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Why the actual fuck did they get rid of Bilic?!
WBA had failed to win 29 of past 39 league games with Bilic probably has a large part to play in their decision making process.
According to their lot he was given 2 years to get them promoted.... Did it in 1.
Surely he deserves a clean slate at that point????
Were it not for Brentford having a meltdown (even Forrest in that regard) they wouldn't have gone up. Yes I get points is points and they finished 2nd at the end of the year by not having a meltdown, but truly those two clubs had epic meltdowns during the run-in and were better than WBA IMO.
They are crap though. I watch Fulham by comparison and they are far better and perhaps more importantly improved from last season too, which for me if you are at the bottom of the table the context has to be if you are improving as a team. WBA are not improved from last year, there is no trajectory in their performances. You can see Fulham aren't a bad side, they still likely to go down but they are clearly forming an identity, have a style of play and therefore shown signs of coaching and that the team is with the manager. Same to can be said of Norwich last year, Southampton too.
I am however scratching my head at replacing him with Big Sam. If it goes well this is more than likely to manifest as a "new manager bounce" nothing more but I do not see him improving them as a team over a longer-term, given the two managers I would prefer to stick with Bilic as I think he's better. But I completly get why he's being fired.
I'd perhaps get it a bit more if they'd backed him.....
Re: Trajectory/Identity.... Last time I heard such talk it was about Arteta,
It is not overly difficult to assess both a pattern of behaviour and results that suggest West Brom’s trajectory to be worrying. This season alone, West Brom have won 1 of 13 Premier League games, they had conceded four more goals than any other side and only two sides had scored fewer goals.
Over the longer term Bilic's record between December 11, 2019, and the end of last season, when the club failed to win 17 of their final 26 Championship matches of the campaign. Taken together, therefore, West Brom have not won in 29 of Bilic’s last 39 games in the Championship and Premier League.
But if you are looking at where the results are going to come from in the remainder of this season it's where the alarm bells should ring. In the matches, West Brom may realistically expect to take points from in the Premier League (and therefore ovoid getting relegated) — against Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Brighton, Sheffield United and Fulham — Bilic has secured ONE win, against Sheffield United, and his team scored only four goals. This record, to me, suggests it to be improbable that Bilic would be able to retain the club’s Premier League status. It also shows why I wouldn't give him any "backing" whatever that means or translates to. I'd sack him now he simply isn't doing a good enough job and this includes looking holistically and the circumstances of last season in the Championship.
Identity is absolutely critical in understanding how the team plays under a manager, whether they play as asked, which means whether his methods are working and/or his ability as a coach can be measured. The trajectory of a club is also the context from where they were at the point of when a manager took over to where they are currently. (I didn't mention Woolwich but gave relevant examples of Clubs that were in a similar situation, but as you mention Woolwich their trajectory and their identity is in the bin, so that too is just as relevant all be it over a much shorter period of games and non-comparable in other aspects like finances etc).
Would you have similarly understanding if Norwich had sacked Farke in the summer?
....How about 3 months after promotion?
No, I'm saying the complete opposite Falke had his team playing well, they were clearly a well-coached side with a strong identity. (Same with Ralph at Southampton). This is the reason why I would have stuck with both. There is nothing like this at WBA, they are shit.
They were shit last year in the Championship, they are just as shit now, there has been no improvement. The view isn't this three months it's a much longer period than just what's happened in the PL.
Says it all.
West Brom limped over the promotion line. If I was a WBA board member (should that be bored member haha) I would have thought that replacing Bilic in the close season to be a smart move. Always assuming that you can replace with better.
On that form, if they'd lost out on promotion, they wouldn't be in the mix for promotion this season. So - you've got a manager who probably won't get you back in the promotion race, but you're entrusting to make a success of the PL campaign? Lol.
Bilic seems a decent bloke. Interviews well. But a top manager? No way. He left Spam in a shambles (like I said, decent bloke). But he can't sort out a defence. His one good season there was inheriting Fat Sam's defence while lucking out on Payet. (and pls ask Spam fans what they think of Slav subbing off Payet when 1-2 up at WHL with a few mins left, that worked out well didn't it).
And this season's win v Sheff Utd - I've never seen such disastrous goal "attempts" from an oppo!! SU striker (?) had a free hit 3 yards out, smacks it over the bar!! Sandra really would have scored that one.
Whilst I agree Bilic has to be sacked I do question WBA board and what it is they are looking to achieve. Their managers of Big Sam (best win ratio was 43% for Blackpool 25yrs ago!! Pardew (14% win ratio) & Pullis (29% win ratio) is an absolute classic. Wedged in between this lot I thought Darren Moore had done the best job (his win % was 48% too, their highest in the last decade).
Yeah with Fat Sam it's an admission that the best you can hope for is shite football and holding out for 0-0's and 1-0's ad nauseam.
Surely you can scout someone decent from Europe, someone with a track record like Poch at Espanol who did such a good job immediately with Saints.
Yep. The risks are present but imagine if they had spent a year scouting a Manager behind the scenes, played the long game by working out how they intend to play and why. Then provide that manager with the environment for them to maximize their potential. If it doesn't work out have another guy in mind who also shares the same philosophy, basically commit to how you want to play, build the team with the right profile of player and get the manager(s) that match this philosophy (it's also why I am at a loss why we went 180-degree change ourselves).
Bilic going is not outrageous, I don’t think he’s a great manager or ever has been, although he talks a good game he rarely coaches it, but like a thinking man’s hipster Harry Redknapp.
But fucking Allardyce? Seriously? What a lack of imagination and ambition.
Take leaf out of Southampton’s book, Leeds, Fulham, show some fucking bollocks, get a bit innovative FFS.
But fucking Allardyce? Seriously? What a lack of imagination and ambition.
Take leaf out of Southampton’s book, Leeds, Fulham, show some fucking bollocks, get a bit innovative FFS.
I think that the powers in charge at WBA are looking to consolidate their place in the prem in the short term, hence Big Sam's appointment.
I would imagine that the bigger picture in terms of style of play etc will need to come later if and when they reach safety.
I doubt very much Big Sam will be at WBA any longer than his 18 month contract, if indeed he lasts that long.
Maybe after this period the Ambition of the club will come more obvious.
It's a shame what the club has become. When I was a kid it was huge with some really good teams, such a loss to the game really.
Surely they dont care if they stay up
Always despised West Brom, maybe because they always seem to cause us a problem whenever we play them.
They are just a nothing team - boring, unambitious without any identity and largely stink up the Premier league whenever they are in it.
Never ever played good football and have seemingly no desire to even try to finish higher than about 14th. Maybe that's their level but must be a depressing club to support.
They are just a nothing team - boring, unambitious without any identity and largely stink up the Premier league whenever they are in it.
Never ever played good football and have seemingly no desire to even try to finish higher than about 14th. Maybe that's their level but must be a depressing club to support.