West Bromwich Albion 1 - Norwich City 2

Dave Watkin:

Albion lost in disappointing fashion to Norwich City at The Hawthorns. Despite enjoying the majority of the play they were hit on the break either side of a second half penalty goal.

Roy Hodgson made three changes. In the absence of the injured Billy Jones, Gonzalo Jara Reyes switched to full back, as Youssouf Mulumbu, Paul Scharner and Jerome Thomas returned to the midfield and George Thorne and Graham Dorrans joined the returning Shane Long on the bench.

The Baggies almost made a spectacular start when Peter Odemwingie cracked a tremendous swerving shot from distance which keeper Ruddy just managed to deflect onto the top of the bar. Norwich responded and when Foster rushed out and dived at the feet of Morison, the ball cannoned off the striker?s knee and bobbled towards goal only to hit the foot of the post and run out of play. Ruddy was the next keeper in action when, after Odemwingie and Morrison combined to set up Cox, his clipped shot was beaten away. A penalty appeal for a trip on Thomas was brushed aside, before James Morrison was desperately unlucky to see his fierce drive headed off the line by Surman. We were just becoming resigned to going in at half time on level terms when, in the 43rd minute, City scored with their first shot on target. A long clearance reached Jackson wide right. He appeared to be isolated, before three men arrived in support and the ball was centred for Surman to net with a fine first time left footed volley.

The first decent strike of the second half was by Morrison, but his dipping volley landed on the top of the goal net. The crowd were lifted by the introduction of Shane Long and Graham Dorrans for Odemwingie and Scharner and the former was in immediate action when, set-up by Thomas, he twisted past a defender and hit a left footed cross-shot which Ruddy saved with his leg. A follow-up by Cox was booted off the line. In the 68th minute, Graham Dorrans and Nicky Shorey combined to send Jerome Thomas in on goal and he was felled with a reckless challenge which earned Ayala a yellow card. Shane Long stepped up to coolly side-foot the penalty past Ruddy. Roy Hodgson went for all three points by bringing on Fortun? for Thomas, but it didn?t pay off, for in the 79th minute the Canaries netted with another outrageous breakaway goal. Albion were camped on the edge of the Norwich penalty area when Mulumbu, in the act of shooting, was robbed and the visitors raced down the other end of the field where Holt cutting inside centred perfectly for Morison to head powerfully home from close range. Albion pressed for a second equaliser but never came close to breaking down the massed ranks of yellow shirts.

The Baggies can count themselves unlucky over a ninety minutes in which they carved out the majority of chances only to be hit by two sucker punches. No real controversy, although in this week of red cards, could Ayala have seen one? Probably not.

We certainly missed the defensive prowess of Jones and Olsson. If Shane Long was fully fit, then he and Dorrans would have been better choices to start than the two players they substituted. Were Albion na?ve in committing too much in attack late on, we wouldn?t have said so if it had paid off. Youssouf Mulumbu was my stand-out choice for man-of-the-match before that late equaliser. Other candidates were Gareth McAuley and Jerome Thomas, with Shane Long staking a late claim.

ALBION FORMRATE: FAIR

MEN-OF-THE-MATCH: YOUSSOUF MULUMBU / JEROME THOMAS

Albion failed to record a fifth successive league victory over Norwich City. We have to settle for equalling the four consecutive wins in the early 1980?s. That sequence began with a 3-0 win at The Hawthorns on Saturday 6th September 1980, with goals from Gary Owen, a Peter Barnes penalty and Ally Brown and after 2-0 and 3-1 wins at Carrow Road, finished with a 1-0 home win on Monday 2nd May 1983 when Garry Thompson netted. Our overall record against City remains good; we?ve won 19 to their 14, drawing 13 and outscoring the Canaries by 63 to 51.

Albion remain 15th; five points, but a point closer, to the relegation zone. We?re two points and three places behind Villa and one position and four points clear of Wolves.

Brendan Clegg:

Going into this game I thought we were entering a period of 6 fixtures to define our season. Take 10 points from them and we would be comfortable, 6 points and we would be just about ok but anything less and we would be in trouble.

Game 1 down and we aren't looking so great.

In all honesty to the players and coaching staff, we were the better side for most of the game and were at least attacking and creative rather than the dull fare we have been served up at the shrine for the last few games.

Having a go was demonstrated by, for the first time this season, when defending corners we at least having 1 man left up top.

I don't think too many people could have argued with the starting line up given the players available - it would have been very harsh on Cox after a hat trick for him not to play.

We started quite well and took the game to them for most of the first half. We should really have made more of our chances but we looked panicky in the final ball. Still it was promising.

Their goal was a classic counter although very soft I thought - and a great finish. not sure what Any of the back 4 were doing for it.

Woy changed it pretty early in the 2nd half, and the big surprise for me was that Cox, who despite his efforts was struggling to trouble a very average premiership defence in the way he did against a reserve championship defence last week, remained on the pitch and Odemwingie made way.

Odemwingie was by no means having a great game but in the first half had troubled them with his pace and running, had got some shots away and looked like he was capable of doing something. In a game we really had to get something out of, one-nil down at home I found it a very strange decision.

Long added work rate and the ability to hold the ball up a bit more, but he still didn't look all that fit to me.he took his penalty well.

We then went searching for the win. All game I felt the midfield lacked balance. The majority of our attacking play came from the left. Morrison abandoned the right at every opportunity and we lacked any width and that side or an out ball for Jara. Often Scharner was our widest player. This seems to be the case no matter who we have out there.

I felt this played a part in our vulnerability on the counter because as the 2nd half wore on Gonzo pushed on and on to give us that width and Norwich exposed that for the second.

It was a poor touch from Mulumbu followed by some awful decision making and effort from those defending or tracking back. We pretty much did everything wrong and they took clinical advantage.

For the rest of the game we huffed and puffed but after JT was withdrawn due to injury and Odemwingie being off, we didn't have anyone capable of going past a man to create openings. We laboured to the end and a very average Norwich side took the points.

I might be wrong, but points wise are we about the same or worse off than under RDM last year when he was axed?

Also, with a manager seemingly unwilling to discuss his future and only half a season left, surely this will impact potential signings for both the players coming in and the club being willing to spend? I also don't think it can be all that settling for players at the club. Little things like this contribute when you are in a slump and I think the situation needs to be resolved.

Hopefully getting Ollie and Reid back soon will help us to get some results and the board and lift things, but we have to start taking points in this critical period.

• Foster - 6 I can't recall him making a save and was unlucky with the 2nd. Pretty sound.
• Jara Reyes - 7 did ok. Looked much more comfortable on the ball than Jones. Would be Reid's backup for me. Needed more help out wide. Only 1 psycho moment.
• McAuley - 6 did ok. Pretty usual performance, steady and calm.
• Dawson - 5 some good tackles but again lacked composure on the ball and showed his niaivety in positioning and decision making for both goals I thought? Battled.
• Shorey - 5 the captains armband must be made of lead. An obvious area that needs strengthening to put pressure on him if nothing else. Leggy and many poor passes undid some good approach play.
• Morrison - 6 individually he tried to make things happen and had a good first half but never provided us with the creativity we needed. Worked hard.
• Scharner - 5 offered very little. Have said it many times but he struggles in a 4. In the team for his height, not missed when withdrawn.
• Mulumbu - 7 ran the midfield for most of the game but his error cost us. Can't do it all on his own.
• Thomas - 7 little wonder he always looks knackered, our main tactic always seems to be to work the ball out to him. Caused them problems all game but they did wise up to it and swarmed him in the second half.
• Cox - 4 harsh reality that for all his effort his touch and pace were not up to it.
• Odemwingie - 6 did give their defence problems. Not his best performance but neither his worst.

Subs

• Long - 7 although not fully fit he did well.
• Dorrans - 5 looked like he didn't really want to know or care. Through the motions tracking back for the second and intent on aimless lumps and flick ons. Looks like he is sick of the lack of opportunities and/or being dropped when we win with him in the side, but whatever, is a far cry from the player we know he can be.
• Fortune - 6 at least brings a simplicity to our forward play, willing to receive the ball and bring others into play with simple passes rather losing the ball through trying to do too much or over elaborate play. A better option for us than his opportunities seem to merit.

north bayite:

what can you say about that result except we have no luck and cant defend. we dominate, have 3 or was it 4 shots cleared off the line, looked good, you cant blame hodgson for this defeat because if we cant concentrate, focus and defend then we deserve what we get and today norwich deserved the points. we sacked de matteo for the same record last year, except we were playing attacking flowing football. under roy were suppose to be more conservative and defensive minded, but its not working. it looks like we still dont know what formation we are suppose to be playing. the worrying thing is we now have fulham and stoke away and if we dont pick up any points were going to be fighting a relegation battle. teams below us are picking up points, blackburn won again today, wolves picked up a great point at spurs. lets face it were in trouble the fans know it but does the manager or board.

so having just run through our remaining fixtures things look gloomy if our form doesnt improve. ive looked at our 9 away games - one win, four ties and four defeats - 7 pts from possible 27.

being as our home form is even worse theres no thinking its going to improve to much, i only see one victory with five ties and one defeat giving us 11pts from a possible 24pts. add 18pts to our 22 gives us 40pts but will that be enough given teams below us are starting to pick up points?

if were relegated we can and should sell off our so called stars odemwingie, olson, long, thomas, foster will go anyway. selling these off will bring us in money but if we have so many academy players coming through why not play the likes of thorne mantom wood dawson mattock etc. i believe if were relegated hodgson will go to so would we go for mcinnes or maybe de matteo again, look for a young and upcoming manager. food for thought!!!!

a concerned frustrated baggie abroad

Steve Fereday:

We were desperately unlucky today and with some luck should have won well.

Roy Hodgson is too good for a club like us. He is the highest profile manager we have had in years. He knows that the players he has are in the main, not good enough. He has said publically that the players that he will try to bring into the club will have to be better than the ones we have now. So he brings in a 20 year old kid from Dundee with no real track record, but has a bundle of talent. I hope that he did that to make a statement. That's because no doubt he has discussed transfer targets with the Chairman and has been told that he can get who he wants but the total bottom line spend is whatever the Board say it is. The manager is in an impossible position. I would like to understand the precise expectation of the Albion Board of Roy Hodgson.

Roy should leave in the summer, watch the Euro failure, and then take the England managers job. It will be his swansong in football and he deserves that. As long as the Albion Board's ambition remains the way it is, then nothing will change. If their goal is survival, then that's fine and the fans need to understand the rollercoaster ride that goes with that each season. Our expectation of any sort of success is completely ridiculous.

Sure, the manager is responsible for team selection, but put your hands up right now - look at our squad and do you think you could do a better job with the talent on offer?