Team GB for Albion?

Simon Cox, Reuben Reid, Joe Mattock and, who knows, maybe even Jerome Thomas.

Notice a common link?

UK passports all around. No language barriers.

Yesterday, a friend told me he was unsure of the players being brought in by the new regime.

It was a genuine and understandable concern.

But consider the following: MacDonald, Tininho, Slusarski and Cesar. Those were the alternatives checking into the Hawthorns the last time Albion found themselves preparing for a promotion assault.

Tininho had one decent game, in a friendly, against Northampton. Slusarski failed miserably (not necessarily his fault), Cesar was a mixed bag and MacDonald's only claim to fame was becoming known as 'Natural Assets', simply because that was the stock answer given by Tony Mowbray when we asked him to describe Sherjil's attributes. "I would suggest Sherjill has great natural assets..." Those assets were never fully explained.

However, we mustn't knock that side of 2008 or Mowbray's achievements. Albion were promoted with distinction. But what happened next?

And the answer to that may be why Albion have shifted their emphasis over the recruitment policy of new players.

There has been a marked change this summer. Overseas players are being less sought after - there are one or two exceptions like Jara - with more emphasis on British quality and, to some degree, players who know this division.

Albion made a mistake the last time they were sailing these waters. They signed too many players who, while good enough to get them out of the Championship, were too difficult to move on once the team got promoted when it was quickly discovered they were not good enough for the top flight. Albion were lumbered with players who were draining the club's coffers, while having little value to potential English suitors who might have been strengthening for lower leagues. After all, could you see many other clubs in the Championship going for the likes of Kim or Pele? Exactly.

British players may cost more but there has to be a balance on both sides. Too many foreign players create chasms within the inner sanctum of dressing rooms. Teams lose their souls and identities with a core of players that hail from all areas of the world (18 nationalities I counted at one point last year). Cliques develop, cracks in team spirit can become obvious. I've seen it happen and it's not helpful. You get a scenario where players are mixing among themselves and only speaking their own common language. It creates paranoia.

Being bilingual, I've seen the effect of speaking to relatives in Polish while non-Polish speaking friends look on wondering if they're being praised, criticised or, indeed, wondering whether we may be talking about the price of fish or tomorrow's weather forecast. Now take this principle into a work place where so many nationalities are mixing, with pockets of two or three players often sharing a common language, whether it's French, Spanish or one of the eastern European languages, many of which are so similar - it cannot be helpful in an environment where togetherness is so important.

Take the squad of 2002/3. Gregan, McInnes, Taylor, Johnson, Moore, Gilchrist, Roberts, Dichio, Clement, Hoult, Koumas. It also included Balis, Sigurdsson and a few other overseas' players.

So much character, so much personality, so much presence within that squad which, let's be honest, was often lacking in overall ability.

Now look at the squad Albion came down with from the Premier League last season - it was perhaps more talented, more cultured. But charisma on and off the field should never be underestimated. And there was little of it last year. There were no leaders. No jokers. No ball-breakers. No Welsh internationals buying sheep as pets for their children or attaching dead mice to the cars of team-mates. These things are important.

Personality is the one thing Albion's squads have lacked over the last few years. It made this pre-season a low-key affair in terms of banter. Some of that was down to a change of management - players, traditionally, hate change and no doubt all were trying to impress the new coaching staff during the pre-season trip to Slovenia.
But it also underlined the character and soul of the team. Or lack of it.

Albion's rebuilding programme may be a break from the norm but it's an intriguing project.

Perhaps the club are returning to the basic requirements which first got them into the top flight all those years ago.

Pace has been another area of concern for Di Matteo. Who, since 'Joe' Kamara, has torn sides apart with explosive acceleration? Exactly.

Reid might. Thomas, if he signs, might.

These are key issues.

Blend character with pace and ability, and Di Matteo and his scouting colleagues may well hit upon a winning formula.