Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Albion blog: No peace for Peace
Friday 30th May 2008, 6:34AM BST.
I would suggest that this is a busy time for our chairman, three outstanding contract negotiations, a list of transfer targets to go through, and the small matter of a new sponsor to announce, writes blogger Jarrod Hill.
The players may be off sunning themselves in preparation for the next challenge awaiting them, but Jeremy Peace must be working harder than ever.
The trio of players who have become free agents this summer have all been offered contracts and while I presume Mowbray has given him a list of targets to work on, the decisions made by Albrechsten, Phillips, and Gera will have a bearing on inward bound players. He has had the distraction of having to finalise the deals for Danek, Kim, and Bednar, all at a time when the majority of players are on holiday.
Many fans have been surprised that we have not already witnessed our first signing of the summer, but with so many issues to be resolved it is not that surprising, Peace and Mowbray must feel frustrated at partly having their hands tied by these factors.
We are linked to different players every day of the week, but in general the whole transfers merry go round have been quiet. I am sure it is down to two major factors, either players are on holiday or they are preparing for Euro 2008.
I expect things to get progressively busier over the coming weeks as players return from their breaks and look to resolve their futures.
Mowbray has already stated his desire to bring in new players before the start of pre season training and have the opportunity to work with them before entering into what will be an important season for the future of our club.
When I saw this statement from Mowbray in the press part of me thought it was just a manager spouting common sense, but part of me wondered whether this was Mowbray issuing a message to Jeremy Peace. Peace has been accused of dragging out transfer dealings in the past; he could argue that he has done so for the better of the club and he would get no argument from me. However, Mowbray may hold fears of key targets moving to other clubs and his plans of building a Premiership team are in the hands of Jeremy Peace, and Jeremy Peace’s hands seem pretty full at the moment.
One thing is sure, the players whose futures are undecided need to make their minds up sooner rather than later, or risk side tracking the clubs summer recruiting plans.
On another note, we now know Hull City will be joining us and Stoke in the Premiership from The Championship, many pundits are already installing all three of us as favourites for relegation and many even suggesting another Derby County in prospect for one of us.
New signings and how quickly you can get them integrated into your squad is key for any promoted team, I just hope Jeremy Peace can find the time to get this most critical of activities done and allow Mowbray to implement his Premiership plan.
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I can’t believe you lot can be happy baggies over your new strips.
Your home shirt looks like a zebra crossing, presumably because you expect everyone to walk over you.
Love the away colour though; very appropriate for a bunch of lemons !
Incidently, I’ve heard you new sponsor is VO5 Shampoo …….. all froth and no substance.
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What a sad jealous little person. Yawn, yawn, yawn.
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Not to worry Jarrod for as you say Euro 2008 is about to start and many players are focussed on that but as WBA are now a Premiership club, there will be plenty of agents touting around their players looking for a club who will offer them better terms than they currently enjoy. The problem being for Peace and Mowbray is, are they the type of players the club needs?
Now that takes time to decide but no doubt it will all be ok by the time August comes around.
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no 1, errm thanks, do you feel better now??
The fact is us Baggie fans couldnt be happier, and for some reason that is driving Wolves fans madder than a bucket of frogs.
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To you Wolves fans. Jealousy will get you no where. Why don’t you try posting your remarks on your own website? Havn’t you got one?
How are you ever going to get promoted if you keep losing your best young players to Premiership clubs? You will just have to keep dreaming!!
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5 kingswinford boggie
1. yes we have a site thanks, just ask all the boggies who cant keep away from it.
2. we have lost about the same number of young players that you have bought, none, so try and be a tad more sensible in your comments matey.
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In an ideal world, transfers would have all been dealt with my pre-season though in reality, players and agents will dig their heals in and wait for the offers to come flooding in.. even more so when a major tournement is around the corner. Their ££ could increase with 1 a good tournement or if they are linked to a ‘big’ club.
Albion will have their targets firmly in place now and will no doubt be in talks with many clubs, players and agents, unfortunately we just dont live in an ideal world.
I would suggest us fans will be happy with the incomings by the end of the transfer window. Mowbray’s dealings havent disappointed me yet to think otherwise
Exciting times !!
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Dipstyk? What an appropriate nom de plume
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Hi Bomber – I said earlier this week that I was suprised not to see any “new” faces joining yet – although the signings of our three loan players plus the extension of danek’s deal are all positive moves.
There are persistant rumours that 1 or 2 new loanees are coming in (from Arsenal ?) – which makes sense as we will obviously find it difficult to attract “top” players in during the first season back in the prem.
However if we can strengthen what is already a great squad with a few loanees and consolidate our league position this year, next season will see us able to attract a different type of player in.
Having said that, I really believe that TM will get the best out of our current crop – and players like Brunt, Tex, Koren, Miller will all look fantastic in the prem.
Finally – a HUGE well done to deano for his performance last night – he was world class…. we should really think hard before calling for him to be replaced.
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Have you read todays “latest” transfer rumour page ??
Apparently Gera is wanted by Benfica – and SKP may be off to QPR …WOW !!
Sorry E&D – but you print these same rumours EVERY DAY. We understand that you are catering for the Wolves fans – but just re-cycling the same stuff to appease the knuckleheads is boring !!!
However on the wolves section they are only looking to BUY players – and no one is after Hennesey or SEB or Kightly !!!!
It wouldn’t be so bad if Laughing and michael and optimistic didn’t actually BELIEVE these things…
More “latest” news for you – fatty robinson failed a medical at Wigan and Curtis Davies is hoping to join Villa in a deal worth upto 10 Million….
What a sinking ship we are !!!!
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HB
Mowbray is a fan of the loan system, however we are only allowed two loans from within the Prem (somebody correct me if i am wrong). So i can see him possibly going abroad for some more loan players, the thing with loan players is they tend to be deals done towards the end of a transfer window, usually due to the managers deciding which players can go out on loan after they have assembled their squad for the upcoming season.
So i am expecting quite a bit of late business this summer.
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Bomber
Can you use your inside influence with the E&S moderators ?
It appears that it is ok for certain wolves fans to use these pages as a vehicle to to spout their bile/nonsense, but a riposte from myself (3 in a row) is deemed too harsh for their fragile and precious little souls.
And before you ask……..no!…..i did not use
offensive language.
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Happy.
You have missed the important new take on this piece of outstanding newsgathering. Apparently these clubs are now forming an orderly queue, whereas before they were just a disorganised rabble hoping to push him into the back of a car.
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1. Yes try to remember your wolves happiness down in the championship again, winning nothing again, scoring so few goals again, looking up Doncaster, Blackpool and Barnsley on the road map.
We’ll try to deal with our baggies unhappiness, promoted again, winning the championship, and long cup run, scoring the most goals in english football again, looking up Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge and Anfield on our roadmap.
Boo hoo…
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Bomber – so we COULD get the 2 guys from Arsenal – plus a couple from abroad ??
Like you, I expect to see more movement later in the window – however TM has said he would like to get things done early to A) allow more prep time and B) reduce the chance of our targets being “tapped up” if they have a good Euro championship, so we could get an early suprise.
wbaforever – as i said in post 10 – these pages aint really for us – we are tolerated rather than encouraged….
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TRB – it will only be the British clubs forming an orderly queue – those flippin Jonny Foreigners from benfica will be pushing in and then pretending not to understand….
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15
happy
if you really believe that then why spend so much time on here??
By the way as a “dingle” i hope both you and stoke stay up and we plus blues and cov get promoted and we can then remove the southern bias from the prem
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Right I have just found this on another site (slow day) so I have just cut and pasted it …
Thought this might make an interesting article for the site..Just seen an interesting post on the BBC site in the forum..It talks about the best/ biggest teams..and looks at the history of the football league since its inception..I’ve cut and pasted it in for you guys (although I slightly disagree with how points were awarded in the early years, as I think it should have stayed 92 points downwards to give a better overall feel..and we’d be even higher)……The All-Time League positions from 1888 to 2006-7 are as below. Points awarded are simple: 1 point is awarded to the Club who finish 92nd and 92 points awarded for the Club who finished top. (In 1888, when there were only 12 Clubs, the winners – PNE – are awarded 12 points, for example.) No doubt Liverpool fans will crow to their ManU & Everton rivals, but so should we! We get enough rubbish from W*lves fans about them having a more illustrious history, but this League Table is pretty definitive. It takes no account of Cup history, but if it did that would only enhance our position. W*lves are 238 points below the Albion or, in other words, if they finish 10 League positions above us for the next 24 years, they will have overtaken us. (I’ll most likely be pushing up daisies by then – with a smile on my face… 1 Liverpool 7,327 2 Arsenal 7,258 3 Everton 7,209 4 Manchester United 7,087 5 Aston Villa 7,060 6 Newcastle United 6,735 7 Manchester City 6,681 8 Sunderland 6,608 9 Tottenham Hotspur 6,519 10 Chelsea 6,458 11 West Bromwich Albion 6,334 12 Blackburn Rovers 6,215 13 Derby County 6,185 14 Sheffield Wednesday 6,181 15 Sheffield United 6,099 16 Wolverhampton Wanderers 6,096 17 Bolton Wanderers 6,031 18 Middlesbrough 6,030 19 Nottingham Forest 5,942 19 Leeds United 5,942 21 Birmingham City 5,918 22 Leicester City 5,860 23 West Ham United 5,797 24 Stoke City 5,616
We all know that our Wolfie chums love history so much!!
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Firstly i’ll comment on the blog. Very well written and well thoughtout blog bomber, well done.
I am slightly surprised Albion have had no bids accepted (that we know about) at the moment. It’s always good to read a bit of speculation, but as you say i’m sure TM has given JP a list of targets. He like big Jez is an astute businessman and would nerver jepordise Albion’s finances by paying silly money for anyone. Obviously this has it’s downsides. What do you think albions highest amount they would pay for a player, 5-6 mil tops?
I just hope you don’t rest on your lorrels and take the mentality that because you were the best in the CCC you will be good enough in the prem, because as we know it doesn’t work like that.
Comment 1 – no need mate
Comment 5 – there is nothing in that statement which is true or accurate.
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16. Desperation springs to mind. If in doubt whether Wolves are thought to be a big club, ask any neutral fan.
I remember an alltime league table doing the rounds last year where Wolves are 4th behind Man u, liverpool and arsenal.
Also we have scored more goals than any other english team.
To be honest the tables all mean nothing but 1 thing remains. Neutral fans DONT think of Albion as a big club but fair play your in the top flight so enjoy while it lasts.
10. Happy baggie. Yet your still on here?? There are other sites you know.
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18. Now that´s what I call concrete evidence that, historically, Albion are one of the TOP CLUBS in England. I always knew it. Now everyone else does as well.Nice one Baggie Boy.
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No peace for Peace? Course there is.Gera and Phillips are off so there’s no negotiating there.Alby signs on reduced terms cos no-one else wants him and he does’nt have to worry about incoming transfers as no-one wants to come for the wages he is prepared to pay.Simple.Put your feet up JP you’re in the Prem now and you’ve got all that parachute money to look forward to next year.
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Baggie Boy we do, that’s why I mentioned our 8 titles since your last one, including our 3
” Premiership” titles. Bomber don’t tell me off, I have to stick up for my boys some times.
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5. this is not your website it belongs to the express and star.
and believe it or not some people have the brain capacity to post more than one remark on more than one comments page.
jealous dream on.
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Happy
the only people who believe anything or take anything seriously on these pages are you and people like you.
we are just here for the banter and to wind sad little people up who fall for it everyday.
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5. Don’t be nasty….. Wolves have got their own website…. it’s called the trophy cabinet!!
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25 – glad you got that off your jest.
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Malvern
When you say titles since our last one, you mention 8 of them, would you humour me and name them please ?
I assume you are including cup competitions,
therefore, strictly speaking, the championship title was not the first for 88 years,
3 or 4 FA cups and a league cup have occurred during that time.
I await to stand corrected.
Mickey
You speak about brain capacity,
why dont you use it, instead of the continual one dimensional slating of all things Albion.
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Michael seems rather chipper today – he must enjoy being out of terry’s keepnet for the week.
Don’t worry lad, he’s back next week and will be reeling you in again (but its jest banter and wind up of course).
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29. i still cant believe you idiots are falling for that after about a week
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Here we go again. This started off as a good blog with some really good points and now it’s turned into a ranting session for the Dingles to come on and tell us about how their fantastic ‘football’ team is better than ours. Well done to the boys in orange shirts….a good days work!
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Forever no problem.
Old division 1 3 1954 1958 1959
Old division 2 2 1932 1977
Division 3 North 1924
Division 3 1989
Division 4 1988
I have not included 2 FA Cups, 2 League Cups or the Famous Sherpa Van Trophy.
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I for one would be giving the three out of contract players an ultimatum. If you don’t sign by next Friday goodbye. I agree Bomber the delay will cause us a problem as it will define what areras of the team need to be strengthened. Non of them are irreplaceable and they should show the club a bit of respect. Maybe we threaten to send them to the Dingles that should scare them into action. I am confident we will stay up next year no problem. Keep laughing at the tango men down the road
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Malvern – its a great history to have – so i’m not being nasty when I say this… but I’m 45 now and I have only been alive for three of those – 2 of which were your third and fourth div titles.
I know you want to “big up” the wolves – and why not… but to hold up stats from the twenties, thirties and fifties all the time only underlines what many albion fans think of the wolves – a sad club living on its past glories.
I mean no disrespect when i suggest this – but give it up.
Its all long gone and meaningless. That may result in albion currently being the “bigger” club (or better) – but thats life.
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Malvern
Thanks mate, i`ll remember that now, lol.
Are you joining us next Friday ?
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Wow we managed to go two weeks without the my clubs bigger than your club argument spiralling out of control.
I would still support Albion regardless of historical success and i am sure most Wolves fans are the same. Every other week we witness another different way of measuring past acheivements of football clubs and to be honest im just not interested. What i love and holds my interest is what i have seen and witnessed, and what the future holds, the comments from both sides trying to win an unwinnable argument is cringe worthy.
Are we all really this childish or is it the fact we are all going stir crazy with no club football until August??
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Forever I think I will. It will be hard to put up with all the “abuse” but I understand the Vine will be full of Baggie good guys and I am big enough to take some banter that is given in fun.
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Malvern.. like I said the other day you have 9 titles.. you won the worse fans title this year ;-)
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36.. I was just bored and saw it so I cut and pasted it.
If I supported Wednesbury Town I would still argue that Wednesbury Town where a bigger club than say Liverpool because lets face it we are slightly bias to the clubs we support.
Malvern knows its just a bit a banter as would Kent its Optimistic wolf and the rest of the clowns that talk rubbish.
Roll on 30th August(I know we start the 16th but some idiot of a baby sister has decided to get married abroad and we all fly out on the 16th August SISTERS WHO NEEDS ‘EM LOL)
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Malvern – you will be made very welcome – but can you please wear your wolves top so that i can spot you !!
Only joking – we will hold you down and force you to wear a baggies shirt !!
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Happy, I was just commenting on a post from Baggy Boy. Looking back at previous matches and seasons is all part of the fun. I was honestly surprised to discover how long it was since you had won a title so I looked up our stats. The late 50s team is arguably ( I know you won’t agree) the best team ever in the midlands and I was lucky enough to be watching then. In my first three seasons we won the league, won it again and then finished runners up to a very dodgy result in Lancashire and won the Cup. I thought being a Wolves fan was always going to be like that. Good job I didn’t realise that I had peaked at such an early age.
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Happy, no problem, at least one gold shirt will be present
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Malvern – I can’t disagree as I don’t know. As i say, i wasn’t around to see them but i understand they were a great team and you should rightly be proud.
I just find the on-going “we’re bigger than you” stuff a little pathetic – its easy to say which team has had the best season, or who won a local Derby etc… but to use stats from 80 years ago to make a point just seems a tad sad.
Its a bit like when your mom got your baby photos out to show the girlfriend how cute you were – its a bit embarrassing
I’m sure if wolves had enjoyed the recent success that Albion have, then you would not be using it….
Anyway, I look forward to carrying this conversation on (or not) over a pint soon.
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31 nedball, half a good point! I do feel sorry for bomber when he writes his blogs and then wolves AND albion fans start talking about which club is best.
You tend not to get that on the wolves blog pages – not because albion fans aren’t present (because as some of you know some albion fans love going on the wolves pages and trying to stir up trouble) but because wolves fans have a much bigger fan base and have a higher average attendance throughout the season and indeed i’m sure have more internet users just generally because we have more fans!!! So therefore we can ignore the trouble makers and talk football amongst ourselves.
No one else is talking football so I thought i would stick my two penneth in as well ha ha.
On another note – I’m seeing a really nice girl at the moment, there is a downside though she has an albion season ticket with all her family, can it work??? Answer on a post card.
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Nathan 44 – No pal – its doomed – she will soon get fed up of you being miserable every saturday night.
I can see the senarion now:
GF – Hi Nath – good game today ?
N – are you being funny ?
GF – No, i just wondered how it went. I bet it was cold in Doncaster today.
N – are you trying to be funny ?
GF – No. Anyway, we had a nice day, that Old Trafford is one hell of a place… we were lucky to get a draw.
N – are you trying to be funny ?
GF – I don’t understand. Why do you go week after week if it just makes you miserable. Why not come with us next week – its Arsenal at home..
N – are you trying to be funny.
GF -No, I just thought you would enjoy watching the game – should be a cracker.
N – Ha – don’t you know it’s Wolves who are the greatest team… we had 24,000 last week so that proves it. Anyway, we will be up by christmas and you lot will be relegated cos your ground is a slum
Oi where are you going – come baaaaaaack…..
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ha ha fair play happy baggie!!!
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Nathan
I hope you can pop down to the Vine next Friday,
bring your wonderful and obviously beautiful
Baggies supporting girl friend with you, be careful though mate, TERRY will be there, we all know what a babe magnet he is.
“Can it work” ….of course it can Nathan,
simply give this vision of Baggie loveliness everything a girl of her standing deserves.
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Forever – thats gonna be hard when she already has everything a girl needs – a season ticket to the greatest football show on earth.
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45.Happy.
Sublime. that’s why it’s great being a Baggie.
Seriously Nathan. Your post 44, you say. ‘That’s why fans on our site can get together and talk football.’ Whenever I go on there for a read it’s like a cross between WWIII and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Mick’s an idiot. They hate Jez. —–/—— insert a players name of your choice is rubbish. Steve Morgan is still in the honeymoon period, his time will come. It can be downright scary at times and that’s when they’re having a go at each other never mind the Albion fans that stray onto it. Anyway, I’ll let you get back to The Loveboat. Always good to hear from you though.
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i think kightly and keogh would be two great signings for the albion, might as well throw in eblanks blake as well
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lol this is just so funny… Wolves and Albion fans are as bad and as fickle as eachother. *rolls eyes*
Now, now boys and girls, stop the petty bickering, read the stories, then go and find lives instead of constantly waiting on the computer to wind up some fans with facts from the 1920s or from a website you were browsing about who is the best club… it really is quite sad, guys.
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