After the positive reaction received last week after we had a little pre-match chat with our forthcoming opponents, we here at VitalChelsea thought we’d keep the feature running. So, ahead of the visit of West Brom tomorrow to Stamford Bridge, we got in touch with a couple of leading Baggies fan sites to have a gossip.
And, because we’re good to you, we’ve got not just the response of one Baggies fan this week, but the responses of two – from WBA-Mad, Mr Iain Bate and from BOING, Mr Chris Saunders.
Do us a favour and check out what they’re saying over at WBA-Mad and BOING ahead of our meeting tomorrow evening. For now though. let’s get on with the chat…
1) You have, quite literally, the toughest start to the new season imaginable; a visit from the champions Manchester United followed by a trip to Stamford Bridge. After narrowly going down 2-1 last weekend though, are you optimistic ahead of the trip to West London?
CS: I’m certainly not optimistic about coming away with three points! On the other hand, I don`t think we`ll do as badly as last year because Hodgson has brought in the organisation that we clearly lacked.
Some of the goals we conceded at the Bridge last season were awful – defenders moving out of the way of free kicks, saves palmed straight to opposition strikers and so on – and the worst offenders won`t be playing for us this time.
IB: No, not really. Stamford Bridge is arguably the most difficult away fixture. It doesn’t help either that Peter Odemwingie is also a major doubt for the trip.
2) Last season in this corresponding fixture, on the opening day of the season, you were battered 6-0, so is there a slight apprehension about coming back?
CS: Actually, no – not really; it`s a bit of a “no lose” game in which we can`t really fall below what most people expect from us. And we may just do better.
IB: I don’t think that the Albion players will be looking at it like that. If anything, I think they’d probably like to show Roberto Di Matteo they have improved since he left the club. Robbie did a great job at The Hawthorns, but we’ve improved even more under Roy Hodgson.
3) Roberto Di Matteo was in charge at the Hawthorns last year, after winning you promotion from the Championship but, in most people’s eyes, was rather harshly sacked in the first week of February. Was that a premature knee-jerk decision from the board or, in hindsight, with Roy Hodgson coming in, did it work out for the best?
CS: From the outside, it might have appeared to be an over-reaction, but everything I`ve heard from inside says it had been coming for a while. Most people are convinced we`d have been relegated with Di Matteo in charge as things were getting worse all the time.
IB: It was seen as a knee-jerk reaction from people outside of the club. But if most Albion fans are honest though, we could see it coming. Despite a great start, RDM had lost his way. There were also rumours of dressing room unrest and that he was losing interest in his first-team duties.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. At the time I thought the board had made the wrong decision, but the introduction of Roy Hodgson was a masterstroke. In only a matter of months he turned us from relegation certainties to a mid-table side. It was a fantastic turnaround.
4) Robbie now finds himself back at the Bridge, albeit as an assistant. Do you think he has what it takes to make it as a manager in his own right or is this position alongside Andre Villas-Boas a backward step?
CS: His record of promotions at MK Dons and Albion show that he`s got a lot of what it takes, but I think he needs to learn more about dealing with bad situations and learning from defeats.
Had he become an assistant to someone with a lot more experience (like Hodgson, for instance!) I’d have thought it a good way to help him develop, but with someone as young as Villas-Boas I`m not so sure.
IB: Although he’s now a No.2, some would argue it’s a better career move than being the boss at the Baggies. I’ve heard a lot of rumours about RDM losing interest towards his time at the club, and that a number of senior players had fallen out with him. If he’s successful at Chelsea and there’s no pressure on him, I’m not sure whether he’d like to go back to being a No.1.
5) Meanwhile, Hodgson comfortably guided you to safety once he’d settled in. Is he the man to stop the Baggies boing between divisions?
CS: Definitely. The only worry is how long he wants to stay, as he’s said he’d like the England job next year and he’s also said he’s pushing retirement age already.
IB: Most definitely. When RDM went, Roy was possibly the best option we could’ve hoped for. Thankfully he agreed to join. I’m more than confident he’s the man to finally establish us as a Premier League club.
6) You’ve had a decent summer transfers-wise, with the arrival of Ben Foster, Gareth McAuley, Zoltan Gera and Shane Long. Are you pleased or are more reinforcements needed before the transfer slams shut in a fortnight’s time?
CS: Very pleased with Foster and Long, though I feel the others have been signed more as squad players than guaranteed starters. Billy Jones is another promising newcomer although we`ve seen very little of him so far. I’d be happier with another experienced centre half in the squad, something Hodgson has also admitted to wanting, so it may well happen.
IB: All of the signings have strengthened the squad, Foster and Long especially. It’d be nice if we could bring in another quality defender. The addition of Owen Hargreaves would be great – if they can get him fit!
7) And Shane Long, you can’t ask for more from a striker than a goal on his debut, can you?!
CS: You could ask for two goals! But I`ll settle for one a game, every game…
IB: It was a good start. Let’s hope he gets another on Saturday. It’ll be interesting to see the partnership he forms with Peter Odemwingie.
8) What about your take on Chelsea. Are we serious title contenders alongside United and City this year or is the appointment of the inexperienced Villas-Boas going to threaten our position amongst the top clubs in the country?
CS: I guess a lot depends on how the players take to him, something I`m not really aware of yet. You certainly have the quality to stay in the top two or three if the squad stay happy.
IB: There’s no doubt in my mind that Chelsea will compete for the title. People say that AVB is inexperienced because they look at his age. I believe that he got his first coaching qualification when he was 14! That means that for more of his life he’s been coaching.
9) Fernando Torres has probably been the subject of discussion in every pub up and down the country over the last few months. He had arguably his most impressive game in a Chelsea shirt at Stoke last week but couldn’t find an elusive goal. What’s your take on the Spaniard and his threat to you on Saturday?
CS: I thought he looked lost last season after joining Chelsea – and even before, except for scoring the winner against us at Anfield, and I put it down to the change in hairstyle. But I have this horrible feeling that he`ll join the long list of players who always score against us.
IB: Fernando Torres is one of my favourite players in the league. I used to love watching him play during his time at Liverpool. There’s no doubt in my mind he’ll find his form again this season – I just hope it’s not this Saturday evening.
10) It’s an evening kick-off on Saturday, again rescheduled to accommodate for the TV companies. After both our games were switched to Sunday last week, are you concerned about the increasing intervention of the likes of Sky and ESPN and the impact on ordinary, match-going fans?
CS: I think it’s gone a long way beyond ‘increasing’ – this has been going on for years, though it’s probably reached a bit of a plateau now. What really disappoints me is that while the broadcast of games has hit attendances, the vast amount of money it’s brought in hasn’t been used to reduce ticket prices and make up for the missing people, especially in such hard economic times. The players have simply said ‘we`ll have that’ and the clubs have said ‘ok’ – and many clubs are still deep in debt and struggling in spite of the millions. Sorry, soapbox moment!
IB: To be honest, I think that most fans are accustomed to it now. Albion don’t play their first game on a Saturday at 3pm until the middle of September!
11) And finally, how about a score prediction for Saturday?
CS: I’d love to say 2-2 but I think 3-1 is more realistic!
IB: I think Chelsea are favourites, but we won’t be pushovers this season. I’d like to think we could snatch a draw, but it’ll probably be 2-0 to Chelsea.
Thanks to Iain and Chris for their thoughts ahead of tomorrow’s clash.
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