00:00Baggage fans, welcome to ExpressAndStart.com. My name is Jonny Drury, I'm here at the Hawthorns
00:14after Albion. I've lost for the first time at home this season, conceded at home for
00:18the first time this season, and been beaten for the second time in four days here against
00:23Middlesbrough. We'll come on to the game, but the result again, like Saturday, arguably
00:28well no, definitely secondary. Tonight was all about tributes to Albion fan, Mark Townsender,
00:34we all know sadly passed away following a medical incident at Hillsborough on Saturday.
00:40So we want to start the video by talking about that, paying tribute to Mark, thoughts again
00:44and prayers to Mark's family at this difficult time. But Coxsey, very poignant evening and
00:49very well observed by Albion, a shirt put in Mark's seat before the game. I know Carlos
00:55Corbijn talked about it before the game, he's just talked about it after as well.
01:00Despite the fact that we're disappointed with how Albion performed and the result, it really
01:04again doesn't really matter.
01:05Yes, the performance and the result weren't good were they, but they pale into insignificance
01:11as you say. Very much secondary, as Saturday was in the end in terms of that defeat. While
01:20the performance and result weren't what we wanted, the tribute in the 57th minute of
01:26course, Mark's age, it was pretty special wasn't it? The ball went out of play anyway
01:32I think, but it was heartening to see and I think the official would have done it anyway.
01:37Players and officials join in with the minutes applause. It was a pretty special moment wasn't
01:43it? It was very emotive as we knew it would. It's a very tough, difficult little period
01:51for the club isn't it? Obviously it goes without saying, family, friends and loved ones, thoughts
01:56and prayers are there. Obviously they will have the time to grieve for Mark's tragic
02:03loss and what were the tragic events, but it's likewise difficult for the club isn't
02:10it? Supporters here tonight, staff, it was a very difficult weekend clearly. As I said
02:18at the start of the evening, the club's in mourning, still in mourning isn't it? You
02:22can tell that. I was so pleased to see how well the minutes applause in the 57th minute
02:31played out. It was very touching, very poignant and I hope a crumb of comfort to the loved
02:38ones and some family here tonight weren't there? I'm sure they would have been touched
02:44by that. Typically, as expected, Albion did and do these kind of things right don't they?
02:52Pay tribute and look after their own in the best way and they did that tonight. It's a
02:59shame that the result didn't come, but as I said at the top, it pales into insignificance.
03:04Some more nice words from Carlos Corban there to me in the press conference. They were obviously
03:10beyond not sideways by the news and sad at the weekend and obviously desperate to pay
03:16tribute in the right way. The club, fans, officials, players, staff, everyone did that
03:20tonight so that's the most important thing really. Again, all of our thoughts and prayers
03:26with everyone who knew Mark.
03:30A few tributes, I've just seen a tweet actually that said Mark would probably be looking down
03:35and saying typical Albion tonight because Albion weren't at the races, didn't quite
03:39turn up like they did on Saturday, but were second best. Borough were the better team
03:44and Albion were beaten. Coxsey, I said to you inside, if you look at the first, what
03:51is it now, eight games, if you look back at the start of the season, two defeats, I think
03:5516 points to make games, just snapped your hand off, but a few little concerning signs,
03:59certainly at Sheffield Wednesday, and for me certainly tonight. Borough were a very
04:03good side, will be one of the better sides in the division, but Albion didn't have the
04:07answers tonight and were very sloppy at times.
04:11Yeah, right result tonight, wasn't it? Borough would have been decent value, I think for
04:15probably a two-goal margin, I would say. Carlos said on the telly and in there in the press
04:21conference that he sort of saw a bit of an even game. He said Borough were probably better
04:27in midfield and certainly the difference was in the final third, but I've got the impression
04:30he didn't see too much in it. I'm not sure how much I agree with that. He also said,
04:35look on Saturday, where by and large, Albion didn't show up and didn't give their best.
04:40He didn't quite see it as that bad tonight. And let's also caveat it, as you said, Borough
04:44were a good side. They are backed, they have a squad of quality, young, vibrant attackers,
04:52looked really good for me. I don't think Borough had to look too good tonight. I don't think
04:58how nothing Albion did, maybe from a midfield perspective, but certainly as a final third
05:04perspective worked or clicked for me tonight, nothing.
05:07For me it wasn't even a lack of quality, because there were a few chances in there. Jed Wallace
05:11had one in the first half, I think Josh Madge has almost got on the end of something. And
05:16he's almost got on the end of something in the second half. It was just the amount of
05:19times they give the ball away, unforced. And Albion fans might have seen, I've just put
05:24a piece out now, on a few players in particular, I thought John Swift was poor, I thought other
05:27players were poor as well, not just Swift. But just giving the ball away. For me, the
05:33more concerning thing is not having the answer. At times today, in the second half, we saw
05:37Borough disciplined, well-drilled, sat in, especially when they got to 1-0, and Albion
05:42just didn't have an answer. And that's probably the most concerning.
05:45Yeah, look, Tom Fellows came on, didn't he, shortly after half-time. He was a surprise
05:49omission for Jed Wallace. We were quite surprised to see the club captain start for the first
05:53time this season. Albeit, look, Carlos is just sitting there, free game week, busy championship
05:57season, I need to make changes, I trust my squad. Didn't happen for Wallace, did it?
06:02He wasn't alone, you mentioned Swift there, there were others, but it didn't happen for
06:05Wallace in his first start. It was a big night for him, he wanted to make a real impact
06:09and he didn't last long into the second half. He missed that first-half chance you mentioned.
06:15Tom Fellows comes on, couldn't quite inspire his side, could he? We shouldn't put it all
06:19on Fellows to come off the bench and win the game for Albion, we shouldn't have to.
06:24Mikey Johnson and who else came on with Johnson? I'm just trying to think. I can't remember.
06:29I talked to someone. Yeah, Malumby, of course, in midfield. Yeah, but, you know, Lewis Dobbin
06:33is another name, isn't it, with Mikey Johnson, new players from this summer, attackers who
06:38haven't quite had a start yet. We keep seeing them from the bench. Again, they would argue
06:42it's tough to get up to speed and have an impact and influence games with 20, 30-minute
06:46cameos and maybe it is, but perhaps we need to see a bit more, perhaps the head coach
06:50needs to see a bit more in training to get them into the starting line-up, but obviously
06:54the run of results. A few games ago, as it obviously ended now, one more game before
06:59an international break, so let's see. I think maybe the break comes at a good time for Albion,
07:04you're right. The starters tonight, one or two surprising starters, but the subs that
07:09came on, I don't think any of them really did themselves justice this evening. A couple
07:13of chances you mentioned, yes, but Albion were well beaten and I've seen one or two
07:17maybe question the squad depth online and it goes hand in hand with what I just mentioned
07:22there. There are enough players and I think by and large we've seen for the season they
07:26have the desired quality. I don't think this is an incredible championship this season.
07:30Yes, we've seen a good side tonight, but I suppose these players just have to show
07:36Millwall on Saturday and then the other side of the break. There are others ready to come
07:40in when some aren't firing. Obviously, Maggi didn't get his goal tonight, he nearly did
07:44at the end. We know there's no bar DK's return fairly soon, there's no other striker
07:49ready to come in yet, is there? Those three positions behind the front man, there are
07:53a lot of players and we need to see more from those starting and those coming in, don't
07:56we? Shame, of course, with, we'll get onto it now, Grady Diangana, who's probably been
08:01the pick of the bunch from the bench and was good at Hillsborough on Saturday. Tonight,
08:07you kind of thought we might see Grady in the starting line-up tonight, who certainly
08:10probably deserves it, maybe over Swift in the number 10. Injury on his other shoulder?
08:14Yes, he missed out with a shoulder problem. Incredibly, the other shoulder to the one
08:20he injured at Stoke, so I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing. It's not too serious,
08:24I'm told there by Carlos, so I'll do a piece about that as soon as we finish on this video,
08:27but it's not good news, is it? I don't think he's ready to feature against Millwall on
08:31Saturday. We've seen it so many times with Diangana, hasn't we? He tries to get somewhere,
08:37get up to speed and then he gets a blow and can't build that consistency. That's a shame,
08:42but we need to see more from a few, I think, don't we? I don't want to be too knee-jerk
08:47because obviously the start, but obviously a couple of results that Albion haven't obviously
08:55wanted and a performance, maybe two, one-and-a-half performances perhaps that have been below par
09:01against one side, maybe that'll be further down the championship, but this Middlesbrough side
09:06are a team that Albion will be rivals with this season, will be competing with this season.
09:10In the top six, I believe, maybe higher, who knows, but you hit the nail on the head,
09:18I think, Jonny, not good enough with the ball this evening, certainly in the midfield and final third.
09:22Not good enough indeed, two defeats on the banks for Albion off the top of the championship,
09:26but it's still very, very early days. Final score here at the Hawthorns,
09:30Albion 0, Middlesbrough 1. All the rest of your reaction, you know where to go, expressandstart.com.
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