Postcard from...West Ham
1. Okay. Own up. Shelton Martis in defence? What thought came to your mind when the team was announced? Mine was one of surprise. But then Meite and Barnett were injured (is it me or is Meite injury prone more than most?) with Donk left out. A little harsh perhaps. He was poor vs Arsenal, but streets ahead of Meite.
Martis was excellent. He kept his nerve, he got riled at the right times - that would have got the thumbs up from Robbo no doubt - and he actually used the ball very well. It was his 40-yard diagonal long ball which picked out Brunt in the move that led to that corner where his header almost sneaked in. Dorrans too. Excellent. Any more of the same and we may have to ask why they weren't given a chance earlier?
2. Rob Green. It's one thing trying to point the finger at individuals in post-match interviews but his comments about Jonas Olsson were a bit like telling tales to the FA. Olsson is uncompromising, hard and the best captain Albion haven't got - but he's not dirty.
3. When does a good match become a bad match? When West Ham don't win perhaps. I still recall the horror among the assembled press when Albion won 4-3 back in 2003. Some of the national hacks were skirting the borders of hooliganism after the match. Poor Alan Pardew got some stick that day. Gianfranco Zola, one of football's gentleman, didn't get a raw deal but Albion's passing, movement and three clear cut chances weren't enough to convince Canary Wharf's Bubble Blowers that, actually, Monday night's game wasn't that bad after all.
4. So what does supporting Albion do to your health? I have no idea - although I've had to change a few intros in my time thanks to late goals. One colleague got so confused and stressed during the Battle of Bramall Lane that his newspaper had to ditch his report and opt for Press Association copy. But I know a man who might know more about the matters of the heart. Tony Vass, chairman of the Albion Supporters London branch, has been asked to wear a heart monitor for recent Albion games as part of a survey being conducted by Wrigley's Gum. That'll take some analysing. And, no, I have no idea what Wrigley's has to do with cardiac matters....
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Chris Lepkowski - Mail man Chris Lepkowski’s view of what’s going on at West Bromwich Albion FC.
I agree, Martis playing was a shock and seemed to come from nowhere, but not as big a shock as Greening playing behind Fortune. What was that all about? Mowbray has been quoted as saying 'Greening is our Gerrard'. He's having a laugh isn't he? Yes, Greening is one of our better and more consistent players, but he is not a Gerrard, certainly not in his style of play. Gerrard always looks forward, burst past player and into the box, always hits the target. Greening takes ten touches and passes it backwards, he's more defence minded. A complete waste of time playing greening in the way he did at West Ham. With a more attacking player here, I'm confident we'd have won the game.
Back to Martis, and yes a good performace, but lets not get carried away, West Ham posed nothing whatsoever upfront - even Robinson looked comfortable at the back, although less can be said for him goign forward. 5 crosses I counted from Robbo we're along the floor and cleared by the first man. Cech anyone?! But you can only play against whats in front of you, so Martis did the job and should have scored the winner.
Dorrans looked full of energy and had a few good touches, but I didn't feel he ventured forward enough, remember, a point isn't really good enough, but he certainly looks like one for the future.
In re to Rob Green, the guy is an idiot, everything that comes out of his mouth is rubbish, whether its telling Sheff Utd to get over it or moaning about being england's number 6 - maybe he should concentrate more on his game?!
Hi Wilko,
Interesting observations about Greening. He's played twice in that role and both games (vs Wigan and on Monday) Albion have created several clear-cut chances and looked far more polished just outside the 18-yard box. But while he may know how to execute passes, a goalscorer he isn't - as seen with the shot he chipped over the bar from close range.
You wonder whether a player with more attacking instinct - Borja, Morrison or, better still, Simpson - might have been better suited for that role.
Chewing gum is a great way to help alieviate stress and anxiety often experienced whilst watching football and in particular West Brom
How do I know this ???
I work for Wrigley !!
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Sarah
http://www.lyricsdigs.com