Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Albion in hunt to sign up Fox
Thursday 9th July 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Albion have lodged an interest in bringing highly-rated Coventry defender Daniel Fox to The Hawthorns.
The Baggies, who made Swindon striker Simon Cox their first signing of the summer late yesterday in a £1.5m deal, are eyeing Fox as a possible replacement for Paul Robinson.
But new head coach Roberto Di Matteo would face competition from a host of Championship rivals – and potentially former Hawthorns manager Tony Mowbray – if he chooses to pursue the 23-year-old former Walsall full-back.
Di Matteo today confirmed Albion have received a bid for Robinson, who has expressed his desire to leave.
“There has been an offer for him but we’re not in a position that we have to sell and hopefully we’re going to keep hold of all our players,” he said.
And the Italian confirmed Jonathan Greening has been offered a new contract.
“He has been offered a new deal and hopefully he will sign it,” he added.
Celtic, now led by Mowbray, and Albion have registered their interest in ex-Everton trainee Fox along with Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Reading. The Sky Blues value their one-cap England under-21s international at around the £3m mark so any prospect of a Baggies bid could depend on sales in the transfer market.
But Di Matteo looks likely to need a left-back this summer with Robinson keen to move. And Fox would seem to fit the bill having emerged as one of the leading full-backs outside the Premier League.
The 6ft tall Fox used the Saddlers as a springboard to relaunch his career and has made 63 appearances for the Sky Blues since moving across the West Midlands.
Bolton have made three unsuccessful bids so far for Robinson and manager Gary Megson has now gone public with his interest.
Cox, 22, agreed a two-year deal with a two-year option in the club’s favour. Swindon could get a further £400,000 with add-ons.
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Mulumbu has agreed a permanent 2 year deal with a further 12 month option in the club’s favour this AM.
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With regards to Robinson…take the money and run. Give Cech a chance and hopefully stiffen up the defence with him and others.
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Mulumbu has signed 2 year deal
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Di Matteo himself this morning has said this is totally untrue :s
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A striker who scores lots of goals in a poor team usually is a good buy. Dean Windass was popping loads in when he was at the bottom of the Third Division. Let’s hope Cox does as well. No one has mentioned height, weight, etc., so is he as shorty of Phillips’s size? Is there a chance of Fox to Cox in the Box while the Hawthorns Rocks?
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5 – 5ft 11, and apparantly decent in the air.
Supposed to be a real goal getter, a finisher of chances and makes a few for himself too.
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Albion, you’d be mad not to go get Fox. As a Saddlers fan, he’d be one of your best signings. Never rushed, always loads of time on the ball, fantastic pace, a hard tackler and a fierce shot from deadball or on the move.
Walsall could also do with the money as I’m sure there’s a sell-on clause.
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Does anyone know why we are holding out & haggling over Robbo?? Why don’t we just let him go & put the money to buying someone who wishes to play for the club, surely he can’t be a good influence on the other players + everyone treading on his bottom lip all day!! I see Fulham have made an offer for Jonno, are we a feeder club for them?? I can remember the days when they were Third Division material & if you left WBA for them you were on your way out!! Will the transfer deals be put on hold while the teams away or is it business as usual…it seems all questions at the minute, does anyone have any answers??
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8)RDM being quoted as not wanting to sell him on Tribal Football site??????????????
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7,if hes that good whys he playing for coventry,as for walsall needing the money im afraid as a fan you wouldent see any of it,in your pocket or on the pitch.aye boing boing i miss jodie
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It gets stranger, RDM on not wanting Fox
“No, we’ve got Paul Robinson and Marek Cech in that position, we are very well covered.”
looks like determined to keep Robbo???
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8- Nottingham
I’m no wiser than you mate, but I’d say that if we adopted that policy of accepting the first offer, then we wouldn’t have got £5.3m for Koumas, £6m for Kamara, or £10m for Davies. JP generally gets a good deal and if we get £1m in the next 2 weeks for Robbo, I’d say it was worth dragging it out those 3/4 weeks since they offered 500k.
As for transfers whilst we’re away, I think a lot of that will be looked after by Dan Ashworth and Jeremy Peace, so I’d guess things would carry on as normal although from what JP’s said, I doubt we’d be spending big, perhaps some cover at full-back, hopefully a centre-back?
I think Fulham have benefited from being a swanky part of West London and being able to attract players who want a bit of cash and a champagne social life!! Lets get Jonno signed up for a long time, a fantastic servant to the club!!
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I personally would not be to worried if lost Greening, as i feel we have to many players in midfield who cant tackle.He is never a holding midfielder,which is a position I have seen him play many times,we need a holding midfielder and if we get one he wouldn’t get in my team as I rate Koran and Valero as better attacking midfield options.
I hear nothing but good things about Cox from lots of different people.
Is it true Mulumbu
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Saw the headline and wondered for a sec if RDM was trying to coax Ruel Fox out of retirement ;-)
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12. Warren
I agree with you, you never take the first offer & I’d back JP all the way. I think he always has the clubs interests at heart. I know he’s got got his critics but “you can’t please all of the people all of the time” RDM may have different ideas about Robbo & as previously mentioned he’s got that position covered. If he’s going to go I’d of thought it will be before the trip abroad.
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A pretty jealous wolves fan here.
First cox,
and now fox -
two very good young players.
(and a good young manager who likes true football)
We may have vokes who works his socks off,
but you have a future international star in cox in my opinion – and potentially better than phillips (probably not as much a fox in the box).
But if i was wearing blue and white i would be pretty excited if cox and miller are fit and fire (which i am sure they will) … up by late Jan in my book.
From what i have seen of him you have an absolute bargain with the lad cox.
And with fox you have that free kick defender, missing since the likes of clements.
So clements and phillips reborn eh baggies.
Thats us stuffed – as the old guys always seemed to come up trumps against us.
P.S.
I want us all in the prem.
Wolves 4th
Albion 5th
Villa 6th
Blues 7th
Walsall 8th
………..
Burton 9th
lol
(let a man dream !!!!!!)
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JJ-wolves. Now THAT’S what I call a REAL Wulfie! Nothing matches the excitement of a local derby match and that line up you have isn’t too far from 1954. Well, Burton only provided the beer in those days, but I’d love to see them set League Two alight. Walsall was always a larger place than my hometown of West Bromwich and their core of fans very loyal, yet they never seemed to have the backing of the Council. The rugby team and cricket team came first and second. Maybe battering Bonser should only be a game, because without him, they might have vanished and that would be a tragedy.
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Jodie is home tomorra aye boing boing yipppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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18 – Terry, I’m going on holiday for week tomorrow, so can you look after Shadrag for me please? (I think he’s in a mood with us because he’s stopped posting his tripe on here)
Muchas Gracias, Dos cuervasa por favor senor!
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will do ned,hes proberly gone to oz they let anybody in there these days,enjoy your hols mate when you get back season will be upon us,aye boing boing i love jodie xxxxx
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Tez, the week I get back we’ve got Shrewsbury and Walsall pre season matches to go to, the Saturday after is Nancy at the Shrine and the week after that is Newcastle in the 1st match of the season……..I can’t chuffin wait!
Anyone know if the Hawthorns pub is gonna be re-opened after the refurb for this season, or have I gotta find a new match day watering hole?
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ned,work already started on club,ive had it on good authority that everything going to plan and it will be open,aye boing boing beers brown get it down.
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22 – Cheers Tez, I’d have been gutted if I’d have walked all the way there, to walk all the way back, past the car to the Vine!!
Bagsy not driving for the late kick off against Newcastle!!
Aye boing boing, pint of fizzy apples please Senor!
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10 You know as much about football as you do about English Diction.Fox is a beautiful player with a lethal swerving free kick,much too good for a yo yo side like albion
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Bill Coventry, to be a yo-yo team you have to go UP as well as down.
When was the last time you did that?
Or more to the point whats the likelyhood of you lot going back up in the forseeable future?
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