MATCHWATCH : West Bromwich Albion (h)

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Not always easy when we haven't been playing to his strengths too much recently and teams are putting a lot of bodies in and around him to stop him playing.

He isn't going to be getting a goal every other game in this team this season I don't think anyway.

[Snowflake Royal]

Yeah, wouldn't say Joao was a "massive threat", but probably our biggest in the game and he certainly didn't perform poorly by any means.

Cleverly and selflessly set up probably our best chance for Hendrick to miss.

[3points]

My first game in person this season.

Didn't like the Carroll/Joao pairing. If we play Joao then I'd prefer to play Ince further forward and more central with Hendrick pushing on as well. I know Hendrick gets a lot of criticism from fans generally but I thought he was decent in the second half, always showed for the ball and was a willing runner (mistake for second goal notwithstanding). Compared to the loanee in DD we had last season, Hendrick is a much better option for us. Not sure what to make of Loum though

Not sure why Gooding gave NGW MotM. Thought he was too negative, in a Chris Gunter kind of way, and I thought he could have taken on Philips more often (he was also poor in defending Philips' goal).

Thought we had a clear handball penalty shout about 20 minutes from the end as well - think it hit Pieters.

A 4-2-3-1 type formation could suit us quite well atm, as someone else has said, with Meite as a right sided forward attacking the back post and Ince playing centrally.

My other overall view - WBA were a poor team and I don't think they will pull too far away from the relegation zone. Their starting front 3 on Asante-Thomas, Wallace & Diagana showed absolutely nothing and offered very little. Swift must have been dreadful if these three are starting ahead of him. Asante-Thomas looked like what he was a few weeks ago - a former Man Utd academy player plying his trade in League 1/2 with Salford. I guess if Darryl Dike can return in the coming weeks then they won't look so lightweight up front. Diagana was dreadfully poor too. Their 3-4-3 shape almost looked like they had 4 centre backs for most of the game as Livermore played so deep and also isn't a shape that suits Swift either.

What is quite telling is that I'm not sure they had one player in their starting 11 that I'd want to swap with our squad.

[South Coast Royal]

My first game in person this season.

Didn't like the Carroll/Joao pairing. If we play Joao then I'd prefer to play Ince further forward and more central with Hendrick pushing on as well. I know Hendrick gets a lot of criticism from fans generally but I thought he was decent in the second half, always showed for the ball and was a willing runner (mistake for second goal notwithstanding). Compared to the loanee in DD we had last season, Hendrick is a much better option for us. Not sure what to make of Loum though

Not sure why Gooding gave NGW MotM. Thought he was too negative, in a Chris Gunter kind of way, and I thought he could have taken on Philips more often (he was also poor in defending Philips' goal).

Thought we had a clear handball penalty shout about 20 minutes from the end as well - think it hit Pieters.

A 4-2-3-1 type formation could suit us quite well atm, as someone else has said, with Meite as a right sided forward attacking the back post and Ince playing centrally.

My other overall view - WBA were a poor team and I don't think they will pull too far away from the relegation zone. Their starting front 3 on Asante-Thomas, Wallace & Diagana showed absolutely nothing and offered very little. Swift must have been dreadful if these three are starting ahead of him. Asante-Thomas looked like what he was a few weeks ago - a former Man Utd academy player plying his trade in League 1/2 with Salford. I guess if Darryl Dike can return in the coming weeks then they won't look so lightweight up front. Diagana was dreadfully poor too. Their 3-4-3 shape almost looked like they had 4 centre backs for most of the game as Livermore played so deep and also isn't a shape that suits Swift either.

What is quite telling is that I'm not sure they had one player in their starting 11 that I'd want to swap with our squad.

You seem to have forgotten the first 25 minutes when they were all over us.

I agree about Asante-Thomas but if Dike ever gets fit and Grant returns to some form along with Bartley, Ajayi, Furlong and Swift I think they will climb the table quite steadily.

[Royal Rother]

I saw Thomas-Asante score a hat trick for MK Dons against Windsor a few years ago when he looked different class.

Maybe Step 9 is his level!

[Hound]

I thought he looked quite good tbh…

I did like that CM who scored their second goal. Looked a quality player

[Sutekh]

I thought he looked quite good tbh…

I did like that CM who scored their second goal. Looked a quality player

Taylor Gardner-Hickman - first senior goal too!

[bcubed]

I thought he looked quite good tbh…

I did like that CM who scored their second goal. Looked a quality player

Taylor Gardner-Hickman - first senior goal too!

Great strike for the goal and very positive going forward. But most noticeable for me was his willingness to get about the pitch and close our players down. Seemed to me he was especially quick to get to Ince. Thought he was old fashioned man marking at one point

[Cuppliance]

Yeah, wouldn't say Joao was a "massive threat", but probably our biggest in the game and he certainly didn't perform poorly by any means.

I’m not sure anyone did, did they?

I didn't think NGW looked particularly fantastic personally speaking.

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

[URZZZZ]

I’m not sure anyone did, did they?

I didn't think NGW looked particularly fantastic personally speaking.

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

+1, thought he was one of the brighter sparks, decent footwork and a couple of nice crosses too

He’s not all there yet - he’s still some distance away, hence the defending for their first goal. But there are real promising signs there and together with Rahman, our LB position is at its most strongest/balanced it’s been for a while now

[bcubed]

I didn't think NGW looked particularly fantastic personally speaking.

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

+1, thought he was one of the brighter sparks, decent footwork and a couple of nice crosses too

He’s not all there yet - he’s still some distance away, hence the defending for their first goal. But there are real promising signs there and together with Rahman, our LB position is at its most strongest/balanced it’s been for a while now

Difficult to overlook his part in the goal imo.

[Cuppliance]

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

+1, thought he was one of the brighter sparks, decent footwork and a couple of nice crosses too

He’s not all there yet - he’s still some distance away, hence the defending for their first goal. But there are real promising signs there and together with Rahman, our LB position is at its most strongest/balanced it’s been for a while now

Difficult to overlook his part in the goal imo.

Yeah, I understand the philosophy. Unless there are 3 CD I guess his primary role is to defend. He does look really positive going forward though which I couldn't help being impressed with.

[Snowflake Royal]

I’m not sure anyone did, did they?

I didn't think NGW looked particularly fantastic personally speaking.

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

I thought it was his worst performance for us tbh

[Hendo]

I didn't think NGW looked particularly fantastic personally speaking.

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

I thought it was his worst performance for us tbh

Yeah, thought he regressed slightly towards early season performances, after a couple of really good performances, especially v Norwich. Which I guess is to be expected as he is still quite young.

[Snowflake Royal]

IMO, I thought NGW was one of the better players on the day. His defending wasn’t great but he was a real threat at beating a defender to get into the box. Shame it never equated to a goal though.

I thought it was his worst performance for us tbh

Yeah, thought he regressed slightly towards early season performances, after a couple of really good performances, especially v Norwich. Which I guess is to be expected as he is still quite young.

Yep no complaints or finger pointing. Natural when stepping up like he is.

But I thought his passing and crossing was weak, he made a mistake for the goal and his defending, which isn't the best part of his game anyway, wasn't great.

Expect he'll have many better games for us. And a few worse.