Albion winger a target for Rangers

Tuesday 14th April 2009, 11:31AM BST.

SOCCER West Brom 2Albion winger Chris Brunt has emerged as a summer target for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers.

The Gers have reportedly added the Northern Ireland international to their summer shopping list, as manager Walter Smith targets extra width for his side.

Brunt, who hails from a Rangers-supporting family in Belfast, has been in solid form in the second half of the Premier League season and his performances have caught the eye of the Old Firm giants.

Baggies manager Tony Mowbray will be keen to keep the 24-year-old, who he signed for £3million from Sheffield Wednesday 20 months ago.

But he admitted he might need to cash in on one of his more valuable players to fund summer rebuilding.

Reports in Glasgow also suggest Celtic are plotting a fresh summer swoop for Albion misfit Marek Cech.

Gordon Strachan targeted the Slovakia international in January, but Mowbray insisted on keeping him as cover for Paul Robinson.

But now the increasingly unhappy Cech looks certain to move on in the summer.

The £1.4million summer signing from Porto has struggled to settle on or off the field since moving from Portugal.


  1. 1
    wbabomber

    Cech on the limited appearances he has made has looked a good player and it is a shame he has not been given more of a chance, and any player worth his salt wants to play week in week out.
    Brunt has had some good games this season mixed in with some very poor ones, however he has definatley improved as the season has gone on. Mowbray may be tempted to part with him if the money is right but Rangers havent spent big money for a number of seasons and im sure Peace would want at least 4-5 million for player who cost us 3million. Also Mowbray may see players like Dorrans, Texeira, and Kim playing bigger roles next season.

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  2. 2
    Santa

    Mowbray hasn’t given Marek Cech a chance to settle in! bl88dy disgrace the way this man has been treated,as for Brunt if he indicated he would talk to Rangers then yes let him go,don’t want to keep unsettled players no matter how good (or bad).

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  3. 3
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    2 Santa.
    I honestly don’t think Cech has been left out for football reasons. I doubt if we’ll ever know the real reason for sure, dirty washing in public isn’t TM’s way of doing things, so we will have to rely on ‘rumour control.’ I would ask you a question though. If a player doesn’t put in 100% on the pitch, would you want him in the team? If a player doesn’t give his all in turning up on time for training, would you want him in the team? Let’s stick with players that as a minimum want to give sweat for the club and hopefully a few that want to sweat blood for the club.
    I’ll always remember Gary Megson saying that fans often see the player sliding in for a challenge and give him a cheer. The same fans don’t always notice the player that makes a lung busting run to support an attack and when the attack breaks down will bust a gut to get back and cover the defence. Sometimes we don’t watch things through a managers eyes, it’s a hobby for us, it’s the sack for him.

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  4. 4
    Nedball

    3 – Bully, I don’t think I’ve ever read one of your posts that doesn’t make sense or makes me laugh.

    Cech and TM obviously have a dispute, and I think we’ll get at least the 1.5million we paid for him.

    Brunt – he’s a mystery to me after almost 2 seasons of watching him in the team. Can be excellent, then absolutely awful in the blink of an eye.

    Has however provided me with 3 of my favourite Albion moments.

    1 – Free kick to seal the win against QPR and the title
    2 – All important equaliser against Southampton to practically take us up
    3 – The song to do with Chris Brunt playing up front and having a name that sounds like a word rhyming with the name’ Danny’. 1st time I heard that was just magical!!

    Again, in conclusin, sell Cech and I’m still not sure about Brunt….all depends on how much they’d offer.

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  5. 5
    sam wwfc

    Hmmm seems like a few of the rats have started to look at jumping ship… and I am not taking the michael just think back – a rat called Henri Camara jumps to mind….

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  6. 6
    Santa

    Fair comment,but will they tell us the reasons why they have to go when they have gone?.If we never know whats happening behind the scenes will we ever understand.Surely we are entitled to know the real reasons.If Cechs a badun’then lets know about it,then i’ll be the first to say get rid(if the price is right).

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  7. 7
    Baggie Ben

    I’ll drive him there!

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  8. 8
    Baggiebob

    Cech is still an ‘unknown’ and without regular 1st team outings he was always going to struggle against England.

    There are no ‘must stay’ players at Albion; there are half a dozen I would be sorry to see go – Tex, Koren, Morrison, Olsen, Dorrans and Brunt – the rest I’d lose no sleep over.

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  9. 9
    Distant Wolf

    Sincerely sorry that you lads are going down and we are going up. Perhaps season 2010/11 we can meet again, preferably in the Premiership.

    Whatever I have said about the Albion, you are always the second result I look for and whilst I smile when you lose, in my heart, you are from the West Midlands and you deserve top-flight football: it won’t be the same for another year and I do miss those games against you.

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  10. 10
    Nedball

    9 – Why is it that I am not shocked that ‘Distant Baggie’ has finally revealed his true identity and he’s a Dingle???

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  11. 11
    Jeff

    I did say on a previous post, that if the manager starts talking about moving on around 10 players, especially at this important time for us, then certain players may have their heads turned and not play as well as they could for the last 6 games.
    Who would not want to play for Rangers or Celtic and with all the speculation, maybe build their hopes up??
    Also, I am pretty sure Gordon Strachan would not want to buy a badun and would get the best out of Cech.
    My main concern is for The Albion and the fans.
    I just hope we do not let players go, who it later turns out become brilliant players for other teams/managers.
    THAT HURTS!! Read Steve Bull. Trewick and a few others I can’t think of at the moment.

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  12. 12
    Cyril Randle

    According to a BIG Scottish newspaper, Rangers were prepared to offer all of £1 million for Brunty. This player has come on a bundle lately, he’s still only a kid, he’s an International and therefore will carry on at a high level meeting the best. Keep him at all costs. Cech may be the best left back on the planet, but if he’s a pain in the bum, move him on, (for money of course). Simpson thinks he’s too good for us, but he’s nowhere near ready for the Arsenal team and may never be. I would suggest Moore has a huge amount of talent
    from the tiny, few times he’s shown any interest, but will have the shock of his life when no one bothers to buy him. Oh to be blessed with such talent! If only the Big Man up in the Sky had given it to me. There’d be another Cyrille for you to rave over AND you’d save £2 on the shirt because it’s TWO letters fewer.

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  13. 13
    Malvern Wolf

    Sam, you shouldn’t compare Camara with a rat, that is most unfair to rats.

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  14. 14
    TERRY EASTER BAGGIE

    9,why do ya miss um, we alwiz whip ya,aye boing boing gera

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  15. 15
    sid

    changing the subject, how come chelsea play The Liquidato…. and we cant

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  16. 16
    Albion Fan 16

    Distant Wolf we won’t we’ll be back in the Prem WHERE WE BELONG! and you’ll be languishing in the CCC where YOU belong :P

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  17. 17
    MorleyWolf

    Get use to it lads…
    Rats leaving the sinking ship i see….
    You’d be better off getting your kids in the team for next year cause them lads will play for the shirt and not just the money…
    Youth is the way..Not that it will help us in the Prem..
    Can we have the trophy back now..hope it is clean

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  18. 18
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    6 Santa.
    I know exactly what you mean but part of the reason players respect Mowbray is because he keeps problems in house even if it means he takes the stick for it. I’ve said before when TM was flavour of the month that I have great respect for him and I’ve seen nothing to change that view.

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  19. 19
    had enough

    its a shame about cech,its a total disgrace,it just tells me that mowbray is not interested in class, only muppets,look at the games he has played in for porto,and he cant get in this team?,i cant understand mowbrays thinking, also how many games has dorrans played in where we lost? next season lets hope that the manager is sure of his choice of player he intends to bring in,and if things dont go our way, he should not be so stubborn and have a plan B

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  20. 20
    had enough

    by the way keep brunt,he has scored some vital goals, big goals

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  21. 21
    Albion Till I Die

    9. Fair play mate, and hopefully we will play you in the top flight 10/11 but we will have to see, Championship as you no and we no its not the easiest league to get out of, lets just hope we dont take 2years let alone 5.

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  22. 22
    Dorset Baggies

    All. I keep leaving messages but seems that know one is listening.
    Mowbray must go!, Pearce Must go!

    We must be the only team that keeps managers and Chairman when we are relegated AGAIN!

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  23. 23
    The Real Bully Hoo.

    10 Ned.
    Thst was my first thought, until I realised that Distant Baggie would never post anything this positive about us.

    19 Had enough.
    To misquote The Waterboys. ‘You saw the crescent, I saw the whole of the moon.’ What you don’t explain about Cech is that if he is all that you crack him up to be, why did Porto get rid of him? Why didn’t a bigger club than us take him on? Why aren’t any Prem clubs queueing up to take him off our hands? Do you really believe that Mowbray isn’t interested in class?

    22 Dorset Baggie.
    We are not the only team that keeps managers. Charlton kept Curbishley and he brought them back up, then they got rid of him and they are now heading for Div 1, or had you missed that one? Our own club kept Gary Megson and he brought us back up, or had you missed that as well?
    As for your idea about getting rid of the Chairman. I have explained the problem with this to numerous dimwits previously and to be honest can’t be bothered going through it again.

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  24. 24
    Happy_baggie

    Anybody fancy swapping Brunt for Boyd ????

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  25. 25
    Nedball

    24 – Happy, I’d have a bit of that yeah. Then again, I’d be happy with Ferguson or McGregor too if they’re never gonna play for Rangers again after their indiscretions whilst on international duty.

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  26. 26
    Jeff

    To the PEACE OUT brigade.
    NO ONE OUT THERE WANTS TO BUY THE CLUB!!
    Get It???

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  27. 27
    Stratford Baggie

    I think if Celtic buy Cech they will get a player (if given the chance)that will show us the quality we have missed this season in the left back position.

    As for Luke Moore…just like his performances, can’t say I am bothered!

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  28. 28
    had enough

    23 so you are saying that you did’nt see any class in his last appearance then? maybe you are related to T.M.? how did you manage to see the whole of the moon,but you cant see that cech is better than robinson? strange that. i think maybe he has a lot more medals than robinson ( a winner ) and he played for porto for a good few seasons, ALL players move on dont they? should have gone to specsavers

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  29. 29
    had enough

    by the way other teams did want him, but he came to us, nuf said

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