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It just wasn't meant to be (at Albion). From the way we refused to employ his assistant, to R McD trying to usurp him then further on the players not buying into the plan, all with a language barrier on top. He was dealt a bad hand and decided he wouldn't bother playing it. I don't know if he could have had us tippy tappying up the table or got us relegated, but once again, we hired someone and then didn't give him the tools for the job.
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Tell you what, he has certainly managed in some better locations than West Bromwich since he left the Albeyun.
Difficult to feel sorry for him.
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I thought it was well-known that basically it was Keith Andrews, Brunty, Mozza and a few of our other old boys (who could be trusted) who basically ignored Mel for the out-of-depth idiot he was and took it upon themselves to sort out the shit we were in (because he should never have been offered the job); and that the romance he still enjoys with some really isn’t justified. Obviously I’m incorrect.
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Wrong timing as usual for Baggies.
Nowt wrong with wanting a change of approach. But do it when there's time to change the squad, get the coaching implemented, and develop and understanding. When you're fire fighting it ay the time.
Felt sorry for Pepe, in the same way as I would feel sorry for my Shih Tzu in a greyhound race.
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(09-22-2022, 10:33 PM)HawkingsHalfpint Wrote: I thought it was well-known that basically it was Keith Andrews, Brunty, Mozza and a few of our other old boys (who could be trusted) who basically ignored Mel for the out-of-depth idiot he was and took it upon themselves to sort out the shit we were in (because he should never have been offered the job); and that the romance he still enjoys with some really isn’t justified. Obviously I’m incorrect.
No you are correct. Lovely bloke with a lovely daughter; awful manager.
I wish him all the very best.
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Mels style of play wasn't wrong. In fact it was bloody brilliant. Trying to get our squad of players to play it however was fucking crazy!
You simply can't have a slow back line defending on the halfway line. You can score as many as you want but you're just going to concede as many if not more at the other end and as it transpired thats exactly what happened.
If we had had some young pacy centre halves we might have been ok.
The club behind the scences was starting to unravel then with McD's undermining of Mel. Thank god Keily and Downing did such a stirling job of steadying the ship.
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There has always been some unwarranted love and warmth towards Mel. However, it was a really poor choice and if it wasn't for Downing and Kiely, it would have ended in disaster.
Mel was a tourist by the middle of his tenure. Barely doing 2 hours a day at the club. All the prep and research left to others.
Nice bloke but absolutely took the piss.