Albion blogger Jarrod Hill takes a closer look at the transfer rumours circulating around the Hawthorns, as we await the first incoming transfer of the summer let’s see who has appeared on the radar this week.
Jermaine Beckford
Facts: Aged 24, English centre forward currently playing for Leeds Utd.
Type of Player: Quick and strong striker who has scored 20 goals this season, previously a school boy with Chelsea. Whether he could make an impact at the top level is questionable and with rumours suggesting Leeds would want £2million+ Mowbray may see him as too much of a gamble at that price.
Likelihood: Too expensive in my opinion, especially as he has been playing two leagues below the Premiership.
Bonaventure Kalou
Facts: Aged 30, Ivorian striker currently playing for Jazira FC.
Type of Player: Experienced striker who has pace and strength, has been inconsistent with previous clubs. Has the ability to play as a winger or striker.
Likelihood: I see this one as a non starter, was once considered a fantastic prospect but his stock in recent years has dropped.
Johan Djourou
Facts: Aged 21, Swiss International currently playing for Arsenal.
Type of Player: Originally a central defender but has played as a full back, at 6ft3 he his physically strong but like most coming through the ranks at Arsenal he his technically good. Is prone to errors but as he is only 21 not unusual.
Likelihood: Possibly on loan, but with Premiership clubs only allowed two loan players from within the Premiership Mowbray may see other as more influential.
Ibrahima Sonko
Facts: Aged 27, Senegalese International currently playing for Reading FC.
Type of Player: A central defender who is a huge physical presence, very strong in the air and in the tackle. After many strong performances became a real fans favourite.
Likelihood: After refusing to play in a reserve game he has had a major falling out with Steve Coppell, although considered one of Reading’s better players, Coppell has declared he will never play for Reading again. Excellent player, questionable attitude.
Marek Cech
Facts: Aged 25, Slovakian International who currently plays for Porto FC.
Type of Player: Described in the Portuguese press as a skilful player who is also physically strong on both the floor and in the air. Has predominantly played left back, but has recently been moved into left midfield with equal success.
Likelihood: Highly rated in Europe and Porto would be reluctant to allow him to leave, however the English Premiership is a big pull, he would cost a substantial amount of money and he has many suitors.
Manfred Bender
Facts: Don’t panic not as a player but as a coach. The once Bayern Munich star has moved into coaching and has recently been cutting his teeth in Austrian football.
Obviously has extensive knowledge of German and European football and may be seen as a bridge to another market of scouting players. He is also viewed as a young and up and coming coach.
35 Comments
Djourou is the one that stands out but the others hmmmm not too exciting and too be honest are the kind of players that will work hard but lack the prem quality. Attracting top players again looks to be the issue!
Quote from the E&S transfer rumour page…. “Baggies midfielder Bostjan Cesar is leaving West Brom..”
Midfielder ??? - surely the local paper should know what position the players play in - only MM would think cesar plays in midfield.
I am sorry to see him go - for a brief period earlier in the season he looked the answer to our defensive issues. He seemed to play well with Barnett & Albre…. but he has been disappointing in the second half of the season.
Hopefully this news will be quickly followed by news of a new CB coming in.
djourou apparently is going on loan to bolton. I think albion will find it hard to attract players of calibre, but at the moment your players from last season are leaving. whats going on with gera if we wanted to stay he would of signed as he said his decision would be made last week, just giving other clubs one last chance i feel. come on stay up for 1 season so we can meet you there, my mates a man u fan he sai=d he’s never seen anything like a black country derby when i took him. if you get olofinjana he will be what you need a good physical player.
1 Bully.
Don’t know if you’re one of the clan but I have to disagree. I’d be quite excited about Sonko. He always seems a real presence in the Reading defence and is much more skilful and savvy than McShane or Shittu, just the sort of CH we need.
Have just read Happy on another thread saying he’s disappointed we haven’t made any early signings. I’m sure in these days of sponging agents nothing happens quickly. I’d bet TM is only too happy to let us all go on about the rumours while he gets on with the real signings.
On Happy’s (I’m not a stalker, don’t worry) five pinter simile. No doubt to the delight of our mighty neighbours, especially the ones bereft of even an atom of self awareness, I agree. We are a five pinter, maybe even six. We’ve yo yo’d for a few years, good support but not massive, certainly not a glamorous area and not big spenders. What have we got to offer then? We are like Wimbledon in the eighties. Certainly not in style of play but in the fact that unknown players went there and made a name for themselves in a well run club and a team with tremendous team spirit. If I was an ambitious young player not on the radar of the big four, I’d want to join TM’s revolution.
Anyone know why there is no comments section on the transfer page any more? This was always one of the most commented on and funniest pages.
I agree Happy, Cesar at times looked quality but was inconsistent, as was Barnett, but Barnett is 21!!!
I also heard an unlikely rumour concerning Kezman (ex Chelsea striker) it seamed so unlikely i didnt include it, plus it has not appeared anywhere in the press.
Although the source has been spookily on the money in the past.
Bomber - I remember we went in for Kezman before he joined Chelsea. He was poor at chelsea but I’ve seen him since and he looks pretty good…. I think he went for 5 million before.
TRB - yeah our friends have jumped on my 5 pinter remark - but i stand by it…. We can’t pretend to be a Man Utd, arsenal etc… even Everton, Newcastle and Villa have moved way ahead of us in recent years.
BUT…. we are back in the disco again.
We have our best party frock on and we are fluttering our lashes at prospective players (and owners).
At least we have a ticket for the disco and aint outside with our noses against the window and a bottle of flat cola in our hands….
Sorry wulfies - no trainers, jeans, or mediocre championship teams allowed.
Update from the official site - Luke Moore has signed with us for 3 million.
I am really pleased as I believe he will be a real asset for many years to come.
We havn’t seen anything like his best yet, but when he gets fit during pre-season we wil see the real Luke - and he will be a fans fave !!
Get behind him guys - he is gonna be great.
HB
Frock??? Talk about showing your age mate!!!
The five pinter is still making me laugh, even more so now that a Wolves fan is using it,LMAO.
And if we are a five pinter, does that make Derby last season a two bagger??
And this constant talk of discos is giving me an incredible urge to get drunk on Cider, dance to Colonel Abrahams, get into a fight, and then be sick into me Moms flower beds, oh to be 13 again!!!
Laughingwolf, Olfinjana physical player?? Do you go to the games? If you are classing him as a physical player, do you rate Robbo as an Iron Man??
TRB
I am also a fan of Sonko, Reading fans love him, Reading would have been one of the clubs many prem teams would be looking to pillage, but with Coppell deciding to stay many players may choose to stick with him.
Yes Bomber - FROCK !!!
When I’m stepping out with a lady i expect her to be wearing a nice frock !!!
Another update - Kim has signed - £550,000.
I know these aint new players - but two great signings in one day - WE’RE BACK.
Wigan Athletic are preparing a £3.5 million bid for Newcastle United`s Charles N`Zogbia according to the Daily Mirror
Come on TM put in a bid he is a class player worth 3.5 m easy
Happy - once again you show yourself up to be a bit of a cretin. My Albion-supporting mates are gutted about the signing of Moore - they thought he was absolute tosh for you last season. You can pretend to be excited as much as you like, but with such underwhelming signings all it will do is mask your concern…
greg - Tony Mowbray, with his fantastic knack of spotting talent, and his belief in buying gifted footballers, reckons that Luke moore is worth 3 million.
Now you can call me a cretin for liking Luke Moore - but I will take TM’s judgment over yours, mine and your albion “mates” every day.
LM did not set the place alight last season for us - but he had just spent all season in the stiffs - and he joined a high flying team at the end of a successful campaign - not easy to fit in straight away. He also got sent off which would have dented his confidence…
So yes, i think he will be a great signing for us - and I’m sure yor “mates” will be siging his name next season.
If you want to call anyone a cretin, maybe you should read all the comments on your own site about Vokes being the new (insert name) - an untried 18 yr old…. oh hang on, that would include you.
9. so your a wolves season ticket holder that sees him week in week out do you? cretin!
Greg Cooper
Cretin???
Moore has undoubted ability but seems to be lacking in that all important striker ingredient…confidence.
With our fans support (and as you are a Wolves fan i will explain to you that it does not involve booing, chanting other players names, and holding up banners that say “you have let us down again”) he has the chance to get back to being one of the most promising young England strikers of his generation.
He is 22 lets not forget, if Mowbray thinks he can work with him then i back him.
Cretin??? What made you call HB a cretin??
It did make me laugh though!!
laughing wolf
Seriously though, Olifinjana a physical player??
I just would not describe him as a physical player, and i have never heard any of my Wolves supporting mates describe him that way.
But hey if that is your honest opinion.
Thanks for calling me a cretin though, me and HB in the cretin club!!!
If this was a bar brawl me, you, Greg Cooper, and HB would be sticking our chests out saying you start it, no you start it, calling each other cretins before sitting at different tables and sipping our sherrys!!!
Laughin - you call Bomber a cretin for NOT being a wolves season ticket holder ??
I think that is what is called an oxymoron.
Or in this instance - just Moron !!
Bomber - is it me or are the wulfies getting a bit niggled ??
HB
Lets be fair if we had had to endure the season of disappointment they have, then see your rivals win the league, and then only to find out that the man who everyone thinks is to be blamed is staying to have another go at it, well youd be a bit upset wouldnt you??
So lets be careful about what we respond with to people like Greg Cooper, humour him, dont respond to name calling, have sympathy, i can remember when his posts used to be full of intellect and proper football points being discussed. Once he has spent a week at the Malvern Wolf clinic he will be as right as rain, until then lets just agree with him.
Oh and HB, shall we have some t-shirts done for the 6th, maybe you can have Cretin 1 and i can have Cretin 2?????
dat dat dat dat dat, up the cretins!!!
Bomber - maybe we can have matching “I’m with Cretin” t.shirts done ?
HB
Ok but is your arrow going to point left or right??
Noticed Michael Jester is back!!
Ive only just stopped laughing since the last time he posted the infamous jester faux pas!!
Reading Fan here. Sorry to be a party pooper but the comments about never playing for Reading again for Coppell were about Fae not Sonko. Sonko and Coppell have had clear the air meetings and he has said he wants to stay and get us back to the prem. Hope that clears that up. Good luck for the season and i hope we see you next year. In the prem of course.
Self-confessed Albion cretins? Never thought I’d see the day!!
S’all just banter boys, I’m sure you can appreciate that!
Bomber - my arrow was going to point up.
Yes I noticed the court jester was back - I heard the bells jingling.
Loyal - Royal. Cheers for the update.
You will do well to keep hold of all your players now - but in copell you have a great manager. Good luck for the season - I hope you get back up as i thought you did really well in the prem.
HB
I was going to get mine with the arrow pointing down but i thought terry might think it was pointing at him!!!
Bomber - whats terry doing down there ??
Actually don’t answer - the moderator won’t print it….
Perhaps when HB and Bomber have finished their back slapping lovefest we can get back to the real issue - potential transfer targets…
Cantello - are you trying to join the cretin club ?
You will have to buy your own shirt !!
Happy and Bomber.
You’ve given me some great laughs on here today. Carry on with the lovefest.
PS Is the Cretin club invitation only? If not is there a waiting list?
TRB - yes its a closed club I’m afraid - you have to be nominated by a dingle….
You can be a visitor but you need to be signed in by a fully fledged cretin.
30 Happy.
That’s typical of the fascist way this site is going. It’s as if it’s being run by the jestapo.
Look,I’m a Cantello as well,so if the other one joins the cretins,I want to be as big a cretin as everybody else.It’s only fair,or you’ll hurt my feelings.
it seems our wolfie neighbours are a tad upset
lets hope TM brings in some more quality players and lets hope king kev and gera stays
boing boing
I Heard One That one of our young players (latteef Elford Alliyu) is on his way to arsenal with two off their players coming to us on a season long loan
vela (or something like that is a player they signed last season and apparntly want him to adapt to flowing football in the premiership) perfect for TM? dunno if hes any good or not though
The other players are Song and Denilson who i know are decent but never really seen much of them
(their all only rumours untill the players have theyre name on the shirt whilst shaking TM’s hand but still i just like being linked with these young stars)
does any one know if there are any potential buyers???
Cantello Rocket 78 - being a cretin isn’t easy you know - i have to work hard on maintaining the level i have achieved…. you can’t expect to “jest” turn up and automatically be a cretin…. I give it at least 5 hours a day - sometimes more.
Bomber is more of a natural cretin than i am - but even he sometimes fails to reach the high standards needed - I’m afraid we will need some real proof of your cretinous abilities before you get the shirt.