Albion Outlook: West Brom fans have their say ahead of Chelsea match

Shaun Harrison, West Bromwich

It’s true, be careful what you wish for. With Tony Pulis what you will get is a manager who will lose as many games as he wins but draws quite a few, enough in fact to keep you up.

And let’s face it in today’s billion pound Premier League carousel, survival is the word for owners and chairman.

Nostalgia will always play a part for supporters whose hard earned cash pours through the turnstiles each week, but would we rather play attractive football in the championship or boring football in the top flight?

Because that’s how Pulis sees it. He is not a manager who can handle flare and offensive play, he cannot throw the sink at teams, so what we are seeing in not his inability to give the fans what they want but his limit of capability.

It’s his team that plays each game, he has built a squad as good he says that he has ever had, and yet resorts to the negative each game.

There are times when his tactical habit of playing players out of position is somewhat bemusing but in general he gets it right for his limited style. Has the team moved on in the time he has been here, are we better than before, are we stronger ?

Pulis continues to hold the fans at ransom stating he saved the club and look at where we finished.

But fans are now saying that’s all well and good but look at where we are now, look at what we are now! How much longer can Pulis blag the Baggies hierarchy?

David Pye

Working on the basis that 38 points is normally enough to survive; where do those 38 points come from?

Divide the league into rough thirds, the top six, the middle six, and the bottom eight, of which Albion look like they’ll be one.

Any points from games against the top six (home or away) are bonuses. Against the middle six, draw at home, lose away = 6 points. Against the rest of the bottom seven, win at home, draw away = 28 points. Total 34. For the bottom two, a win home and away gives you 4 more = 38. Home and dry?

On this basis, assuming clubs have now, more or less, found their levels, Albion should have 12 points, and they have 10. That doesn’t sound too bad but, alternatively viewed, if they drop two points a quarter they’ll finish with 30. That’s relegation form; but there’s time to save it.

Of course, they’ll probably need more than 0.8 goals per game, although conceding at 1.3 per game shouldn’t be critical.

The situation is, in truth, probably slightly worse than these numbers suggest as it has to be unlikely that a number of the clubs that Albion have played will sustain their current, fairly elevated, status in the league. You could argue that they have bonus points accrued from getting results against the Albion that they shouldn’t have.

Conclusion – to save their status Albion need more goals against lower and mid-table opposition. Mr Pulis, there is a need to pose an attacking threat.

James Pullen, Rowley Regis

I was never comfortable with having Pulis as manager in the first place, but at the time we needed a miracle and he came and kept the ship afloat and for that I thank him.

Why few people saw this coming is beyond me, but then again it has come a lot later than I expected. I can’t forgive Pulis for the way he played his trade at Stoke, hence begrudging having him at Albion.

Even at Palace I could never bring myself to like his philosophy of football but he could get a result when needed and desperate times calls for desperate measures.

But now we see why he isn’t right for our club, there are faces in football that fit the clubs they become a part of and Pulis’s never seemed to fit with ours.

I can’t compare this season so far to any other in my 23 years of watching Albion – purely because there is no fight, no plan A, or any desire to go out and win.

It’s heartbreaking to see all this potential going to waste, and this time it’s not the players to blame.

I feel for Dawson most of all. He’s not playing centre-back as much as he should be! I genuinely believe he could walk into any top six side without question, he’s so reliable and my personal favourite at Albion for a few years now.

I also feel James McClean. His passion is what we need and he deserves to start. I don’t care how good you are, if you don’t share half the pride McClean carries I wouldn’t have you near the starting XI. Bring Sam Field back into the team while we’re at it.

I honestly believe Pulis has lost it now. I can’t see us getting anything in the next few games.

I’d like to see Claudio Ranieri at the club, I wanted him before he went to Leicester.... imagine how that could’ve turned out! It’s more realistically going to be someone like Craig Shakespeare or Nigel Pearson.

Tom Goffe, Telford

I think it’s safe to say the Chelsea game is make or break for Pulis. I think the board were wanting to give Pulis more time to turn things around but I don’t think they realised the true level of discontent among the fans.

Various members of the board have been liaising with fans in recent days and it seems they are now fully aware of the overriding concern among the vast majority of the fan base.

There is definitely a part of me that wants Pulis to turn things around. I’ve said on many occasions before, with the squad he’s had available to him, he’s done wonders until now.

But the other side of me has been completely baffled by his decision making of late and can’t understand why he’s so reluctant to ‘switch things up’, especially with the players he now has at his disposal.

I despise the chop and change culture that’s now common place with football managers but unless Pulis throws caution to the wind Saturday and actually tries to win the game, then the board surely will be left with no choice.

With the squad of players we have now assembled I’m confident someone else could be brought in and not only improve results but also the football being played.

Sarah Rudge, Wolverhampton

It's beginning to become crunch time at The Hawthorns. With tough games against Chelsea and Tottenham up next, Tony Pulis could find himself under even more pressure before the month is over.

Rather than just the run of poor results its also been the shocking performances that have made the fans vociferously call for a change in manager. With the busy festive period only just over a month away, if results don't start to improve dramatically, things could begin to look ominous.

Many pundits have been questioning our supporters' opinions regarding a managerial change citing that 'Tony Pulis deserves more respect and he will keep us in the Premier League.'

Someone with his experience will undoubtedly be given more time to turn things around. Staying in the Premier League is of paramount importance but for most of us just simply 'staying up' isn't good enough anymore.

Fans want to be entertained and to believe we have a realistic chance of success rather than just existing in the top division. If Pulis wants to try and get supporters back on side he has to start showing more ambition.