We started full of confidence and well in control forcing the Baggies on to the back foot and letting us come on and depend on a breakaway.
From quite early on, you could see that our silky passing was getting us to the final third with ease but there seemed little sign of ‘killer pass’ or indeed a semblance of cutting edge. I think a lot of us thought it may be just a matter of time before we click but that thought was dispelled just after the 15 min mark when Gibson – in no more a strenuous act than passing the ball out wide right he went to the turf – was led off and that was his day over; after Hibbert coming on at right back and Neville going into midfield so was ours. We never seemed to really recover from that and although we were on top until the break we never really looked convincing.
We had a couple of headers from Jelavic to ‘Ooh and Aah’ about and one very close effort from Fellaini who met a deep right wing cross and did the right thing in heading it back across the keeper but just over the bar with the keeper well rooted to the spot.
Having most of the play is one thing but being sloppy and giving the ball away on the opponents' 18-yd line and allowing a quick break was rammed home when Ridgewell galloped forward, put a great cross in, and Long rattled the bar with force. We had been warned but the warning was not heeded and after another defensive mix up Morrisson was in one-on-one and we were grateful to Tim Howard for making a great one-handed stop and then falling on the ball in the resultant scramble.
Half-time and we were perplexed at our performance as so many players seemed just not ‘At it’ – especially in crucial areas of attack and defence. A worrying time!
The second half again started well for the Blues but our frailty was demonstrated early on in the piece when Baines took a touch before shooting when well placed in the box and allowed his effort to be deflected for a corner; I wondered why he didn’t shoot first time. Then Jelavic fed Fellaini who with nice control left his marker and from a good position in the box dragged his effort wide and I have to say it was with little conviction. It was a real chance that the Belgian has been despatching so far this season.
It was frustrating for all and fair play to our manager he did try to inject something different by swopping Naismith with Mirallas on the hour mark. It almost worked as he got a pass from our most consistent player on an inconsistent day, Osman, then went forward at pace to the by-line and put in a low cross that found Fellaini at the far post. It seemed nailed on, he swung a boot, did it get a bobble? Because the upshot was that from a very presentable opportunity he did in fact find the legendary ‘Row Z’ – hell you just knew this ain't our day.
Wouldn’t you just know it – almost straight away, their sub Odemwingie raced away down the left leaving Hibbert in his wake and Jags out of position and crossed low for Long to get his foot on the ball before Distin – 1-0 down and to be honest at that moment I just knew ‘Game Over’.
Now we looked even flatter than before, Osman did try to pull a few strings and play people in but everything just seemed to break down. Fellaini seemed to lose all concentration as he embarked on run-ins with the rookie Ref Moss but there was always going to be one winner and he duly got himself booked. Neville also started to sail close to the wind with daft tackles and he got a very unnecessary yellow and was hooked in favour of Big Vic. This on the face of it put a more attacking slant on our side but unfortunately it never materialised.
It was from a comical episode that emphasised our frailty both up front and at the back as Fellaini got his legs in a mess just inside their box and eventually played a ball so badly to Baines that he had to stretch and toe poke it to Osman with no real direction which led to Osman being robbed and they set off down field and from a great strike Howard did well to tip over the bar. From the corner, Howard seemed to be pinned in by a WBA forward, a big centre back was left unmarked so, when the floundering keeper flapped and missed, the unmarked defender headed home – as did a good number of the faithful. If it was not 'game over' before it was now.
Final whistle and I wouldn’t say the fans were very angry; it seemed to more bemusement after a display like that on the back of our previous displays.
MotM – Hard to find but I would go for Osman. Overall what can you say? We promised much and delivered little. Players who usually stand out for us all off form at the same time. The injury to Gibson disrupted us more than it ever should, leaving me to hope that the last-minute loan signing from (yet again) Belgium can hit the ground running and live up the accolade from Vincent Kompany. (I wonder how you pronounce his name, let alone master spelling it???) You could justifiably question the manager when on Gibson’s injury he didn’t just drop Fellaini back and send Mirallas into the Fellaini role but hindsight is a great thing.
What next? Well it’s probably best to put today down to just one of those things that happen at times in every season, and turn up and watch us gain three more points v Newcastle in a fortnight.
Enjoy your international break.
UP THE BLUES
UP THE BLUES
