West Bromwich Albion 0 - Bolton Wanderers 0

Date:	Monday 17th April 2006
Competition:	Barclays Premiership
WBA: 4.3	Kuszczak 5.2, Watson 5.4, Davies 5.9, Clement 5.0, Robinson 5.5, Gera 5.7, Quashie 5.1, Johnson 4.5, Greening 4.7, Kamara 4.5 (Nicholson, 75 4.4), Campbell 4.3 (Kanu, 73 5.4) Unused subs: Carter, Inamoto, Albrechtsen Manager: Bryan Robson 3.7
Bolton: 4.1
Referee:	Dermot Gallagher 4.9
Attendance:	23,181 Home Fans 5.8 Away Fans 2.7

Dave Watkin:

Albion missed the opportunity to take a big step towards safety when they failed to beat Bolton Wanderers at the Hawthorns, in what most supporters regarded as a "must win" game, against a side who had lost their previous five matches.

In recent games, notably at Blues, Tottenham and Villa, the team have played well without getting their just deserts. Tonight however, with home advantage against an out-of-form side, they failed to perform and in fact managed only one shot on target in the whole ninety minutes.

I'm not normally critical of team selection, but I felt we missed the attacking prowess of Martin Albrechtsen down the right wing and I believe that the extra guile of Kanu might have paid off if he had started or at least been introduced earlier. The reliance on Andy Johnson, who we were prepared to release to Division One club Nottingham Forest earlier in the season and the untried if promising youngster Nicholson, illustrates the lack of depth and quality in the squad. The failure to strengthen in January, particularly after selling two strikers, looks as if it will cost us our Premiership place.

There were no real candidates for man-of-the-match.

TEAM NEWS

The Albion team showed three changes. Steve Watson and Kevin Campbell were selected ahead of Martin Albrechtsen and Kanu, whilst Andy Johnson returned for the suspended Ronnie Wallwork.

HIGHLIGHTS

Albion struggled to gain the upper hand in a very poor first half.

The visitors threatened with a free kick from the edge of the area which flicked off the wall for a corner and came close with a strong header from Nolan which whistled just over the bar. However, the Baggies came closest to scoring as the half neared its end. A long throw from Steve Watson was back-headed by Kevin Campbell to Zoltan Gera and he directed a flick header goalwards. Keeper Jaaskelainen, at full stretch, only succeeded in keeping the ball out with his chest and then only the quick reactions of a defender prevented Andy Johnson from forcing the loose ball over the line.

Albion upped the tempo after the break and began to look more threatening. However there was less than twenty minutes remaining before they next created a genuine chance. Diomansy Kamara began the move with a sweeping crossfield pass to Zoltan Gera wide right. He hooked the ball across the area and it reached Kamara, who had made ground to reach the far post. A first time shot was called for, but he hesitated and the opportunity was lost.

Robson's reaction was to introduce Kanu for Campbell and then almost immediately afterwards young Stuart Nicholson for Kamara. Kanu began well, shielding the ball from his markers and prompting attacking moves.

However, it was not until injury time, that Albion succeeded in creating another clear cut opportunity. Steve Watson crossed from the right and Neil Clement rose to head over the bar, with the top corner of the net gaping. Amazingly, Bolton could and probably should have snatched victory even deeper into stoppage time. A cross from the left eluded the outstretched legs of more than one defender, but when it reached Nolan, he got into a bit of a tangle and scooped the ball over the bar, with the goal at his mercy.

Thus a poor game ended goalless, which was probably what both teams deserved.

ALBION FORMRATE: POOR

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Not Awarded

We remain 19th with 29 points from 35 games, level on points with Blues (who play on Wednesday) but now three points behind Portsmouth, who lost 2-1 away from home to Charlton Athletic.

Bruno Soot:

Anyone for Colchester?

What an exciting game, end to end in one kick of the ball. Was so eager to get home for the highlights I nearly left at half time.

Everyone else will no doubt cover how embarrasingly awful we are, 3 points out of 30, with the nouse, desire, leadership and motivation of a rather backward Amoeba.

Oh yes, the chairman's gone on holiday, pity he didn't take the manager with him and misplace his passport...

Melbourne Baggie:

In the immortal words of the BCR. Bye, bye Baggie, Baggie bye bye, Bye bye Baggie, don't make me cry!

Keeper: yes, we have one.
Defence: yes, we have that too. Highly exposed but admirable.
Defensive Midfield: Yep, but he was suspended today.
Attacking Midfield: Sorry, what is that word starting with "A"?
Attack: There's that word again!
Manager: Is that a D&C suit? I notice that it still holds good shape when his arms are crossed!

For F***s sake! I feel like )&%#%^%$#@%%&*&&^%##!@Q#^&*&*&^@$#!!!!!

I am not falting the players, they try their hardest all the time. I, like all Baggies, wish we could F^%#$@&* score a bloody goal. Is it that hard! Once again, we have to rely on Pompey, no carrot for them this year though. Hopefully Sunderland... what the f$56 am I saying?

thecads:

I have a bigger fear growing....

I fear that we're going to struggle next season. The reason why is I do not see a style of football of any description based on our last 4 or 5 home games. Last night was typical - hit it to campbell for him to flick on - this was the main tactic all night - worryingly this didn't change when nicholson and kanu came on.

why didn't kanu start? if he was tired from against the arse then why play him in a game we would in all likelihood lose? why not save him until the bolton game.

we battled, we hassled but we can't pass accurately. that is the reason we're goign down - we cannot pass well enough in order to create chances, we cannot pass well enough to keep the pressure off our defence. Our defence has had a lot of criticism but i don't agree - yes they've made gaffs, but the ball is CONSTANTLY coming back at them - I'm not surprised they're making mistakes as they don't have the chance to recover.

when we do create the odd chance our fowards couldn't hit a cows arse with the proverbial banjo.

why is nathan ellington driving away from the game at 7.35??? (seen with my own eyes). he was changing gear with his bruised toe well enough... nice to see him stay to support his mates.

on last night's and the last few weeks tactics robson and pearson have got to go. the wrong team was picked again last night - kanu and inamoto should have started in place of aj and campbell. i love aj he tries 100% and he did okay lst night but we had to win last night, so go for it and pick ina and quashie in midfield. why wasn't albrechtsen picked - he has pace - he can get down the wing and cause trouble?? also, what are our throw ins like? at one point, robinson raised his arms and said" for f***s sake" to his team mates - there is no movement. we have the ball there is no movement. it's pitiful to watch - the basics are wrong - no passing, no movement - this must be coaching.

we desperately lacked creativity - kanu? (on the bench) koumas (on loan). yes, koumas is an idiot but he can create. yes, he's lazy, but who else can beat a man or make a special pass or deliver pinpoint corners and free kicks??

next season fills me with dread if robson is in charge - would you give him money to strengthen the team over the summer?

manmarks:

tomas - 7 - did he make a save?
robbo - 6 - better, but not the same since his injury.
watson - 6 - i like stevie, gets stuck in, fights well. reads game well. however he offers little going forward, as opposed to action man
davies - 8 - people moan at him for his passing, but i tell u what, he does his job - he never shirks, he never hides. ball comes in, he goes for it. he went for one ball and put it over his bar very well - how mnay of his team mates would have left it alone?? yes his passing is poor, but why is he having to make creative passes? we have noone else in midfield to do it.
johnny - 6 - started left, dropped into the middle to give us some creative passing -uuumm? crosses and corners were better, but where has last year's johnny gone?
gera - 6 - flashes of brilliance - noone else on his team are on their toes enough or can see his vision to react fast enough - looked knackered? does he warm up at half times to avoid robson's inept team talks or does he have to keep warm due to his injury??
quashie - 6 didn't stand out really
aj - 6 - love him - ok, he cannot do a 30 yd pass but he gives everything - a real pro - u reading this duke? it can't be easy with him being in, out, in out all the time.
campbell - 5 his time is up - i love his attitude - but what does he offer at the mo in terms of goal scoring???
kamara - 7 never hides - yes he cocks up, yes he wasts chances and beats one man too many, but he never hides, he is always available and he moves, unlike most of our team who stand and wait.
nicholson - 6 - never had a decent ball to play
kanu - 6 - cheerio, thanks for being the most skilful player i've ever seen in an albion shirt- i w ish i'd seen you play more
robson - 5 wrong team chosen, why not go 343 when we brought the subs on? we had to win you idiot.......
fans - 7 - i thought we supported team well for the first 25 minutes, but albion's lack of basics deflated the crowd, but we still supported them.

i'm fed up. i have really got to look at my money and see whether i want to afford to renew to watch games on fridays and 5 during midweek. i'm not sure i'm going to enjoy it or could make midweek games. i want to renew for my son and to get him to be an albion fan, but it's such bloody hard work.

Lamp Baggie:

Can we say we were surprised at another disappointing performance - the simple truth is we are not good enough the team is no better than when Robson took over & Mr Peace should really consider why he is involved with the Baggies - this is now his own little kingdom with no one to cause him any trouble (have a look at Seal Park - but at least they are an inferior Premiership team) we huff & we puff but we have no bite - unfortunately Robson like the majority of his squad is not up to life in the top flight - we can't attract quality at any level because we dont pay the going rate - and IMO Robson has not made the best use of his limited resources for instance last nights starting eleven & his poor substitutions.

What was the formation - 4-4-2 or 4-5-1? where were Greening & Kamara supposed to be playing? to create once chance & a couple of half chances over 90 mins at home aint good enough for a 'must win' game. Why no Kanu, Albie, Ina?

Is there a miracle on the horizon? Can Tommy K fly?

Baggins:

Dead Men Walking....

I've not posted for a few games - too depressed to bother or even watch MOTD. But now our debacle of a season is coming to an end with yet another inept home performance, I am so angry, I just have to write something.

Motivated by the Portsmouth defeat I went expecting for us to have a go at Bolton with an attacking line up i.e:

Pole, Alby, Curtis, Watson, Robbo, Kamara, Zoltan, Quashie, Greening, Kanu, Duke.

When the side was read out, along with most around me in the Woodman, I couldn't believe it. Ok Duke was injured (just what is wrong with this bloke?) but KC up front, Clement and AJ in too!!! You must be joking Robson. Campbell so imobile and slow, Clement such poor distribution and tackling and AJ who just offers nothing at all - indeed he's hardly nuisance value. This line up against a side who have lost their last five games? I won't bother to comment on match highlights as there weren't any.

This season has been moulded by lack of ambition in two transfer windows. Only Curtis shows any signs of being a Premiership player. Buying players for the future was hardly going to preserve our status particularly when with four vital games left, we have to revert to playing that donkey AJ while Chaplow is out on loan and Carter on the bench. Oh and Koumas scores another wonder goal for the Taffs.

I like many I have spoken to will not be renewing next season. Might as well spend the money on a Sky subscription than contribute to Peace's dividend.

bucksjim:

Opting for Sky at a friends rather than the 4.30-1.30 trek (with no return trains at that time, and unable to drive after an operation.) The match called for more attacking particularly in the second half. I agree with Dave that Kanu and Albrechtson should have had at least half the match. Kamara should be sold asap, as his misses and failure to keep his feet alone have cost points in double figures. I would have instead also played Watson throughout given the absence of Wallwork and thus allowed Davies scope to go forward. I think the way through (in the premiership as compared to the championship) is for speed and groups of ball playing players rather than the long ball. We lack the speed and the groups and pass hastily acrossfield as if the ball was an unwelcome object.

Next week if Pompey win and we lose we are relegated, and despite the work rate and "luck" just about deservedly so though Villa and Fulham run us close at times.

PS I used to watch Southend and Colchester with my Dad 55 years ago and remember the crumbling concrete of Roots Hall and the railway sleeper terracing at Layer Rd with affection. I never thought my great West Brom would one day be playing there though.

timmo:

My second posting of the season and probably my last.

The Bolton game was an absolute farce. A must win game and we manage 2 shots on goal at home??? What in Gods name is going on at this club? A year ago, we were focused, organised and effective. Now we look like we have no heart, no hope and no future. Chairman on holiday, ?3 million stiker AWOL, Manager permanently pissed, players clueless.

For Gods sake, will somebody please get a BLOODY GRIP!!! At this rate, Southend visits will be a one season luxury before sampling the delights of Wrexham and Mansfield.