Have we been punching above our weight ?

[Prando]

Whilst it’s exciting to have great expectations and I’m certainly guilty in that regard, I’m also conscious that our footballing level is pretty well commensurate with our current league position. Notwithstanding, I am hopeful and believe that we have a good opportunity to achieve the playoffs.

The initial league success achieved at the start of the season was clearly not a true reflection of our prowess, as the recent form has demonstrated. I’m prepared to accept that we are in fact a ‘top half’ Championship team, but nevertheless look forward to us again ‘punching above our weight’ and making the playoffs.

Such ambition is of course achievable providing the players show commitment, spirit and a better attitude ! Having said that, the potential excitement of actually winning the playoffs would be frightening !

Take care and accentuate the positive.

[Dubbag]

Agree Prado.
I think it's a squad of players that should be doing better. That we aren't is possibly down to many things but management of the club I think has permeated down to the pitch.
I would conclude we should be top 4 in this league at best and our current form is probably about right considering we are barely able to score one goal a game.....
Lots of room for improvement and hopefully a good end of season undefeated run should now begin ..👍

[wbaliquidator]

I admit in comparison to other seasons we don’t have the quality or the mental desire.
But there is no doubt that almost the entire playing staff have underperformed since September.
Players do have periods of poor form for one reason or another but Val legacy has resulted in a negative situation in almost every way, financially, technically and emotionally.
Last season many of our current squad actually would have improved as players operating at the top level, players like O’Shea, Townsend etc, it was really hard for them at times, often out of their depth, but they learnt. Likewise under Sam Ayai, Furlong, Bartley in the end improved under good coaching.

I honestly expected us and Fulham to be clear favourites and we were! Bookies know a thing or too
Robinson, Grant, Reach, Mowatt, have all done well in this league before, Moulmby and Robinson combine well for the Republic. Carrol will always be a handful

So although we don’t have the standard of players I would like I’m optimistic that the very negative and unsuccessful influence will fade away but it will take time.

Even if they can start to perform at their base level we’ll be a decent team and who knows Bruce may get them to play above themselves. Furlong and Ayai have already responded I think.

Play offs , yes well within our capabilities. Win it? Why don’t? but Forest would be my favourite at the moment.

[df46]

I agree with all the above comments good to see some positivity. For me Prando and Soulman are the most positive supporters on the board👏

[boingy]

We have good players. They aren’t playing well enough at the moment. That’s all it is. I still rue the day Pulis got us 10th in the Prem and we didn’t push on for the next season. The board spent nothing. Should have spent then. I saw us kicking on establishing as a top 8 team, attracting a change in manager to take us further BUT the WBA setup is just not ambitious enough. They proved it then, and they’ve proved it now.

[saltnshake]

Ok so being positive there is only 1 small issue stopping us get promoted we don't score enough goals to win enough games to get us in the top 6, it doesn't really matter who the manager is or which system we play.

[mickd1961]

We have good players. They aren’t playing well enough at the moment. That’s all it is. I still rue the day Pulis got us 10th in the Prem and we didn’t push on for the next season. The board spent nothing. Should have spent then. I saw us kicking on establishing as a top 8 team, attracting a change in manager to take us further BUT the WBA setup is just not ambitious enough. They proved it then, and they’ve proved it now.

You’re so right about this, it p I s s e d me off then and it does now.

If you remember, at the end of that season we absolutely murdered Chelsea in our final home game, 3-0 or 3-1 I think but we played them off the park, Brunt had a blinder.

Regardless of Pullis he had us tight at the back and scoring some goals and the football wasn’t dire........BUT!

We all knew that Morrison was starting to struggle with the ankle injury that finished him, most Albion fans were clamouring for two things,

1/ A ball carrying midfielder with the ability to go past a player and with an eye for goal to at least match and hopefully better Morrison, in effect a bit of an upgrade on a player who took stick from fans despite what he’d brought to our team and our club.

2/ At least one proper centre forward, Rondon’s goal every 5-6 games and desperately barren spells were always going to lead us into trouble.

We needed the next Odemwingie or Lukaku ( whom we very nearly got again on the one deadline day ) and possibly a Gayle type who could finish like Kevin Phillips.

If Lai had spent £25m to £30m on two or three players such as the above to go with what we already had I am convinced we’d still be a Prem side now and for 14-15 consecutive seasons.

You always strengthen when you’re doing well in any business, not when you’re failing.

£30m not spent 6 years ago has probably cost Lai £300m or more by now.

Such bad business.

The types of additions we needed could’ve been sold off for at least what we paid for them if we had got relegated.

I will never understand his logic.