Yes people one month to go; I hope you are as excited as I am? writes blogger Jarrod Hill.
The close season is driving me a little insane now and although I have a few pre-season friendly games to attend (first one Shrewsbury, Tuesday night) my mind is firmly on the trip to the Emirates.
This week has seen the transfer activity hot up and on Tuesday we welcomed Marek Cech into the squad.
Having never seen him play it is difficult to give an informed opinion on him; however, his pedigree looks excellent. Porto are one of the best sides in Europe and to have played regularly for the Portuguese champions and in the Champions League, bodes well for a player still only 25. (Check out his bicycle kick on this site)
He is described as a technical player who can attack as well as defend, well that sounds good enough for me!!
With Mowbray away with the squad I can only imagine Dan Ashworth and Jeremy Peace are as busy as bees. Mr Peace needs to sort out the new sponsor (and get the shirts on sale, will they be cheaper as they will be out of date quicker??) and Ashworth needs to sign the players targeted by Mowbray.
I am still expecting another striker to arrive soon although the immergence of Sherjill MacDonald in pre season has possibly given Mowbray food for thought.
Many fans have spoken to me of their belief he could be good player given time, he certainly has all the physical attributes to be useful, but like many strikers, he needs confidence. Pre season has seen him score three goals in one and half games and if his form and confidence continues to grow, Mowbray could see him as a useful player to have among his seven substitutes this season.
While I was on this trail of thought I started looking at other members of our squad who have become the forgotten men. Slusarski, Beattie, Danek, Tininho, Pele, and Hodgkiss must all be wondering what their futures hold. We saw little of them last season and now we have been promoted what are their chances of playing an active role in our future?
On many occasions Mowbray has stated his desire to strengthen the under belly of the squad and to encourage these players to break into the first team picture through hard work and determination (further reinforced by the acquisition of Dorrans).
Having never seen Slusarski and Danek play I can only confirm that MacDonald is the only player from this crop who has the potential (at this moment in time) to make the first team squad.
But what do you think??
21 Comments
Slusarski seems to score plenty in the reserves. It will be interesting to see whether he goes out on loan or starts making bench appearances.
In the theatre there are many stories of the understudy becoming the star due to circumstance and LUCK! That most important factor which we all need to succeed. There are however, some things which training and luck are not enough on their own. Goalscoring is inherent in the ‘natural poacher’. Bomber Brown, Jeff Astle, Ronnie Allen, Derek Kevan, Bob Taylor spring to mind along with another just left us whose name I can’t quite recall. Will one of Jarrod’s crop of forgotten men emerge as our new hero? Beattie I thought might make it, Slusarski and McDonald both have the right pedigree but now all three have to produce in the Prem., a much higher level than last year when they didn’t! All very intriguing.
Slusarski looked quite sharp whist he was playing for Wednesday last season quick feet and left footed. Pele may be our only cover at centre half so I’m sure he’ll get plenty of games. Danek looks to have all the attributes of a good keeper but I suspect he doesn’t have the ability. The others I’m afraid look a little short on ability.
On a different subject, when are we ever going to bring a youngster through to the first team, what happened to our youth set up which once produced a regular flow of outstanding players
Cyril,
An interesting view. I would add however that some players are more suited the the style of play adopted in the Premiership where there is a little more time to play. It remains to be seen if Slusarski, McDonald or Beattie fall into that category, or indeed be given the chance.
Heard a rumour that if Carson gets no other offers over the weekend he will sign for us on Monday/Tuesday.
Another rumour is that we have made an offer for a European based Midfielder and his club are mulling over the offer.
i think mow knows what hes doing with these players,they are great experienced pro,s playing with the young acadamy boys and helping them progress,these boys love having them around just look at the friendly at kiddy some of our young acadamy lads were brill,,the futures looking very good for some of them..i think mcdonald has it all on the training ground and hopefully he will progress more…these forgotten men are definatally doing agood job around the young lads…BUILDING A GREAT TEAM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOH YES.
Slusarski - never seen play!
Hodekiss - high hopes but disappointed, too small too slow but is still young so worth having around.
Beattie - oh dear!!
Tininio - Apparently was brought to look after tex and also in an absolute emergency!! Even venus would go before this kid!!
Sherjil - Didn’t add me on facebook so out you go!! lol.. Still think he could produce the goods!! TM seems to have faith!
Trying too hard at min, needs to relax a little when on the ball.
Not being disrespectful to any of the above and are ok squad players in championship, but now were no longer there most should be moved on.
Heard Carson has agreed to sign!! Still think he’ll start with Kiely.. apparentaly had a good game v BM and was fantastic in his last game for Ireland.
Seems determined and focused.
Bomber.
Don’t like your Carson scenario. When transfers are drawn out like this, we usually get gazumped. This isn’t a recent phenomenon but is an Albion tradion. Older bloggers Cyril/Terry will remember Alan Gowling in the early seventies. We were buying him off, I think Huddersfield for about a month before Newcastle nipped in at the eleventh hour. He went on to score loads of goals for them. We used to manage to do this even before the days of agents touting their players around.
On the forgotten men.
Unfortunately Hodgkiss lacks pace. He was shown up by a couple of decent wingers last year and in the prem this will only get worse. He is turned much too easily.
Pele will always be a good option on the bench providing he’s happy with this.
Slusarski, still haven’t seen him.
Danek. The fact that he hasn’t really been tried doesn’t look good. Obviously he hasn’t impressed the people that matter.
Can’t see much future for Tininho now that Cech has arrived.
I tend to agree with Cyril about Beattie. Unlucky with injuries and the form of other strikers. Never had a good run in the team but if we bring in another striker will he get a chance. The prem might suit him more than the CC.
We all know to well about forgoten men..steve bull, joe mayo,george Mc vittie and my fav; john paskin….
9 GV.
Not sure how you class forgotten men. Steve Bull was a raw kid who’d had a couple of games. A costly mistake but none of us knew this at the time. Joey Mayo got plenty of games before being replaced by better players coming in. McVitie was a player brought in by his old manager but was never really good enough (Paul Ince seems to be trying to do this at Blackburn.) Paskin couldn’t trap a bag of cement, strong, honest player but not good enough.
Re Craig Beattie: When he first arrived he looked’ the real deal. A splendid hat trick in the friendly against Heerenven,followed by a tremendous winning goal iagainst Bournemouth, seemed to indicate the Baggies had signed a ‘real’ star.
Could he still cut it in the ‘Greed League (?)I’d
love to think so but somehow i doubt it.
But again who knows, things could change.If he stay’s, which seems unlikely, and whatever the future holds for him, those who saw his tremendous late winning goal at Leicester last season will acknowledge he HAS ability.
Must admit that now Cech has been signed the future of Paul Robinson has to open to question.
The speculation as to whether he’ll sign a new contract or leave the Hawthorns needs to be clarified as soon as possible.
Tony Mowbray needs to know as soon as possible in order to select what he’ll feels will be his BEST team. Cech or Robbo?
Is anyone going to Shrewsbury on Tuesday??
I have bought my tickets,£15 for a friendly!!
HEY JARROD HOW ARE YA!
WELL YOU LOT MUST BE EXCITED AND QUITE RIGHTLY TOO!.
US REAL WOLVES FANS ARE MORE CAUTIOUS WITH THE OPTIMISM, HOPE THEY PROVE ME WRONG..BUT I DOUBT IT SOMEHOW.
GOOD ON YA THO’ BOGGIES AND GIVE THE PREM A GOOD GO!
For us Brom fans a liitle taster before the season starts. ESPN Classic will be hosting a series of games called the ‘Baggies are back’ to highlight our return to the premier league, ‘hurray’. This will start from the 4th of August 7:30pm. so get on it and watch all those classic games that made us cheer. come on
News is coming in that Scott Carson has agreed a three year deal with West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £3.5million. Liverpool have insisted on a buy-back clause being entered in the contract.
It looked like Carson would sign for fellow Premiership newboys Stoke City earlier in the week, but they pulled out as they said that Liverpool were setting the price too high.
Evidently West Brom didn’t think that £3.5million was overpriced and have agreed to the deal. Martin O’Neill was expected to make the loan deal from Liverpool permanent at the end of last season as he was an everpresent in the Aston Villa team last year, but when Benitez insisted that Villa pay £10million for the goalkeeper, O’Neill lost interest.
Middlesbrough tried to hijack the deal at the last minute but it was too late to distract Carson from the offer from West Brom.
Any away STH not going to Arsenal and would like someone to take it up,i’m your man.This is my nmae opn all the message boards.You can get in touch there.
As for players,we’ll be ok…in Mowbray we trust.
Tony
Hi mate,
i have read the same thing, however, i have also read that he (Carson) may go to Blackburn.
Which journalist is right….maybe none of them.
Also read, with not a little surprise,that Kitson is signing for Stoke for £5m.
I would have liked to see Kitson at the Baggies, he would have fit our bill perfectly,
i can only assume TM has other targets to evidently disregard a striker of his ability and proven prem record.
Hiya Southbank
You have the unique gift to be able to wind up your fellow Wolves fans substantially more than you do the Baggie fans.
Tell us your secret, Oh master.
We need to get behind all of our “underbelly” players, as we,ll need them from time to time. I think people are a bit harsh towards Beattie - he scored some goals early on, got us a pen against the dingles and won us the game at Leicester. He deserves more chances - if fit.
17: Forever
Yes mate, I just copied and pasted that article from another spurious website, which is most likely an unrealible source, as I keep saying and many others until we see them confrimed on the official wba website they are not baggies.
TBH re Kitson, I believe he had a spell during last season whereas he was excellent and then he hid in the shadows for a while, so although I agree he would be a good signing and one with the kind of mentality that TM would want i don’t believe his valuation quite offers itself as value for money, maybe £3m would be more realistic.
3 Bobby - just around the corner mate the youth team guys the crop just signed up as apprentices are quality.At least 3/4 will make it and there is much optomism, despite the loss of Hurst to Pompey, there is Pans and Sawyers.
9 I loved Paskin as well - Until he went to dingles!
11 terry, why do you and others assume Cech will only play left back? I can see him starting left mid. 2 from 3 most weeks out of him/robbo/brunt.
Sluasrski has big potential, seen him lots for reserves and is half decent. I think if Mogga rated him he would of played by now though so can see him going. Still not convinced by Shergar as has pace but doesnt track back and has only one trick. Shame about Jared’s faults. The others wont be seen!
I can see Beeattie going. He has scored a couple of great goals, but mostly he’s just fallen over a lot. Can’t see hodgkiss getting many games now theres 2 good right backs. Also can’t see Robbo wanting to fight for his place and risking being worth less next year. IMO he’s not prem class anyway, caught out of position too often and unable to recover. Not sure about Pele. Could be usefull squad player, but I would guess we’ll see more CB’s arive.Signings so far show ambition, esp if Carson does sign. MacDonald could be the surprise of the season. Still find it odd that Danek and Slusarski haven’t had more pitch time, both do well in reserves and Slusarski when loaned out.This is gonna be the best season ever!