Firepower is Albion priority
Monday 25th May 2009, 10:41AM BST.
Albion manager Tony Mowbray today targeted extra firepower as he began plotting a return to the Premier League.
But the Baggies boss believes Marc-Antoine Fortune could be the answer to the scoring problems in the Championship, despite his continued struggles in front of goal.
Mowbray was meeting each of his players today before they headed off for their summer break after ending the top-flight season with a goalless draw at Blackburn yesterday.
But the manager is already looking ahead to the next campaign with extra attacking spark at the top of his wanted list.
“We need some goals and some clean-sheets,” said Mowbray. “Good players win matches as long as they have a desire, passion and commitment to the job.
“We lost Kevin Philips and Zoltan Gera after our Championship-winning season and those goals weren’t replaced.”
Mowbray hopes to persuade Frenchman Fortune to turn his loan move from Nancy into a permanent switch.
And, despite seeing the striker miss more chances yesterday during another excellent all-round display, the boss believes he could become a regular scorer.
“Let’s wait and see if we keep Marc-Antoine Fortune, who I thought had a fantastic game apart from not scoring a goal,” said Mowbray. “If he goes into the Championship will he get more chances and score 25 goals? Let’s hope so.
“Juan Carlos Menseguez looks a quality player as well. I believe we’ll be the better side most weeks.”
Mowbray has warned that his squad could be stretched next season with chairman Jeremy Peace demanding a serious cut in the number of players at the club.
Peace wants the squad slashed from 31 senior professionals to 20.
But Mowbray, who was forced by a lengthy injury list to name 17-year-olds Chris Wood, Romaine Sawyers and Paul Downing on the bench yesterday, said: “We had three 17-year-olds on the bench and that’s with 31 players – let alone the 20 we’re going to have next season.”
Business Awards
Book a Business Awards table
Join our celebrations of the region's best in business on Thursday March 22 - book your table now
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
well at last Mowbray excepts what all the fans knew getting rid of philips and Zolton gera was the first big mistake, i watched Gera on MOTD a number of times and we never have replaced him on the right wing also its time to get rid of the crocked players who are mainly in defence , we missed clemants experice , but what the point in having him when he is out most of the season?
JP is being too unrealistic in a 20 man sqaud
Priority as to be new defenders. striker,hard midfield play or two, keeping Brunt is a must
let morrision go havent missed him.and valero too .
Report abuse
Tell you what you Braggies fans, talk as much as you like about your outfield players, but I watched the Gillingham/Scunthorpe play off yesterday and your on loan keeper played a blinder, the answer to your keeper problem is right under your nose.
Tell you this! if you dont agree, send him too Villa, he is one for the future.
The other loanee didnt get much time on the pitch, but he did OK.
Report abuse
Sorry guys…senior moment….He’s with Shrewsbury, Im losing it.
Report abuse
Are you sure dudleybaggie?? havent missed morrison?? where have you been?? he has been outstanding for us. He has more quality than any other midfielder in our squad. Thank god your not the manager!
Report abuse
sorry tm but its took a full season to sink in defenders with no guts or skill to defend even when the so called strikers actually scored first the opposition went and scored withen a few minutes to level then withen a few more minutes take the lead with ease
Report abuse
2,get on your own page from wherecame you horrible little seal,aye boing boing away with you
Report abuse
4 bb80.
Thank God he’s not the manager for another reason. At least we have a manager that’s honest and admits his mistakes. Dudley Baggie twists the facts to suit his always negative posts. We did not ‘get rid of Gera and Phillips,’ they both decided to go. I don’t know whether Gera would have stayed if we’d offered to match his double your money wages that Fulham offered, we’ll never know but this would have led to most others in the squad demanding increases and the resulting disharmony. I can’t be sure but I think if we’d gone down that road, I feel fairly confident that Dudley would have been on here complaining about the massive increase in ticket prices, presuming they affect him. Championship manager is so straightforward on the computer compared to real life.
Report abuse
Getting back to the subject of squad size. I think Jose Mourinho said he wanted a twenty man squad when he was at Chelsea. The problem at our club however is that we seem to have almost twenty players on the treatment table at any one time. To make this system work, we need someone that knows what they’re doing in the medical/fitness department. When Nick Worth was here we didn’t seem to suffer this catalogue of niggling injuries.
Report abuse
baggieboy80 spot on mate. whats all the rave about brunt? im sorry but the first 3/4 of the season hes been terrible. its only the last few games hes shone. Morrison is one of our best players and we need to keep him. our firepower is enough for the championship. we just need 3 good defenders to go with olsson.
Report abuse
2,your goalkeepers played a few blinders this season,played with his eyes shut,when you played anybody anygood,aye boing boing 2 wins in 6 months
Report abuse
Tez – were you wearing a pink bikini on Sunday?
Report abuse
Dannobaggs.
I’ve just seen your vile allegations on a thread that’s closed. Only joking but, tongue in cheek I hope, you suggest that I am either Jeremy Peace or a Wolves fan in disguise.
I was scathing about JP at the time of the Megson sacking and the Robson appointment but I think that he’s done very little wrong since. His main ‘crime’ is in not being rich enough to bankroll us. Another contributor on here, Warren, who is more financially knowledgeable than me has explained the club finances numerous times. There are a lot of people like yourself that continue to ignore the invitation to explain your financial plans for the club, other than to hide behind vague ‘where has the money gone’ jibes.
As for being a Wulfie in disguise. I’m a STH, I’ve supported the club since 1961 and on here I’m always supportive of the team, the players, the Manager and the chairman when I believe they’re being honest. More importantly I always am and always have been right behind the club, whatever league they’re playing in.
What I won’t do is kow tow to the ‘let’s change everything because we aren’t winning every game’ mob. Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit older than most of these people and I’ve seen what chopping and changes brings. I’d rather stop writing on here than not respond to people attacking the best Chairman we’ve had in the time I’ve been supporting the club (and I’ve seen a few.) The club is also being run more professionally than at any time since then as well.
Stoke and Hull have stayed up. Great, we did that for one season under Robson, it doesn’t mean they’re going to stay there. Sorry to get so serious but I do try to take a balanced view of things. Perhaps as I’m obviously so far out of touch with the ‘popular’ conception of the running of the club I might as well bow out.
Report abuse
11,yes ned when we finaly got there,only managed 2 quik pints due to the unfortunate acciedent on the motorway,aye boing boing rock a hula
Report abuse