How impressed are you with BMcD's return to the club?

[genome]

Quite. If we reach the semis again it will be a bigger achievement than last season.

We are bound to face Arsenal again though.

[Ian Royal]

and his tactics have been resolutely non-long ball this time round.


hes a pragmatic manager who doesn't stick to one way of playing, but instead bases his style of play on the strengths of his squad.
hoorah for that

Mostly plus one. Though we'll see if he starts turning the team more direct and negative in the middle over the summer. I expect and hope not.

We've got some big changes to come again at the end of the season.

actually, id welcome a small reversion in that direction tbh.
I think we still try to overplay at the moment.

I think that's just about confidence and making the right decisions in play.

[Longhorn1970]

Depending on how you look at it kes, you could say Clarke fell at the first premier league team, in which case Brian is already ahead.

Probably fairer to say that if he also reaches the semi finals, he has done so against harder opposition, so maybe extra kudos.

Didn't sir Steve take west brom to their highest ever finish in Prem ?

[Nameless]

Depending on how you look at it kes, you could say Clarke fell at the first premier league team, in which case Brian is already ahead.

Probably fairer to say that if he also reaches the semi finals, he has done so against harder opposition, so maybe extra kudos.

Didn't sir Steve take west brom to their highest ever finish in Prem ?

Not in last season's FA cup he didn't..

[George_]

Lost 1 in 8 & has sorted the defence out whilst getting the best out of Hector & HRK.

Unbeaten at home in 2016 & Taken us to another quarter final, not all bad is it.

[From Despair To Where?]

Depending on how you look at it kes, you could say Clarke fell at the first premier league team, in which case Brian is already ahead.

Probably fairer to say that if he also reaches the semi finals, he has done so against harder opposition, so maybe extra kudos.

Didn't sir Steve take west brom to their highest ever finish in Prem ?

Yes, but only if you believe football didn't exist before 1992

[genome]

I make that 2 losses in 12 games after losing 6 of the previous 7.

[Ian Royal]

To the best of my knowledge Coppell has never managed West Brom.

[harry]

I reckon the fairest criticism you could lay on McD would be that towards the end of his first stint he didn't seem to trust the team to play another way. 

But even then he's somewhat vindicated by the fact that Adkins and Clarke failed to get Reading playing consistently with a more passing style and on McD's return, with a different team, he has adopted a different style, proving it wasn't his capability that should have been scrutinised. 

 We've shored things up at the back and are now capable of coming from behind and getting back into games: something we were not able to do well under either Adkins or Clarke. 

Baby steps, but positive ones and I'm sure it will continue.‎

I think you can safely say he didn't do a very good job in the top flight (under difficult circumstances), but in retrospect that's hardly surprising for a man with just two and a half year's management experience in professional football, all at one club.

I'd argue that we got into the top flight due his ability to get the best out of a team/squad that in my view massively overachieved. What bugged the hell out of me was that we (the club, the fans) didn't accept that and have more patience. It wasn't as if after sacking him we suddenly turned that season around.

[Royal_jimmy]

We were tactically excellent on Saturday againt a team who will be playing Premier League football again next season. Well done to Brian and his staff. Not quite the 'muppet' some people on here were labelling you eh

Well, if Brian doesn't get past Palace in the next round he won't have done as well as Clarke did in the FA Cup last season......

Not only did we not knock out a prem side but we were awful in the league. Ok we've been underwhelming in the league but we are doing better there than under Clark last season.

[Maneki Neko]

I make that 2 losses in 12 games after losing 6 of the previous 7.

the oil tanker is turning!

[No Fixed Abode]

I make that 2 losses in 12 games after losing 6 of the previous 7.

But now a massive 14 point gap to the Play-offs.

[Forbury Lion]

I reckon the fairest criticism you could lay on McD would be that towards the end of his first stint he didn't seem to trust the team to play another way. 

But even then he's somewhat vindicated by the fact that Adkins and Clarke failed to get Reading playing consistently with a more passing style and on McD's return, with a different team, he has adopted a different style, proving it wasn't his capability that should have been scrutinised.‎

A great point, Maybe Brian had a better handle on the abilities and capabilities of the players at his disposal and knew they would struggle to adapt, thus resulting in less points won that if they continued to play the way they were. Perhaps with half decent funds available for that level he would have signed a player or two to help the side evolve and play another way.

[genome]

I make that 2 losses in 12 games after losing 6 of the previous 7.

But now a massive 14 point gap to the Play-offs.

15 games under McDermott, only 4 losses m8, 2 losses in 12 games. Lost 6 out of last 10 before he came in, winning just 1 - surely even you must admit that's in improvement in form.

[genome]

And, if you want to look at it in terms of league placing, Clarke took us from 2nd in the league to 9th in 7 games

[No Fixed Abode]

I make that 2 losses in 12 games after losing 6 of the previous 7.

But now a massive 14 point gap to the Play-offs.

15 games under McDermott, only 4 losses m8, 2 losses in 12 games. Lost 6 out of last 10 before he came in, winning just 1 - surely even you must admit that's in improvement in form.

Sliding down the league table from 7th to 14th isn't an improvement. Must have drawn a lot of games....

[genome]

Better that than losing them and sliding out of the automatic promotion spots under a snakey manager that wanted to jump ship at the first opportunity eh m8

[genome]

Oh and we were 13th when McDermott took over, HTH!

[No Fixed Abode]

Better that than losing them and sliding out of the automatic promotion spots under a snakey manager that wanted to jump ship at the first opportunity eh m8

It doesn't matter. Over 3 games, say. If you win 1 and lose 2 you get 3 points. If you draw all 3 you still get the same points. All we can go by is you were 7th under Clarke and 1 point off the play-offs. Now you're 14th and 14 points from the play-offs. .

[Ian Royal]

Better that than losing them and sliding out of the automatic promotion spots under a snakey manager that wanted to jump ship at the first opportunity eh m8

It doesn't matter. Over 3 games, say. If you win 1 and lose 2 you get 3 points. If you draw all 3 you still get the same points. All we can go by is you were 7th under Clarke and 1 point off the play-offs. Now you're 14th and 14 points from the play-offs. .

no, that's all your feeble mind is capable of going by. The rest of us can mamage a little better than that.