Slaven Bilic gives his thoughts on todays game.

https://www.expressandstar.com/spor...we-deserved-says-west-brom-boss-slaven-bilic/

Shame he was in the 4th officials face all game and when he did leave him alone his coach stood in for him.

 

Barnsley didn’t create a lot in the second half, he must have been watching a very different game. At half time we had 12 shots with 5 on target, compared to their 5 shots with 2 on target. In the second half we had another 8 shots with 3 on target, compared to their 2 and 0, but yes Slaven, we didn’t create: Tool.

 

To be fair the only chance I can remember in the 2nd half is the goal. What else did we create?

 

There are a few on the highlights, but I was quoting BBC sports stats.

 

Thomas shot in 2nd half which Johnstone saved

 

Fair enough, can't remember any myself and don't really class Thomas' shot as a chance. So don't think bilic has said much wrong. Think stats can be misleading.

 

Stats v opinion

 

Pissed again .

 

Lovely. But seriously, can anyone remind of all these chances we had in 2nd half? Thought we played well today but think we looked more threatening in the 1st half.

 

We are sat just behind the home bench and all Bilic did was complain constantly in the 4th officials face , and I do mean constantly. Bilic knew his team were being outplayed and his only answer was to constantry influence the officials. Justice being done in the end. COY REDS!

 

Agree. There were times in the second half where I felt we’d ran out of ideas & that we were never going to break them down.

It was a decent second half performance & an excellent first half performance from us

 

Look on the highlights at 1:30 to 1:36, if that wasn't a chance I don't know what is! We did create others but not as clear cut as Thomas's shot, I seem to remember Mowatt curling one too high from a free kick and Woodrow having a couple charged down, but at this time WBA were defending in depth and took some breaking down.

 

With respect, perhaps you were suffering from over-indulging on Christmas day and was sleeping it off in the 2nd half
WBA were defending deeper in the 2nd half as, amazingly, they looked more fragile in defence than us and seemed to have no answer to our forward play. We had 3 and 4 Barnsley players in their box on occasions. Thomas' shot was turned around the post with the keeper at full stretch even though he was well positioned. On another day, with a lesser goalkeeper, that may well have hit the back of the net. Admittedly the feeling that I had in the 1st half i.e. we looked like scoring every time we attacked, dissipated in the 2nd half but that was because Albion were defending deep and time wasting to take the pace out of the game. In the 2nd half I cant recall any real chances being created by them and, on this occasion, I think the stats accurately reflect the match.
As an aside, another poor (albeit far from the worst we have had) ref who suffered from 'bigclubitis' and who seems to think it is not 'dangerous play' raising a foot to head height nearly catching Cauley (I think it was him) in the face. That and other decisions where a couple of WBA scything tackles and blatant time wasting went unpunished should mean he ought to be relegated to lower leagues for a few games.

 

Mowatt hit the crossbar didn't he.

 

It was a good effort from Thomas yes. And yeah maybe the free kick could be classed as a half chance but can't say mowatt was anywhere near troubling the keeper. We definitely created more than WBA in that half, but I still think we rarely threatened and bilic gave a fair assessment of the game overall.

 

Don’t think Bilic is far wrong in his assessment really.

However, if you watch the fans being interviewed, which is linked in the same article they follow a very common theme.

No praise for us giving them the run around
Should be beating ‘teams like Barnsley’
We were just off it today
Need to sign Bowen from Hull. Yes, the £20m plus rated Bowen who most of the Premier League sides are looking at.

Nowt as blinkered as football fans is there.

 

Agreed. For me Bilic was spot on in his assessment. Although I would certainly argue when he says they got what they deserved, as if they got what they deserved then we'd have won that game.

 

He gave us praise and rightly so because they have robbed us of four points this season as we should have done the double on them.

 

one of the reasons west brom are at the top of the pile.....is their (ahem) game management.
We had a couple of quiet periods yesterday but genrally bossed the game and caused them lots of problems. The way they dealt with it was to sit deeper and apply the old time wasting. Its what good teams do better than most. I looked in awe as they could afford to bring on Gareth Barry as a sub....but his sole action was a proffesional foul!
Worse teams than the baggies, would have been put to bed by us on that performance...we did well yesterday and im proud of our players.

 

Bringing on Gareth Barry was the latest sign we were dominant. Bringing on a past it holding defensive midfielder to help out their struggling defence.