Relegation: Your thoughts?

Down with two games left to play. Who's to blame? What next?

Relegated with two games left to play is a backward step from last season after all the hope and optimism brought about by The Great Escape. At the start of this season, we here at BOING confidently predicted that we'd build on out second half-season run of form and finish higher up - not in European places or anything daft like that, but perhaps around 13th/14th. How wrong we were.

We'd love to hear our readers thoughts on the season - what went wrong, what should have been done and where do we go now. Send them to us through the Contact Us form and we'll publish them here.

Nick Wood:

Well there you have it, the Premier League's most unecesary relegation, 8 points from a possible 30 from the teams immediately around us. All because the Blessed Brian didn't think we needed a striker at any stage of the season.

I would be content if he stays as long as he splashed some dosh on a halfway decent striker - like Cameron Jerome. We've been here before, it's just national Groundhog Day. That's 5 relegations I've experienced. Keep the faith.

Cannock Steve:

Ask yourself this question.

"After 20 months of Robson in charge are we any better than when he took over?"

If the answer is no, then he must go.

And the answer is most definately NO.

When he took over we were a Struggling Premiership team, now we are going to spend at least next season in the Championship. I do not believe there is the resolve in this squad or this Manager to bring us straight back up. Since last season's great escape Mr Peace and Mr Robson have sat back and let the same thing happen again.

I was a Megson critic, but at least his team gave us every ounce of effort and showed a willingness to work - all of those attributes which were missing from our visit to St James' last week.

Don't get me wrong I don't want Megson back, when he went it was time for him to go. But Robson has proved he is not the right man. At the start of this season he didn't know his best XI, and either he still doesn't know it or HE REALLY DOES THINK CAMPBELL SHOULD BE IN IT?

We have persisted with the same tactics away from home that obviously don't work. Only two decisions has he got right all season - the purchase of Davies, and his persistance with Ronnie Wallwork who after a desperate start to the season has come good and is a very strong candidate for player of the season AGAIN.

I was truly ashamed of THAT performance last week, and almost all of the players who wore the famous blue and stripes of West Bromwich Albion displayed how very little they care for us or the club. It bordered on comtempt. Bryan has assembled a poor squad of players, and if going down means some of them leave then so be it I'll be glad to see the back of a few of them.

OUT
LOAN TERMINATED Martinez, Kozak.
REALISTICALLY CANT HANG ON TO Davies, Gera (both too good for Fizzy)
RETIRING Campbell (12 Months too late)
RELEASED Kanu
CAN NO LONGER AFFORD WAGES Kamara (thinks he is too good)

IN
MUST TRY AND HANG ONTO Ina, Kuszack, Albrechtsen, Wallwork.
FOUND THEIR LEVEL Greening, Watson.
BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONG Robinson, Johnson, Clement, Ellington, Carter, Hoult, Chaplow.

Where are the goals going to come from next season?

We only have one goalscoring midfielder, who singlehandedly nearly got Cardiff into the playoffs.

Campbell is retiring, Kanu has his release clause (and huge wages), Kamara shows why Pompey decided not too make his loan last season permanent (and look at them now), leaving Duke on his own. The shortsightedness to deny Earnie his transfer request until the very end of the transfer window, and to sell him at the last with no replacement. Followed by the financial decision to cash in on a decent offer for Horsfield bought in 4 Million pound. But ultimately our inability to score has cost us 25 Million. That 4 Million and more will need to be re invested to buy us the players to score us the goals to get us promoted again. I hope the interest we earned on having that cash in our bank for 4 months was worth it Mr Peace, you gambled and you lost. I seem to remember he promised to redevelop the Halfords if we spent 3 consecutive seasons in the top flight. No hard luck stories for us this season, we got what we deserved and the board sat back and let it happen.

I cannot believe that our Chairman chose to bugger off on holiday at a time where the club he runs are staring relegation square on. In any other business (and this club is a business) it would not happen, the main investors (24,000 of us!) would go ballistic. Mr Peace take your money, including the ?1M for the horse you were oh so desperate to recoup and sod off.

Robson should go too, It's a similiar situation to that at Villa Park, no point getting rid of O'Leary if Ellis is still there.

Robert Garvey:

GUTTED!!!!!! THAT'S ALL I CAN SAY, ANOTHER SEASON OF ALBION LOSING WEEK IN WEEK OUT. WHEN ARE WE EVER GOING TO GET IT RIGHT AND HOW ON EARTH CAN WE COMPETE, TOO MUCH MONEY INVOLVED NOWADAYS AND I GET VERY DESPONDENT.

I FEEL WE COULD HAVE SURVIVED IF IT WERE'NT FOR SOME OF ROBBO'S DECISIONS. AGAINST TOTTENHAM FOR INSTANCE WE WENT 1-0 TO THE GOOD AND THEN SAT BACK, NOW IF WE HAD BEEN A BIT MORE LIKE HARRY REDKNAPP'S PORTSMOUTH AND FIGHT AND ATTACK TEAMS EVEN IF THEY WERE LEADING THEY STILL WENT FORWARD AND THAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THEM.

WE DIDN'T DESERVE TO STAY UP - ANY TEAM THAT TRIES TO HOLD ON TO A 1-0 LEAD FOR 75 MINS DESERVE EVERYTHING THEY GET.

THE ONLY WAY THE ALBION WILL EVER GET BACK TO THE TEAM WE WERE IN THE LATE 70'S, EARLY 80'S WHEN ROBBO WAS PLAYING FOR US, IS IF A MONEY MAN COMES AN PLOUGHS IN HIS GREEN STUFF.

Welsh Baggie:

We signed championship players before the start of the season and surprise surprise look where we ended up!

Selling strikers in January and not signing replacements.

Robson has his favourites and if you're not in the clique tough luck.

Tactics? Throughout the season.

Team selections throughout the season

Goals! Lack of and no solution in sight. Where are we going to sign a striker who is going to get us 15-20 goals per season? Because that is what we need.

CroydonWBA:

Why we were relegated:

1. January 2005 transfer window: Robson brought in Campbell, who did make a difference, if only to morale and created a feeling of momentum and, of course, Richardson, who created the reality of momentum on the pitch. As a consequence we put an excellent run together and stayed up.
2. Janaury 2006 window: Robson shipped out Earnshaw and Horsfield and replaced them with absolutely no-one. Consequently we attained only 3 points out of a possible 33, or whatever it is, and so we were relegated.

I blame the manager.

Ade Brant:

For me, Robson needs to be almost interviewed again for his job. If it were me doing it the questions would be:

1. Did you really think that our strikeforce would score enough goals in the league to keep us up? If the chairman was the problem then why didn't you 'go public' with your concerns so that the supporters could see the real reason?
2. You had two 'mercurial' talents at your disposal. Koumas and Earnshaw. Both had issues but how many management jobs do not come with people issues. Why could you not use your man management abilities to work with these people and get the best out of them as managers before and since have done?
3. What did you see in Darren Carter before signing and after signing that made you think he was a premiership player?
4. Why was a defensive style of play adopted when the only thing that was capable of getting us out of trouble would be to attack, attack and attack? Especially when winning away games e.g. Spurs?
5. Why was Kevin Campbell used when not one person at the Hawthorns (surely including Kevin) expected him to score week in week out? Why does Ellington look so disinterested?
6. Must win match. Andy Johnson in midfield. Discuss?
7. and finally
   Why cannot WBA under your stewardship beat a team in the bottom half of the premiership at home?

If he could not answer any of the above then I would get rid. Without a doubt, we have a dodgy chairman. But don't waste your breath. It is a very trendy and lucrative time to be a chairman of a football club - you won't get him out with a crowbar.

Paul Maidstone:

One of the worst seasons I can remember, but then I have a short memory.

January did it for me, get rid of 2 strikers, do not replace them and watch the goals dry up. No goals = no wins = no points gained = relegation.

Bryan Robson cannot be held solely responsible, a ten year old could foresee what was going to happen, what was Peace and the board doing about it???

The best chance this season to gain a foothold in the top flight and we blew it. No ambition and no common sense.

As the season unfolded wins were vital to us, so we play with a lone striker up front who has netted less than a handful of goals all season.

Something has to change or we will do a Walsall...

Paul Tunicliffe:

I am very disapointed that Albion have gone down. The last game I went to was Sunderland at home and that was one of the worst games I have ever seen in my life.

I think Mr Peace just wants us to be a well off Championship side and thats it. He shows no ambition. Where the f*ck has 3 seasons of Premiership money gone?????? ?60 mill at least???????

We need to get Koumas back and Earnie is banging them in for fun now and I know the Horse could still do a job in the fizzy league. Selling Earnie and the Horse would have been fine if someone else replaced them.

I don't think I will bother going next season. I might start supporting the Dingles (only kidding). At least the Albion might actually win some games next season. However I cannot see us bouncing straight back up. It's a tough league.

Stuart Russell:

I tend to agree with Robson that refereeing decisions cost us but it wasn't by any means the whole story. Penalties at Villa, Arsenal (when we were 2-1 down and Davies was blatantly tripped), and last night , when we lost at least one point to a penalty that wasn't given. So that's maybe four extra points we should have had, and if Koumas had been playing instead of Kamara we might have had four more as he would never have missed those chances against Blues and Bolton. Add Kusczak's horrendous mistake at Spurs, and there's nine extra points. But even if all those things had gone our way, we'd still need to beat Everton to survive although Villa would then be in he mix as well.

We played well enough against many of the better teams - comfortable victories against Spurs, Blackburn, Man City and Everton plus our one comeback against Arsenal shows we can compete in this league. Sadly we can't compete in the mini-league at the bottom. 8 points out of a possible 26 against Portsmouth (3) Blues (1), sunderland (1), Fulham (1), Villa (1), and 'Boro (1) shows where the weakness lies.

In the transfer window we needed a commanding centre-back and a goalscorer. At the time we were in a good poisition to survive. It wasn't as though we were already adrift as we were in 2003. Then it made no sense in investing for survival but extravagant six-month loan deals for the likes of Ehiogu and Hasselbank might well have been worth a flutter. A couple of million gambled for a possible pay off of 20 million.

But none of this is now relevant. We're down but with a good squad, several young and promising players, the finances to buy more and not bankrupt the club. Peace has done some excellent things in his time as chairman.

As for Robson, I suppose the jury is now out again. I was one of those who gave him full support and I still feel it is too early to sack him - as I did with Megson in 2003. But he not only needs to bring us back up but also hone a style of play that will enable us to compete in the Premiership next time. This is why many of us felt Megson was no longer the man for the job during our second promotion season. He was certainly grinding out the results that eventually took us to promotion but with the style of play it was obvious that we were heading to yet more Premiership grief. Robson rescued us from that last season - with a fair slice of luck, it must be admitted - only to see us slide down the trapdoor the following May. I expect him to turn it round next season. If he doesn't then perhaps after a dozen games, it would be time for him to go. But whatever happens, I still think that the club is on a steady upward curve. Remember the position we were in when Paul Thompson replaced Hale - losing ?30,000 a week, selling our best players and drifting towards division 2. Thompson, Megson and Peace changed all that and we are now a well-run club with sound faciltities and finances. I can't include Robson in the list of club saviours at the moment. Perhaps by this time next year, Chaplow, Carter and the rest of our younger players will have helped him put that right. They may not have been ready for the Premiership; if they're as good as we were led to believe, they should thrive in the Championship. Here's hoping, anyway.

Biggs:

Who should take the blame for our relegation? To put it simply, the answer is everyone, from the chairman to the supporters. Yes, that's right... us.

I personally am sick and tired of the fickleness that some of our supporters show. Earnshaw is a prime example. I remember seeing on many occassions in match reports on this site where people said he should go, as he is not 'Premiership class'. We sell him. We sell him after Kanu and Ellington had been forming what looked like a good partnership. Suddenly, lady luck gave up on us. Ellington injured, Kanu in African Nations. Earnshaw scores in the Championship... let me repeat, THE CHAMPIONSHIP... and suddenly, 'we should never have let him go'. Earnshaw is proving what anybody with eyes should have been able to see... at championship level, he is brilliant, but Premiership? No way. I supported, and still do support, the sale of Earnie. Am I disapointed at the fact that we never looked at signing any other striker? Yes, definately. For that, Robson, or Peace (do we really know what happens in the back?), should take the blame.

Under Robson, we have done something that under Megson we did not do, particularly towards the end of Megson's reign, which is play good football. Think of the decisions that went against us. Robson can't take the blame for that, neither can Peace, and neither can the team. We have outplayed teams this season, and got nothing. Our finishing has been poor, but at the same time when we have had good shots on target, we've seen keepers pull off brilliant saves. We have been extremely unlucky at times this season. On the field, though, we have, at times, seemingly given up. And we have made several stupid mistakes (Kuszack against Spurs?). You can't blame the manager for the way the team plays on the field. And once again, back to how fickle some of us are, the team he played was a team we wanted to see play. Yes, some selection choices were strange... Campbell, for example... but overall, I don't believe you can fault Robson for the team selection at times. People are mentioning Koumas... may I add, another player people on this site wanted out? After Spurs in the cup last year, I remember reading, 'this was Koumas' chance to show why he should be picked, and he just didn't give good cause.' Once again, Koumas has done well in what league?

Robson and Peace must take blame partly because of dodgy decisions.... but did Robson seriously make as many bad decisions as our once savioured Mr Megson? Take your mind back to the play offs against Bolton, at home, winning 2-0. He takes off Fox and replaces him with a defender with 10 minutes left. We draw 2-2. Why? Because we sat back stupidly, and played 10 minutes of the worst football I had seen. The team has played shockingly at times this year, though overall we have played some brilliant football. There has been nothing to me to say "Robson out". He doesn't deserve it.

The fans this year have been different, yet again. Support, guys? We used to be the best, but at times this year, I've been disgusted by us.

We have been extremely unlucky this year. We've played better football than anyone in the bottom five. We have gone down because we failed to take advantage of games we should have won. We sold Earnie at a time when Kanu and Ellington looked to be coming good... then Ellington got injured, and hasn't been the same since. We've missed Gera. We should have brought players in who could score. Peace should have given the money to help us, though, at the same time, if Robson's buys are that bad, as some of you like to state, and we still went down... bankruptcy, anyone?

Reason for relegation: Bad luck.

Millwood:

The stats speak for themselves - we finished 15 goals short, which translates to 15 points or 1 quality striker.

After 3 seasons in the premiership the board should have realised that unless you can score goals at this level you get relegated!!!

Paul Tunicliffe:

Just a quick heads up to Biggs comments.

The team need to give the fans something to shout about. Its ok saying "the fans are quiet" blah blah blah but every fan needs a second of brilliance or a crunching tackle or a couple of slick passes on the pitch to ignite the passion and belief that he holds inside for his club.

Same the world over - a bit of passion from the players, lots of passion from the supporters.

CAtkin:

Yes - we got relegated. Why? We didn't take the MANY chances that we created in the second half of the season. Very simple! The result was a loss of confidence by the players and by most of the fans.

I don't believe that doom and gloom is the order of the day. Am I alone in noticing the considerable increase in technical ability of the players and comfort in possession of the ball compared to last year? This gave us the chance to not look far out of place when losing 2-1 to virtually all the top 5 teams in and around March. Credit - Robson.

Due to the wage and financial structure of the club, we will only lose players who are not committed to the club in the close season. In addition, those who are considered surplus to the club's requirements will leave. Credit - Peace.

In short - give Peace and Robson a chance. They are giving the club a sure footing and building it towards a future that means regular Premiership football. I would rather that that splash money we don't have in the belief that a couple of flash high earners will suddenly perform miracles and keep us in the premiership.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who has bored us silly on this site (and elsewhere) for highlighting that we need a decent striker who can score goals. It is usually stated as if Robson hadn't noticed that particular issue. I would say it is one thing highlighting the problem but quite another fixing it. Where are these amazing Premiership strikers going to come from? We have had many a good Championship striker in the books (hulse, hughes, earnshaw & ellington) but that doesn't produce goals in the Premiership. (Andy Johnson is the exception to prove the rule - and that was nearly all penalties!). Even mid-table Premiership clubs (Villa, Man City etc) have a problem signing regular Premiership goalscorers so we have to be realistic about our chances. It in not for want of trying during the transfer windows. let's hope that Ellington can get fit and confident next year and we are able to secure a decent young player to score goals alongside him.

C'mon Albion....

Chris Hill:

Very sad at the Baggies going down.

If they get rid of Robson will anybody else fill the role as a cheap option again and do any better the the current manager?

Finally, sad news to hear old Jimmy Dudley passing away the other day. I worked with Jim (Ugly Dugley) at Guest Motors for many years.

R.I.P. Jim.

Lichfield Baggie:

In spite of the criticism from some quarters, I believe Jeremy Peace has done a great and crucial job in at long last establishing the club in a financialy sound position and provided good business practices are continued, the future of the club looks secure. This is a very different picture from that at many other relegated clubs where their future has been put in great jeopardy by relegation and financial mismanagement over the years.

However his next great challenge is to be able to spot a talented new manager, for although Brian Robson was a great player, his management skills have proved to be limited. His three or perhaps four relegations at the Albion, Middlesborough and Bradford serve as proof. Few if any other Premier league managers share that record. It is interesting to observe that most of the top managers, Wenger, Mourinho, Ferguson, Jewell, Moyse, Joll, Eriksson, McClaren, etc unlike Robson, were never star international players but generally run of the mill or journeyman professionals who made a good living but not fortunes as superstars. It appears that having failed to get to the peak as players they still had the hunger to reach the top level elsewhere in football. They have often learned their craft at the lower levels or working under top managers and then had the drive and intelligence to not only apply that knowledge but to get out and watch matches galore at all levels to spot talent and continue their football education.

Surely Jeremy Peace's greatest challenge now is to demonstrate he has the talent as chairman to spot the next up and coming manager and to keep on looking for such talent in the same way a good football manager should always be on the lookout for new talented players. There would seem to be a number of up and coming talents from whom he could select, subject to availability, including Boothroyd at Watford who once ran the Albion youth set up and Davies at Preston amongst others. Sacking a manager is never easy and should never be done lightly but only after careful consideration. Hopefully Robson is financially secure and his family's future safeguarded.

The easy option is for Jeremy Peace to do nothing and leave the situation unchanged but if he does so the chances of Albion getting promotion and establishing themselves as a middle of the pack Premiership club are very limited. All realistic Albion fans know that in terms of financial resources we will never be a top six club but to be estblished in the middle third of the premiership is surely a realistic goal. Sadly therefore I believe that if the club is to progress then Jeremy Peace will have to have the courage to sack Brian Robson and then carefully select a bright young manager with all the necessary range of talent including tactical skills, the ability to motivate and to handle players and to spot talent but also with the energy and dedication to give it his all.

Albion offers a wonderful stepping stone to the top for a talented young manager and certainly if successful he may move on to a top club but hopefully the chairman can then spot the next rising star in the mangement field.

Graham Woodall:

Few, if any, major events are the result of a single cause and the relegation is no exception to the general rule. I should imagine that 20,000 fans would give 20,000 different lists of the contributory causes for this season's disappointment.

However, there will be one cause in common to a very large proportion of those lists and that will be the matter of our front line. I was no fan of Earnshaw but he was better than nothing, which is what we were left with in effect when he left. Horsfield finshed third highest scorer for the season and can anyone remember when he played his last game for us? What does that tell us? Campbell was used to make up the holes left by those two going and he was quite simply not up to the job. Sadly, Bryan was the only person in the ground who didn't realise that after a handful of games. Ellington is nothing more than a younger version of Campbell but younger he most certainly is and if he had not had his confidence removed by being dropped so often (selected so rarely is probably a more appropriate way of putting it) then I feel he would have netted the extra 8 or 10 goals that would have kept us up. The Board would have been happy with the loot and the fans with the outcome. Campbell would have retired with some reputation left intact and the only loser would have been Harry Redknapp and just maybe David O'Leary as well.

I wonder how many realise how long it is going to take us to get back to the top flight. It is NOT going to be soon!

Sean Cooper:

The players are to blame, of course they are - they are professionals and get paid to do a job. Week in and week out there have been a number of players that have not only let themselves down but the fans too. Oh and they get paid a bloody good wage too. Also the scouts or coaches who thought some of these bad players were good, boy your face must be red now.

One more thing - before you get to make money you have to spend it. The question the board need to answer is, is this a business first or a football club. Where the Fans need to be able have belief that our club share the same dreams and aspirations as we do. We want to able to compete with the best, and not be happy as one of the rest.

One fianl thing please don't sell the good players, have a clear out and get rid of the bad players you know who they are. Most of all so do we the fans, the ones who pay.

Angie:

Relegated in an easy season? If Albion had actually put a run together at any point Portsmouth would have been so far adrift no amount of buying in January would have allowed them to catch up.

I don't believe in bad luck, you make your own luck on the pitch, yes you have to expect the big sides to get all the decisions, so yes it's biased, but you just have to play that much better, no one can claim the Premiership is fair, it's set up to profit the top 4 and allow them to get richer each year in Europe.

The supporters need something to cheer, it has been torture to watch all those points and games slide away.

Peace - has shown no passion for the club, he has run the club without securing the investment to move the club forward. Thompson turned the club around and moved us massively forward.

Robson - last year with Gera and Richardson on form he achieved a turnaround but it took him a long time to pick a good side and seemed to make really bad selection choices, so in a way he only got us out of the hole he had dug. This time he has continued to avoid picking 'the best' side, has continually said we are too good to go down and that the results will come - an ostrich with his head in the sand or is that the way he keeps spirits up. It is clear he is not a Premiership manager. Megson has his faults and at the end his fear regime had stiffled any creativity in the team but I still think he was the better manager.

Wigan and West Ham - they have both shown how it should be done, the premiership is not that hard, ignoring the top 4 who should be banished into some Euro-Super-League.

On the positive side at least we can look forward to some good results in the more competitive Championship. Yes I prefered the Megson/Thompson days, Robson/Peace should show more ambition or step aside. Financially the club has to be in a very strong position after three seasons in the top flight, it would take some very poor decisions to make things worse ;-)

This time around I'd like to see a lot more youngsters with a few old hands to nurture them, rather that buy 'proven premiership players', we can't compete in the premiership transfer market, all we will ever get is average, the only way to move up is to risk money on youth from the lower divisions and abroad.

Let's look forward to a some good football for a change, certainly at the World Cup and hopefully at the Hawthorns!

Liam:

I have been a season ticket holder for years and have never seen such a poor season not quality wise, bt passion and commitment if we went down through just not being good enough then thats football but to go down having showed no care or commitment is a disgrace. Some players need to have a good luck at themselves. Kamara is awful he has nothing to offer us and to be honest he dosen't have a care in the world if we sink or swim.

However the main blame lies with the manager who all this season hasn't got one team selection correct. We should of seen it comming he was poor at boro, bradford and nigeria didn't want him. need i say more? He shows no passion on the touch line and looks to me asthough he's waiting for a bus. the one up front tactic is useless you don't win if you don't put the ball in the net. The longer in charge he is the further this club will sink if he stays in charge and if things aren't really sorted out at this club we will be doing a forest or sheffield wednesday. He keeps selecting jokers like A.J and Campbell who arn't up to scratch. Where are players who can make sonmething happern like Koumas it is a ridiculous decision to let him go!!!!!!!! Every week he blames refs and no pens. As if the crap we got up front would've scored from twelve yards, i think ellington wants to go back to wigan and fast he has potential noone could've invisaged the season wigan had and the Duke made the wrong decision comming here and i think he will go back to them and probably score twenty with another old man in roberts.

I don't blame the chairman because if you had the cash and gave it to robson he only squanders it on crap. if he was spending your money on carter, campbell, kamara and ellington would you give him the check book??? I think we need to get rid of robson, kamara, ellington, A.J,Gaardsoe, kozak, martinez.

Keep - Curtis Davies who sticks out to me as being potentially one of our greatest ever players, greening,altbretchsen, and chaplow and please bring back Koumas.

With a different man at the helm someone who shows passion and when things are going poor has the minerals to bring fresh new ideas in to try and get vital wins then we will definately come back up. He needs to keep the squad we've got so then we can stop him from buying his own flops we will be alrite but most inportnat he needs to hold up his hands and admit he got it worng this season in a big way.

Marcus Blakeway:

Reasons for going down.

Simple, plain and simple. We were just not good enough. Yes there was bad luck with Gera out for so long and Kanu away at a crucial time but at the end of the day we were just not good enough. Selling Earnie IMO was a mistake, no-one said he wasn't Premiership class when he bagged 3 at the valley? And then not to replace him? What? I agree with some of the comments here, i.e where has the money gone and why weren't we in for some of the 'bigger' Prem players during the Jan window, but I don't think getting rid of the manager is the answer. This is a crucial time for the club, and the instability managerial change would have is not another pressure that is required right now.

Jules:

I've said all that needs to be said if you total all my comments after every game this season. The same goes for everyone else. I mean what can be said really?

The club is down, everywhere reports are surrounding every senior player in the squad of their potential departure, also of the manager. But there is one constant: the chairman. He looks set to stay.

What crumbs of comfort are there?

• Ticket prices to be reduced? You're having a giraffe
• Good quality players staying to get us back up? Nope, not a chance
• 8 extra games a season? Depends which end of the table we're at if we're going to enjoy them
• Enlargement of the stadium? Whats the point - no-one wants to watch paint dry for 30 quid+ a throw/450 quid+ a year
• New manager and new start? You saw Robson and Jol were the only ones who were keen on the job because it offered them a break and that was in the Premiership. Jol won't swap Spurs for us and whos any good that wants to take over a club thats soon to be without the backbone of its squad and fans completely depleted of pride? Nope we're stuck with Action Man

One more thing: why is Robson featured in the media more for his comments on England and Manchester United than he is for the club he's actually manager of? Check the BBC football website, hes quoted first about the Van Nistelroy incident at Old Trafford on sunday, not about why his team lost a 2-0 lead in the final 6 mins at Goodison the very same afternoon. Pathetic, go to Man United if thats what you have your eyes on Bryan, or back to Middlesborough because you've well and truly kicked Albion off your career ladder.

Reasons for relegation: lack of passion, vision and common sense from the upper half of the hierarchy at the club. Inept players can't be blamed because it is not they who select themselves for the squad. Fans can't be blamed because when you suck the helium out of a baloon it won't float any more.

I'm repeating myself now: I AM COMPLETELY DEPLETED OF PRIDE.

I fear the day we play Wolves next, I really do.

David Morris:

What a waste of the efforts of the Great Escape. We failed to build on that fantastic achievement. Peace and Robson are equally to blame. The Manager is too cautious, playing one up front away and sometimes at home was criminal. 10 goals and one win away from home says it all. Wigan and West Ham went for it from the start, took everybody by storm and had the points on the board by Christmas, job done! When we had to go for it against Newcastle he was preaching caution and look at the performance, the most pathetic since the Blues debacle last season. Why pick Andy Johnson at home in a match you needed to win? He can't shoot, score and was on his way at the end of the season. Not much encoragement for the younger players.

The Chairman failed to invest when needed in the transfer window and now he says that Robson was employed because he had relegation experience!! He badly misjudged the position by going on holiday and sending the wrong message. The job needs total dedication, better to be at your desk during the season than in the close season when already relegated.

Finally the fans sometimes cannot see the wood for the trees. Earnshaw was and is a complete waste of space, Ronnie Wallwork is the most consistent player we have had for the past two seasons but a couple of bad games and they are on his back. Koumas, a very good player doesn't want to play for Albion so I don't want anybody who doesn't want to play for my club. We have to accept that Peace has total control of the club and Robson will be here come August. So enjoy your summer and come back in August to cheer this club back to the Premiership and don't worry about the Blues and Wolves, they are in decline and real trouble!

Darren Partridge:

My view is that if the blame should be put anywhere it should be on the board. Robson was both after Hasselbaink and Ehiogu to try and stablise our sinking ship. Bryan put all his effot into this and was not backed by our board. Our board has done well to put us in good stead and finacally sound but they must remember that if you are to play premiership football you must pay premiership transfer fees and wages. If we are not prepared to gamble, then we must pay the price.

All Bryans effot went into getting these 2 players and by the time our board hummed and r'd and eventually said "NO" it was to late to get any one else in. Portsmouth spent 15 million on transfers and those players i bet did not go there for 10 grand a week but look what they have done, a gamble that has paid off. People keep saying to me that we must get a 18 to 20 goal a season goal scorer but were do you get them from? If you look down the premiership goal scorers table, 20 goal a season men are the likes of Rooney and Henry so what do you want Bryan to do? bid for them? Apart from Darren Bent(who was brought from Ipswich, which shows that bidding for Championship strikers can come off).

The "Earnie" saga did take its toll but hands up who wants to have someone play for WBA who does not want to be there? Bryan done the right thing by getting shot of a striker who thought he was as good as Henry but never wanted to learn or listen. Bryan Robson should start and be backed in who he thinks could do an excellent job for WBA. Its not all doom and gloom as long as the board back him, as he was backed at Middlesboro. When he was a first division manager with them he brought players in like Townsend (who was good in his time) Merson, Branco, to name a few and these players got them back in the big time. Our board has got to realise that Bryan can attract big named good players, else we could find ourselves being in this position for a long time.

Tomas Granditsky:

Living in Sweden i havent had the luxuary to watch every game. The few games i have seen (maybe 5-6 in total this season) Has had the same story. Campbell up top alone and doing almost nothing. Playing some neat football at times but suffering from poor defensive lapses all to often. Football in the Prem is miles from the Football being played in the Championship.

I dont belive that sacking Robson would be the best atm. Looking at the squad we have now, comparing them to the one that took us up to the prem makes me think they can do it. Ellington has proven he can do the business there, and Gaardsoe was aweseome last time around.

What's crap is that there wont be any games shows on Swedish telly any more featuring The Baggies :(

Martin Green:

Firstly thanks to all the regular BOING reporters who supply us expat baggies around the world with crucial "real fans" analysis after each game. It's the first place I log on on a Sat night.

I did fly home in Jan/Feb & caught 4 games: Wigan (a) Sunderland (h) Charlton (a)& Blackburn(h). Apart from the horror of Sunderland we looked like a team that wasn't going down but from here on we NEVER WON AGAIN IN THE PREM!! That was a run of 13 games (poss 39 points)in fact we gained only 4 points thereafter. There, my fellow baggies, went our season.

The "Why" is a bit more difficult. I think you'd have to blame them all to manage such a horrendous collapse. The players , the manager and the Chairman & Board.

Here's what irks me. West Brom are NOT a championship team. We are one of the oldest & proudest teams in the Nation. We need to start acting like it. Our extended Premier League stay was a huge oppertunity to claim our deserved place at the top level and we blew it!!

Peace has been living on Thompsons good work and has still to prove if he can hack it.

The same goes for Robbo. If he doesn't succeed now will he ever get another managing job?

Realise two things:

1. We must rebound & regain Prem status immediately
2. That's quite a tall order in a division that's very difficult to get promotion from.

So it's hard times ahead (departing big names plus Plymouth & Burnley away) but we will continue to support the team we love because being an Albion fan is part of who we are.

PS: Loved being part of the away support this year - if the home fans could match that passion.

Baggie till I Die!

Tom Smith:

As usual there are many varying opinions my own view was posted afer the WHU game - basically poor management with little backing from the board, too defensive, poot tactics & substitutions.

I'm no fan of Robson - as a football man he is dull & uninspiring - some of his post match comments are embarassing (when he bothers to attend) personally I think he belives he deserves far better than us.

As for Peace long term things are improving however his neglect of the team last Jan was staggering given his comments about getting back into the greed league - he sticks to his targets and at the end of the day he calls the shots.

A couple of points:

• We pay low wages so our position is no surprise - as we will be top payers next year then it should be automatic promotion.
• Brian Robson can attract quality players - how so? It's all/was about the cash - so this is/was a non-starter.
• We are under no pressure to sell? Why do Peace & Robson insult our intelligence? But to be fair not many of our squad will attract top class interest.
• Fans - I remember missing that open goal, that header off the line - given what's been served up the backing has been good however we feed off the team/management and they let us down many times.
• Ronnie Wallwork - I dont get the myth - a solid work horse - nothing more, nothing less - not a leader & zero threat in opposition half - McInnes would eat him for breakfast - to be fair he wasn't the worst & he was missed when suspended but I think that says a lot about our team.

GOOD NEWS - season tickets reduced - I'm gobsmacked - lets see how many of us are tempted?

Martin:

Perhaps the rumours at the start of the season were true, you remember the one about the players being concerned that the club were only prepared to finance on a fizzy league budget, well that certainly seems to have been the case. welcome home Albion I can not believe I have to take my son to crap venues like dingle town.

I am worried for our long term future with Peace at the helm as I am unsure as to his vision for Albion in the long term, yes on the surface financially we are on a sound footing but we must remember we continued to opperate on the premier leagues smallest budget, if we do get automatic promotion there is nothing to say this will not continue, which will inevitably mean we will continue to battle the drop. At least we can have bragging rights over scum bags by not having Hoddle in chharge (even though Robson is only marginally better and I regard him as one of my footballing heroes).

Sorry to sound so despondent, but that's how I feel.

Paul Fellows:

well where do i start? now the season is over a time for reflection! as i am now a cornish based baggie i admit i can only see from afar, relying on sky for my dose of the bags but what a shambles appears before me. i know from my forty plus years following the stripes that we have never spent vast pots on players but if ever we needed to then we have clerly missed the boat. after the fluke miracle of last seasons escape surely the warning signs were flashing but guess what, as usual, we tried to get by with players who were to old or simply not good enough.

although i'm a great admirer of the gaffer as a player can someone please explain to me his team selections like one striker at home, at least try to win our home games. our goals scored this season was dire and the times we were winning why did we sit back? anyone who follows the bags knows we can never defend a slender lead. i hope that before the season begins that robbo will come to his senses and resign and that the board will clear out the oldies and blood the youngsters, so what if it takes a few years to get back into the top flight.

to make matters worse ive just read a table with last seasons top scorers - grim reading, dont you think? ROBERTS 14, KOUMAS 13, HULSE 14, EARNSHAW 11 - that's a total of 52 goals; our return last season a paltry 31. If only our last two managers could have got on with these guys maybe we would still be with the big boys.

i look forward to any comments

COME ON YOU BAGGIES

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