A tale of two penalties

The talking points to come out of the game at the Emirates will have been the two penalties awarded to Arsenal. The Gunners got a much needed win but West Bromwich Albion were on the end of a harsh defeat.

Two controversial decisions meant the Baggies left the Emirates empty handed. It just wasn’t Albion’s day and they found themselves on the wrong end of two key decisions. Three straight defeats for West Brom and they will want to get back to winning ways pretty quick.

The Baggies have made a great start to the season and they were always going to have a blip at some point. Every team have a period where they will struggle to get results. Despite three straight defeats, West Brom will bounce back and they will start winning games again.

Controversy

Up until Arsenal were awarded their first penalty, Albion were defending well and the Gunners weren’t causing any real problems. It is fair to say Arsenal were handed an early Christmas present when Steven Reid was alleged to have brought down Santi Cazorla.

Replays clearly showed us that the Spaniard took a dive and referee Mike Jones fell for it. Cazorla is a quality footballer but what he did on Saturday was an absolute disgrace and the Spaniard went down way too easily.

Something needs to be done to punish players who dive. Perhaps an immediate five match ban.

Arsenal’s first penalty without question changed the game. But that wasn’t the only controversial moment.

Arsene Wenger’s side were given another penalty this time in the second half. Chris Brunt was penalised for a foul on England winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and it was a penalty. However in the build-up that led to the second penalty, Goran Popov was pushed by the former Southampton player and Albion should have been awarded a free-kick.

But it wasn’t to be and Mikel Arteta dispatched the second penalty. There was no coming back for West Brom.

Steve Clarke and the players have every right to be aggrieved with the way Mike Jones officiated the game. Jones if he hasn’t already looked back at the game will realise he made two big mistakes. And those mistakes proved costly for the Baggies.

Being a referee is a tough job don’t get me wrong and I wouldn’t like to officiate a game. Referees will make mistakes but these mistakes are occurring too often and we need to see consistency. Although goal-line technology will be coming, why can’t football embrace technology?

If cricket, rugby and tennis have been able to benefit from using technology, why can’t football use it? Why can’t the referee ask the fourth official to view video replays to assess major incidents? It might take time to look at a replay but by viewing replays you would end up making more correct decisions than wrong ones.

Home fixtures

West Brom have two massive home fixtures coming up and winning those games will edge the Baggies closer to the 40 point mark. However they won’t be easy games.

West Ham have performed exceptionally well this season and for me they have exceeded expectations. Their second half display against Chelsea was terrific and Sam Allardyce deserves credit for the way his side have played this season. Allardyce always has a habit of keeping sides up and I still can’t understand why Blackburn got rid of him. Blackburn’s loss and West Ham’s gain.

In Kevin Nolan, the Hammers have an excellent leader. However losing Mohamed Diame for up to 12 weeks is a huge blow.

Albion will be in for a tough game against West Ham but the Upton Park outfit will also know they will be in for a tough encounter at The Hawthorns. It will be a close game but I can see the Baggies just about coming on top in this game.

The last time these sides met at The Hawthorns, the game ended 3-3 with West Brom having been 3-0 up at half-time. If that game is anything to go by, we are in for a cracker.

Norwich City will be up next for the Baggies after West Ham. The Canaries are on a roll with their latest victory coming against Swansea at the Liberty.

I did fear for City when they lost 5-0 against Fulham and were beaten 5-2 at home by Liverpool. However Chris Hughton has turned things round and Norwich are playing some great stuff at the moment.

Grant Holt seems to be getting back to his best, Sebastian Bassong is chipping in with vital goals and Norwich City will definitely provide a stern test for Albion. Norwich may not have world class players but they are a team that have plenty of spirit and have players who can cause plenty of problems. Robert Snodgrass, Bradley Johnson and Wes Hoolahan are some names that spring to mind.

Now is not the time for Albion fans to panic. Now is the time to get behind the players and be the 12th man in these next two home games and for the remainder of the season. There are still plenty of reasons to be optimistic and things will look a lot better if Albion can win their next two fixtures. The next seven/eight games will determine where West Brom are going into the second half of the season as Steve Clarke rightly said on Saturday after the game against Arsenal.

The Baggies have winnable fixtures coming up and I am confident Albion will get back to winning ways ASAP starting against West Ham. Keep the faith and lets get behind the West Brom players.

Manish’s Verdict On The Baggies – Stoke City (Home)

3 Games and 3 Defeats. Not What The Doctor Ordered.

Heartbroken, shocked and dejected. Three words you can use to describe how Albion fans will have been feeling after the defeat at home against Stoke.

When are West Bromwich Albion going to end their hoodoo against Stoke? The Baggies yet again conceded in the last ten minutes and the manner of the goal conceded was appalling.

There are bound to be West Brom fans out there who are starting to get a little bit worried and I wonder whether Roy Hodgson will consider bringing in a defender before the transfer window closes on Wednesday.

But there is still a long way to go and Albion are capable of having another good season in the Barclays Premier League. All is not lost.

Possession

West Bromwich Albion should have picked up at least a point and got their season running on Sunday. Stoke did have chances but Albion for me dominated the game and were more than a match for Tony Pulis’ side.

West Brom had plenty of possession throughout the game but were unable to make it count and were made to pay for their missed chances.

The link up play at times from the Baggies was pleasing on the eye. And I know its easier said then done but when you get chances you’ve got to take them. Look at what Manchester United did on Sunday.

Yes United are a better side than Albion but when the chances came to score against Arsenal, United took them and put eight past their opponents. Plus United were ruthless in front of goal. Something West Brom should take note of.

Shane Long’s header in the first half was brilliantly saved by Asmir Begovic and that was Albion’s best chance of the match. Somen Tchoyi played well again and he’s probably been one positive for the Baggies so far this season.

Mistakes

Just when you thought Albion had learnt from their mistakes against Chelsea and Manchester United, they go and concede in the last minute of the game. You need to be switched on right from the word go until the end of the game.

Ben Foster and Gabriel Tamas were at fault for the Stoke goal and you cannot afford to be making mistakes week in week out otherwise the opposition will punish you. Stoke did just that.

Foster for me should have come for the ball and not waited for Tamas to deal with it. Problem = Communication. If Foster had come out and made the call that the ball was his, Stoke would not have scored. Simple as. Had Gabriel Tamas headed the ball out of play, Stoke would not have scored.

Did Ryan Shotton win the ball off Foster with a high foot? I’m not sure. But that should not have happened in the first place anyway.

However you have to give credit to Stoke and Tony Pulis. Pulis has always made Stoke difficult to beat and for sure his side are a benchmark to the likes of Norwich, Swansea and QPR in establishing themselves as a Premier League side.

Defensive mistakes in the last ten minutes have cost West Brom in the first three games of the season. This has to stop now and the next two games against Norwich and Swansea are must-win.

I can imagine Roy Hodgson will have gone ballistic with his players at full-time and rightly so. Apart from Wayne Rooney’s goal in the opening game, Albion have conceded soft goals. United’s second goal, both of Chelsea’s goals and Stoke’s winning goal were preventable.

The International break has come at a good time in my view for Albion. At least in that time they can regroup and do more work on the training ground ahead of the next fixture.

Regarding signings, I am very surprised Albion have not gone in for Scott Dann. Dann would be a terrific centre-back partner for Jonas Olsson and the former Walsall defender has already proved he can cut it in the top flight.

Owen Hargreaves as I have said would be a decent signing. I still think Albion could do with another striker but Hodgson has already said he does not expect to see West Brom sign any more players before the transfer window.

Still lets see what happens before the transfer window closes. Up The Baggies and Keep The Faith.

Target Achieved For The Baggies

You often hear about sporting teams having a rollercoaster of a season and enduring many highs and lows. Well that certainly proved to be the case for West Bromwich Albion in the 2010-2011 season.

The ultimate aim for Albion was to survive and in the end the Baggies avoided relegation comfortably. Any West Brom fan after the season opener at Chelsea will have snatched your hand off if you said to them they would finish 11th in the league come the end of the season.

But Baggies fans can no doubt be proud of what their side achieved last season and under Roy Hodgson who knows how far West Brom can go.

And even though he was sacked in February, Roberto di Matteo played a part in Albion surviving so we cannot forget that.

The Baggies recorded some famous wins last season and fans of West Bromwich Albion will be hoping the club can now consolidate itself as a Premier League club.

Rosy

Until West Brom went in freefall, di Matteo was doing a fine job and Albion were at one stage fourth. The Baggies had managed to get a point at Old Trafford and beat Arsenal in their own backyard.

Losing 6-0 on the opening day of the season was not how Albion wanted to start the season. West Brom however were playing Chelsea and not many teams will go to Stamford Bridge and beat them.

It was a crushing defeat and it will have been hard to take but it was only one game and plus Albion were up against the reigning Premier League Champions.

Along with Javier Hernandez, Peter Odemwingie was another bargain of the 2010/2011 season and the Nigerian played a huge role in Albion surviving. Odemwingie could not have got his West Brom career off to a better start as he scored the winner against Sunderland on his debut.

From the Sunderland home game up until the away game at Blackpool, things were looking good for the Baggies. Wins against the likes of Fulham, Birmingham City and draws against Spurs, Bolton and Manchester United proved Albion were capable of giving teams a run for their money.

And of course not forgetting West Brom’s famous 3-2 away win at Arsenal. All the pressure was on Arsene Wenger’s side and Albion had nothing to lose going to the Emirates Stadium.
In the first 45, Arsenal did have their chances but so did Albion and had Chris Brunt converted a penalty late in the first half, the Baggies will have gone into the dressing room at half-time one goal to the good.

Heads could so easily have dropped after Brunt missed a first-half penalty. Did that happen? No chance. Peter Odemwingie put Albion in front, Gonzalo Jara added a second and then Jerome Thomas sent the Baggies fans into delirium as he scored the third. 3-0 up and Albion were on course to secure a famous win. Arsenal did score twice but the Gunners failed to deny West Brom a deserved win.

If that result was sweet for Albion fans then there was more to come. Similarly to the Arsenal game at the Emirates, West Brom went to Manchester United with no pressure knowing that United were expected to win comfortably.

2-0 to United at half-time and the game did appear to be over. But as we saw time and time again last season, West Brom never gave up and yet again they were able to get a result after falling behind.

West Brom managed to pull it back to 2-2 and even though the Red Devils were pushing for the winner so were Albion. A draw at Old Trafford was a terrific result and no doubt morale was high after that result.

Taking a turn for the worse

But the result that triggered Albion’s downfall was the away fixture at Blackpool. Pablo Ibanez was controversially sent off in the early stages of the game and then Jara lost his cool and went in two footed on Luke Varney.

Down to nine men and asking West Brom to get a result was always going to be a tall order. In the end West Brom lost 2-1 and this result appeared to have taken the stuffing out of Albion.

West Brom did record victories over Everton and Newcastle after the loss at Blackpool. But with Albion just hovering above the relegation zone in February and results not going Albion’s way, that was enough for Jeremy Peace to decide that a new manager needed to be drafted in.

The Baggies were in freefall but when I heard the Italian had been given ‘gardening leave’ I was literally shell shocked as I’m sure most Albion fans were.

Sacking di Matteo in February after the transfer window closed, I honestly thought Peace made a mistake. But then again, Albion could not have appointed a better successor to di Matteo in Roy Hodgson.

The former Fulham manager did not have the best of times at Liverpool and was inevitably sacked after results were not going in Liverpool’s favour. But West Bromwich Albion immediately offered Hodgson an immediate return to management.

Although I was disappointed to see di Matteo go, I was absolutely delighted with the appointment of Hodgson and believed West Brom would stay up. Had West Ham sacked Avram Grant in January/February and not after the away game at Wigan, the Hammers would probably have survived.

Roy will have been tearing his hair out at the end of the home game against West Ham after the Baggies let a 3-0 lead slip away and West Ham came back to salvage a draw. Straight away Hodgson knew he had a job on his hands and the Albion fans will have been hoping he was the man to turn the club’s fortunes around.

Revival

One turning point in West Brom’s season will have been the 1-1 draw against Wolves. With four minutes of injury time added to the 90, Albion were trailing and it looked as if Wolves would take the derby honours.

But up stepped Carlos Vela to spoil the Wolves party and send the Baggies fans barmy. Vela also scored the equaliser in the away game at Stoke and the Mexican did have chances to win that game for the Baggies.

Whether Vela will be at Albion next season does seem unlikely although personally I would like to see him back at The Hawthorns.

Since Hodgson took over, West Brom were only defeated twice by Chelsea and bitter rivals Wolves. Losing to Wolves will have been hard to take for Albion fans but by the time both sides faced each other at Molineux, the Baggies were already guaranteed survival.

Many hoodoos were broken in the 2010/2011 season for the Baggies and no doubt beating Liverpool and Aston Villa will have been sweet victories to saviour for the fans.

Hodgson immediately was able to sort the defence out who were conceding goals left right and centre in. But Roy also made Albion a difficult team to break down with Youssouf Mulumbu and Paul Scharner sitting in front of the back four.

Yes Albion were still letting in goals but they were certainly a more tougher nut to crack under Hodgson. The one thing I was impressed with was the amount of fight and resilience shown by the players throughout the season.

There were so many occasions where Albion came back from losing positions to pick up draws and wins. Newcastle away on the final day of the season was a prime example. 3-0 down and it looked as if the Baggies were on their way to defeat.

But West Brom as they have done so often came back to get a result thanks to a hat-trick from an unlikely source in Somen Tchoyi. The home games against Liverpool and Villa saw Albion trail by one goal and yet the Baggies once again came back from behind and on both occasions won.

Finishing 11th was a fine achievement for the Baggies and I suppose the only disappointment was not finishing in the top half. But any West Brom fan will have taken a safe mid-table finish at the start of the season.

Billy Jones and Gareth McAuley have already joined Albion on free transfers. Both were named as ‘Player of the Season’ for their previous clubs but there may be one or two fans that may question those signings.

Jones and McAuley signed for the Baggies from Championship teams and with Albion trying to strengthen their squad, should they really be signing players from the Championship? Only time will tell whether Jones and McAuley are decent acquisitions for the Baggies.

Peter Odemwingie was a simply a revelation for West Brom last season and without his goals, Albion probably will have been relegated. Keeping hold of Odemwingie will be crucial for West Brom and the sooner he signs a new deal at The Hawthorns the better.

Now is the time for Albion to establish themselves as a Premier League club and under Roy Hodgson, Baggies fans will be optimistic they can have a decent 2011/2012 season.

But media pundits will probably come up with the ‘second season syndrome’ phrase and state that Albion will struggle. It will be a tough 2011/2012 season but last season proved West Brom can cut it in the top-flight and can be a match for anybody on any given day.

Survival Sunday – The Fight To Stay In The Barclays Premier League

The battle to survive in the Barclays Premier League has just been as intriguing as the title chase and any two of five teams can still be relegated on the final day of the season.

For the fans of Wigan Athletic, Blackpool, Birmingham City, Wolves and Blackburn Rovers, it promises to be a nail-biting day for those fans. I am probably not the only one who cannot call which two teams will join West Ham in the nPower Championship next season.

A couple of weeks ago, we had people writing off Wigan and Wolves. Yet Wigan find themselves in the relegation zone only on goal difference and Wolves have won their last two games which has seen them move out of the bottom three.

Birmingham appeared to be safe with three/four weeks of the season to go. But this years Carling Cup winners are only above 18th placed Blackpool on goal difference with one game of the season left.

Before I go onto preview Survival Sunday, I want to put forward my views on what proved to be a disastrous season for West Ham United.

The 3-2 defeat at the DW sent the Hammers down despite being 2-0 up at half-time. Two goals from Demba Ba in the first 45 put West Ham in cruise control.

But West Ham were the architects of their own downfall and their sloppiness in the second half cost them dearly. For me the Hammers only have themselves to blame for the way their season panned out. Avram Grant also has to take full responsibility for West Ham’s relegation to the second tier of English football.

It seemed Grant was set to be sacked after West Ham lost at home to Arsenal and we also saw him throw his scarf into the crowd at the end of the game. But for some reason, the Israeli remained manager until the Hammers relegation to the Championship was confirmed after the away game at Wigan.

You look at what West Bromwich Albion did in February. Roberto di Matteo was relieved of his duties after the club was in freefall. This decision shocked many people including myself. Roy Hodgson then came in and look at where West Brom are now.

Had West Ham sacked Grant in January/February, I reckon West Ham could have survived. And to be honest I do not see why Grant was sacked just after the Wigan game when he should have been sacked earlier in the season.

There will no doubt be a player exodus at Upton Park and the likes of Scott Parker, Robert Green and Carlton Cole will probably leave the club. You look at West Ham’s squad and on paper they should not have been anywhere near the relegation zone.

But at the end of the day, the players did not perform well enough on the pitch and West Ham were not able to close out enough games when they were in winning positions. Without Parker, the Hammers will have been relegated three/four weeks ago.

Football is a results business and West Ham were simply not good enough this season and the table does not lie.

So who will join West Ham in the nPower Championship? I really don’t know. The four main fixtures in the weekend will be Wolves v Blackburn, Man. Utd v Blackpool, Spurs v Birmingham and Stoke v Wigan.

All the teams who are involved in the relegation scrap will need to focus on what they have to do on Sunday. But then again at the back of the players minds they will want to know what is happening in the other games that will have an affect on their team.

Wolves

Two wins on the spin and Wolves have dragged themselves outside the bottom three. Mick McCarthy’s side looked dead and buried before the home game against local rivals West Bromwich Albion.

But by beating Albion and Sunderland, Wolves have given themselves a golden opportunity to survive. What a time to secure back to back victories. Wolves’ destiny is in their own hands and if they were to beat Blackburn on Sunday then their survival will be confirmed.

Steven Fletcher has stepped up to the plate in recent weeks and his goals may well be crucial come the end of the season. There is no denying Wolves have had many highs and lows.

The Molineux outfit have been able to beat the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Man. City but have struggled against the teams in and around them. That has been the one frustrating thing for Wolves and their fans.

If Wolves remain in the Barclays Premier League come 5pm on Sunday, then it will be a case of job well done and mission accomplished. But Wolves will then need to kick on and make sure their third season is not another relegation struggle.

The media and the fans have questioned Mick McCarthy’s decisions throughout the season but if McCarthy does keep Wolves up, then the fans will be happy and they cannot complain.

Blackburn

Blackburn are not out of the relegation picture either. They got a decent point at home against Champions Manchester United but Rovers like Wolves are only a point above the bottom three.

I still maintain getting rid of Sam Allardyce was the wrong decision and the Indian owners would rue that come the end of the season if they were to get relegated.

Big Sam’s brand of football is not a favourite with many football fans but Allardyce has had a habit of keeping clubs up. Look at what he did with Bolton.

Steve Kean and his side have struggled this year and fail to beat Wolves on Sunday; it could be Rovers who fall through the Premier League trap door.

Roque Santa Cruz has not set the world alight since his return to Ewood Park and Blackburn’s big players have not stepped up to the plate on most occasions in 2011. The first half of the season went well and Rovers were comfortably in mid-table. But since then things have gone downhill.

Chris Samba was immense against West Ham at Upton Park and all 11 players on Sunday will need to be at their very best if they are to avoid relegation. A point against Wolves could be enough to keep Blackburn up but they do need to try and win the game on Sunday if they can.

Blackpool

Well where do you start with Blackpool. Ian Holloway’s side have been a breath of fresh air to the Premier League and they certainly have entertained us this season. Many neutrals would love to see the Seasiders survive and I am one of them.

Defensively Blackpool have been at sixes and sevens but going forward they are a real threat. The likes of Charlie Adam, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell have all played a part in giving the Tangerines a chance of stopping up.

Even if Blackpool go down, the fans and Holloway should be proud of what his side have achieved this year. But if Blackpool were to survive, this would be one of the biggest ever shocks in Premier League history. Day one of the season they were written off and yet with only one game to go, the Tangerines are only in the bottom three on goal difference.

But they have a very tough game on Sunday as they travel to Old Trafford to take on this years Premier League Champions. With United set to name a reserve team for Sunday, this could play in Blackpool’s favour. It will be a tough game for Blackpool make no mistake but don’t underestimate Holloway’s side. They could still yet pull off the impossible.

Birmingham City

The one team I fear for is Birmingham City. I fancied the Blues to get at least one win from their last two home games that would have guaranteed their survival.

About four/five weeks ago we thought Birmingham would have no problems in staying up and they would not be dragged into a relegation dogfight. But Blues are currently 17th in the league and are only above Blackpool and Wigan on goal difference. It could be the case that it comes down to goal difference in deciding who will be relegated and who will survive.

I suspect Blues’ Carling Cup run has had an impact on the Birmingham players but scoring goals has been a major problem for Alex McLeish’s side this season. They have not got someone who can at least bag them 15-20 goals a season.

Losing Scott Dann was a major blow for Birmingham and they have a difficult game against Spurs on Sunday. Spurs themselves still have something to play for and they will be looking to finish 5th ahead of Liverpool.

From a West Midlands perspective, I want to see Birmingham and Wolves survive but at the minute I do fear for Birmingham more than I do for Wolves. Birmingham were simply shocking against Fulham and the performance against Spurs needs to be ten times better. Fate is still in Birmingham’s hands but Blues need to put in battling performance on Sunday and make sure they do not get beat.

Wigan

And finally we come onto Wigan. How big a win was that on 15th May 2011 for Wigan against West Ham? 2-0 down at half-time and it seemed to be curtains for Wigan and their Premier League future.

But they battled hard in the second half and scored three priceless second half goals. You could argue West Ham gifted Wigan all three of their goals and were the architects of their own downfall.

Charles N’Zogbia once again was instrumental and what a time for Connor Sammon to score his first goal for the club. Wigan for sure will head to Stoke with plenty of belief and believe they have a real shot at staying up.

Stoke will be hoping to end their season on a high after the disappointment of the FA Cup Final and of course losing 3-0 to Manchester City in the league on Tuesday. Stoke have had a terrific season and I’m sure they will want to win their final game of the season for the fans.

Going to the Britannia Stadium at any point of the season is a daunting prospect but Wigan will believe they can get a result at Stoke after their spirited second half performance against West Ham.

Two/three weeks ago, Wigan appeared to be dead certs to go down along with Wolves. But both sides have given themselves hope and the Latics like Blackpool are in the bottom three only on goal difference.

It promises to be an intriguing day on Sunday and the fans of those teams involved in the battle to survive will be biting their nails. I cannot call who will go down but come 5pm on Sunday we will. It is going to be a roller coaster of a day.

Baggies Bring Blues Back Down To Earth

Many West Bromwich Albion fans will have probably thought Saturday was the perfect time to play Birmingham City after the Blues’ heroics in the Carling Cup final.

After an uneventful first half, the second half sparked into life once Youssouf Mulumbu put the Baggies in front.

Despite Birmingham equalising immediately, Albion scored two more goals to secure their third away win of the season as well as three crucial points. 

Five points out of a possible nine for Roy Hodgson in his first three games as Head Coach. Not a bad start at all and its obvious that Albion have reaped benefits from what Hodgson has done.

Still plenty of work to be done but the signs look good for West Brom.

Resilience

Not many teams will go to Stoke and Birmingham and get anything so for Albion to get four points is pretty impressive.

I’m sure the point against Stoke will have given Hodgson’s side a lot more confidence heading into the game against Blues.

The Baggies could so easily have gone on to win the game against The Potters but still a point against Stoke is not a bad result.

The last two games have given me optimism that West Brom can get themselves out of trouble. In both the games against Stoke and Birmingham, Albion kept plugging away and you could not question the commitment and desire the players showed.

For me it was no major surprise on Saturday that Hodgson stuck with the same starting eleven who were in the line-up to play Stoke. Only Graham Dorrans failed to start against Birmingham after picking up an injury in training.

The first half was a non-event although Hodgson would probably have taken 0-0 at half-time. Both sides did not create any clear cut chances although West Brom did have the better of the possession.

Jerome Thomas looked threatening once again but the one thing I was frustrated about was his final ball. On one occasion in the first half, he could have sprayed the ball out to the right for James Morrison and Morrison could have had a clear shot on goal. But Thomas opted not to and the chance was gone.

Still 0-0 at half-time, I’m sure West Brom will have been happy with that scoreline and they limited Birmingham to a small number of chances in the first 45.

Odemwingie

Peter Odemwingie came on for Marc-Antoine Fortune at half-time and the Nigerian made an immediate impact. Odemwingie’s pace caused problems for the Birmingham defence and his persistence led to Albion opening the scoring.

The Nigerian managed to keep hold on to the ball and through luck the ball reached the oncoming Mulumbu who managed to poke the ball past Ben Foster from 10 yards and Albion went 1-0 up.

Birmingham however went up the other end and equalised which will have been frustrating for Hodgson and the Baggies fans. A swift counter attack from Blues and Jean Beausejour met Lee Bowyer’s pin point ball to score his first goal in Birmingham colours.

West Brom heads could so easily have dropped but did that happen. No! Steven Reid was able to make his way deep into the Blues half with no challenge and fed Morrison who made no mistake from 20 yards with yet another screamer.

Odemwingie should have made it 3-1 after Chris Brunt’s effort hit the inside of the post and went straight to the striker. Odemwingie unfortunately put his effort over the bar when really he should have found the back of the net although the ball did come quickly at him.

The Nigerian’s blushes were spared as Paul Scharner headed home a third to help Albion secure their third away win of the season. After a quick corner, Scharner met Morrison’s cross on the back post after slack marking.

I have to admit, Scharner had a cracking game by putting in crunching tackles, looking calm in possession as well as scoring West Brom’s third goal. Apart from giving the ball away in the first half in a dangerous position to Cameron Jerome, the Austrian never put a foot wrong and had a fine game.

Every single Albion player had a great game and the resilience and desire shown by the players was great to see. If West Brom continue to play like they did against Stoke and Birmingham, then Albion will stay up.

Scott Carson did not have much to do and you have to give credit to the Baggies for limiting the number of chances Birmingham had. Abdoulaye Meite seems to be a different player all of a sudden and on Saturday he put in yet another assured performance.

Optimism

The 3-1 win saw Albion climb to 16th in the league and above Blues who moved into the relegation zone after West Ham beat Stoke 3-0. It is still very tight in the battle to avoid relegation and anyone from Stoke downwards could still go down.

West Brom’s next three fixtures do look daunting (Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea at home) but then again there is no reason why Albion cannot get anything out of those games.

If Wolves can beat Manchester United and Chelsea at home and if Birmingham can beat Chelsea then there is no reason why West Brom cannot get any results against the big boys. This season has been unpredictable and there have been a lot of shock results including Albion’s win at the Emirates against Arsenal.

Looking at Albion’s next three games, the three points against Birmingham were a massive three points and West Brom do need at least another three or four wins to guarantee themselves a place in the Premier League next season in my view.

But from what we have seen so far under Roy Hodgson, things are on the up for Albion and there now appears to be a sense of optimism amongst Baggies fans that they can stay up.

Deserved Point for Baggies

He did it against Wolves and last night he scored late on against Stoke City to secure a priceless point for the Baggies. Its 2 in 2 for Carlos Vela and surely the Mexican has to start against Birmingham on Saturday.

West Bromwich Albion thoroughly deserved their point at the Britannia but it could have been three had Asmir Begovic not pulled of three great saves in the dying moments of the game.

But still a point is a point and I’m sure most Baggies fans will have taken a draw.

Despite falling behind early in the second half, Albion kept plugging away and they got their just rewards when Vela slotted the ball home from close range three minutes from the end of normal time.

Without doubt Roy Hodgson and the fans will have been delighted with the desire and spirit the West Brom players showed yesterday. Heads could so easily have dropped after Stoke scored. But no Albion never gave up and this result will give the players a lot more confidence heading into the game against Birmingham.

Selection

I have to admit when I first heard the starting 11 for Albion, I was very concerned. Despite his woeful performance against Wolves, Marc-Antoine Fortune started up front as the lone striker. Abdoulaye Meite made his first start of the season and replaced Gabriel Tamas.

I was pleased by the fact that Steven Reid was drafted into the XI ahead of Gonzalo Jara. But the fact that Meite and Fortune were starting the game filled me with dread as to how many goals Stoke were going to put past us.

The first half was pretty much a non-event and the only meaningful chance came from Jermaine Pennant. The former Liverpool winger hit the top of the crossbar with a free-kick just before half-time.

Still, Albion will have taken 0-0 at half-time and to be fair they defended well from Rory Delap’s long throw-ins and kept John Carew and Kenwyne Jones quiet.

West Brom are always prone to conceding goals from set pieces and from a corner Stoke scored their goal. Scott Carson perhaps should have done better but then again the player who was supposed to be marking Delap should have done a better job.

One nil to Stoke and I just thought it was going to be one of those days where Albion played well but did not got anything out of the game.

Nonetheless West Brom kept knocking on the Stoke door and it was all Albion after Tony Pulis’ side scored.

Graham Dorrans had an excellent game and was unlucky not score. For me, Dorrans is now starting to rediscover his from the Championship last season and he is improving game by game.

I thought Fortune had a much better game and he could have scored as well. His looping header hit the top of the crossbar and with Albion missing chance after chance, it might have been a story of what if.

I also have to admit Meite had a very good game and never put a foot wrong. The Ivory Coast defender looked assured at the back and did a very good job.

On came Peter Odemwingie, Somen Tchoyi and Carlos Vela to try and get a result for the Baggies. This was certainly a signal of intent from Hodgson to get something from the game.

Up stepped Vela to score his second goal for Albion for the second game on the trot. The on-loan Arsenal striker did appear to be offside when Steven Reid chipped in a cross. But the linesman kept his flag down and Vela calmly slotted the ball past Begovic.

1-1 and that was not the end of it. West Brom had chances at the end to get all three points. Vela had two glorious chances but give credit where it is due. Begovic made two great saves from the Mexican denying him twice from point-blank range.

Tchoyi also had a chance to make it 2-1 to Albion but his effort was again well saved by the former Portsmouth stopper. However a draw at the Britannia was not a disastrous result for Albion and I’m certain most Baggies fans will have taken a draw.

West Brom showed a lot resilience last night and they will need to perform like they did against Stoke for the rest of the season. Plenty of encouraging signs from the game last night for Albion.

Blues

Next up for the Baggies are the 2011 Carling Cup winners Birmingham City. I just want to say many congratulations to the Blues and Alex McLeish’s side deserved their win on Sunday against Arsenal.

Confidence will be sky high at St. Andrews and come kick-off on Saturday; there will no doubt be a party atmosphere inside the stadium. Could this work in Albion’s favour? You never know.

The West Brom defence will have another tall striker to contend with this time its Nikola Zigic. The Serbian has without question been rejuvenated after his role in the 3-1 win over West Ham in the second leg of their Semi-Final. 

Albion will certainly have their work cut out to deal with him. But if they can deal with Carew and Jones then I don’t see why Albion can’t keep Zigic quiet.

I would seriously consider starting Vela for the game against Blues but who would you drop out. Fortune had a decent game against Stoke and Hodgson could be tempted to stick with the same side.

It will be interesting to see the starting XI Hodgson puts out against Birmingham and whether there are changes from the side that got a valuable point last night.

But overall a decent point for Albion against Stoke and plenty of encouraging signs for the fans and Hodgson to take from the game.

Keep The Faith and Up The Baggies!

Is this really happening?

If you said to any Baggies fan at the beginning of the season that they would take four points from their first four away fixtures I’m sure they would have taken it.

West Bromwich Albion are certainly proving to be no pushovers and getting a point at Old Trafford was a fantastic result.

Despite beating Arsenal at the Emirates, I’m sure the majority of West Brom fans were not expecting the side to get anything at Manchester United.

2-0 to the Red Devils at half-time, surely it was game over. At this point you would have fancied United to go on and win the game. The scoreline could have been a whole lot worse had United taken their chances.

Had Nemanja Vidic’s header gone in early in the second half, then for sure it would have been game set and match for Manchester United.

But this current Albion side do not know when they’re beaten and the team spirit within the Baggies camp is unbelievable.

West Brom managed to score an early goal in the second half and from that moment you could tell that there was a spring in the steps of all the Albion players.

Albion’s second goal was of course down to an Edwin Van der Sar howler but you have to give credit to West Brom’s battling spirit.

Even though they were 2-0 down, the Baggies never gave up and they got a deserved point in my opinion. Particularly in the second half, Roberto Di Matteo’s side improved in all departments and they got what they deserved.

United did not know what had hit them after being pegged back to 2-2 and there was total shock amongst the Old Trafford faithful.

Not many sides will come back from two goals down against a side like Manchester United.

Every West Brom player played there heart out against United and Nicky Shorey in particular recovered well after his slip allowed Nani to tuck home United’s second goal.

Scott Carson should have held on to Nani’s free-kick, but after that early mistake the former Liverpool stopper did well when called upon. Jonas Olsson as always was terrific at the back and a special mention for Somen Tchoyi.

Tchoyi making his first start in the Premiership did well and scoring on your Premier League debut against Manchester United will be something that he will remember for the rest of his life. Who can blame him?

12 points from eight games is a decent return for the Baggies but it is vital that everyone keeps their feet on the ground.

Roberto Di Matteo’s side have a lot more steel about them compared to other Albion sides in recent times. They have also shown that they are no pushovers and will not be beaten easily without a fight.

I have been impressed with the start the Baggies have made to life in the Premier League this time round and if they can continue their fine form then they will stay up.

West Brom are now unbeaten in six games and any unbeaten run is bound to give you confidence. Even without Peter Odemwingie on Saturday, Albion always remained a threat when going forward which was great to see.

Next up for Baggies is Fulham. The Cottagers have made a decent start to the season under Mark Hughes and they have also proven that they are a tough nut to crack.

It will be interesting to see what reception Diomansy Kamara, Jonathan Greening and Zoltan Gera get. Losing Gera prior to the 2008/09 season was a huge blow and many Albion fans were upset to see the Hungarian leave.

Fulham will provide a tough test and with the likes of Simon Davies, Brede Hangeland and Moussa Dembele on board, Albion will be in for a tough game.

Still things are looking good for Roberto Di Matteo’s side and hopefully they can build on their fantastic point at Old Trafford.

Anyone in dreamland after Saturday’s result?

Many West Brom fans will have taken a point away at Arsenal but to come away from the Emirates with three deserved points will do wonders for the team’s confidence.

Albion heads could have dropped easily after Chris Brunt missed a penalty but the Baggies continued to press Arsenal from the start of the second half and they thoroughly deserved their win.

Not many teams will score three goals past Arsenal. You could argue that the first and second goals were down to Arsenal errors but you have to give credit to West Bromwich Albion for the way they battled and the desire they showed throughout the game.

The Baggies were not given a prayer before the game at the Emirates and I honestly predicted that Arsenal would win by two/three goals. That’s football for you.

Confidence will have been high after two consecutive wins against Birmingham and Manchester City in the Carling Cup.

Roberto Di Matteo will have probably told his players that all the pressure was on Arsenal and that his side could go out there with no pressure whatsoever.

Arsenal did have chances in the first half but the Baggies held firm. Even though the Baggies were up against one of the best teams in the Premiership, Albion always looked a threat when going forward.

Chris Brunt had a golden opportunity to put Di Matteo’s side in front from the spot. Unfortunately the former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder saw his spot kick saved by Manuel Almunia and the score remained 0-0.

Albion might have rued that chance come the end of the game and their heads could have dropped.

But the Baggies started the second half strong and they went in front after superb work by Jerome Thomas. The ex-Charlton winger got past Bacary Sagna and put the ball on a plate for Peter Odemwingie to slot home.

Moments later West Brom made it 2-0 thanks to an Almunia howler. Gonzalo Jara was played in after a clever back heel from Brunt and the Chilean’s effort from outside the 18-yard area was spilled by Almunia and went into the back of the net. 2-0 and West Brom were in dreamland. Things however were about to get even better.

More great work from Thomas played in Brunt who managed to pull the ball back from a tight angle and on hand was Thomas to slam the ball home and put the Baggies 3-0 up. This truly was a fairytale and West Brom were on the way to record a famous victory over Arsene Wenger’s side.

Two Samir Nasri goals were not enough to prevent the Baggies from recording their first away win of the season and their first away victory at the Gunners in 27 years.

Every Albion player on the pitch that day was fantastic and Jonas Olsson and Pablo Ibanez were rocks at the back. Youssouf Mulumbu covered every blade of grass and did a great job in front of the back four along with Paul Scharner.

Jerome Thomas and Peter Odemwingie’s pace caused numerous problems for the Arsenal backline and despite missing a first half penalty; Chris Brunt was superb in the second half and played a part in two of the goals Albion scored.

10 points from 6 games, a really good start for Roberto Di Matteo’s side. The fans and everyone associated with West Bromwich Albion will be hoping that the Baggies can build on their famous win at the Emirates this weekend at home to Bolton.

The Trotters have improved considerably under Owen Coyle and they will be a tough nut to crack. With the aerial threat of Kevin Davies, Olsson and Co will have to be on their toes. Two decent draws against Villa and Manchester United underline that Bolton will not be an easy game.

Paul Robinson will be returning to The Hawthorns this Saturday so it will be interesting to see what kind of reception he gets.

It is vital that Albion keep their feet on the ground and do not get carried away by Saturday’s impressive result. I’m sure this is something that Di Matteo and his staff will address to the players.

Derby Delight For The Baggies

West Bromwich Albion came back from a goal down to beat their Midlands rivals Birmingham City 3-1 in an entertaining Midlands derby.

A game of two halves is one way you could describe the game and in the end West Brom got three vital points.

I certainly did not predict Albion to beat the Blues 3-1 before kick-off. But that’s football and anything can happen in derbies.

Birmingham went into the game on the back of a 0-0 draw against Liverpool. Based on what I have seen of the Blues so far this season, I honestly thought the Baggies were going to be in for a difficult afternoon.

Scott Dann and Roger Johnson have been terrific since signing for the St. Andrews outfit and City have become a hard nut to crack as we saw last season as well as this season.

So for West Brom to beat Birmingham by three goals to one was surprising to say the least. I was expecting a tight game with not many goals.

Many Baggies fans may have feared the worse after Cameron Jerome put the Blues ahead in the Midlands derby.

However the one thing Albion have is resilience and even though Birmingham did dominate the first half, Roberto Di Matteo’s side could have gone in level at half-time.

Just before the Blues went in front, Peter Odemwingie’s weak shot went straight into the arms of Ben Foster. Had the Nigerian’s effort gone either side of Foster, then the Baggies might have taken the lead.

Paul Scharner had an opportunity to equalise when he found himself free at the back post. Chris Brunt’s cross found the Austrian unmarked but Scharner’s effort was saved by Foster.

Birmingham deserved to go into the half-time interval 1-0 up but West Brom were not out of it. Di Matteo brought on Graham Dorrans in place of Marc-Antoine Fortune and Odemwingie went up front as the lone striker. This made a huge difference.

Albion looked a different side in the second half and Jerome Thomas gave Stephen Carr the run around.

Thomas got past the former Spurs defender and delivered a low cross which Scott Dann deflected into his own net although Odemwingie did claim the goal was his.

The Baggies after equalising were well on top and Birmingham had no answer. Although Cameron Jerome did have a long range effort that was not far off, Alex McLeish’s side did not create any clear cut chances in the second half.

A mistake from Lee Bowyer allowed Odemwingie in and the Nigerian slotted the ball home from an acute angle after rounding Ben Foster. Have Albion found a cult hero in Peter Odemwingie?

Roberto Di Matteo’s afternoon got better when Jonas Olsson headed in a Chris Brunt corner to put the Baggies 3-1 up.

After making a mistake for the second goal, you could understand Bowyer wanting to make up for it but going in recklessly on Gabriel Tamas will have done him no favours.

McLeish was spot on in substituting the ex-West Ham midfielder. Had Bowyer remained on the pitch then he may have seen the red card.

It’s just amazing what a goal can do for your confidence and when the Baggies equalised, the home side had the momentum and were totally dominant in the second half.

The game followed a similar pattern as to what happened against Spurs in Albion’s last home fixture. Tottenham were all over The Baggies in the first half but after Albion equalised, Di Matteo’s team had their fair share of the possession and could have gone on to win the game.

This time round Albion made their second half dominance count and it was three well earned points for West Brom.

One bright spark for Birmingham City was the performance of Alexander Hleb. The Belarus international was impressive in the first half and some of his play was second to none. He was kept quiet in the second half but I believe Hleb will do a great job for Birmingham this season.

West Brom can go to Arsenal next weekend with no pressure whatsoever. Albion will not be expected to get anything from the Emirates so all the pressure will be on Arsene Wenger’s side.

Before that, West Brom face Manchester City in the next round of the Carling Cup and I would not be surprised if there are some players who are rested.

Surviving in the Premier League is the top priority for West Bromwich Albion this season but it would be nice to have a cup run in either the Carling Cup or FA Cup.

Things are not looking bad for the Albion but there is still a long way to go!

Just What The Dctor Ordered For The Albion

A 1-0 victory and the first win under the belt for the Baggies. Just the small matter of an away trip to Liverpool this weekend.

Albion did deserve the three points against a lacklustre Sunderland side and its always good to get your first three points of the season in front of your home crowd.

Obviously it was going to be a tall order for West Brom to have got something from the Chelsea game but the Baggies must have seen the Sunderland game as winnable.

Sunderland last season were not great on the road so for Roberto Di Matteo’s side it was a great opportunity to get three points.

In the lead up to the game against the Black Cats, many Albion fans were saying that the game was a must-win and to be honest I agreed with them.

Bearing in mind our next three away fixtures are against Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United, it was vital that we got three points against Steve Bruce’s side.

I was pleased to see Jonas Olsson come in for Pablo Ibanez and that Peter Odemwingie started up front. Scott Carson kept his place between the sticks and whenever called upon he did what he had to do. Solid performance from Carson in my view.

West Brom were so much better against Sunderland than they were against Chelsea and from the first whistle you could tell that the Albion were well up for it.

Debutant Odemwingie was for me the man of the match and he really did deserve his goal. He worked the channels well, he is quick and he can also hold the ball well. The fact that he chased down lost causes was great to see and that is exactly what we need to see from the rest the Albion players.

If the Nigerian’s debut is anything to go by then the Baggies may well have the bargain of the Premier League if Albion do survive. It’s only one game but Odemwingie did definitely catch the eye amongst many West Brom fans including myself.

Chris Brunt also had a cracking game and was unlucky not to score. But overall it was a much better performance and at least West Brom can go to Anfield on the back of a win.  

Perhaps playing Liverpool now is an ideal time to play them. With Roy Hodgson’s side away at Manchester City tonight and then in Europa League action on Thursday, there are bound to be some tired legs.

First up we are away at Leyton Orient on Tuesday in the Carling Cup and Somen Tchoyi may well be in line to make his debut. Boaz Myhill could also make his first start for the Baggies.

West Brom just need to make sure they do a professional job against Orient and get through to the next round. Surviving in the Premier League is more important but it would be nice to have a good Cup run in both the Carling and FA Cups.