Why the Net has the advantage in the ‘Undies world’
- Shopping blogger Emma Iannarilli
Di Matteo in pole position at Albion
Tuesday 30th June 2009, 10:31AM BST.
Roberto Di Matteo today emerged as a shock new favourite to become the next Albion manager.
The former Italian international and Chelsea star, fresh from an impressive first season in English football management, is all set to pip long-standing front-runner Alan Irvine at the finishing line.
Albion chairman Jeremy Peace and his directors expect to make their final decision on the man to succeed Tony Mowbray later today and I understand that Di Matteo will start those deliberations in pole position.
This brings one final and dramatic twist to an unexpected trail of events triggered by Mowbray’s walk-out earlier this month to take the Celtic vacancy.
Albion have whittled down their contenders, which also included former captain and now St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes, Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson, an out-of-work Paul Ince and Cardiff’s Dave Jones, to a two-way contest between Di Matteo and Irvine.
Albion received permission to speak to both men and have conducted their final interviews in the past couple of days. For more than a week, Irvine has been the man to beat, the 48-year-old Glasgow-born Preston manager having established a flourishing reputation in his first senior posting following his work alongside David Moyes at Everton.
A pleasing playing style has supplemented a successful fight against relegation in his first months at the club before Irvine took Preston back to promotion-challenging status last season – and all on a shoestring budget.
While Irvine was moving Preston up the Championship, Di Matteo was succeeding Ince at MK Dons but continuing that club’s remarkable rise from a standing start as English football’s first franchise club. His side became the second highest scorers in the country and just missed out on promotion in heart-breaking circumstances as they lost a play-off final penalty shoot-out with Scunthorpe.
At 39, he has considerably less experience than Irvine but has come up on the rails after making a big impact in his interview.
The supporters should not have long to wait now with a decision expected this evening.
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MAMMA MIA ,this one was slipped under the radar wun it…i was quite coming round to the idea of having irvine as new boss.oh well best start learning the lingo…looks like weston super mud instead of ibiza then tez mate..
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Its almost impossible to judge Di matteo as a manager – but if he is anything like his ex team mate Zola then he will be fine by me.
Flair players don’t always make flair managers, and dour players don’t always find decent defenders (guess who)…. so if it is Di matteo then I have to trust JP on this one.
At least he should attract some decent players to the club !!
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First irvine, now Di matteo – do the E&S actually have any idea?
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No news on official web site yet,but are the bookies still taking bets on RDM?
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Irvine has ruled him,self out of the job…..been revealed on PNE’s official site.
I don’t like the thought of Di Matteo at the Shrine for some reason, and I don’t honestly know why.
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i knew it would be him cuz my mate worcester told me heed stayed at the hilton hotel bromsgrove last night,aye boing boing plaza suit plz
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you said the same thing about dezza mciness before you mug. Why lie we all know youve got no friends!!
Boing Boing lonner
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Good move IMO
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I have read elsewhere Di Matteo impressed during his interview, as did Mowbray a few years back
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why not tried and tested managers like curbs and coppell etc..
Or do they know we will never compete in the transfer market due to Peace..
we area laughing stock…
PEACE OUT NOW!!!
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Irvine has ruled himself out. I hope that doesn’t mean Di Matteo. We need someone who in 12 months will have the knowledge to manage in the Prem (assuming we get up). The last thing we need is someone going into it green and full of ideals again and falling short claiming they have learnt by the experience and will do better next time.
I still say go for Curbishley, but I said that when we got Mowbray so what do I know!
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it all depends which club will accept half a crown compensation thats the only question for peace
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CELTIC,go do one back to bonny scotland,you cant talk to sir terry like that,,,MAMMA MIA WHATEVER NEXT…
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How the hell can anyone possibly want curbishley. Such a borin manager. Di matteo all the way.
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7 – Celtic, I think that Terry is pulling your leg mate, as he’s sadi it about everyone who’s been linked with the job.
I also think that he was joking when talking about seeing a blonde in knee high boots in West Brom town centre walking down the High St with a fag and a cheese and onion pasty………I mean, think about it, everyone knows that it’s gotta be a Cornish Pasty or a Steak Bake from Greggs really hasn’t it?!
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Who knows who’s be good and who won’t, but for some reason I like the idea of Di Matteo. Someone the players can identify with as a class player, good contacts in Italy, Chelsea, West Ham, would expect him to play with style. I’d be right behind this.
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Zola was green at west ham and he aint done 3 bad. Lets give the man a chance
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i cant see many players wanting to leave now,and with di matteos contacts we will attract some good players…WEEM GOING UP THE ITALIAN WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
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MEGSON MOWBRAY MATTEO THE THREE Ms J.P GOT IT RIGHT AGAIN
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i believe that Mr Peace shall bring in the right man at the right price, all being well it shall be revealed soon and im going to fully support the choice he has made ready for another crack at automatic promotion
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14..lol
thought we liked boring…MOWBRAY??
Can’t get more boring and two faced as him..
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some folk didn’t want copello as England manager.(you mugs!!)the baggies own capo di tuti capi in a quality suit. bring him in. italian sports cars, good food, chilled pinot grigio, maybe he,ll bring in del piero as player coach. we’ll turn our soap opera into the grand opera. please let it be matteo!! FORZA ALBION FORZA!!!!
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all you happy clappers are a joke..
You all say the same about each manager mentioned..
Peace must be laughing ever time he goes to the bank..
If he put lee hughes in charge you would still clap..
clap, clap, clap!!!
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What a suprise, but will trust JP on his choice,he was not wrong last time, only this time get him to make public the manager his loyalty, so we have it on record!!!! we baggies deserve that. Have seen MK dons, another 100+ goals season to look forward to.
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FROM ANOTHER SITE I TRUST QUITE A BIT
‘West Brom had sought to make Alan Irvine their Manager last week and everything seemed set to be finalised. However, no one had quite banked on the impact that Roberto Di Matteo would make at his interview.
Di Matteo quite simply blew the Baggies Board away and Alan Irvine was told late last night that he wouldn’t be offered the job.
Di Matteo should be in place for when the squad returns to training and his appointment should excite the players as well as the fans.’
Let’s see what happens this afternoon then shall we??
I hope the board have got this right, as he didn’t stand out to me from the list of potentials that have been linked with the job, but I’ll trust JP’s decision again.
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20 chris,,spot on mate,,whoever the new boss is,we all get behing him and the team..we support west bromwich albion football club..WEEM GOING UP THE ITALIAN WAY,,IN STYLE OF COURSE,,OOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
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the fact that under him MK Dons were the highest goal scorers in their division last season, coupled with a proven striker like Cox, things are looking bright!
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10/14 – are you gonna keep popping over from the doggie pages to post this rubbish every day ??
Is there a baggies fan who believes that you are genuine ??
Please take your childish little games back to the playground and leave the grown-ups to talk.
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Wanted Di Matteo from the start – A fantastic player who has played at the highest level then spent time getting his coaching qualifications properley not fast tracked and then did a great job with Milton Keynes last season, scoring the most goals and conceding the least !!.
Think all out current players will be happy to play for him and will respect him straight away, some of the other names touted for the job would have sparked a mass exodus. Also he should be able to attract quality signings.
Didnt think I would ever say this again but……Well done Mr Peace.
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Ultimately it will be down to JP`s gut feeling who is best suited to the task in hand.
We can all pontificate about whom would be the best replacement, we are not party to the interview process.
How do we know that Curbishley has or has not been interviewed, and indeed if he has, then how do we know he “floated” JP`s boat ?
The decision is JP`s and his alone, experienced manager or not, we have to back his judgement, and fully back whoever he chooses, and whoever he does choose, for his part it will be done in the clubs best interests………after all it was he that selected Tony Mowbray, who became a fans favourite……with the majority anyway.
Lastly number 10 the self proclaimed Albionsbestfan…….I have a question for you……..What is your Wolves pseudonym ?
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My post 28 was aimed at the muppet calling himself albionsbestfan so sorry to whoever got shifted to 14.
happy clappers is a dingle term they aim at each other (amongst many others) to show their contempt for each other – it has no place on the baggies pages.
I’ve never seen such a bunch of back biting, infighting halfwits as the type of dings who post this tosh – but at least it shows up the morons when they try to post it over here.
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With Peace being an accountant & Di Matteo having some sort of business degree, at least they can talk about things other than football
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All we need now is Peroni on sale in the Hawthorns bars !! HAPPYDAZE :-)
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To be honest i don’t care who we have because it’s all becoming a bit of a joke..
Fergy for me but fear the compo would be too much for our board..
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BBC report that Irvine has turned it down anyway
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steve..
you’re right, what’s happened with the fergy bid??
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35,,we chose di matteo over irvine,ROBERTO DI MATTEO IS IN THE BAGGIO…OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YES..
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ciò potrebbe essere un buon appuntamento per brom ad ovest ma mi domando se la squadra che a orario ridotto i colloqui suoneranno come questo è scritta or in englsh not a bad appointment lol
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i err always like de the futbol of the west bromwich albions. err they er like the mighty ahh juve. beautiful fans, wonderful chantings like the err bing bong, i wanta us to a play the err sexy, total futbol. any team that had the er ASTLE, REGIS, MARESCA, BORTOLAZZI and of courses de DE BOMBER DE BROWN is magnifico. watching out you how do say “dinglys” the mafiosi in de stripes is coming!!!!
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This guy might have some nice contacts, Zola (potential loans), Vialli (available), Gullit (available), Ranieri (managing Juve – some potential loans), Steve Clarke (Currently a coach at West Ham – might like an assistant job), Poyet (available), de Goey (available), Pierluigi Casiraghi (Italy U-21 manager). He must have done a bit of name dropping and announced a few plans if he has ‘blown JP away’.
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That’s way off the radar was that, I expected to see Irvine’s name but nevertheless Im sure Matteo will bring some style to the club especially in the post match reports ,Mowbray was too dull.
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40- More worringly, I’m pretty sure Dennis Wise is out of work!!
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39 – Jordao 1-0.
That was absolutely brilliant, I’ve just laughed harder than when I saw the new Wulfies strips!! Well done mate, and thank you!!
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38. I spent two years in the Army with Geordies and I couldn’t understand them then either!
19. Meggo was appointed by Paul Thompson, Meggo qualifying to be the first and only manager to sack the Chairman who appointed him. Jeremy couldn’t stand the bloke and moved him on.
Ned 25. As usual, the voice of reason.
One last comment. When I see Di Matteo holding a Baggies shirt for the media, then I shall let my chickens roost. Until then, Cavé ! (that’s Latin for ‘beware’). As Old English proverb say, ‘There’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip’.
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what a joke we are going backwards peace out to tight to run our great club no way are we going up
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nedball, to have a legend admire my work fills me with joy. seriously i think de matteo is an inspired choice. the guy oozes class. he was a fantastic player and an absolute gentleman off the park. i just hope we can keep hold of him. by the way i met jordao a few days after his volley to win the game down at the “spew” and i gave him a fiver to buy a drink. top man he was. FORZA… de stripy suita baggios
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