10th August 2003: Optimism shattered?
Well, it's certainly dented but I hope we can put it down to a bad
day at the office for the Baggies, and an excellent one for Paul Merson.
It was always going to be a difficult trip for the first day of the
season, but we lost there two years ago (maybe not quite so convincingly)
and still went up. I didn't manage to get to the game (probably a
good choice), but from all reports the Albion started well, were stunned
by the opening goal and descended into a shambles once Wallwork replaced
Siggy.
Hulse and Dichio up front was, in my opinion, a bad, bad choice. Dobie
is the man on form and should've started with some pace on the bench
to bring on to run at what must have been a very tired Walsall defence
in the second half - i.e. Hughes or, dare I say it, Roberts. And when
will Megson realise that neither Gregan nor Wallwork are defenders?
So Gaardsoe and Moore are injured, but we have Gilchrist and James
Chambers as recognised defenders - maybe not the best, but certainly
better than Wallwork.
If it gives the boys a wake up call and we get good wins in the next
two games, all will be forgiven and the season will be up and running,
but this is not the start we wanted. Roll on Tuesday - Brentford also
managed to lose 4-1 yesterday; I'm not sure if that is a good thing
or a bad thing!!
To finish on a bright note, reports suggest that we can take some
positives from the game in an impressive debut from Volmer, and a
man-of-the-match performance once again from Koumas.
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