Bournemouth 3, Albion 2
Sami Hyypia deserves a bit of overdue luck in the two home games likely to decide his fate.
A victory against fellow strugglers Wigan tomorrow night at the Amex or against Blackburn on Saturday should persuade the Board to keep faith with the unfortunate Finn.
If, on the other hand, Albion's winless run in the Championship stretches to an unlucky 13 matches, Hyypia could become the scapegoat and not survive the international break.
Especially as in such circumstances the Seagulls would then almost certainly drop into the relegation zone.
The hierarchy have belatedly recognised how dire the club's recruitment has been by re-signing Elliott Bennett and attempting to satisfy Hyypia's wish for a striker capable of scoring on a regular basis.
Hopefully, for Hyypia's sake, it is not too late.
Every manager, no matter how talented, needs the rub of the green now and then.
Hyypia, still a relative novice in the technical area, has made mistakes but he has also been plagued by misfortune.
Events certainly conspired against him at Bournemouth, from the moment that Aaron Hughes was injured to the reckless tackle by Lewis Dunk which denied Albion the point a perky performance, at the very least, deserved.
The selection of Hughes at right-back, a position not uncommon to the experienced Northern Ireland international, made sense. It gave Inigo Calderon a breather and provided a bit more security.
Calderon had already played four matches in 12 days. With Bruno still sidelined by groin trouble it was asking a lot of Calderon to start another three games in eight plays, especially considering the adventurous demands of the full-backs in Hyypia's system.
Hughes was not expected to charge upfield. Gary Gardner and Joao Teixeira were deliberately chosen in front of him to offer an attacking dimension on the right.
It was a severe blow when Hughes damaged an ankle heading the ball into touch after, you've guessed it, an unlucky 13 minutes.
It is doubtful Albion would have conceded three such soft goals had Hughes stayed on, particularly the second. He would probably have occupied the area in the box in which Marc Pugh drove Bournemouth back in front.
The implications of Hughes' injury could be painful for Hyypia in another sense and call into question Albion's summer transfer strategy.
With a goalscorer desired and centre-half cover almost certainly now needed, that would increase the number of loan signings to seven when only five are permitted in the matchday squad.
One of them, left-back Joe Bennett from Aston Villa, would not have been required had Albion not been hijacked by Burnley after dragging their feet securing Stephen Ward.
Namesake Elliott would not be back either if it had not been necessary to correct a weakness in the attacking third of the pitch. Nobody could have predicted goalkeeper David Stockdale breaking a finger in training but Albion have, to some extent, created their own loan problems.
Stockdale's replacement, Ali Al-Habsi, could do nothing about the three goals he conceded on his debut on hire from Wigan.
Nor can Hyypia be held responsible for the individual mistakes by skipper Gordon Greer and his free-scoring accomplice Dunk, Albion's player of the first third of the season.
It was sod's law for Hyypia that both of his normally dependable centre-halves messed up in a game when two of his misfiring strikers found their goal touch.
Greer, facing Al-Habsi, headed a right-wing cross from Simon Francis on the bounce into his own net to gift Bournemouth the lead.
The first equaliser arrived via the kind of understanding and movement Hyypia has been looking for in opposition territory. Teixeira's clever pass picked out Adrian Colunga's run infield and the Spaniard rounded Artur Boruc to slot his first league goal.
The Seagulls had plenty of bodies in the box to deal with a corner but were sucked towards the ball when Pugh restored Bournemouth's lead.
Unmarked towards the far post, his swivelling effort took a deflection off the lunging Dunk, wrong-footing Al-Habsi.
The keeper played a part in the second equaliser. His clearance was back-headed on by Greer for Sam Baldock to control and finish clinically left-footed, his first goal for the club.
Parity resurrected, Albion shot themselves in the foot again when Dunk needlessly brought down Callum Wilson, with the otherwise subdued free-scoring striker going away from goal.
Substitute Yann Kermorgant converted the penalty to send Bournemouth into second place.
If only Kazenga LuaLua had not been too honest for his own good and gone down when Francis clearly tugged him inside the area then Albion would have been awarded a spot-kick of their own.
LuaLua, cautioned in the closing stages, has joined Greer, Dunk and the ineffective Gardner on the brink of a ban, adding to Hyypia's headaches.
Asked if he felt helpless, Hyypia said: "Helpless is a very dangerous word to use but I am frustrated, of course. We are working hard to prepare for the game and we are making a plan.
"We are talking about the plan with the players and then we give those kind of goals away. The second goal as well, I can't understand how free the player could be at the far post. You would think we can react and adapt."
A win by two goals against Wigan tomorrow would lift Albion above their opponents and alleviate the scrutiny surrounding Hyypia's future.
To achieve that he needs a complete performance from his players, cutting out goal-costing individual mistakes at one end, continuing the sudden ruthless streak at the other.
His job could depend on it.
Original article
Sami Hyypia deserves a bit of overdue luck in the two home games likely to decide his fate.
A victory against fellow strugglers Wigan tomorrow night at the Amex or against Blackburn on Saturday should persuade the Board to keep faith with the unfortunate Finn.
If, on the other hand, Albion's winless run in the Championship stretches to an unlucky 13 matches, Hyypia could become the scapegoat and not survive the international break.
Especially as in such circumstances the Seagulls would then almost certainly drop into the relegation zone.
The hierarchy have belatedly recognised how dire the club's recruitment has been by re-signing Elliott Bennett and attempting to satisfy Hyypia's wish for a striker capable of scoring on a regular basis.
Hopefully, for Hyypia's sake, it is not too late.
Every manager, no matter how talented, needs the rub of the green now and then.
Hyypia, still a relative novice in the technical area, has made mistakes but he has also been plagued by misfortune.
Events certainly conspired against him at Bournemouth, from the moment that Aaron Hughes was injured to the reckless tackle by Lewis Dunk which denied Albion the point a perky performance, at the very least, deserved.
The selection of Hughes at right-back, a position not uncommon to the experienced Northern Ireland international, made sense. It gave Inigo Calderon a breather and provided a bit more security.
Calderon had already played four matches in 12 days. With Bruno still sidelined by groin trouble it was asking a lot of Calderon to start another three games in eight plays, especially considering the adventurous demands of the full-backs in Hyypia's system.
Hughes was not expected to charge upfield. Gary Gardner and Joao Teixeira were deliberately chosen in front of him to offer an attacking dimension on the right.
It was a severe blow when Hughes damaged an ankle heading the ball into touch after, you've guessed it, an unlucky 13 minutes.
It is doubtful Albion would have conceded three such soft goals had Hughes stayed on, particularly the second. He would probably have occupied the area in the box in which Marc Pugh drove Bournemouth back in front.
The implications of Hughes' injury could be painful for Hyypia in another sense and call into question Albion's summer transfer strategy.
With a goalscorer desired and centre-half cover almost certainly now needed, that would increase the number of loan signings to seven when only five are permitted in the matchday squad.
One of them, left-back Joe Bennett from Aston Villa, would not have been required had Albion not been hijacked by Burnley after dragging their feet securing Stephen Ward.
Namesake Elliott would not be back either if it had not been necessary to correct a weakness in the attacking third of the pitch. Nobody could have predicted goalkeeper David Stockdale breaking a finger in training but Albion have, to some extent, created their own loan problems.
Stockdale's replacement, Ali Al-Habsi, could do nothing about the three goals he conceded on his debut on hire from Wigan.
Nor can Hyypia be held responsible for the individual mistakes by skipper Gordon Greer and his free-scoring accomplice Dunk, Albion's player of the first third of the season.
It was sod's law for Hyypia that both of his normally dependable centre-halves messed up in a game when two of his misfiring strikers found their goal touch.
Greer, facing Al-Habsi, headed a right-wing cross from Simon Francis on the bounce into his own net to gift Bournemouth the lead.
The first equaliser arrived via the kind of understanding and movement Hyypia has been looking for in opposition territory. Teixeira's clever pass picked out Adrian Colunga's run infield and the Spaniard rounded Artur Boruc to slot his first league goal.
The Seagulls had plenty of bodies in the box to deal with a corner but were sucked towards the ball when Pugh restored Bournemouth's lead.
Unmarked towards the far post, his swivelling effort took a deflection off the lunging Dunk, wrong-footing Al-Habsi.
The keeper played a part in the second equaliser. His clearance was back-headed on by Greer for Sam Baldock to control and finish clinically left-footed, his first goal for the club.
Parity resurrected, Albion shot themselves in the foot again when Dunk needlessly brought down Callum Wilson, with the otherwise subdued free-scoring striker going away from goal.
Substitute Yann Kermorgant converted the penalty to send Bournemouth into second place.
If only Kazenga LuaLua had not been too honest for his own good and gone down when Francis clearly tugged him inside the area then Albion would have been awarded a spot-kick of their own.
LuaLua, cautioned in the closing stages, has joined Greer, Dunk and the ineffective Gardner on the brink of a ban, adding to Hyypia's headaches.
Asked if he felt helpless, Hyypia said: "Helpless is a very dangerous word to use but I am frustrated, of course. We are working hard to prepare for the game and we are making a plan.
"We are talking about the plan with the players and then we give those kind of goals away. The second goal as well, I can't understand how free the player could be at the far post. You would think we can react and adapt."
A win by two goals against Wigan tomorrow would lift Albion above their opponents and alleviate the scrutiny surrounding Hyypia's future.
To achieve that he needs a complete performance from his players, cutting out goal-costing individual mistakes at one end, continuing the sudden ruthless streak at the other.
His job could depend on it.
Original article