It's early days but that was an encouraging start. Obviously, it helped that Steve Clarke knows the Liverpool team inside out. Not much change tactically from Hodgson last season, with regard to playing on the break. He needed to keep our big players - olsson, odemwingie and mulumbu -happy and it seems that he has done that. There was transfer gossip surrounding these 3 at the beginning of the summer but it seems to have died down now. Am still keeping my fingers permanently crossed until the end of the transfer window but Saturday's result will have helped somewhat too.

2 of the new signings were on show on Saturday. Lukaku looks a great signing. Let's hope Chelsea score freely enough this season that they don't feel they need to bring him back. Yacob looked good too. I don't know how much credit Clarke can take for the signings. It's usually Dan Ashworth who signs, seals and delivers. But I like to think Clarke might have pulled a few strings to get Lukaku on loan from Chelsea. We rarely get linked with £18 million strikers.

Spurs away next week will be a big test, in a way that Liverpool clearly wasn't. Still, we'll take the three points gladly. I love this hoodoo we've had over the Reds lately.

I'm not counting too many chickens. Wolves won their first two games in the top flight last season and look how that ended up, but if Clarke can start and go on with solidity and a little ambition, then perhaps the curse of the promoted assistant manager can be seen to be lifted. From what I saw against Liverpool, there were moments of good flowing play on which to build, and the other hoodoo we used to have - the inability to finish off a ten-man team - is steadily being laid to rest also.

But defensively - as it always seems to be - there are always questions that need to be answered. Suarez's misfiring was an inadvertent benefit, let's be fair, and more incisive forward play could give us nightmare scenarios.

But, cross fingers, I'm hoping the virtues of Clarke and the Albion side are much more apparent than their flaws.

As they'd say in Father Ted, careful now.

Good start by the Olbyun, ay it?

I see our old friend Sleeping Brunty lasted a whole eight minutes, clearly inspired by his reception at Saxe Coburg Gotha Park last Wednesday. The great man was visibly moved (or possibly just knackered, we don't usually see him move much in a green shirt) as he limped off to sympathetic applause at half time after creating Finland's equaliser with a defence-splitting through ball.

You'll need to replace a clearly slowing Big G soon I think.

I'm definitely not counting any chickens either, Ian. And as both you and Duncan have pointed out, the defence is still a bit suspect, and we don't have much cover. Hopefully Clarke is earmarking a defender to buy before the transfer window closes. Defence is the only area we haven't strengthened this summer and we also sold Nicky shorey. It would be great if we could bring some of the younger players in to fill these gaps so we didn't always have to resort to signing players. When was the last time we had a youth team player break into the first team? Jared hodgkiss maybe? And that was probably in the championship. Plus he was crap.

Good old Wikipedia tells me that Jared hodgkiss is now captain of forest green rovers and recently played his 100th game for them.

It would be great if we could bring some of the younger players in to fill these gaps so we didn't always have to resort to signing players.

I've always wanted that. Years ago, the youth product of the club couldn't fill a clothes store changing room and now it seems we have one of the best in the country, but it always seems that they're either on loan all the time or sold off when they've done their time here. Everton had no qualms - through necessity or choice, a couple of seasons ago, their bench was frequently comprised of young home-grown players. But at West Brom they were either loaned out or kept continually on the periphery, never to intrude onto first team affairs. True, you've got kids like George Thorne, who's proving his worth, but there's this arms-length attitude that stops them making their mark. Not too long ago, there was this other attitude, which had it that to put kids in first-team action (especially in the Prem) would be unwise, because if they weren't up to it, the experience would affect them and their ability. I still see that as craven and unworthy of youth players who might have the integrity and skill to appear on a bigger stage. After all, that's what they came into the sport for.

Other clubs have no compunction. But we seem to shy away from such a gamble.

So sitting third in the premiership (and only man city can dislodge you to fourth by winning by 4 goals) home wins against both merseyside clubs. A last minute draw at spurs....

Has anyone heard from Ian64? Does anyone know if he's ok?

Ian64 didn't go today, but he's feeling very, very good, thank you.

I leave it to Jon to fill in the match details, but it feels weird (but in a good way). The last time we started in such a fashion, top flight, was around the 78/79 season, so it's a strange feeling, not just to hover around the Premier summit, but to do so with a reported veneer of conviction, team unity and strength. I could go gaga and rave like a doofus with dreams of greater glory - if I was in a pub pouring pints of cider down my gullet, I would do - but I think I'd be more truly thrilled if the continuity displayed in these last few games was carried on over the course of the season. Not the ludicrous, simple-minded expectation of a win every game, but the continuity of aspects like not falling to pieces when the Bad Days At The Office come along; high levels of commitment and team spirit; the hope that when defeat comes along, the correct application of attitude and endeavour is the answer to it; moreover, the sense fostered in the last three games that something positive and of long-term strong foundation (that rumbled beneath the surface in past seasons) is finally bearing fruit.

Might all sound a bit overdone, but it wasn't so long ago that West Brom were rudderless and didn't have a game plan off the field, never mind on it, but with our third consecutive spell in the Premiership, there's a sense that the club might just be on the verge of chucking away the memories of a wanky, stagnated history of grubby, cheap mismanagement to a stronger, sensible present and future.

It's not just three games that does this, but the past few seasons - the feeling is the same like Man City have. Except the Poznan and the money. A bit of bright progress having the temerity to creep in.

(Turns on microphone) Jon to thread, please, Jon to thread...

ian.64 wrote:


For some reason, I always thought you were a Brighton fan.

Thats the other Ian, I think.

He's nominally a Spurs fan.

I can understand the frustration in terms of youth players, but the managers you've had in recent years (Hodgson, Mowbray) have always been happy to bring youth through, as long as they're good enough. It just seems that the players aren't being produced (either through scouting, coaching, or sheer bad luck) - it's not as if you've released players down the divisions, only for them to come back and bite you on the arse.

David Agnew wrote:


Competition from other clubs must be a factor too - Aston Villa seem to have a local monopoly on bringing through youth players.

"I leave it to Jon to fill in the match details."

No, I wasn’t there Ian. Haven’t even seen Match of the Day yet. Having a toddler certainly curtails your football viewing.

"The hope that when defeat comes along, the correct application of attitude and endeavour is the answer to it."

Very true. It’s whether we bounce back from a bad couple of results that’ll be key. Not that we didn’t do it last season though. Hodgson was the master of the ‘don’t panic’ approach and you always felt that, even after a bad game or two, he would turn things around. Steve Clarke will hopefully be able to do the same, especially as much of the team is the same as last season.

Another important thing will be dealing with teams who come to the Hawthorns and play for a point. Classic example being yesterday. Everton went for the win in the second half, and that was when we scored our 2 goals. Moyes acknowledged after the game that he should not have played so open in the second half and perhaps have settled for the point. I doubt that teams will be as happy to go for the win as Liverpool and Everton have been this season (and as many teams have been doing in seasons past).

"I can understand the frustration in terms of youth players, but the managers you've had in recent years (Hodgson, Mowbray) have always been happy to bring youth through, as long as they're good enough. It just seems that the players aren't being produced (either through scouting, coaching, or sheer bad luck) - it's not as if you've released players down the divisions, only for them to come back and bite you on the arse."

All depressingly true, David. It would just be nice to have one youth come through now and again. Ian has mentioned George Thorne and I also have high hopes for Berainho. Not that I've seen him play or anything but he did really well at Brentford last season, scoring quite a few goals and his back story is very interesting. I think he came to Birmingham from Burundi aged 10, as an asylum seeker with his Mum. I've long wanted to see an east African player break through into top flight football.

Like I said earlier, I haven’t been up there this season so can’t comment in great detail about Steve Clarke’s playing style or tactics. He’s very lucky to have inherited a team in such good shape as Hodgson left it. Summer acquisitions? Well, my friends tell me that Claudio Yacob is a real find but I think Dan Ashworth is more responsible for the signings than the manager (and he will be a big loss if, as rumoured, he leaves to take up Southgate’s vacant role at the FA). One thing I’ve noticed is his bold use of substitutions – in 2 of the three opening games he has taken off both strikers and replaced them with 2 strikers. I rarely see that nowadays. And Ian – any idea why Reid was taken off early in the second half yesterday? Was it an injury?

So – a great August but let’s not carried away with talk of Europe. It still really is all about finishing above the Villa as far as I’m concerned.

"It still really is all about finishing above the Villa as far as I’m concerned."

19th or better then.

Yes, I should have the 'as long as we don't get relegated' proviso there. But wouldn't it just be marvellous if they went down?

They're fucked. The only players in their team I've heard of are Given and Bent, and Given's finished. I can see them struggling. And good. Boring fuckers, Villa.

Ciaran Clark has potential, if he gets a concerted league run.

Their transfer window signings wouldn't inspire confidence if I was a Villa fan. However, by all accounts they played pretty well at Newcastle yesterday and deserved the draw.

Jon wrote: