Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Albion blog: Two tales of Fortune
Friday 16th January 2009, 9:15AM GMT.
Albion blogger Jarrod Hill is having to stick up for the new boy already as he analyses Kaka’s proposed super-transfer to the Premier League.
It’s been a good week for both new and old boys.
Tuesday night witnessed a convincing win when many fans feared the worst. There were many plus points, other than the simplicity of the fact we are in the next round of the FA Cup.
Jay Simpson scored his first goal for the club (and I hope he scores many more of that quality), Filipe Texeira returned to the starting line up, and manager Tony Mowbray finally played Robert Koren in the centre of midfield.
I just hope Tony is now convinced enough to play Koren in his preferred position. I concede it was against inferior opposition, compared to what we face week in week out in the Premier League, but our dominance stemmed from his ability to have an impact on the game.
It was also heartening to see Texeira back in the side, he showed us on more than one occasion his ability to do things out of the ordinary.
Simpson’s goal was a peach and hopefully it will give him the confidence to score the goals we need to stay up. He looks better with every minute of game time, I just hope he sees sense and gets rid of that moustache.
Well I say moustache, it looks like the plastic ones you used to get in your Christmas cracker!
We have also signed Marc Antoine Fortune from Nancy on loan until the end of the season. I was surprised to see a number of fans leaving disgruntled messages on the Expressandstar.com when the players arrival was confirmed.
It makes no sense to me to dismiss a player’s ability out of hand without actually seeing the lad play. I’ll admit I have no idea who he is but that was the case when we signed, Texeira, Koren, Jonas Olsson and a number of other gems Mowbray has unearthed.
We now await his international clearance to see if he is involved for his debut. The games seem to get bigger and bigger as each week passes, and the same can be said of the visit of Middlesbrough.
But before we take a look at team selections, I would like to raise an issue for discussion amongst my esteemed bloggers.
It was reported this week that Manchester City offered to pay Kaka £500,000 a week to play for their club.
The new owners of the club can obviously afford it and want to recruit the best possible squad of players they can, but does this type of deal bring us ever closer to some kind of salary cap within football?
Half a million a week when many people in Britain fear for their economic futures? In my opinion it further polarises football players and clubs from the very people that ensure the sports prosperity, us the fans.
Don’t get me wrong we all want to see the best players at our club, but I felt the figures discussed were vulgar.
It incensed a part within me that yearns for the days when players were well paid, but not made millionaires in a bloody fortnight! Please let me know your thoughts.
Anyway, on to the Boro game and here is my team selection to be shot down as usual.
Albion: Carson, Zuiverloon (if not fit, Donk), Barnett, Olsson, Robinson, Teixeira, Koren, Greening, Cech, Moore, Simpson.
Subs: Kiely, Valero, Kim, Dorrans, Hoefkens, Brunt, Fortune.
See you all at the game!
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Kaka coming to Mad City is just crazy. Footballers have already become alienated from the normal fans. I’m becoming more disgruntled with Football, where only the rich clubs win anything. Darts is now the sport of the Common Man!
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I like the look of your side and agree with the inclusion of Cech instaead of go slow Brunt. The Kaka deal is yet another sign of the growing stupidity of the foreign owners coming into our game. How many German, French, Italian, Spanish clubs are foreign owned. The bubble will surely burst. I am glad the Baggies still have principles and keep their feet on the ground. Why don’t these foreign moneybags reward their loyal fans occasionally and give all current season ticket owners a free season ticket for next year.(minimal cost all onsidered) The 12th man would surely be more appreciative and have just as much impact as a player playing for money not the passion.
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I see Hull have signed Manucho from United on loan…now thats a good signing. I said earlier when we were linked with Simpson that we should have gone for a loan deal for either Manucho or Wellbeck.
I don’t agree with how Fortune is being mugged off by a number of fans, give the lad a chance he might come strong like so many of ,Mowbs unknown signing.
Keep the faith guys!
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I think Cech on the left is an excellent option. Brunt has just not cut it. Surely this also provides much needed cover for Robbo who has been exposed far to often this season. Would also agree with dropping Valero and putting Koren back in the centre although I thought Koren played well on the left against the Villa. Think however that Koren, Greening and Valero are Mowbrays sacred cows and will always find a way of fitting them in the side.
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Morning Bomber, I can’t put into non abusive language what I think of Kaka potentially moving to Man City, never mind being paid up to £500k a week.
Why would anyone want to go to Man City apart from pure, unadulterated greed?!
It brings the entire game of football into even more disrepute than when Abramovich bought his Subbuteo team in West London!!
Teams that have little or no history before they were bought by the wealthy backers they have now, are now rife in the top 2 tiers of English football.
Fulham, Wigan, Hull, Middlesbrough and Reading spring to mind straight away.
How many top trophies have these teams EVER won between them?
One I think, and that was Boro’s league cup win of 2004 when Steve Gibson bankrolled them into the position to be able to do this.
In my opinion, it just seems wrong that teams like the Albion try to live within their means and without the assistance of a ‘sugar daddy’ and we get left behind for doing things properly!!
People slate JP, but he’s doing what he thinks is best for our club without putting us in financially unstable waters….in fact it seems that I can get across what I want to say about it without swearing.
Anyway, I’ve had to give my ticket away for the match tomorrow, so I’ll be on a Motorway when we’re taking on Boro.
We can beat them, we are better than them, we just need to prove it again tomorrow. Keep the good run at home going and continue to believe we’re going to get out of this ‘little pickle’.
I like the look of Fortune, I can see him doing the same type of job that Sidibe does at Stoke…all the hard work for little reward in the form of goals……I just hope he’s better at it than Mickey Evans was!!
2 – 0 Albion. Aye, Boing Boing Fortune!
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as i stated yesterday I do hope Fortune bags a goal or two tomorrow and silences the pre-empted boo boys.
as for the salaryc ap i have never agreed with it as I believe that the player has sacrificed their entire life to football to be where they are however there has to be a sensible limit so here is me jumping on the band wagon of salary capping players. no player is worth that money, I would die a happy and very successful man if I was to be paid £5,000 a week, let alone £500,000.
At this point I’m guessing ‘laughingwolf’ is chuckling to himself already because of the millions he supposedly rakes in every moment.
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and by the way i’m still putting money on Fortune or Simpson to score tomorrow.
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Koren was not played in the centre of midfield from where I was watching. Mowbray played a midfield from right to left of Texiera, Greening, Kim and Koren. I do agree that Koren’s best position is in the centre, however I believe Kim is also quality and I’d far rather have him in the team that Koren.
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I didnt have enough text left to also mention what a loss Bednar will be tomorrow. He looks to be the one player that can make a partnership up front. Although i chose Moore and Simpson it was purely down to thats all we have (international clearance for Fortune??).
I dont rate Beattie, and my preferred strike partnership without seeing Fortune play would be Simpson and Bednar.
Also is there any news on Zuiverloon???
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Fortune…. Give the guy a chance…… All I have to say in a similar vain is Sir Cyrille Regis… were did he come from? This guy could be the next Big Cyrille, then again he could be the next Paul Williams….. Got to give him a chance & have the faith…..Big Tone knows what he is doing….
TIP … Back Fortune to net 1st Goal tomorrow & a 3 v 1 winning scoreline !!!
BOING BOING…..
As for £100m for KAKA !!! There is only one man worth that on this planet today… & that’s they pilot of the plane ditched into the Hudson River, NY. There are hundreds of families thankful that this man knew what he was doing…….
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Terry – I am going to Hull mate, yeah.
I’m going up on the Friday night n we’re staying at my mates’ house.
I would have driven up any way cos I’m not a fan of the coaches, free or not.
Cech would be a good call on the left, but I think he’s had a major fall out with TM and will never play for us again to be honest.
Koren would stay in CM for me too, as it’s by far his best position….10 goals from there last season and he breaks play up well. Drop Valero to the bench n start Tex or Dorrans on the left tomorrow.
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wbabomber – you usually talk sense, but when you suggest Donk at right back instead of Hoefkens if Zuiverloon is not fit, makes it hard for me to take you seriously.
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Someone very wise mentioned on here yesterday that Baseball/American Football/Basketball/Formula 1 stars already rake in the kind of money that’s being talked about for Kaka – so in reality football is playing “catch-up”.
Good luck to them, I think.
It was the same at Chelski 5 years or so ago, and Blackburn before that.
It won’t last and the cream will rise to the top.
You CAN buy success – you CAN’T buy longevity.
I, for one, would love it if Oleg Delipasta (or whatever his name was/is) bought into The Baggies and gave us £50m, £100m, £500m to blow on players!
Magnificent!
We’d have a chance of breaking into the top half then!
Until that day, we’ll have to content ourselves with competing against the REAL football teams (of which there aren’t many in the Prem) and finishing as high as we can in our own little league!
Good luck City – best team in the Championship 09-10
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Soory to disappoint the ones that put belief in Fortuné but I’ve seen him in action at Utrecht, an average club in the Dutch Eredivisie that by far is NOT comparable with the Premiership, I’m telling you this guy is not a proven goalscorer. His stats speak for themselves. Sure he’ll score a few, but so would Bednar if he gets a run. I would not place my money on Fortuné as a goalscorer, maybe a decoy for Simpson at best.
I hope that I’m proven wrong at the end of the season
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Personally I’d drop Greening rather than Valero. At least he looks for a forward pass
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mboy
I seem to remember you saying that last week re Hoefkens, (did you see his performance at Villa??). Enough said!!!
Are you Hoefkens mom??
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I agree with your team selection, I’d rather give Donk a run out than the Hoff, no disrespect to Hoefkens but he’s not a Premier League player. My prediction is 2-0 Albion with Simpson scoring both goals.
With regards to the Kaka saga, why on earth would he want to move to Manchester City?? Yes they have an unlimited amount of money and Robinho, that’s it! If Kaka is the honest and sensible man he’s portrayed as then surely he’s sensible enough to stay with the Rossoneri, he already has enough money in the bank to last him god knows how many lifetimes, I’m sure when he reads the reports City are trying to sign Craig Bellamy that will be enough for him to realise the grass isn’t always greener!
As to the reports a £100 million transfer fee and £500,000 wages per week, that is just sickening, it’s ruining the game with over valued transfer fee’s and wages, what chances of winning anything have average clubs got in the PL? No chance!
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Ned you swore right at the end!
Chris Brunt comes in for some stick and much is warranted but I sympathise with him as his strength is crossing and none of our strikers has been capable of eithe rgetting into position or converting any of them.
The new signings look a little more ambitious and mobile so lets keep our fingers crossed.
I am proud of our club trying to compete with a load of spoiled billionaires. However I dont think anything will change as they now own the game and the fans are insignificant to their egos.
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12 – Mboy. I think it’s purely because Bomber doesn’t rate Hoefkens and would rather see Simeon Hodgson make his return in the stripes than the Hoff. I disagree with him on it, which makes a change, but I would say that if the Hoff plays, we need to get someone on the right who will track back and help him out against Downing.
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Burfmeister i thought u said makukala was a done deal and hed passed his medical on tuesday?
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I`d put Fortune straight into the starting
line up,and can`t see Marek Cech ever playing
for Albion again.
4-3-2-1
Carson/
Hoefkens/Barnett/Olsson/Robinson/
Simpson/Koren/Greening/
Teixeira/Valero/
Fortune.
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20.
The medical was passed in Portugal….. As you will also remember, there was mention of an unusual clause… It turned out to be a bit more of a problem than we thought…. I put it down to “lost in translation…..”
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Tex to start is a must & I’m sure will happen. Like most people I would love to see Cech in the starting line up as well but there has clearly been a big falling out (even before the recent press stories)so I expect him to be on his way if someone puts in a decent offer, even if it is on loan. If Fortune has clearance, I think he will start on Saturday but the Bednar/Simpson partnership looks like being first choice when both are available with Moore and Fortune as the backup.
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18 – Doghouse.Was it the mention of Mickey Evans that offended you?! :-)
Fortune’s international clearnace has come through by the way, so is available for tomorrow.
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wbabomber – I was at the game last week as well.
In my opinion, Hoefkens wasn’t that bad;for the first goal nobody closed down Barry so he got a cross in unopposed and for the second goal, the WHOLE defense went AWOL (Barnett even ran AWAY from the danger!!!). At least Hoefkens is a right back.
Are you Donk’s sister? I thought we had seen the last of him, but I suppose it’s alright to play him in Cup matches to save the real players.
(p.s.sorry to get involved in childish jibes, but I couldn’t help retaliating)
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Fortune may not be the best striker in the world
but Iam confident Mowbray can turn him into
something special just like he has done with
Ishmael Miller,he might not be a natural goal
scorer but if he`s anything like Kanu then I`ll
be happy.
CARSON/
ZUIVERLOON/BARNETT/OLSSON/ROBINSON/
TEIXEIRA/VALERO/GREENING/KOREN/
FORTUNE/SIMPSON.
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While we are debating our full back problems(both sides of the pitch)and I am NOT necessarily suggesting they are the solution!!! Does anyone know the state of play with Hodgkiss and Martis? Are their loans full season? Are they playing regularly? I saw them both “do a job” last season
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Bolton have taken “Make a cola” on loan till end of season.
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Happened to be watching ITV4 yesterday afternoon, the “Big Match” from January 14th 1979, oh happy days, the baggies top of the league one point clear of Liverpool with a game in hand. Going all misty eyed at the thought of it.
Still, back to reality and tomorrow. Cech should be first choice, Robo is too slow, I really don’t blame Cech for wanting to leave he’s a much better footballer than Robbo, and it’s a footballer we need when United and Arsenal come to town. Energy and commitment is just not enough.
I have to agree with other bloggers that Donk at RB would be better than the Hof, and Koren in the centre with Greening one side and Dorrans the other in the absence of Morrison.
Three up front, Valero, Tex, and Simpson.
Come on TM we have to attack teams, that’s what we did in the cup, and last year.
I remember Reading’s first season, attack, attack, attack.
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26 – Hodgkiss is on a full season loan to Aberdeen, and in my opinion, that isn’t far enough away!! He’s awful and if we could get £10k for him we’ll have robbed whoever ends up buying him.
Last I heard about Martis, was that he’d gone on loan for the month to Doncaster(?) but that was probably in November, so I couldn’t honestly answer that.
I’ve heard Cech was seen at Birmingham Airport today…….I don’t know how anyone would recognise him though, as no-one’s seen enough of him in the team to know what he looks like!!
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Sorry baggiepaul, you’ve now moved to #27
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Mark my words fellow Baggies…… Makakula is a big big liability !!!!! You will see what I mean in the weeks to come !!!! Few attitude probs & a big big “luggage” issue………
What’s peoples thoughts of putting “Mad Dog” in left side of midfield???? need a bit of a Mr Nasty in there I feel………
BOING BOING -
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Agree with baggiecm,forget your differences TM give him his chance on sat.he is too good to lose,
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has anybody seen this striker from st etienne on you tube called gomis? he would be great for the baggies,but we would have to pay cash for him though, no loan deals, he’s got it all, fast,a good left n right foot,outside n inside the box,and he can head the ball, the fans would love him down the hawthorns, send a note to T.M.
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carson- can kick, catch, save and make errors
Hoefkins- worse posioning than robbo, not prem.
zuiverloon- undescided
robbo- cant mark, no sense of positioning, not prem
barnett- some errors but steady back up
olson- alongside morrison as best player
meite- 2 games in 3 weeks out …..
brunt- couldnt beat an egg
morrsion- only player to take someone on and look at threat
koren-out of position, hasnt got skill to play wide.
greening- sideways sideways sideways
valero- see greening
kim-to lightweight
dorrens- should be used more looks to have potential and can take people on
cech- 2 great games and then dropped?????
miller- looks to be finding his feet until injury
bednar- 6 goals and plenty of effort
simpson- looks to be a threat. 1 from 2 so far
moore- 1 goal in a year
tex- needed badly, has x factor
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alright Bomber ?
Like the look of your team.
There has been much debate over the Cech or Robbo at left back position.
In my view Cech is a talented player, but also in my view, against Posh he abandonned virtually all defensive duties, and with due respect to Posh, had we played a better team, we would have been far more exposed down his flank, he may have been playing under instruction, but i suspect not, hence the re introduction of Robbo, but your team gives us the best of both with what is available.
See you in the cricket club.
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My starting 11:
Carson
Hoefkens/Olsson/Barnett/Robinson
Texeiera/Greening/Koren/Cech
Simpson/Fortune
Bring Valero on for Tex later in the game, Swap Fortune
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Just to add my thoughts to the Hoff’s inclusion…. Have you seen his wife Vanessa? When he plays she sits close to me – gorgeous. For me, please pick him…. for the team – lets hope Zuiverloon is fit ;-)
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I’m still angry about Cech. Also that Hull got Manucho. Agree 100% with your team as long as Dorrans comes on but TM hasn’t got the guts to pick Cech—great shame. As to the Kaka debate I agree but wouldn’t it be luverley if they go down this year—what a laugh! See Spurs are splashing the cash as well so lets hope they go down as well.
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I will never understand how a manager can ‘fall out’ with a player.
Any player belongs to the club and by signing a contract, agrees to play for that club as and when the manager sees fit. It seems unprofessional for the manager to leave a clearly talented player out of the team just because he doesn’t like his attitude or some comments he makes to the media.
The club comes first for the chairman and fans.
If the manager has a problem with a player, he should talk to him. Fine him an appropriate amount and forget about it and then use him for the good of the team, club and fans.
It is immature for manager OR player to sulk or give less than their best.
To both TM and MC, GROW UP AND GET ON WITH YOUR CONTRACTED JOB AND USE YOUR SUPPOSED TALENTS FOR US – THE FANS!!!
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I wish Tony Mowbray wouldn`t give the fans a
load of old crap!
“MAREK CECH HAS PICKED UP A HAMSTRING INJURY
AND WON`T BE IN THE TEAM FOR FA CUP REPLAY”
What he should of said is,
“MAREK CECH KEEPS BEING LATE FOR TRAINING SO
HE WILL NEVER PLAY FOR ALBION AGAIN”.
Carson,Zuiverloon,Donk,Olsson,Robinson,
Simpson,Greening,Koren,Teixeira,Moore,Fortune.
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41 – No Valero in your team?
I thought you loved him and wanted TM to drop Greening?!
Why the change of heart?
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jarrod,£500,000 a week its immoral,be nice to see them go down,and they might,aye boing boing loads a money
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15,throstle,i agree with you mate drop greening everytime he gets the ball he stops and goes the other way,aye boing boing fortune
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11,ned i always go on the coach cuz i like a drink when i get there,thing is at hull coaches drop you off at the ground and local pubs dont let away fans in :-(,you have to walk miles so i shall have a few in the ground,aye oing boing donk
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45 – Okay bud, I’ll be coming in from the town centre, so I’ll prob be having a few pints somewhere there, then I’ll try to get over to the ground for about 2pm to come find you out somewhere in there. I won’t have any Italians’ or babes with me this time though, just two pastie faced buggers from Dudley!!
I’ll just shout Terry and look out for George Clooney sipping on John Smiths until I find you.
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Can i ask what happened to Radoslaw Majewski, I for one would love to see this young lad at the Hawthorns, he tore the England under 21′s apart and we were strongly linked to him in the summer perhaps it’s time to make another bid.
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Is anybody going to the vine for a tot b4 the game tomorrow?
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GIVE THE NEW GUYS A CHANCE,….i realy think this could be the chance to get us up out of the bottom and have a decent run.mowbray has a nack of unearthing tallent ,tex,bednar koren zooverloon to name a few,lets get behind em and we will get out of this religation scrap if we can off load a few players sutch as greening ,robinson,hofekins and check even moore
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Nedball
Ive never wanted Greening out the team as Ive
always rated him.
Valero is still a class player but just needs
resting,I know he looks about 44 but remember
he`s only 24 and still learning the prem,
he was excellent against Man Utd and Iam sure
his form will come back,if he`s selected
tomorrow then lets hope he shows his class.
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Nedball
The only player who I dont rate is Chris Brunt,
Hoefkens,Barnett,Robinson,Kim,Koren,Beattie
all put effort in but Brunt is just Fat&lazy,
I`d give him back to Sheff Wed for nothing!
THE BEST ALBION 11 IS:
Carson/
Zuiverloon/Meite/Olsson/Cech/
Simpson/Morrison/Greening/Teixeira/
Bednar/Fortune.
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51.YOUS WAS SAYING ABOUT BRUNTY
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