|
|
2013-14 Season Review Part One
To say 2012-13 ended
in a bad way would be a little bit of an understatement.
Play off semi final defeat to Crystal Palace, Gus Poyet
launching his toys so far out of the pram that some were
rumoured to have been seen in Moscow, bodily products in
away changing rooms and ultimately the sacking of the
entire management team.
Step forward Oscar Garcia
with the difficult task of trying to take all that as well
as a squad that had been severely weakened and turn it into
another promotion push.
And of course, he bloody did
it with another position in the top six secured amid wild
scenes at Nottingham Forest. Here is part one of our season
review of 2013-14.
 |
Pre-Season 2013
With Championship
left back of the season Wayne Bridge gone along
with Vicente, Dean Hammond and Ryan Harley, some
strengthening was needed yet there was no
manager to do so. Matt Upson turned his loan
into a permanent move from Stoke City with Adam
Chicksen arriving from McDons before Oscar
Garcia arrived as head coach having guided
Macabbi Tel Aviv to the Israeli title the
previous season. He soon had an assistant
manager as well with Nathan Jones returning to
the club much to the disgust of a large number
of the fan base who hadn't forgotten some of his
antics when playing for Yeovil against the
Albion after leaving Withdean in 2005. With just
two new signings made, pre-season got underway
with a 3-0 win against Whitehawk. For the second
year running we managed to complete a tour to a
foreign country without getting involved in a
mass brawl or game postponement with a 1-0 win
over Getafe being followed by a 2-1 victory
against Getafe and Crawley were dispatched 2-0
in the far less glamorous surroundings of the
Broadfield Stadium. A third signing was added
when Kemy Agustien and his 39 driving licence
penalty points arrived from Swansea while David
Lopez also agreed to return after a summer of
umming and ahhing. The friendly schedule was
rounded off nicely with a 3-1 home defeat to
Vilareal and a 1-1 draw with Norwich City in
which Solly March confirmed his rich potential
with an absolute screamer. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
August 2013
Oscar instantly
showed his sense of style at The Leeds United on
the opening day, wearing grey trousers and
chinos as the Albion went down to a 2-1 last
minute defeat after Leonardo Ulloa gave the
visitors the lead. Another cock up in the COCup
saw league new boys Newport County win 3-1 at
The Amex with Inigo Calderon breaking Byron
Anthony's leg for good measure. Disaster looked
as though it had struck when the outstanding
Liam Bridcutt was ruled out with a long term
injury but Oscar showed the sort of faith in
youth that Poyet never did, handing the shirt to
Rohan Ince and being richly rewarded. Two goals
for Chris Martin secured victory one of four for
Derby in the first home league game after Ulloa
gave the Seagulls the lead, highlighting that
the squad was in desparate need of more
reinforcements so in came Stephen Ward on loan
from Wolves and Keith Andrews from Bolton.
Oscar's first victory arrived four games into
the campaign, Andrew Crofts netting the only
goal in a 1-0 win at Birmingham City and that
was followed by a 2-0 home win over Burnley
courtesy of Crofts and Ulloa and a last gasp 1-1
draw with Milllllllll.
Record: P6,
W2, D1, L3, F7, A8
Results: 1-2 Leeds A, 1-3 Newport H, 0-2
Derby H, 1-0 Birmingham A, 2-0 Burnley H, 1-1
Millwall H
League Position at End of Month: 13th |
 |
 |
 |
 |
September 2013
Back-to-back away
games in the space of four days against recently
relegated and highly fancied for an immediate
Premier League return Reading and QPR
represented the fixtures computer doing it's
best to cause unnecessary pain but as it was,
two 0-0 draws represented good results. What
didn't represent anything near good was Leonardo
Ulloa seeing red in that televised clash at the
Madjeski Stadium for attempting to decapitate
home defender Aaron Hughes with a kung fu kick
meaning his services were lost for the next
three games.The first of which was Spanish Day
at The Amex, with fans encouraged to come in
Spanish fancy dress to celebrate all the players
from that nation we have at the club. As it was,
David Lopez duly got into the mood of
celebrating his country by scoring an own goal
to give visitors Bolton Wanderers the lead. A
remarkable three goals in four second half
minutes completely turned the game on it's head
as Jay Spearing put through his own net and
Inigo Calderon and Will Buckley completed the
comeback. The month ended with a disappointing
defeat as Ipswich Town completely outclassed
Oscar's men in all departments to win 2-0 at
Portman Road while Craig Conway also arrived
from Cardiff City.
Record: P4,
W1, D2, L1, F3, A3
Results: 0-0 Reading A, 0-0 QPR A, 3-1 Bolton
H, 0-2 Ipswich A
League Position at End of Month: 12th |
 |
 |
 |
 |
October 2013
Ah, October. That
month we haven't won a game in since 2010. The
curse predictably struck again, opening with a
1-1 home draw against struggling Sheffield
Wednesday thanks to a last minute Keith Andrews
leveller. More concerning was the sight of
Leonardo Ulloa being carted off on a stretcher
in his comeback game from suspension. Big
spending Nottingham Forest were 3-1 winners at
The Amex in an ill tempered match thanks largely
to the actions of poisoned dwarf manager Billy
Davies with Ruben Martinez ultimately being sent
from the home dug out after a spot of handbags
broke out. With Ulloa out long term, Leroy Lita
bought the shiniest head in professional
football to the Albion on-loan from Swansea and
he made his debut from the bench in a 0-0 draw
at Yeovil. The Sky cameras were in town for the
Halloween visit of Watford in another themed
game - Fright Night - and it looked as though
that would be very apt when the Hornets went
ahead after just four minutes but Andrew Crofts
grabbed an equaliser and referee Keith Hill took
the man of the match award for not awarding a
Watford goal after the ball went 30 feet over
the line.
Record: P4,
W0, D3, L1, F3, A5
Results: 1-1 Sheffield Wed H, 1-3 Nottingham
Forest H, 0-0 Yeovil A, 1-1 Watford H
League Position at End of Month: 16th |
 |
 |
 |
 |
November 2013
After the dirge of
October came the brilliance of November as three
wins out of four bought Oscar a richly deserved
first Manager of the Month award in England.
Having won just once on the road all season, a
convincing victory at Doncaster was just what
the doctor ordered. Jake Forster-Caskey scored a
contender for goal of the season with a stunning
35 yard strike with late goals from Leroy Lita
and a trademark David Lopez free kick securing
the three points. Ashley Barnes got his season
belatedly up and running in front of goal with a
brace as Blackburn Rovers were dispatched 3-0 at
The Amex before the tough trip to Wigan Athletic
also ended in victory thanks in part to a Tomasz
Kuszczak masterclass and yet another late strike
from Andrew Crofts to hasten Owen Coyle's exit
from the DW Stadium. With Liam Bridcutt now back
in training after three months out, things were
looking up ahead of the televised "South Coast
Derby" away at an equally in form AFC
Bournemouth in which Barnes put himself forward
as another candidate for goal of the season with
a stunning volley after playing keppy upies on
the edge of the Cherries box to earn a 1-1 draw.
Record: P4,
W3, D1, L0, F8, A2
Results: 3-1 Doncaster H, 3-0 Blackburn H,
1-0 Wigan A, 1-1 Bournemouth A
League Position at End of Month: 9th |
 |
 |
 |
 |
December
2013
The curse of the
Manager of the Month award struck within three
days of November becoming December as bottom of
the table Barnsley ran out deserved 2-1 winners
at The Amex with Pat McCourt the best player on
the pitch. That was naturally followed up by
league leaders Leicester City being clinically
dispatched thanks to an Ashley Barnes brace and
a first goal for the club for Craig Conway. The
long journey to Teeside to face Middlesbrough
was a memorable one for Matt Upson who scored an
86th minute winner while bandaged up with a
nasty head injury and the Albion faithful who
made the trip as Paul Barber bought every away
fan a pint. We've always liked the guy.
Huddersfield visited in the last game before
Christmas in a bore draw that finished 0-0 in
driving wind and rain and Leonardo Ulloa
returned to the starting line up after two
months out injured with a brace in a 3-2 Boxing
Day defeat away at struggling Charlton Athletic.
2013 ended with all the glamour that comes from
a trip to the seaside resort of Blackpool and
Inigo Calderon popped up with the only goal of
the game in a 1-0 win at Bloomfield Road.
Record: P6,
W3, D1, L2, F8, A6
Results: 1-2 Barnsley H, 3-1 Leicester H, 1-0
Middlesbrough A, 0-0 Huddersfield H, 2-3
Charlton A, 1-0 Blackpool A
League Position at End of Month: 8th |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
