Can’t see video? Update Adobe Flash Player
Video may take a moment to load. Return to Video Index
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill measures the 2004/05 squad to this, talks Valero and gives credit to the Toffee’s faithul ahead of the Hawthorns first Premier League game of the season.
After the confidence building opening game at the Emirates, we now have a home game against Everton to look forward to.
It has been an exciting week in the transfer market, with Albion smashing their transfer record to sign the very highly-rated Borja Valero from Real Mallorca. His acquisition has certainly raised the bar in terms of our market stature.
With just over a week to go until the transfer window closes, I still expect a few more incomings. Rumour has it we are actively pursuing Valero’s team mate Trejo. Incidentally, he has the same agent as Valero and again is highly rated in La Liga as a future star.
The squad is certainly starting to shape up and Mowbray still hasn’t shown his hand in the loan market, so the next eight days could be very interesting.
In terms of squads, I have decided to compare our existing squad with the last one that survived in the Premier League on the final day of the season.
2004-2005 Squad (Incomplete): -
Hoult, Kuszczak, Robinson, Moore, Albrechtsen, Clement, Purse, Scimeca, Greening, Gera, Johnson, Wallwork, Horsfield, Earnshaw, Kanu, Hulse, Campbell, Richardson (on loan).
Current Squad: -
Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Robinson, Cech, Barnett, Meite, Clement, Pele, Koren, Greening, Brunt, Kim, Valero, Morrison, Texeira, Bednar, Miller, Moore, Beattie, MacDonald.
I appreciate that drawing comparisons is relative but my overriding perception is the superior quality we now have. As I have already stated, our current squad will also be added to before the window closes. The comparison has enforced my growing confidence for the forth coming season.
One area of concern when looking at the two squads is up front. The great escape frontline had top flight experience, whereas our current strikers have raw potential. However, the striking department and defence is where I envisage us strengthening before the end of August.
On to Saturday, Everton suffered a defeat to Blackburn last week and will be looking to bounce straight back. It is important we get some points on the board as soon as possible.
With a full house at the Hawthorns, I am expecting a great game and a great atmosphere. I have always found Everton fans to be good humoured and vocal in supporting their side.
Mowbray has some tough decisions to make in his team selection. Does he play one or two upfront, does he give Zuiverloon his debut, will Valero be involved, is Koren ready, if so who plays wide right?
Lets leave it to our Tony and look forward to Premier League football back at a packed Hawthorns.
Come on you Baggies!
37 Comments
As the song goes
“I can’t wait for the weekend to beging”
Nice blog Jarrod and I too look at the contrasting squads from previous campaigns to the one we are embarking on now and just feel that we are miles better than we were then, I just hope every other team are not that million miles better than they were then. Looking forward to another exciting and hopefully good season.
i saw Mowbray on sky football news lastnight and he said Borja Valero isn’t one of our players yet and hasn’t signed anything.Lets hope we tie things up ASAP before we lose yet another player at the last minute
I would like to see 2 forwards up front. I hope Moore and Miller, the M n M’s work well together.
I am really looking forward to the game tomorrow, i agree we need a decent striker before the window shuts, my concern is that we have not yet confirmed the signing of Valero apparently due to the fact the JP is not available again. i just hope he is not snapped up by someone else. Come on JP get your act together for the fans sake.
I totally agree with Jarrod regarding the attacking options we have, maybe Mowbray knows that a bit ov confidence and a goal or 2 will give our young lads the platform to show their quality and proove they can get 10-15 goals, im unsure, do we have the experience in this squad compared to the one that kept us up ? no, but we have a couple of strong characters to keep level heads, i think we can beat Everton and make the Hawthorns a place teams wont want to play.
Valero has signed a deal, but there have been complications with paperwork coming from both Mallorca to do with his international clearance. His contract is on the premise that all other factors are completed satisfactory (ie international clearance). That is why he is at the club and training, however there does seem to be some confusion over the reasons for delay from their end. I think Peace is just being cautious just in case.
hi jarrod,,i think mowbray will start with kim just behind miller like he did at arsenal,zooverloon says hes jet lagged and tired and velero probably wont be sorted in time so i expect us to start with the same team as last week…i dont think we will start with two up front,,either way i expect something from this game piont wise,,,,PLAYING IN THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOH YES..
Good research for this Jarrod, I read it with great interest. As for Saturday i am resigned to not having Valero on board in time so time to look at the options available to us I believe, I trust TM will play 2 up front against lesser opposition (no offence to Toffee’s)
Unfortunately I’ll be missing the game as I’ll be down in London seeing the King Tut exhibition but I’ll be keeping a very keen eye out for any live scores!
bomber - do you think Borja will play on saturday ? we need a experienced striker/ SOMEBODY WHO CAN HIT THE BACK OF THE NET!
My opinion is Kris Boyd from Rangers
Everton have many problems at the moment and I think it will be one way traffic with albion dominating posession but although I may run the small risk of being wrong you havnt got enough firepower to win games and although Im not going to be as specific as the score I dont think albion will win, valero has gone to talk to newcastle, that is what somebody put on a football rumour website, not saying that this is 100% accurate.
what you would do for a kevin phillips now to come off the bench and get you points!!!
ive heard the reason for the delay in velero being officially announced by wba is because some of the paperwork from mallorcas end was not signed in the correct place ,hopefully this will be sorted asap…PLAYING IN THE PREM THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
I beleive (but stand to be corrected) that a player has to be signed and registered before midday today to be eligible to play tomorrow. I can only guess that Peace is racing against time to get the deal wrapped up before lunch.
We will see!!
Albion fan 16
My opinion on Kris Boyd is that he has the knack of scoring goals, and yes i would love to see him at the Hawthorns. However he isnt the archetypal player Mowbray likes, but as time ticks by and the transfer window starts to close he become an option.
When you look at both squads they is a big difference much more quailty and at last the board want to stay in the premier league.
A few more and should be ok. Need to pick up points at home.
Boing Boing.
Hi guys, anyone picked up on this from Setanta Website:
Jonas Olsson has admitted that he dreams of playing in The Premier League amidst reports of a move to West Brom.
The 25-year-old is equally adept at centre back or left back, and Tony Mowbray is believed to be keen to add his no-nonsense style to The Baggies’ defence.
Olsson has previously been linked with Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Everton, and he admits he would jump at the chance of playing in England.
“The dream is to play in The Premier League,” Olsson told fotbollskanalen.se.
“The club wants to sell me because I´m near the end of my contract.”
The former Sweden Under-21 international currently plays for NEC Nijmegen
I believe the deal isn’t finished yet because someone mentioned having to work over lunch and the Majorcans didn’t understand that it was a serious suggestion.
10, 11 - I spent the last 3 nights not sleeping with worry that you’d be kidnapped or worse Shadrag…..I’m glad you’re back to say that we’re not going to win and a bloke we’ve practically signed and his agent has actually said he’s signed, is apparently going to talk to someone else…..welcome back Shadrag!!
bomber
we got until 5pm to sign him up mate, just read it.
Apparently part of the delay in the Valero deal is due to the Spanish Fa submitting the relevent details for International clearance. Due to Spain declaring three days of mourning due to the air disaster it may delay the completion until early next week.
Nedball
yea mate he got away from me the slippery sod, I’ll make sure to fasten the zip ties tighter next time!!
Good luck tomorrow BAGGIES first of many wins this season,just watch me cane the bookies this year.As the the VALERO its just the paper work to sort out no nead to panic,if the paper work isnt right you could end up doing a dingle remember the goalie they brought and could never play him.BOING BOING PREMIER LEAGUE BAGGIES.
the banter has gone a bit far on your part with your above comments, but I suppose you come to expect it from a guy who comes on here under 2 names (happybogie, nedball!) I’m not saying your not going to sign valero but looks what has happened on previous targets, celtic, rangers and northampton beat you to them. Dont get so worked up about my opinion either, all I am saying is you havnt got the firepower to stay up.
wages, length of contract and housing have been agreed the hold up is his release clause. He wants a fee of 4.75mil put in to released as and when the baggies get relegated at the end of the season.
laughingwolf
The two cant be the same person, happie baggie has just rode past on his scooter!!
24:Loffingwilf
wages, length of contract and housing have been agreed the hold up is his release clause. He wants a fee of 4.75mil put in to released as and when the baggies get relegated at the end of the season.
How is this apparently you said he was talking to Newcastle….contradicting yourself????
I love you Shadrag!! xxx
haha LW, you do make me chuckle.
kinda reminds me of when your a kid and the fat kid tells you to stop once his had his mischief and it turns back on him.
we don’t wish you to be kidnapped.
honest.
Carson, Kiely, Zuiverloon, Hoefkens, Robinson, Cech, Barnett, Meite, Clement, Pele, Koren, Greening, Brunt, Kim, Valero, Morrison, Texeira, Bednar, Miller, Moore, Beattie, MacDonald.
I appreciate that drawing comparisons is relative but my overriding perception is the superior quality we now have.
Erm….im still looking and no…still cant see any superior quality!
Sorry Shadrag, you’ll have to face up to facts. It’s not just me that can’t understand why you always post drivel on Albion posts and doesn’t care for your thoughts.
Although I could often be described as happy, I am not actually Happy Baggie as well as Nedball….that’d be far too many posts for 1 person to handle and keep record of different opinions. Sorry Shadrag, I still love you though xxxx
tonywba. If you can actually read, I said it was on a football rumours website, but I have heard this morning it is to do with the release clause. Just what I heard my Tescobag friends. Nedball it is said in very poor taste with the Maddy Mc Cann fiasco. Please think before you type.
Valero whoo oh Valero whoo
He came from Real Mallorca
He’s Gonna Score a corker!!!
Just signed
We’ve got the best midfield in the world
Borja veloro, Filipe Teixeira, Robet Koran and Johno!!!
Loffin
How do you compare the posts written above to poor Maddie, your mind wanders our sick little dingle.
You have actually become homely over on this side now, i think we all look at you as our little pet….now lie down and stop barking!!!
YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE , AV IT LAUGHINWILF,,velero is now all ours go and have alook on the official site,,its all done and dusted just to make the dings even more jealous….we have signed a superb player…..get in there,,,,SIGNING ALL THE GEMS THE MOWBRAY WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOH YES…
7-WORCESTERBAGGIE
There is no way in a million years that Mowbray
will play 1 up front at home against Everton,
Iam 100% sure that the likes of Hoefkens,Cech,
and Brunt will be dropped to the bench,
I feel Tony Mowbray should throw Gianni
Zuiverloon in at right-back,as Carl Hoefkens
might also be jet lagged after playing for his
country.
MY ALBION TEAM FOR EVERTON-
carson,zuiverloon,barnett,meite,robinson,
do-heon,greening,morrison,koren,miller,bednar.
And if people think Iam just a glory hunter
then Iam not,as Ive still got the ticket stub
for our game with Burnley 2OOO/01 which also
gave me and certain other people a tour of the
ground,and the ticket stub reads.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION
Nationwide Football League Division 1
V Burnley
Saturday,4 November 3:00p
Entrance:Sponsors Door
Brew XI Stand Halfords Lane
Sponsorship Single Package 2OOO/OS
SMART CASUAL DRESS ONLY.
westbrom fan- a glory hunter. Mate i completely believe that you are not! tony you muppet that story dominates the media and news and making jokes about kidnapping is in poor taste in my opinion. Are you getting me confused with somebody else when you say bark perhaps?
First home game back in the Prem, a huge occasion for all of you. I hope you all have a good day.