West Bromwich Albion - Opposition Views

[CHOULO19 24,332]

@Liam_Baggies, was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding our upcoming match against WBA:

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions.

We'll start with an easy one: How long have supported WBA?

I'm currently 17 and was forced into supporting WBA thankfully. My first seasons I remember are from 2002 onwards but they're vague memories. Got my season ticket in 2004 and have been going ever since.

You have made an excellent start to the season, but naturally pressure to maintain your form comes with it. Is there room for further improvement and do you think you can keep these performing like you have been?

There is room for improvement, I think there is any football team to be honest. Certainly retaining possesion would be something I'd add to the top of the list. There are occasions where we've been sloppy in possession and it's usually when teams are pressing up against us. As for keeping it going? Well, who knows. I'd like to think so but the pessimist inside me says we won't.

What is your opinion on Steve Clark so far?

I've fallen in love with him. He had massive shoes to fill and has so far has done extremely well. We were incredibly disappointed with our home form last season but so far, Steve Clarke has managed to turn that around and we've gone about it in a style and in the process beating some very good teams. Our demolitions of the Merseyside teams was superb. He also seems very keen to rotate the squad and get the very best from all the players. Roy was very much stuck in his ways but the promising signs from SC is that he's willing to adapt against the sides we're playing in a way which will suit us. He speaks very well, too, forever praising the players and deflecting the praise from himself to the players. I was pleased to see him take the job and even more pleased to see him succeeding so far.

You have had Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku on loan. What have you made of him so far? Do you see him as a future Chelsea Striker?

At the moment, I wouldn't have him in our starting X1. For a player which costs £18million I was expecting a bit more from him. I understood that he would have areas of his game which are raw and would need developing but there seems to be an abundance of raw areas and at times it shows. Don't get me wrong, he can produce a moment of magic and has taken his goals superbly well but I personally think he has a negative effect on our side. As the loan striker, he doesn't put in the effort required, nor do the channel work as we'd like. His touch is very much hit and miss, as is his passing ability. He had some very good chances to win us the game at Newcastle and managed to miss them both which in the end has cost us the game. Whether he will make the required progress to feature for Chelsea in the future, I don't know, but it would help if he discovered that he has a right foot. It is incredibly frustrating to see a player of his supposed ability so one footed.

Another person we have in common is your former manager and our current one, Roberto Di Matteo. What did you think of him at WBA? And what is your opinion

on what he has done at Chelsea (as a manger) so far?

He did a good job with us but I think it's important I highlight the work of Eddie Newton who was involved in taking the training sessions and creating our matchday game plans. Ultimately, the lack of experience cost him his job here and there were also rumours that he'd become lazy with him focusing on his restaurants etc. We made the right call sacking him. The football we played was very good, especially when we outclassed Arsenal, but once we hit a bad patch he was unable to turn it around. We were terrible defensively and it showed by our poor results. One thing which didn't help him was that he decided to go for the square pegs in round holes and by that time he was nearing the end. He did very well to get us promoted with our record points total. As for the job at Chelsea, he's won the FA cup and Champions League so I can't say much. I would hazard a guess the majority of the work is done by EN and SH. Is he the best option for Chelsea? I'm personally not so sure.

Chelsea spent big in the summer market to buy some of the best talents available. Do you see us as title contenders and is there someone in particular you fear can do some damage on Saturday?

I think a club of your status and the squad you carry should always be up there challenging for the title. The club has brought well with the signings of Oscar and Hazard. Mouth watering additions which will certainly add to your expansive attacking style. Whether you can beat the Man Citys, United's etc will determine whether you win the league. I can see you wiping the floor of the smaller sides apart but going gung ho attack against those better sides might prove costly. Player to do the damage on Saturday? Edin Hazard.

Who has been your best player so far this season and who should we look out for?

Our best player for me would be Claudio Yacob who has settled in the Premier League like a duck to water. Breaks up play, disciplined and very efficient in possesion. How we didn't pay anything for him still surprises me. Honourable mentions to Shane Long, James Morrison & Jonas Olsson. Player you should look out for: James Morrison. Instigator of our attacks and in the form of his life. He'd be in the England squad if he was English.

What is the likely formation and lineup we could see from WBA on Saturday?

I think it'll be more reserved from Steve Clarke due to your attacking prowess:

Foster/Myhill: Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Gera, Morrison, Dorrans; Long

What do you predict the score line will be?

I'm going to stick my head on the line and go 1-1.

Finally, where do you think the baggies will finish in the league this season?

I'll stick my head on the line and go 8th.

[Liam_Baggies 30]

Sorry to be pedantic but you could at least spell our name correctly!

[Kezza 1,965]

Jeezz CHOULO, wtf are you doing!!!

[Rambo 1,729]

Thank god RDM was so focused on his restaurants

[Strike 6,960]

@Liam_Baggies,

Disappointing that. About Lukaku. maybe we'll be needing him in January. we are short of options in attack.

and btw, we have been open at the back since around Terry's suspension and now he's out injured. not expecting a cleansheet tbh

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Sorry to be pedantic but you could at least spell our name correctly!

Oops, my bad. Apologies.

[Muzchap 8,966]

@Liam_Baggies, was kind enough to answer a few questions regarding our upcoming match against WBA:

Firstly, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions.

We'll start with an easy one: How long have supported WBA?

I'm currently 17 and was forced into supporting WBA thankfully. My first seasons I remember are from 2002 onwards but they're vague memories. Got my season ticket in 2004 and have been going ever since.

You have made an excellent start to the season, but naturally pressure to maintain your form comes with it. Is there room for further improvement and do you think you can keep these performing like you have been?

There is room for improvement, I think there is any football team to be honest. Certainly retaining possesion would be something I'd add to the top of the list. There are occasions where we've been sloppy in possession and it's usually when teams are pressing up against us. As for keeping it going? Well, who knows. I'd like to think so but the pessimist inside me says we won't.

What is your opinion on Steve Clark so far?

I've fallen in love with him. He had massive shoes to fill and has so far has done extremely well. We were incredibly disappointed with our home form last season but so far, Steve Clarke has managed to turn that around and we've gone about it in a style and in the process beating some very good teams. Our demolitions of the Merseyside teams was superb. He also seems very keen to rotate the squad and get the very best from all the players. Roy was very much stuck in his ways but the promising signs from SC is that he's willing to adapt against the sides we're playing in a way which will suit us. He speaks very well, too, forever praising the players and deflecting the praise from himself to the players. I was pleased to see him take the job and even more pleased to see him succeeding so far.

You have had Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku on loan. What have you made of him so far? Do you see him as a future Chelsea Striker?

At the moment, I wouldn't have him in our starting X1. For a player which costs £18million I was expecting a bit more from him. I understood that he would have areas of his game which are raw and would need developing but there seems to be an abundance of raw areas and at times it shows. Don't get me wrong, he can produce a moment of magic and has taken his goals superbly well but I personally think he has a negative effect on our side. As the loan striker, he doesn't put in the effort required, nor do the channel work as we'd like. His touch is very much hit and miss, as is his passing ability. He had some very good chances to win us the game at Newcastle and managed to miss them both which in the end has cost us the game. Whether he will make the required progress to feature for Chelsea in the future, I don't know, but it would help if he discovered that he has a right foot. It is incredibly frustrating to see a player of his supposed ability so one footed.

Another person we have in common is your former manager and our current one, Roberto Di Matteo. What did you think of him at WBA? And what is your opinion

on what he has done at Chelsea (as a manger) so far?

He did a good job with us but I think it's important I highlight the work of Eddie Newton who was involved in taking the training sessions and creating our matchday game plans. Ultimately, the lack of experience cost him his job here and there were also rumours that he'd become lazy with him focusing on his restaurants etc. We made the right call sacking him. The football we played was very good, especially when we outclassed Arsenal, but once we hit a bad patch he was unable to turn it around. We were terrible defensively and it showed by our poor results. One thing which didn't help him was that he decided to go for the square pegs in round holes and by that time he was nearing the end. He did very well to get us promoted with our record points total. As for the job at Chelsea, he's won the FA cup and Champions League so I can't say much. I would hazard a guess the majority of the work is done by EN and SH. Is he the best option for Chelsea? I'm personally not so sure.

Chelsea spent big in the summer market to buy some of the best talents available. Do you see us as title contenders and is there someone in particular you fear can do some damage on Saturday?

I think a club of your status and the squad you carry should always be up there challenging for the title. The club has brought well with the signings of Oscar and Hazard. Mouth watering additions which will certainly add to your expansive attacking style. Whether you can beat the Man Citys, United's etc will determine whether you win the league. I can see you wiping the floor of the smaller sides apart but going gung ho attack against those better sides might prove costly. Player to do the damage on Saturday? Edin Hazard.

Who has been your best player so far this season and who should we look out for?

Our best player for me would be Claudio Yacob who has settled in the Premier League like a duck to water. Breaks up play, disciplined and very efficient in possesion. How we didn't pay anything for him still surprises me. Honourable mentions to Shane Long, James Morrison & Jonas Olsson. Player you should look out for: James Morrison. Instigator of our attacks and in the form of his life. He'd be in the England squad if he was English.

What is the likely formation and lineup we could see from WBA on Saturday?

I think it'll be more reserved from Steve Clarke due to your attacking prowess:

Foster/Myhill: Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell; Yacob, Mulumbu; Gera, Morrison, Dorrans; Long

What do you predict the score line will be?

I'm going to stick my head on the line and go 1-1.

Finally, where do you think the baggies will finish in the league this season?

I'll stick my head on the line and go 8th.

Great post Liam, thanks for the insights!

I think you guys are the new-Newcastle this season and Liverpool are certainly suffering since the departure of SC.

Wish you all the best for the game - but ultimately hope we nick a win, would love to see WBA in Europe, so would love you to maintain your form (except against us of course )

[Steve 10,227]

Uploaded. Thanks Liam!