you can pass it out with guile and find a blue and white shirt.
  • Robinson - 7 - Solid and kept his wing largely trouble free when Charlton threatened.
  • Brunt - 9 - Man Of The Match for me even with Zolly's contribution. He stays wide left and looks really menacing. He comes inside and looks really menacing. But now we are seeing the results. What a sweet left foot. He'll score a blinder himself before January, mark my words.
  • Tex - 8 - Ran his bloody socks off today and some lovely touches and runs again. The victim first half of most of the Charlton niggle fouls that the cheeky bastards knew would hold the game up and our flow without getting a yellow. They got three anyway in the end, two of them after he went off (!) which is kind of fitting justice.
  • Greening - 7 - Not getting involved enough for me Johnno - it's this 4-5-1 again aint it? Don't sit back and wait for the game to come to you dominate the thing. Still my player of the season so far but I'd love him to just once prove what we all know - the best midfielder in the whole division at this level.
  • Koren - 7 - Tireless and still doing a great job for Mogga as the mopper up which I suspect is not his natural game.
  • Gera - 9 Just outdone by Brunt for me for MOM but a great performance not just the goals.
  • Bednar - 9 - Been tremendous since he got into the side and he's not really match fit yet.

SARNIA BAGGIE:

Watched the Charlton game on tv (live in Canada - our first Baggies game this season). Agree with most of the comments - Hodgkiss did look a little out of his depth but he was exposed in the first half against a very good winger. Bednar impressed especally in the first half. Tex was stiffled, Brunt was very impressive.

Keep the reports coming in - Baggies abroad need them!

Highbury Baggie:

Some very interesting comments from our regular contributors. In general it must be said this was a heartening and dominant performance, but, as the man in the Observer reported yesterday, it must be painful to be a Baggie supporter - being transported from the point of ecstasy to near oblivion and back again on a regular basis cannot be healthy, and yesterday was Albion in microcosm: dominant, but goalless, suckered through defensive frailty - rampant in response with a sublime Eastern European response and Gooners-style finish.

Further dominance in early second half, then........ sit back and completely disengage from the game allowing an average Charlton to gain ground and confidence and claw back an easy soft goal. Central defenders and goalie absolutely abject at this point and making me thank the good lord we're not in the premiership fighting for 17th spot.

But, and here is the good news, the side now has balls and so the fightback was relatively simple with two good goals and a veritable stuffing of the South London side (remember Ernie's hat trick in 2005 - where's that prolific goalscorer now eh? Swapping sob stories with the Duke perhaps?).

Things look better than they have for a while methinks, but we have to get past Stoke and Ipswich away before I think we can really beging to hum. In the meantime TM must sort out the goalkeeping - left and right fullbacks (I thought Robbo looked v suspect at times and his temper still threatens to destabilise us at times) and decide who is the best in central defence.

One final thought - Greening gets accolades in spades at this site - why? When he's in possession he's too slow and ponderous - like for like, give me Ronnie W any day and that's not saying much is it?

Brendan Clegg:

Thought everyone pretty much covered everything but have been prompted to respond to the comment about Greening and Wallwork and also the the poser - is this the best side in 25 years?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and here's mine. The Wall is a slow, one footed but honest and tough in the tackle midfielder. Of all the components that make up our side Greening is the key figure. We can swap the keeper, the whole back four, play anyone up front and chop and change the wide men and who plays with him but Greening makes the whole thing tick. I'd go as far as to say if he had any pace, a couple more inches in height and a bit more physical strength he would be an international footballer. I think Mowbray is getting the very best out of him and he is playing in the perfect role, almost like a quarter back sitting in front of the back four and ensuring that we keep the ball. How many other midfielders have we got who can control and play a ball sensibly with either foot without losing possession, switching the play and linking defence, out wide and up front?

Greening, as daft as he may seem when interviewed, has a really intelligent football brain. He never gives the ball away. He controls the tempo of games and is always there to pick up the scraps and turn on the pressure. He's even added a bit of steel to his game although he wins the ball back mostly through reading the play rather than being a warrior in the tackle. He also plays with fantastic discipline most of the time, allowing all of our other attack minded players to bomb on. He also never seems to be more than 10 yards from the ball, wherever it is and is always an option for team mates. Easy enough, but he can receive the ball under pressure, turn and play his way out of it.

I guess you could say I'm a fan! When he plays badly, we play badly. I think with the energy and movement of Koren we have perfect balance in the centre.

Back to the game. I thought it was an excellent performance apart from the odd bit of moronic defending and goalkeeping. Some of the attacking moves and build up play were simply impossible to defend against and 3 of the goals were total football. I think we're the best side the Championship has seen for two seasons at least - nobody was better than this side last year. I agree with Pardew who after the game commented that he's seen plenty of premiership games with far less quality.

My marks-

  • Steele - 5 Bad day at the office but is still very young for a 'keeper. Needs to fill out and be more vocal.
  • Hodgkiss - 5 Struggled but it will be character building. He wont come up against many better wingers at this level.
  • Pele - 7 Was often excellent and composed. We conceded too many chances though.
  • Cesar - 6 Not as solid as he has been. Let a couple of things run that he should have dealt with.
  • Robinson - 7 Pick of the back four but I share the concern of others that he always looks like getting in to trouble.
  • Brunt - 9 Really seeing the best of him. Total quality.
  • Greening - 8 See above!
  • Koren - 6 Buzzed around but quiet for him.
  • Gera - 9 Playing at his very best. Can't see him staying but hope he does.
  • Tex - 6 I thought he was very hot and cold. Lost the ball and over-complicated things too often but then he'll conjure something up.
  • Bednar - 8 Just a brilliant striker. Intelligent, strong, a team player and a great finisher. Hearts have been robbed.

Subs -

  • Phillips - 7 Great poach, I'm sure he would have been on the end of some of the first half moves that were whiskers away.

Is this the best Albion side for 25 years? Well I'm 26 and have been going for nearly two decades and this is the best football I've ever seen us play.

Let's see if we can get through Stoke without being bored into submission.