West Bromwich Albion 0 - Crystal Palace 2

Summary:

Albion crashed out of the FA Cup at the first attempt to progress. Keith Downing made wholesale changes to the side that beat Newcastle with Zoltan Gera, Craig Dawson, Diego Lugano, Goran Popov, James Morrison, Matej Vydra and Shane Long all starting the game and George Thorne making his first appearance on the bench for a long time.

But they fell behind to a strike from Dwight Gayle after Popov cleared the ball across the defence and Hiram Boateng set him up to fire past Ben Foster.

Albion tried to go for a more attacking lineup by replacing Dawson with Morgan Amalfitano and later Claudio Yacob with Stephane Sessegnon, but as they pressed for an equaliser it was Palace had the last word when they broke away in the last minute of added time and doubled their lead through Marouane Chamakh.

Didcot Baggie:

So there goes my hope of a decent cup run for yet another year. When I saw line up I was encouraged - an attacking line up and giving fringe players a chance. All was undone by some woeful performances and KD not pulling off the worst culprits. Gera had the worst performance I've seen in a long time by player in an Albion shirt - no ability to control a ball or pass to a teammate or shoot on target. Long looked disinterested and showed shocking decision making. Popov is sadly NOT the Albion man or a player who should be in a premiership side. Yet all 3 finished the game whilst Vydra who was our most effective forward player was subbed for the ineffective Sinclair.

As to the game itself, Stoke, sorry, Palace, packed the defence and crowded the ball. Classic Pulis. We lacked the midfield nouce to break them down - it shocks me to say this but we needed Brunty on the field to play a telling ball.

I really, really, really do not want to join the knockers but it's hard to stomach defeats like this. The problem must lie in the summer signings by Clarke and "talent finder" Garlick. So much wasted money on players past their best or never likely to be at their best. So far Garlick seems to have avoided censure - let's hope the new coach (not manager remember) can work with the goods he turns up.

Steve Fereday:

Paul - time to become manager. Mackay is not the answer. This side is staring at the trap door. No mistake.

I am 57 years old and have had some amazing footy memories at this club. After today's result, and team selection, I think that at as a football club we have absolutely zero chance of winning anything in my lifetime, or my grown up children's lifetime, or my unborn grandchildren's lifetime.

All those believers who think otherwise really do need medical help.

Forget questions about Steve Clarke, I now think that some questions should be angled at the Chairman. Does he really think the new manager can do a better job with the same players?

Mark Koppel:

Some admiration must be give to Downing for going for an attacking line-up but clearly after 20 minutes it wasn't working.

Then, just like Clarke, he made changes far too late,and the wrong ones.

I think yesterday proved we need a new Manager and quick.

• Foster 5 - Not his usual self, kicking erratic at times.
• Lugano 4- Another bad summer purchase.
• Popov 2 - On dear, Oh dear ! Makes a least one crucial mistake per game now. Even bigger liability than Ridgewell.
• Yacob 7 - One of his most positive games. Responded by trying to play the ball forward more than usual.
• Dawson 7- Solid and always a threat at set pieces. Should not have been subbed as could have got a goal.
• McAuley 7- Dependable as ever.
• Morrison 6 - Probably our most creative player. Would have liked him more up the pitch second half.
• Gera 5 - Frequently passed without looking. As a result kept kicking the ball out of play or to a Palace player.
• Long 3- If he doesn't want to play for West Brom, let him go. Don't know how he stayed on the pitch.
• Vydra 7 - Looked our most active forward, and then taken off!! Wrong choice again.
• Berahino 7- Best thing we have done this year is to sign him up. Nearly all his shots worked the keeper.

Subs:

• Sessegnon 3- One big Headless Chicken flapping about to no effect again. What a waste of money.
• Amalfitano 5 - Lots of effort but wasted a lot of the possession he had on the ball.
• Sinclair 2- Looked really light-weight again. Once more not looking like a good summer signing.

Bobby Hope:

Well like Didcot I was pleased with the changes and expected an attacking festival of football - what a let down! Two very poor sides. We hand them a goal, they shut up shop we struggle to break them down and they get a very late breakaway goal to seal it - who's their manager again? Oh yes, Tony Pulis. As you know I am not the biggest Brunt fan but again like Didcot says we need him to make some creative passes to unlock the resistance.

Above anything else we need to get a left back from somewhere - every team facing us now will know that almost any aggressive attack down our left flank will bear fruit. OMG Southampton next week!!

Simply too many below average performances and what was Gera on?

I have to go!

Stuart Russell:

Steve Fereday, that is the most jaundiced account of the club I have ever read. They may well win nothing in even your unborn grandchildrens' liftime - surely that is not the issue. Remember where the club was before Jeremy Peace took over - a mediocre (at best) Championship club with more prospects of slipping down than climbing up. By gradual incremental improvements we became one of the stronger Championship teams followed by a period of yo-yoing between PL and Championship. Now for three seasons we have avoided the annual relegation battle, then this season have slipped towards it. But just four days ago we drew the sting from a Newcastle team who had won eight of their previous ten games, beating them more conclusively than 1-0 suggests. Before that we had drawn away with an admittedly poor West Ham side and before that had gained a deserved point at White Hart Lane - the only points Spurs have dropped since Sherwood became manager. Earlier in the season we won at Old Trafford and would have beaten Arsenal and Chelsea but for some atrocious refereeing. Admittedly there have been some awful performances - Cardiff and Norwich in particular. So where should we be? Of our midland rivals, Villa are probably worse off than us with a far larger fan base, Blues are languishing in the Championship and Wolves are stuttering in their bid to escape from League One. It hasn't been so long since we were losing 1-0 to Gillingham and 2-1 at home to Sheffield United.

The squad is amply strong enough to stay up comfortably. All the new manager has to do is build on the solidity of Foster, Olsson and McAuley by tapping the potential of Sessegnon and Amalfitano, enjoying the promise of the impressive Berahino and the enthusiasm of Vydra. If I had one wish from Jeremy Peace it would be for a new left back in this window.

The club is in far better shape than many supporters deserve. Some appreciation and enthusiasm wouldn't come amiss.

Chris Jones:

Three minutes into the game it was obvious not a single man on the pitch wanted to play. No drive, or enthusiasm, not a clue on what they were supposed to be doing.

Popov.... awful, poor control, slow, and no vision. It took him twice the time it took everyone else to play the ball forward by the time he did the light weight Vydra was marked and felt it necessary to throw himself to the ground. I don't see why Popov felt it necessary to continue to play the ball into the middle every time he bimbled up the wing 12000 fans could see there was nothing but palace players in the centre of the park.

Long... disinterested, thinks he's worked his ticket, clearly he thinks he'll be at forest soon.

Dawson, no control played as if his boots were tied together.

Foster I had no confidence in him "what's happened" he had me as nervous as Carson did! his kicks were terrible.

Overall everyone looked slow, and disorganised without the ability to pass with any kind of precision. I would be a rich man if I was paid a pound for every time an Albion player tripped over the ball or his own feet. Gera' cross that went out for a corner remember that, summed it up.

The biggest embarrassment for me was making a poor Tony Pulis side look like they were Barcelona. I paid to see that, we all did. That team on paper should have won with ease.

We don't have the players to survive in my opinion, the purchases are not in anyway good enough and the experience in our team seems to have lost the drive to play in an Albion shirt. After 28 years as an Albion fan this is the first time I say "were going down" and I truly believe we are.

Who is going to want the Albion head coach position? after all they won't have any money to spend, And it won't be till at least February now that we see a new coach!

Embarrassed and concerned.