A postcard from...Wembley
Some thoughts:
1. Wasn't surprised to see so many biased reports towards Harry Redknapp in today's national newspapers from some of the industry's heavy-weights (in more ways than one I should add). Having fought my way past their egos into the press conference room I overheard two of the better known journalists saying: "Thank god the most quote-worthy manager got through."
Funnily enough, I've never seen either of them at an Albion match or press conference before. Perhaps they'd just assumed Mowbray wasn't 'quote-worthy' because he has never managed darling team West Ham? Or maybe it was just a lazy assumption. What do you reckon?
2. Lengthy periods of dominance, a shot hitting the bar before going over and a sloppy goal conceded. The Play Off Final and Saturday's FA Cup semi-final - one of a kind.
3. Albion play in Black And White stripes, according to the matchday programme. What? Even so it was good to see Albion and Portsmouth wearing their home shirts - if only to prevent a repeat of last year's Play Off Final post-match press conference when a bemused Tony Mowbray was asked by one experienced hack, just moments after his side have missed out on promotion and a £40million prize, why his team had been wearing black when there was no obvious clash with Derby.
4. A somewhat drunk and disorderly lone Portsmouth fan marching up and down the aisles of a Birmingham-bound train, goading disappointed Albion fans and generally making a nuisance of himself. Luckily some of the more sensible passengers defused the situation and stopped a couple of angry Baggies fans from lynching him. The half-wit was duly 'escorted' from the train at Beaconsfield (By 'escorted', I mean the train doors opened and he flew onto the platform) and, for all I know, may still be there.
5. A question for John Motson - who is Robert Core-ren?
6. If Albion play for the remainder of the season as they did on Saturday then they will take some stopping. Agree or not?
7. Was alerted to a great tale on Albion messageboard http://fansonline.net/westbromwichalbion/mb/index about Texas-based Albion fan John Hubbard, who was so determined to see Saturday's semi-final that he basically pestered the hell out of a TV network until they gave in. John said: "After much complaining, haggling, presuading and generally being a complete nuisance to anyone related to TimeWarner Cable TV here in Austin, I'm happy to report that the game is now available for purchase in Austin." Priceless
8. From the Wembley Arch and national exposure on Saturday to the shadows of Blackpool Tower and relative obscurity this Tuesday. If a week is a long time in politics then what are 72 hours in football?
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Chris Lepkowski - Mail man Chris Lepkowski’s view of what’s going on at West Bromwich Albion FC.
The Telegraph remember to mention West Bromwich after five paragraphs, Martin Samuel serialises the latest from the Harry Redknapp fanclub in The Times, and Paul Wilson in The Observer kindly decides we were 'one paced' and 'there for the taking'. Let's hope he gets to cover Stoke for the remainder of the season.
At least Ronald Atkin in The Independent and Joe Lovejoy in The Sunday Times suggest all is not lost.
The eulogy to Redknapp by Rob Shepherd in the NOTW yesterday was excruciating. Apparently, the FA cup is his by right because he was arrested on suspicion of dodgy-dealing earlier in the season. Work that one out! Shepherd must have been welling up as he wrote from the sheer emotion of his own prose.
The article had about half a dozen paragraphs that were relevant to the match, the rest was hysterical, one-eyed drivel. It would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.
I didn't think there was much in the teams at all, Good effort from the Baggies, can they put their cup trauma behind them and concentrate on their patchy league form?
My favourite report to date. The Mail this morning reports 'Kanu's decisive second-half strike against West Bromwich Albion, the team he saved from relegation 3 years ago'.
Yes, the same Kanu that put a similar chance, but from slightly closer in, over the bar for West Brom. If only he had repeated his relegation-saving performance on Saturday.
yes good call stuart.
the medias obsession with portmouth and redknap is embarrasing.
I actually want cardiff to win the final
You lot sound very bitter and twisted, we did not play well but were still better than you, that I am afraid is a fact of football life, the difference between the the premier league and the championship is massive. When we went up we had the best side to come out the division for years, but we had scrap 60% of our team as they would not have been good enough. Good luck for the rest of the season.