November 2008 Archives

The very question Tony Mowbray would love to know the answer to, along with other Premier League managers.

It's coming up to that time of year. Transfers, gossip, rumours.

There was a board meeting today (Thursday) which was expected to add more clarity to Mowbray's January transfer policy.

Targets won't be firmed up until the middle of December.

All names you've been seeing up to now are mere speculation and, as yet, no more than players who have been watched or merely thrown into the equation by agents, such as the Dietmar Hamann speculation, which is simply untrue.

For example, Albion went to watch Polish club Lech Poznan recently to check out a player. It was leaked out to Polish press that Albion were one of three English clubs at the game and, hey presto, they are linked with Semir Stilic, even though I'm told they were actually watching someone else. Whether they pursue either player remains to be seen.

But money will be tight this January.

Loans will be the obvious option. Mowbray has two domestic left - but not from the same club - and further overseas ones.

Will there be money available? Possibly, but it won't be much and it will need to be generated by the sale of players or the saving of all, or part, of their wages through loan deals. Don't be surprised to see one or two surprise departures - what price Luke Moore being one?

Mindaugas Kalonas is one possible arrival. The Lithuanian midfielder is due on trial in the next few days from Bohemians, where his contract has ended.

It remains to be seen if Albion pursue this beyond his short spell at the training ground. Robert Koren, Michal Danek and Artim Sakiri are among the trialists Albion have signed over the years. I could list dozens more who came, left and disappeared without trace.

You can read more about Mowbray's transfer plans in Friday's Birmingham Mail and www.birminghammail.net website.

And if you do know the answer to the subject question, you know who to contact.

Okay, okay, so only one quarter of the Hawthorns lies in the boundary.

But the Smiths could hardly have said 'West Bromwich' as it would have been a lyrical nightmare.

"What's going on down the Albion?", asked a friend on Saturday when I finally got my phone working again.

I can only report what I find.

But clearly there is concern.

Tony Mowbray was fairly honest yesterday (Monday) morning and doing his best to stay upbeat. He talks about the finer details of the Premier League, about how luck has deserted his side and how the competitive nature of this division is keeping Albion in the hunt.

He knows that he needs more quality. That is likely to come in loan form - don't expect big money signings to be arriving any time soon after Big Ben leads us into 2009.

Mowbray takes defeat badly. Saturday wasn't the first occasion I've seen him say things which, with hindsight, he probably regretted afterwards. Bemoaning Stoke's style of play do him little favours when points are dished out.

But on Monday mornings you catch him in a more reflective state. He tries to be positive, which is how he was yesterday.

He is appreciating that Filipe Teixeira opting to shoot rather than pass to Ishmael Miller in front of goal is not a big deal in the Championship. Another chance will come at some point. Not in the Premier League.

Back in the summer Mowbray had a fairly animated chat with my colleague Colin Tattum at a Football Writers' Dinner regarding life in the Premier League. Colin, who witnessed Blues' slide into the Championship, insisted big money would need to be invested. Mowbray argued that he wouldn't need to spend much to survive, that he could 'sprinkle magic dust' over the players and create an overachieving side, much in the way Hull have. But, six months on, Mowbray has said that it was no coincidence that Borja and Zuiverloon were strong performers as they cost decent money. He wanted to achieve another Hibs at Albion and he may still do so - but the gap between the best and the rest in the Premier League is considerably larger than it seems to be in the SPL. He is coming round to the idea that investment is needed to some degree in the top flight. Speculate to accumulate, is what they say isn't it? In Albion's case it needs to be in the wages department.

As for the feeling of fear among fans. That is understandable.

And, one would hope, that Albion's Premier League luck wasn't all used up on that sunny day at The Hawthorns back in 2005 when they stayed up against the odds.

There's no doubt the following factors are all contributing to the 'depression' around the club: the over-achieving Stoke and Hull, Wolves and Blues doing well in the Championship, Villa going strongly, Kevin Phillips scoring, Phillips not being replaced, and teams generally picking up points in unexpected fashion and with a slick of luck (note Hull's equaliser at Portsmouth and the uncanny timing of their games against Newcastle and Spurs when both sides were at their lowest ebb).

It's by no means over for Albion. Tony Mowbray hasn't become a bad manager overnight but he knows those fine margins, which he talks about, are crucial at this level.

He needs backing during transfer windows. Albion have the lowest wage bill at this level. To put into some context, Albion's highest earner only earns half of what James Beattie at Sheffield United takes home. Or, put another way, only half of what ex-Albion man Jason Roberts, probably Blackburn's second/third choice striker, earns at a club that are 19th in the Premier League. It's a commonly held view that the Premier League table reflects the League table of salaries. In which case, can Albion expect much else?

It's a learning curve for Mowbray. Does he stick with his principles? Is this merely a bad patch? Albion were good enough to beat Everton, Bolton, Middlesbrough, West Ham and Fulham earlier this season. They didn't win the first two but, with more luck and barring individual errors, would have done.

The principles can work, yet Albion aren't playing the way they were. My feeling is that Albion's defeat at Stoke was a result of him being too preoccupied with Stoke's style of football and the fear of becoming another Delap statistic. Albion countered both, but at the expense of their own football.

They need to get back to basics. He needs to stop getting bogged down with those who are sniping at him or sneering at him. He will become a better manager through all of this. He'll need to, just to survive and, not least, if he is to fulfill his ambitions. As he rightly points out, Albion were joined on the winners' podium by 'footballing' sides Swansea, MK Dons, Manchester United and, of course, Spain last season. Whether Albion have the players to carry it off playing the same way remains to be seen. One thing's for sure - you can't imagine this set of players being suit for a more pragmatic or direct style.

Back in August and September Albion won games based on their passing football and good movement. There is no reason why they shouldn't again.

There's been some funny goings-on down at Team Albion this week.

I arrived at the training ground for my Monday morning briefing with Tony Mowbray to be informed that someone had removed the number plates from Chris Brunt's 4x4, which had been parked in the Albion car park.

Sure enough they had. A big shiny gap on each bumper.

Which means one of two things. Either someone's pinched a similar car to Brunt's from an Audi showroom and plonked it at the Albion training ground. Or someone has been busy with a screwdriver.

As is usual in such cases, the finger of blame is pointing somewhere in Jonathan Greening's direction.

Yet the Albion captain gave an impassioned defence, denying everything..

"I wondered what was going on because I came in the other day and the car park was empty but I walked past his car and I was thinking 'whose Audi is that with no plates on?'

"It has nothing to do with me.

"I know everyone is pointing the finger at me but that is what happens when you get a reputation."

So there you have it. Jono is innocent. Or is he.

There is another likely suspect. By coincidence Roman Bednar was telling everyone who would listen that he was heading to San Marino after being supposedly called into the Czech Republic squad. Likely story. Wouldn't have been surprised to learn that there were two DVLA-regulation bits of plastic lying next to the Deep Heat and '101 Dressing Room Pranks' guidebook in his Italy-bound luggage.

In the meantime, the car remains stuck in no-man's land.

So don't be alarmed to see a Northern Irish-looking footballer thumbing a lift and holding a bit of cardboard with 'Streetly' scribbled on it next time you're in the Great Barr/Walsall area. It won't be a Chris Brunt lookalike.

This saga could run and run.

I have in front of me Albion's latest DVD - Classic Matches.

Featuring 10 classic games from the last 40 years it includes big wins, comebacks, mud baths, blood baths and much more.

All of this got me thinking about the classic games since I started covering the club back in 2001.

I've deliberately avoided the Battle of Bramall Lane and the 4-3 at West Ham as they're featured on the DVD.

But the following will all surely strike a chord in one form or another. Not all are goal fests, not all were entertaining or full of incident. Nor is it a definitive list. You'll probably disagree with some. But each one was significant for one reason or another.

SUNDERLAND 1 ALBION 2 (FA Cup third round, 2002)
Perhaps the first sign that Albion were cut out for life along the big guns. It gave them belief. It was arguably Jason Roberts' finest game in an Albion shirt.

BRADFORD 0 ALBION 1 (2001/02)
That penalty from Igor, which can be viewed here. No more explanation needed.

SUNDERLAND 0 ALBION 1 (2003/04)
Battered for 89 minutes, Gregan and co kept Mick McCarthy's men at bay with a masterclass of defending. Lloyd Dyer broke and, instead of running down time by the corner flag, played in Koumas to ensure Albion's promotion was all-but rubber-stamped.

ALBION 2 PORTSMOUTH 0 (2004/05)
The day Bryan Robson's dry cleaners earned their money. Horsfield scores, Richardson makes sure. Results go Albion's way, the Baggies stay up, the parties start, Robson gets soaked.

WOLVES 0 ALBION 3 (FA Cup fourth round, 2007)
Diomansy Kamara, Kevin Phillips, Zoltan Gera. It could have been more. Never before has Tesco enjoyed such wanton advertising of its product as Albion fans 'dress' their seats in the Southbank with blue and white-striped shopping bags.

WATFORD 0 ALBION 3 (2007/08)
Watford go 12 points clear of second-placed Albion if they win. They lose. Albion's passing, attacking football gets the better of a pragmatic, direct Hornets side, who never recover following this mauling. This victory set the tone for Albion's title win. Watford miss out in the play-offs.

I remember speaking to Roman Bednar about 10 months ago after an Albion game.

I don't recall the match, the opponents, the result or even whether Bednar scored. But I do remember the conversation turned to the Czech national team.

Bednar's face dropped, his demeanour changed and he started using a form of English I had no idea was in his vocabulary. He threw a bit of Czech in - using a word which sounded remarkably like a Polish word I had once been told off for using by my parents. I never knew the two languages were so similar...

Anyway, to cut a long story short, it's clear he didn't get on with coach Karel Bruckner. He had played one game against Serbia, not played particularly well in a 3-1 defeat and didn't play again. He was in danger of becoming a Czech version of Michael Ricketts. Jan Koller was still playing, Milan Baros was still scoring goals. He was fading into obscurity, mainly on the Heart of Midlothian treatment table.

But his one-cap tag may be about to be shed. Coach Petr Rada is more switched-on to Bednar's ability and has handed him a recall for the World Cup qualifier against San Marino.

Bednar is more like an old-fashioned robust English centre-forward than a typical Eastern European striker.

He may not be everyone's cup of tea and whether he can take to England's top flight remains to be seen. So far he's not doing too badly in what is an under-performing Albion side. He has potential to get even better.

He's deserved his call-up.

And knowing what he's like around the dressing room, the likes of Zdenek Grygera, Tomas Ujfalusi and co had better hide the Deep Heat and keep their underwear out of sight.

Ricardo Fuller is suspended.

A good thing or bad? Four goals in his last three games against Albion suggests so.

What do you think?

I BET I know what you're missing this season in the Premier League?

Kevin Phillips? Not quite. Maybe not even the long drive to Selhurst Park for a date with Neil Warnock. How about Cardiff with its friendly locals?

Quite.

More likely it's that annual goalfest against Wolves.

Well, fear not, because the good people of Westbrom.com have organised a game against rival message board The Wolf.

The Albion fans won 3-0 back in March, raising a large amount for Sport Relief. And now Wolves want a rematch.

It's tomorrow (Friday November 14), it's at Noose Lane, Willenhall Town FC and all proceeds raised will be donated to Children in Need.

Prices are £2 for adults, £1 for kids and under-5s are free.

Let's face it, we all know who mowed down Max Branning so there's nothing to stop in for and, as we all know, recession and inflation has taken a grip on the price of beer and night's out.

It's a 7.45pm kick-off, so don't be late.

*With thanks to Lee Roughton.

Well done to ex-Albion keeper Brian Jensen tonight following his penalty saves against Chelsea.

The Beast was always impressive when facing spot-kicks.

Not sure how much it'll help, or hinder, Albion this Saturday though...

Aruna Dindane. Ah, now there's a blast from the past.

Let's rewind.

Pursued by Gary Megson in the summer of 2004, Albion looked set to tie him up. I remember speaking to his agent around the time that Kanu signed - the Ivory Coast striker, then at Anderlecht, was desperate to join. It never happened.

The August transfer window came and went. Dindane failed to join, Earnshaw came instead. Bryan Robson ended Albion's interest in Dndane.

Yet his name is here again. But this time the interest is much more tenuous. Yes, Albion have monitored his progress - I dare say Bobby Hope still has the dossiers on him from four years ago - but that's as far as it's gone. No discussions have been held with his current club Lens.

He's been injured for the last few months and there's little chance of Albion signing Dindane (now a second division player) for £5million, as claimed by some sources. Not least as their League status for next season is far, far from certain. A loan? That would be more feasible.

The reality is this - Albion scouts have been sent away left, right and centre. Tony Mowbray was himself on Uefa Cup duty last Thursday. Manucho of Man United has also been watched, as have others.

But nothing is set in stone as yet.

Mowbray has two domestic loans to use up and his views on what may happen in January can be read in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail. It makes for interesting reading and may give Albion fans something to look forward to during these depressing bottom-of-the-league times.

One thing's for sure - there are no targets as yet.

Most of the names you'll be reading elsewhere are either being put out by agents to generate interest, by clubs to raise the price of their own players (De Sutter of Cercle Bruges for instance) or because Albion scouts have been spotted at a game (the Baggies were one of 20-odd clubs represented at a recent Leeds United game to watch Fabian Delph).

It's early November. There will little 'action' until the New Year, probably late January - this is Albion we're talking about, after all. And much of that may depend on what falls into Albion's lap via football's food chain once others have sorted themselves out.

Shame about Kevin Thomson's season ending injury though - he's one player I'm convinced would have been near the top of Mowbray's 'To Do' file.

ABOUT two years ago I spent some of the most enjoyable moments of my career in the company of Albion legend Willie Johnston.

I asked a few questions and let him (and two of his pals) do the talking.

He told me about Phil Neal, Ron Atkinson, disgraced sprinter Ben Johnson, Bert Millichip, his love for greenhouses, referees, Argentina, Brian Clough, Lou Macari, local pubs and a lot more besides.

I basically had an after-dinner speach without the starter, main or dessert. Classic anecdotes were mixed in with comments which simply had no chance of seeing the light of day. Our company lawyers wouldn't have allowed it.

You can see the end result of that chat here.

I also spoke to him earlier this week about his new book. You can read his reasons for putting pen to paper in tonight's Birmingham Mail.

Willie is signing copies of this book, Sent Off At Gunpoint, and meeting fans* at The Hawthorns tonight (8pm).

Forget 'Enders, If you get a spare couple of hours then he's well worth a trip to B71.

BBC scriptwriters have nothing on some of the stories you'll hear from Willie.

*Please note tonight's event is only open for members of the WBA Supporters Club, although non-members can join on the night.