Di Matteo happy to be number two

But saying that RDM was a bright and upcoming manager­ is like going to the Chelsea flower show with a seed in­ a pot, our still coming last what ever the plant, RDM­ was not prepared to bounce back, he needs experience­ and tutoring from, lets be fair, a better manager.

I suppose you've also got a reply as to why in the­ 1st 45mins after RDM left they were 3-0 against West­ Ham and then proceeded to throw it away, B52 these­ players have no loyalty to either RDM or West Brom, the­ reason for the performance was that Albion are a decent­ team, with good players, the performance against Bolton­ was OK, to say we demolished them is a little­ ungracious as isn't football about scoring goals?­ Also Man U have for years had teams that raise their­ game BECAUSE its Man U. None of this was influenced by­ RDM, I agree that he did a good job getting us­ promoted, however lets not forget that when he was­ sacked he had won ONE GAME IN FOURTEEN, officially the­ worst run in the premiership last season, lets also not­ forget that Roy has managed to guide the EXACT same­ players to 11th that the wonderful RDM was taking down.­

You can sometimes see things through Rose-Tinted­ glasses at the Albion because we seem to always be the­ underdogs in every story. However the strong opinion­ amongst knowledgeable football lovers is that with RDM­ at the helm we WOULD have got relegated, Peace's­ decision WAS proven to be the correct one, we have a­ better manager than we had last year and therefore a­ better chance of success.

One Point: If RDM is this­ bright up-and-coming manager, why didn't Cardiff,­ Blues, West Ham or Nott's Forest, all Big­ Championship Clubs with aspirations of promotion,­ something which RDM has proven to be capable of,­ appoint him? He was even interviewed for the Blues and­ Cardiff jobs!! The reason is that away from the press­ and media, people in football talk and people know what­ his campaign at WBA was truly like.

Paul C....Mass walkout on the 24th? I was at the Reebok­ on the 26th where, apart from being useless up front,­ they showed total commitment and tore Bolton to shreds­ time and time again. Same thing on New Years Day­ against Man Utd...if those players were unhappy with­ RDM they certainly didn't show it on the pitch. As­ I said Paul he left Roy H with a much better squad than­ he inherited from Mowbs and at very little cost (Peace­ must have loved that!) and inspite of what Roy H has­ done I still think RDM was harshly treated. I still­ believe we had our hands on one of the brightest­ managerial prospects in football and his appointment at­ Chelsea (a somewhat larger football club than­ ourselves) only reinforces that belief.

B52, i know from a player who is CURRENTLY in the­ playing squad that their was a mass walkout on December­ 24th due to RDM's lack of interest in the coaching­ aspect, he never spent any time at the club, popping in­ for 10 mins out of every training session. With all due­ respect just because the guy is nice to you and your­ son that doesn't make him a good coach.

I am­ grateful for the promotion but it was apparent from­ Blackpool onwards that he needed help.

Paul C.....From the first game in charge of the Albion­ to that debacle at Blackpool 15 onths later the vast­ majority of Baggies fans I know thought RDM­ "walked on water". Even when the slide­ started we played well enough to, and should have,­ beaten Man Utd, Bolton and Blackburn (the latter pair­ twice) but didn't take a single point from any of­ those games. He left Roy H a decent and talented squad­ built on £50 and I for one will always admire him.­ Besides from being No.1 at the Hawthorns to No.2 at­ Chelsea is hardly a backward step is it?......bit like­ Tamas not being good enough for us but, apparently,­ good enough to interest Lazio. As for approachable...I­ spoke with him at The Marriot Hotel Preston before the­ Blackpool game and he was both approachable and polite­ to both me and my grandson...a gentleman in fact.
If he­ does go on to bigger and better things, and I'm­ sure he will, then we're going to end up looking­ pretty foolish............

P, you must have met a different Roberto. Every time I­ have meet him I have found him to be cold and distant,­ from inside sources his attention to detail and work­ ethic is seriously lacking.

I believe this could be a­ case of good player = must equal good coach,­ unfortunately it doesn't always work out

As a true blue this has all the markings of a fabulous­ signing ,what with the knowledge he picked up in his­ time with West Brom and all his experience as a player­ I think he will do well .I was lucky enough to meet him­ and found him friendly,good mannered and very­ approachable which has to be a strength with man­ managment but unfortunately my club have turned into a­ "hire em and fire em" outfit when it comes to­ hitting the panic button and in the case of Ray Wilkins­ he was always friendly,good mannered and approchable­ and look what happened to him! The idiots are in charge­ of the asylum I'm afraid.Anyway Roberto,the best of­ luck my friend

Good new's for the BLUES.

That is good news. I call it respect.