(20.1.26) And a 7.45pm kick off at the shrine (The Hawthorns) hosts our biggest game of the season so far for all the wrong reasons, it's the battle of the birds the Throstle's vs the Canaries (W.B.A V Norwich City), it's been branded around as a six pointer?, IMO it's more like a nine pointer. Albion sit in 19th place heading into this crunch fixture on 31 points, Norwich are breathing down our necks on 27 points, if the blatantly obvious hasn't sunk in yet? the threat of relegation is a reality so this one is massive.
Not for the first time this season our first half performance was one to forget, but our second half performance was much improved against a very good Middlesbrough side on Friday (16.1.26), after coming from two goals down in Head Coach Eric Ramsay's first game to earn what looked like a very good and much welcomed point. For us to concede in the final moments of the game and lose it 3-2.
After digesting yet more disappointment over the weekend, I eventually found the mindset to watch the highlights of the Boro game, I always like to watch our game back on TV which gives you a totally different analysis from watching the game live. The first half didn't get any better, apart from conceding late on I took quite a few positives away from our second half performance. Going into the Norwich City game I was quietly confident that we'd have a good platform to carry on from heading into such a big game.
How wrong was I, a cold, damp and seriously wet January night greeted a mediocre crowd and our so called stars in stripes weren't much better, from the second the whistle was blown Albion were second best in every department. Norwich who have also recently changed their manager and come into this fixture in good form were clearly up for this one. Men against boys was the way I evaluated the first half as we headed in at the break a goal behind.
I was clinging onto the hope of a better showing in the second half like the one we produced against Middlesbrough?, what was served up can only be described as a DISGRACE! as Norwich went onto complete a 5-0 drubbing. If it's a case of being outclassed by better opposition I'll take that on the chin all day long, but the manner in which we conceded the goals was totally unacceptable, "your not fit to wear the shirt" echoed around the ground, something which is never good to hear but I simply can't argue. Passion, desire, leadership, organisation I saw none of that.
It's a long journey home back to Norfolk for those Norwich fans, returning after a result like that they must of felt like they were flying, that result puts them on 30 points just 1 point behind Albion. Portsmouth who are another team in the mix have games in hand followed by Blackburn Rovers and Oxford United.
It's still very early days for our new Head Coach Eric Ramsey so for the time being I won't point the finger at him, I seriously think the sacking of Ryan Mason should have been done a lot sooner, games are coming thick and fast now with very little time for Mr Ramsey to implement his ideas and style of play on the squad as well as getting to know them as individuals, Tuesday's performance should give him a clearer picture regards that?. A lot of football is still to be played, and I'm sure I speak on behalf of every West Bromwich Albion supporter reading this hopefully our fortunates turn for the better and soon rather than later.
Thanks for reading, Boing Boing - Matt.
