Baggies need confidence boost

Thursday, 03/02/2011

by Dave Wedgbury, Shoot's West Brom blogger

Albion squandered their opportunity to put some clear daylight between themselves and Wigan at the bottom end of the Premier League.

After taking an early lead with a clinical finish from Peter Odemwingie, a much-needed win was on the cards. But Wigan had other ideas, and two Wigan goals from free-kicks saw Albion go into the half-time break losing 2-1.

We did improve the second-half and battled back to a deserved draw with a Marc-Antoine Fortune header. We also hit the woodwork twice and had a fairly good shout for a penalty declined by the referee. Overall I think Wigan would have been the happier team with the final result.

Baggies fans are disappointed, although not surprised by the lack of activity within the transfer market. I didn’t imagine we would see any actual signings as I believe that the chairman would not be willing to risk too many higher wage earners should the unthinkable happen and we get relegated.

A tight ship is run by Albion, whether fans like this or not, it is the situation and at least we won’t see our beloved club experience the financial problems that other clubs have encountered by overspending. I think one or two players and another couple of loans would have been realistic and maybe given a boast to a team that are certainly lacking in confidence.

As for the match with Wigan, I was as amazed as most people at the ground when I heard Simon Cox, that prolific striker in the lower leagues, was starting a Premier League match as a centre midfielder.

Was this a manager who is running out of options within midfield? Or does Roberto Di Matteo actually believe that Cox has the attributes to thrive at this level in midfield?

Cox does give everything to the team but I felt for him as he chased shadows and felt that he could be banging in goals for a team if played in the right position within the right league.
 
Albion fans were nervous against Wigan, deflated and very quiet when we were losing, the wind certainly took from our sails but once we started to get on top and pressure Wigan the whole atmosphere changed, when Albion fans lift their team like that, it almost makes something happen and the equaliser really took the support up another level.

We really need to start matches like that and rather than wait for the team to give us a reason to shout, we are going to have to start lifting the team from the kick-off, we shouldn’t have to, but the players look nervous and hearing the crowd behind them will help lift them.

Carlos Vela, the striker on loan from Arsenal did make his debut, and showed some glimpses of quality and neat one–twos but will obviously need some time to settle into the role he is being asked to play, in fact he played right wing against Wigan.

Jerome Thomas was once again the player who scares the opposition defenders, he has looked a quality player of late and Albion are going to need him playing to his maximum every week.

Finally, although Chris Brunt has had a number of great games this year and shows a natural eye for a pass, his performances have waned latey and could maybe do with a rest or to pass the captain’s armband over to someone else – maybe Jonas Olsson could be considered, or even the every improving and massively adored Youssuf Mulumbu – a player who gives his heart and soul to the team’s efforts week-in and week-out and seems to motivate the rest of the team with his own performance. Food for thought maybe?

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