WBA VS ROVERS - SAT 27TH

[Dreams of 1995]

A return for fan favourite Tony Mowbray to The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion. As far as West Bromwich goes it's just off the M5 with not much else except the "Baggies" to talk about. I'm sure we are all aware of Sir Tony's success at this club so it should be a rapturous reception for the boss. Unlike the horrid journey to Swansea last night this one is quite easy, save the roadworks. It should take about 2 and a half hours and the Hawthorns ground is fairly decent as far as away ends go.

It's been a while since we last played WBA. 2012 to be exact with a team that included the likes of Gamst Pedersen, NZonzi but also the likes of Lowe, Modeste and Goodwille. The dark days we shall call it. On that occasion we lost 3-0 and the cretin that is Liam Ridgewell scored against us - a man that has played for every Midlands club there is and once wiped his arse with pound notes.

I haven't been the Hawthorns personally since 2008. That day McCarthy opened the scoring before being sent off; it all looked doom and gloom until the man, the myth, the legend that is Keith Andrews popped up with a long range equaliser minutes from time. This team consisted of the likes of Nelsen, Samba, Tugay, McCarthy and.....................Vince Grella. Fuck.

Fun fact: The Baggies design their home kits based on Tesco carrier bags.

Overall we tend to have the beating of West Brom. We've lost 44, won 52 and drawn 29. With both teams scoring and conceding goals for fun the Saturday game should be full of action - queue 0-0.

As I write this Frank Lampard's Derby are giving Baggies a spanking at home. So it looks like both sides will be going into the game on the back of defeats - with both having something to prove it will all come down to which defence leaks the least. With the injury to Lenihan it leaves us looking to the likes of Rodwell or Downing for a right footed centre half. Playing Williams will essentially mean an unorthodox centre half partnership of two left footers (can you name a famous partnership comprising of two left footers??). 

The current West Brom squad has the likes of Dwight Gayle - who loves to score against Rovers - Burke, Sako and Harvey Barnes. They all take it in turns to bed bath Hoolahan, Barry, Mears and Boaz Myhill. Currently managed by the extremely likeable chap Darren Moore. Ultimately though this team still has the stamp of a negative Pulis and the "play from the back" style football Moore is trying to promote isn't possible with the lumbering centre halves Henghazi and Kyle Bartley. If we can get at them up the pitch we have the pace to close down the dinosaurs and force mistakes. 

There's also a dingle that plays up front for them. He's also racist....if you believe the papers. The unwashed tried to sign him in the summer but couldn't afford him after spending the budget on paper clips to file all the rejected offers - no surprise there. The Championship seems his level though and I have no doubt all his relatives and lovers have been sending telegrams all week getting him up for the game. Be sure to boo him, call him a dingle and make his afternoon utterly miserable. That'll be a nice sideshow. 

As a final note: Tony Mowbray's Blue & White Army.

[tomphil]

Bouncebackability for Rovers or are we entering a little sticky patch that was going to show up sooner or later ?

WBA 2  Rovers 2 - after being two nil up !

[blueboy3333]

WBA are getting battered 4-0 at home by Derby.  You'd think that would have an effect one way or t'other come Saturday. 

[roversfan99]

Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

Rodwell Evans

Reed Dack Palmer

Graham

Subs: Leutwiler, Bell, Smallwood, Bennett, Armstrong, Brereton, Rothwell

Going to be a tough game. If Lenihan is injured then Downing to start as at least he is a centre back, albeit whoever comes in there will be a weakness. If Nyambe doesnt make it, Reed at right back, Bennett isnt up to it. And no Brereton wide or Dack number 9 rubbish.

[DE.]

13 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

WBA are getting battered 4-0 at home by Derby.  You'd think that would have an effect one way or t'other come Saturday. 

We know exactly how it's going to go.

[blueboy3333]

Just now, DE. said:

We know exactly how it's going to go.

That's the spirit.

[jim mk2]

West Brom have lost 2 in succession and taken 4 points from the last 12 and will be in desperate need of a lift.

Cue the arrival of soft-touch Rovers, always guaranteed to help out-of-form teams, with more defensive leaks than Thames Water.

You know the rest of the script........

[chaddyrovers]

                       Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell

               Rodwell Evans

Armstrong      Dack        Rothwell

                       Brereton

Subs:- Luetwiler Williams Smallwood Reed Bennett Conway Graham

If Lenihan is out this team

Raya

Nyambe Rodwell Mulgrew Bell

                    Reed Evans

Armstrong      Dack        Rothwell

                       Brereton

Subs:- Luetwiler Williams Smallwood Palmer Bennett Conway Graham

The team I think Mowbray will pick

                             Raya

          Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

 Bennett  Reed  Rodwell  Evans  Bell

                            Dack

                         Graham

    

 

[jim mk2]

Why would anyone pick Brereton in preference to Graham ? 

[blueboy3333]

Brereton's mum.

[@roverseas]

Hot of the press Derby showed us what we need to do this weekend, and hopefully we can get more of the same on Saturday.  However it could end up with us getting a spanking, so fingers crossed Mowbray is staying up late and watching some replays of both the Swansea result and WBA's defeat.  No visiting supporter for this match, too many lazy buggers! Anyway, match build up and more. 

 

[Exiled in Toronto]

My brother-in-law - a Baggies fan - is in charge of match traffic arrangements, so better leave home an hour earlier.

[G Somerset Rover]

5 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

Brereton's mum.

Or Chaddy.

[Mattyblue]

They score plenty, but they’ve conceded a load too, 22, similar figures to the bottom three.

Another Stoke incoming? 

Edited October 25, 2018 by Mattyblue

[Tom Stinny]

My team for this game

 

Raya 

Bennett Rodwell Mulgrew Bell

Reed Evans 

Palmer Dack Rothwell

Armstrong

 

Get into their faces and high press them into mistakes. Let them play and they'll win comfortably. Take ideas from the derby game and how they made it uncomfortable for them. A front four like the above are mobile enough to get around.

Would like to see Graham and Brereton playing as a two in the second half as well if needed. 

 

Could be 3-0 either way but would go for a 2-1 win as we can't defend but neither can they. Rodwell to pocket Rodriguez the former dingle all game.

[Sparks Rover]

9 hours ago, chaddyrovers said:

                       Raya

Nyambe Lenihan Mulgrew Bell

               Rodwell Evans

Armstrong      Dack        Rothwell

                       Brereton

Subs:- Luetwiler Williams Smallwood Reed Bennett Conway Graham

If Lenihan is out this team

Raya

Nyambe Rodwell Mulgrew Bell

                    Reed Evans

Armstrong      Dack        Rothwell

                       Brereton

Subs:- Luetwiler Williams Smallwood Palmer Bennett Conway Graham

The team I think Mowbray will pick

                             Raya

          Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

 Bennett  Reed  Rodwell  Evans  Bell

                            Dack

                         Graham

    

 

Strange you've taken a dislike to Palmer when his record is miles better than Brereton. Palmer is more likely to help our cause than Brereton.

[Colt Seavers]

Interesting that hardly anyone is picking Smallwood. 

In truth he will be the first name on Tony's teamsheet.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I hope we've managed to sort out how to defend at corners. Craig Dawson is probably one of the best at attacking corners in the league.

[Waggy76]

Can you pay on the door at West Brom ??

[JHRover]

3 hours ago, Mattyblue said:

They score plenty, but they’ve conceded a load too, 22, similar figures to the bottom three.

Another Stoke incoming? 

Those are typical statistics for a side managed by an inexperienced manager but one that is still packed with quality players. We had similar under Kean when we came down (not trying to be harsh on Moore by comparing him to Kean).

Relatively easy to let a team containing the likes of Gayle, Rodriguez, Sako, Phillips etc. off the leash in the Championship - they'll score goals all day long and dish out some thrashings along the way - but the dirty work of organising a defence is a bit more difficult and that is clearly their Achilles heel. Only one clean sheet all season for them.

By all accounts Moore seems like a nice bloke and I think it is good that they've put their faith in an unproven British manager but I still think that it might be what costs WBA this season. I think on paper they've got a top 2 squad but I'd be surprised if they ended up getting close to that. Maybe play-offs.

Unfortunately we've got our own defensive issues to worry about and don't have the attacking capabilities/depth that they have. I've no doubt that this is going to be a long afternoon, as even if we get ahead it will be a Bolton style performance where we've got our backs to the wall hanging on for dear life, which rarely works out well.

 

[Butty]

12 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

WBA are getting battered 4-0 at home by Derby.  You'd think that would have an effect one way or t'other come Saturday. 

Worst possible result for us they’ll be desperate to bounce back on Saturday and you just know that the dingle Jay Rod is going too score against us! Going to be a really tough game for us. 4 very winnable games coming up after this one for us though so I’d snap your hand off for a point at the Hawthorns, I’d like too see Rothwell and Palmer get some game time, be good too see Dack a bit more involved than he has been the last few games too. I know he scored against Bolton and you cant knock that but he’s been pretty quiet overall in the games against Leeds, Sheff Utd Bolton and latterly on Tuesday night against Swansea. Maybe I expect too much of him, or maybe all the transfer talk has had an impact on him. ? 

[Butty]

1 hour ago, Sparks Rover said:

Strange you've taken a dislike to Palmer when his record is miles better than Brereton. Palmer is more likely to help our cause than Brereton.

Palmer played well against Bolton and it was his run that started the move that led to our goal, shame he’s not been involved since. I’d like too see him get some game time on Saturday for sure. Strange that in Chaddys first team selection he doesn’t even have Palmer on the bench! He’s one of the few players in our team who can actually play wide behind the front three rather than being someone who’s main position is somewhere else on the pitch. Justice for Palmer, give the lad a start  

[rigger]

I am on the 09:17 train from Preston.

[Waggy76]

Just now, rigger said:

I am on the 09:17 train from Preston.

Northern rail are on strike ..so that counts that out for me ..

 

[JHRover]

2 minutes ago, Butty said:

Palmer played well against Bolton and it was his run that started the move that led to our goal, shame he’s not been involved since. I’d like too see him get some game time on Saturday for sure. Strange that in Chaddys first team selection he doesn’t even have Palmer on the bench! He’s one of the few players in our team who can actually play wide behind the front three rather than being someone who’s main position is somewhere else on the pitch. Justice for Palmer, give the lad a start  

Ironic that Palmer's loan signing was probably the most celebrated on here of all of our summer transfer additions and yet recently he's been used less than anyone (bar the injured Davenport).