Albion Outlook: West Brom fans have their say

Sarah Rudge

Are we still watching West Bromwich Albion? Because if our performances in the last three games are anything to go by, where have we been all season?

Once again, it’s almost certainly too little, too late, but the determination and character we showed against a quality Liverpool side to come from two goals down to snatch a point was fantastic.

There have been many supporters, myself included who have criticised the managers we’ve had this season but the improvement in our performances over the last few weeks presents the question of whether the players should be ready to shoulder a portion of the blame for our dreadful season.

Many of our current squad have shown what they are capable of in recent games.

Matt Phillips and Jake Livermore in particular on Saturday were outstanding and looking somewhere near back to their best.

McClean, Foster, Rodriguez have also vastly improved. So where have these attributes been all season?

Clearly, it appears they haven’t enjoyed working under our previous head coaches, especially Alan Pardew.

Surely as footballers who are paid huge amounts of money, they should be playing for the club and the fans rather than it simply depending on who is in charge.

Tom Goffe

Last week I said I didn’t quite think the time was right for Darren Moore to take up the head coach role full-time. Well, I think I may end up eating my words!

It’s plain to see there’s something more there than the standard ‘mini resurgence’ that follows when a new head coach is brought in.

There is a genuine rapport between Moore and the players. It’s evident they have a lot of time and respect for him and are giving everything on the pitch to try and obtain those three points.

Also, and this is a big one, all of the Albion faithful are right behind him, something that can’t be said since arguably Roy Hodgson was in charge.

What I also like is you can tell from the players he is utilising that he has one eye on the Championship campaign next season.

He’s dropped those who will most likely look to move on and put together an XI that we have a good chance of keeping hold of for an inevitable season of second tier football.

If, in the last three games, Moore is able to get the same performance out of the players and more points on the board, then I think Mark Jenkins and the owners will have no choice other than to give Big Dave the gig.

Mark Mansell

Oh what could have been! During the final weeks of Pardew’s tenure, the general thinking was that if we do replace, who do we bring on board? Little did we know that man was already here.

Big Dave is clearly the man for the job. No doubt in the Championship there will be tough moments, mistakes will be made, but that’s all part of the learning curve.

But moreover what does a relatively inexperienced manager and his approach say about those motivational tactics we hear coming out of The Hawthorns during Pardew’s tenure.

Even the most hardened of us old schoolers will not subscribe to those bully boy methods still employed by the dinosaurs of modern football.

I always maintained Phillips, for example, was a confidence player. Saturday he was back to his brilliant best but clearly buoyed by an arm around the shoulder.

Relegation is still a certainty but at least we have our pride back via one of our own.

Alan Foster

Well the last three games have given us a little bit of pride back in the club we love and I would like to thank “Big Dave” for that and feel it was vital to end the season on a positive frame of mind which can only show potential targets, a manager and players, that when the club is pulling in the same direction what a wonderful club this is.

The one feeling that will haunt me for a long time is the frustration that the club did not react quickly enough when Pardew was extremely out of his depth and the club reacted like a rabbit in headlights. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but surely with so much at stake we had nothing to lose.

I only hope now, that we are almost certain of relegation, we don’t pick the players who want out at the end of the season and have suddenly become fit to play with the world cup around the corner.

As for Big Dave as our manager, with a bit of sadness, I have to say the job is a bit too big for his initiation into management and hope the club find him a role somewhere.

My choices would still be Nigel Pearson or Dean Smith.

Shaun Harrison

Where has all this new vigour, fight, and spirit come from? The most popular phrase echoing around West Bromwich is "it's all a bit too late."

Ignore what Jurgen Klopp had to say, what pitch were Liverpool on when they 2-0 up! There seemed determination and a will to win, performances from individuals who had previously laboured showed 'Big Dave' has instilled some of that missing pride.

Jonny Evans is a waiting transfer and got the type of response he deserves, although I still feel there are a number of carpetbaggers in the squad whose names may not be heard at The Hawthorns next year.

As like at Manchester, let's savour the moment, enjoy what Albion are finally producing albeit belatedly. Onward the dream continues, how long for we shall wait and see, but as for who should take the reigns, why look any further than Darren Moore alongside a proven manager.