Captain Jonathan Greening today paid tribute to the foreign legion who have helped take Albion into the Premiership on a tide of laughter.
Greening reckons Hungarian Zoltan Gera, Slovenian Robert Koren and Czech Republic striker Roman Bednar have played a key role off the pitch as well as on it with their pranks.
The Baggies skipper believes the fun behind the scenes has been a vital ingredient in bonding Tony Mowbray’s title-winning squad and helped repair the fractured team spirit following Albion’s play-off final despair a year ago after defeat to Derby at Wembley.
Greening fondly labels Gera, the midfield maestro the Baggies are desperate to keep, as a “little muppet” and it’s clear nowhere would the out-of-contract Hungarian international be more sorely missed than in the dressing room should he leave this summer.
Greening says: “Zolly’s a little muppet! He’s a madman and sometimes I think he’s not all there.
“He doesn’t drink or do anything bad – but he’s just crazy!
“He’s one of the biggest crowd favourites and you can see why because he gives everything. His enthusiasm is there for all to see.
“He’s a really nice guy and another of the jokers. All the players love having him around the place because he’s not just a good player, he’s part of the team spirit we’ve built here.”
Bednar’s reputation as the clown prince of the Hawthorns is already well known and Greening confirms plenty of his team mates are plotting revenge attacks on the striker for his habit of cutting up their clothes and rubbing deep heat into their pants.
“He can sometimes be annoying – but we’ll get him back!” Greening warns Bednar.
But it’s clear that quiet man Koren cuts a very different figure as soon as the cameras and notebooks disappear.
“Everyone loves him around the place. He’s one of the jokers as well.
“He’s always laughing and trying something mischievous. That’s why everyone has fallen for him and why he is a fans’ favourite,” says Greening.
The free transfer midfielder is also nominated as the captain’s Player of the Year with Greening adding: “He’s got to be one of the bargains of the century!
“He cost nothing and I love playing alongside him. We’ve seemed to gel really well and it can only get better the more we play together.
“People like the way he plays, with a smile on his face. He’s scored some really great goals for us and has been brilliant all year.
“He is my personal choice as Player of the Year.”
But the man no-one messes with behind-the-scenes is ultra-tough left back Paul Robinson – who also scores highly on the prankster front.
Greening says: “He’s a total madman. You wouldn’t like a 50/50 challenge with him on the pitch.
“He’s a top lad off the pitch and is the biggest joker out of everyone in the changing room.”
And “Robbo’s” reputation for grit is well deserved, says Greening.
“He twisted his ankle just before the Wolves game and it was black and blue.
“Any normal person would have been out for four or five weeks with it but Robbo just strapped it up, took some pain killers and carried on.
“That’s just the way he is and maybe if he hadn’t done that we might not have got the results we needed.
“Fair play to him and it just shows you how much he cares.”
Greening also pays tribute to “nice guy and top pro” Dean Kiely and the deeply-respected “gentleman” of the dressing room, the long-serving defender Neil Clement, who has now on three promotions during his time at The Hawthorns.
“He’s probably one of the reasons we’re back in the Premier League,” said Greening. “He’s got his left-foot wand and he’s been spraying the ball all over.
“He’s one of the nicest guys you could ever wish to meet. Everyone looks up to him.”
23 Comments
Crikey - we are such a happy family we will soon be known as the West Brom Waltons.
The spirit has been evident all season - and such a change from last year. The mix seems great with jokers and quiet people, all put together by the best manager in the league..
The combination of skill and team work bodes well for next year.
All peace & harmony
How’s thing’s going down the road????
We’re all well thank you, thanks for asking…
About time we had some good PR im fed up of all this doom and gloom, oops sorry wrong page!!!
Wheres terry???
I wanted to know if he is ok for the 6th June??
Dingles are scratching there heads tryin to think of something negative!!!
I like the piece about robbo black n blue!! What a bloke lets hope he stays…
How nice to be a fan of a club where people want to be- Wolves and Birmingham can’t claim that can they?!! Sullivan wants to jump ship and Freddie is getting his towbar refitted!
I thought the title to this board was about the negative wolves fans. My mistake.
8 - that would have read “chokers”
Just a mention Dean Kiely is back in the Ireland Squad, feel abit stunned here.
have you seen the choice “trap” has never know happy might be left back(in the dressing room hahah) at least wolves get to play blues next year! and walsall and hereford the year after!! 1 goal thats all it was shame!!
We love em all. Stay, or go we know they are a good squad.
Must mention Tony Mowbray awarded Manager of the Year for the Championship. Excellent what he has done over the last 18 months. He inherited a good squad we know, but added a few more and made football a bit sexy at the Hawthorns. I love him, not in a gay way. Well deserved award to a great manager of a great club. I am really looking forward to the new season win, or loose we will be right behind the lads. BOING BOING SIR TONY MOWBRAY.
It’s pants how we can’t post on the rumour page.
Anyway
Ishmael for £5 million, I’d snap their hands off personally if thats the case.
Song would be an excellent acqusition to the backline, once again if it’s true
ooooooooooooooh happy days,,no wonder everyone is walking around with abig grin on there faces,except the poor old dingles…..HAVIN FUN IN THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,,OOOOOOOOH YES.
13 Tony.
I think that you’re right, if they offer that sort of money you’d have to think seriously about it, even at the risk of being seen as Pompey’s feeder club. I think a pinch of salt is required, after all it was on this site yesterday that Sunderland allegedly offered 2.5 million for Wolves full back Foley. Not having a go at Wolves but both these figures would seem to be very wide of the reality mark.
On the Song theme (very weak pun intended.) Just the sort player that would fit in but with Arsenal’s current personnel problems, not sure they’ll be letting anyone go out on long term loans. We can only hope.
PS. Anyone else heard a rumour that Middlesborough, Aston Villa and Harchester Rovers are watching Zoltan Gera?
TRB - I heard that Melchester Rovers are interested in doing a swap - Gera for Blackie Gray.
If they throw in Tubby Morton then I think its a deal…
Maybe someone can shed some light on this.
The main reason a premiership loans out any players, is for those players to gain match experience,
therefore, is there an insistence by the individuals parent club, that if fit he plays ?
Obviously, if the loan is with a view to a possible transfer, as in the case with Luke Moore, then it`s a different set of circumstances.
Just a question that i dont know the answer to,
but have a feeling it could be fact.
Why is it Pompey want most of are players hope Miller stayes think he has a lot to offer. Think he will get his first England cap next season.
Just back from sunny Spain and just want to wish you Baggies all the luck next year and make sure you stay there, as, hopefully, we will join you to recreate our intense rivalry, if we can just get rid of our negative boo-boys who must lose us 9 or 10 points with their negative attitude to players and club. In my humble opinion you need to strengthen at the front and back primarily as your midfield seems fairly capable against top opposition.
Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside,god im going to puke!
Morning wbaforever - I have heard that a parent club may want assurances about a player getting so much match time - and may block a loan move if that isn’t given…. which as long as the player is good enough, seems fair enough. I also believe that Arsenal are a club that require such assurances…
So if we are getting this lad it would seem likely that he will feature.
Debenham.
Always good to have a proper football fan back.
No.5 Bomber. 6th June mate? ‘D’ Day. You off to invade France or summat? I can just see Terry amongst les mademoiselles Francaise. Tell him to leave his English bit here, I’ll look after her for him.