Albion keeper Dean Kiely today set up an FA Cup semi-final grudge match by aiming a fresh blast at Wembley opponents Portsmouth and manager Harry Redknapp.
In an exclusive interview with the Express & Star, Kiely claimed he felt used by Redknapp when he was dumped in favour of David James after helping save Pompey from Premiership relegation.
Albion and Portsmouth meet at Wembley on April 5 for a place in the FA Cup final.
Kiely said: “I don’t know if ‘uses’ is the right thing to say, but he uses players to do a job and get results and he used me for six months to get them out of trouble and then brought someone else in.
“It’s not nasty, amicable or anything else between us. It is what it is.
“My contribution to keeping Portsmouth in the Premier League meant they were in a position to buy players like David James and Sol Campbell.
“I thought it was quite ironic from a football point of view that some good performances from me allowed the club to bring in players which ultimately meant I was out of the team.”
Kiely’s comments continue a simmering war of words that began when Kiely eventually left Fratton Park 14 months ago to join Albion.
The veteran keeper was one of Redknapp’s first signings when he made his shock return to Pompey and Kiely was credited with a major role in dragging the club out of the Premiership relegation zone.
But Redknapp went on a spending spree in the summer with current Eng-land keeper James among his big-name signings.
Kiely was critical of Redknapp at the time of his departure and his quotes included references to a ‘Hollywood goalkeeper’, although he still denies any personal grudge against James.
Redknapp hit back at the time by revealing that Pompey were paying a portion of Kiely’s wages in his first six months at Albion and insisting this was proof that the keeper had been treated well.
Read the full interview with Kiely in today’s Express & Star
11 Comments
at the end of the day James is a far better goalkeeper.
that’s football be a man and get over it.
i know comment 1. but if you do a good job you dont expect to get dropped altogether do you? and sit on the bench and play reserves all year
Welcome to the real world mate! You do a job, you get what you can. That’s about all there is to say. Do you think football is any different or is it just the footballers mentality? Ade
Was it such a bad move?
Let’s be honest here Pompey or West Brom? I know where I’d rather be.
Like Hartson, as close to the “Balti Mile” in Birmingham as possible.
There’s only one half decent Curry house where I live now, Tunbridge Wells.
There are better Curry houses in Great Bridge or Dudley
All footballers are “used” by their managers. They’re used in various positions, and for various strategies at different times for the purpose of benefiting the club at that particular time. Players come and go, bought, sold, or moved on. No-one plays at a club for ever - look at Stanley Matthews. Where is He now?
Decent players don’t whinge and moan. Kylie is nothing special. HE should be so lucky!
The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were irreplaceable!
Keily will not be good enough for the prem
2.
well thats football if there is another player at the club who is rated better than you then he will be first choice.
common sense.
Kiely did fantastically well for Pompey and was one of the main reasons we stayed up. Most Pompey fans know that. He is probably still good enough to play in the Premiership.
David James is just about the best keeper in that league right now and Harry would have been a mug to turn down the chance of signing him. That is one thing Harry isn’t. He would have been an even bigger mug not to play him every week.
It is a tough old business and if Mowbray gets the Baggies up and then signs another keeper and Kiely loses his place will he bitch again.
Get over it Dean. Real life is far tougher. but thanks anyway from a Pompey fan.
Anyway, James HAD to play after he was signed. Kiely seems to have forgotten that he injured himself in the last pre-season friendly vs Porto. It put him out of action for the best part of 2 months. So James played, especially as the only other keeper we had (Ashdown was also injured) was 16 year old Nick Jordan. When Kiely regained fitness, James’s performances were too good to drop him…
(Yeah I know, James was bought to replace him! - but whose to say that he wouldn’t have started with Kiely?)
As for bringing in better players - what are we meant to do? Stand still? You played your part Deano, and we’ll always be grateful - but didn’t know that it meant you were guaranteed the keepers shirt for the next 4 seasons!!
I don’t think kiely has anything to complain about, he lost his place, not his job. He still got paid didn’t he? This is football the world over, good managers play their best players. Get over it! PS, still in shock at that 1-4 defeat.