West Brom Post Match Thread

[malg]

Oh, and the next wanker who tells me we've been lucky with injuries is getting some. We've had midfielders filling in as left back most of the bloody season, and the depth of the squad is now being tested. One game at a time.

 

[Lee won pen]

The most satisfying thing about last night for me is that it showed the "IT'S A RISK TO PLAY A KID FOR 20 MINS AT 2-0 UP" crowd how bollocks that incredibly naff opinion is. Is it fuck. Playing an exceptionally talented kid, especially out wide for 30 mins, basically offers next to no risk. The worst that happens is that they're a bit quiet and that's basically about it. Brahim is quite clearly an exceptionally talented young player and letting him settle into this team should be relatively high on the priority list at the moment given the current injuries.

I’m so bored of the ‘what if sergio, sterling and bernardo got injured? What then?’ kinda arguments too. It’s ‘what if’ nonsense, and it’s relatively self-entitled too. We’ll just have to deal with it, like every other team should have to. I’d have loved Mahrez, as he’s quality, but I am not in anyway disappointed that we might have to find a solution that doesn’t cost £80m. You can’t throw money at every problem and using a young lad to get us through the tougher moments will, in my eyes at least, actually add a bit more value to our successes. It makes it that little bit sweeter.

Managers should have to manage and make do sometimes, and there’s no one better at finding a solution than Pep. I’m so glad he put Brahim on relatively early last night. He did exactly what he had to do when he had to. It was notable in my opinion too that because he had more than four minutes he was a lot more assured in possession. He didn’t give the ball away as much, cos he wasn’t as eager to make an impression. He felt settled and a lot less over-excited. The more he plays, the more he’ll feel at home. He’s a special little player with absolutely bags of desire and exceptional work rate. I’m glad he might get his chance.

Spot on twosips!

 

[OB1]

He's tough though & now, is reaching the stage where he can bounce adults off him like he has elder kids, throughout his time at City. Each step up in age group, has taken him a while to adjust to the different pace & physicality & he starts as the little terrier who gets pushed off the ball & gets kicked around, then becomes a highly skilled pit bull, who you can't push anywhere.

He's just making that transition now, with the first team.

He certainly appears to be tenacious and brave. I don't know the medical science on this but I assume his body is still developing and that he will (need to) get stronger.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I wouldn't say "shit", because it's made us money from player sales and the crop coming through now have obviously been nurtured for years. But it's taken a while to start bearing fruit, now it is doing and we are really seeing the benefits this season.

It's 'bearing fruits' simply because the manager has played them.

Diaz & Foden may turn out to be the best kids we have ever had.

But those who were second best, were pretty fucking good.

A talented young player not making it, is not something that should be put down exclusively to the player. It's our job as a club to try & make them better.

Pep imo, is the first manager to actually give a shit about doing that.

 

[M12Blue]

I wouldn't say "shit", because it's made us money from player sales and the crop coming through now have obviously been nurtured for years. But it's taken a while to start bearing fruit, now it is doing and we are really seeing the benefits this season.

we will only get credit when the England team rely on our players, and yes I know we have some there already, but we don't provide them with the stars yet.

 

[OB1]

He’s built like that argie that plays in Spain. Lionel something or other

I’ve been saying it for 2 years that this kid is going to be special, and I’m even more convinced now after seeing the 2 or 3 cameo appearances he’s made

Messi weighs a little more and a few kg of extra muscle wouldn't do Diaz any harm but they are very similar. I am just wondering if you have to be a bit more careful in terms of the physical development of a young player when they are small...

 

[blueonblue]

He chose to play Boyata. Then he dropped him, for ages, then stuck him back in, away from home in a European game, then dropped him for ages, then stuck him back in, at Old Trafford in a league cup semi final.

And just how did he do in that European game & semi final ?

He wasn't 'given them', he chose to waste our money on them, when he couldn't get his difficult targets, rather than do what Pep is doing, keep the money & look to spend it on quality.

Mancini signed none of them, that was down to our "Directors of football" , Roberto was far from happy and proved right as history shows.

 

[OB1]

Players not making it at other clubs, is the excuse for a shit academy system & timid jobsworth managers, throughout the Premier League.

Ours has been no different. Predicting a player's future as an axcuse not to give him ten minutes on the pitch, is just a sad excuse, as is the complete bollocks hat it 'harms' the team.

Delph is a good example of someone of medium talent, who is playing a key role in what could be the best side ever to play in this country. It's unlikely he would have shone, if he'd been in City's U18s.

Now we have a proper manager, I am optimistic things will change.

Actually I think Delph would have shone in our U18's. Delph was always a better player than a whole host of our supporters would allow. Pep didn't wave a magic wand over Delph and suddenly imbue him with ability he never possessed in the first place.

 

[Neville Kneville]

He certainly appears to be tenacious and brave. I don't know the medical science on this but I assume his body is still developing and that he will (need to) get stronger.

I assume he'll get stronger irrespective of whether his body is still developing, just for the fact of playing football & trainig as an adult. If you look at Aguero when we signed him, although a 'stocky' figure he still became even more solid.

 

[Cityfan]

for my money I would have resigned Tripier over Walker

Seriously?
Trippier is a decent footballer with a sweet right foot, but as a defender he is not a patch on Walker.
Sane shredded him when we played Spurs