Albion and Blues in race for Grant
Thursday 22nd April 2010, 12:00PM BST.
Albion and Birmingham are keeping tabs on Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Lee Grant as they weigh up potential summer transfer bids.
The Baggies and Blues are among a host of Premier League sides monitoring the highly-rated shot-stopper, who looks certain to leave Hillsborough at the end of the season.
Albion scouts have watched Grant several times since the former Derby No 1 made a string of smart saves against them at the Hawthorns in March.
Blues have also shown a fresh interest in a player they first enquired about last summer, before completing Joe Hart’s successful loan move from Manchester City.
But the West Midlands rivals could face stiff competition from across the country should they choose to firm up their interest in the summer.
A group of clubs headed by moneybags Manchester City have been monitoring the 27-year-old, who has re-established his credentials with Wednesday after falling out of favour towards the end of his seven years at Derby.
Bolton and Burnley, managed by Grant’s former Hillsborough boss Brian Laws, have also been keeping close watch on his situation.
His solid form during the last two seasons for the Owls has enhanced his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers outside the Premier League and made him the club’s most saleable asset.
Grant now looks certain to move on at the end of the season, even if Alan Irvine’s men win their battle to avoid relegation to League One.
Albion are in the market for a new keeper this summer, after Dean Kiely accepted the official role of goalkeeping coach at the Hawthorns.
That moves means that the 39-year-old, who has provided back-up this season for first-choice Scott Carson, will remain registered as a player but will focus mainly on coaching duties.
Grant’s age and cost – valued at around £1million – would suit the Baggies but the presence of Carson as established No 1 and Hawthorns captain could deter Grant, who is keen to play regular football.
And Blues boss Alex McLeish could be forced to revamp his entire goalkeeping department in the summer, if Hart does not return for a second season.
The Scot is believed to have enquired strongly about Grant a year ago and maintained a watching brief since.
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Would either Carson or Grant want to be No.2 ?
Hardly likely. I would think we would be more sensible going for a lower division good un.
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We need cover in case Carson gets injured at the world cup,aye boing boing
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I’ve seen Kasper Schmicel ?? about 4 times this year a very good keeper would be worth a punt
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I don´t think `Kasper´ would be so `friendly´ being a `ghost´ in the reserves though.
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2. Frank Carson has got more chance and he’s irish and in his eighties.
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This is certainly more realistic, David James said he would prefer to play in the Championship with a club quickly going bankrupt than play for Albion, this is how difficult attracting quality will be. Grant cannot be worse than Carson? Carson had potential but will never play for England again and hopefully not in Albions first team!
If he is not just a shot stopper get him in.
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(post 5)
Murray isn’t mint. It’s been so long has he retired yet. He’s costing wolves a bomb. Whats happened to that wonder boy hennessey!. There’s another keeper whatsisname,where’s he gone.
(post 6)
Wolves should sign ” Big Jesse” James, he’s a good shot stopper, when he uses that big net to catch the ball in.
Come on wolves stay up. Don’t let us down now as we are dying to whip you again, goals galore are the watch words. We will use the “Ali boxing”
tactic! you won’t know where they are comming from.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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6 BB-the point about attracting players.As it stands,because Albion are a family club in the West Midlands,self-centred players with massive egos are not interested,we are not seen to be cool enough.But if a foreign billionaire took over offering massive salaries,they would fall over themselves to sign up,saying what a great club we are.Got no time for ‘em.Give me an honest hard working player that’s proud to wear the shirt anyday,not glory hunting prima donnas.
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No.6. “Grant cannot be worse than Carson” is not a question, it’s a statement (totally wrong in this case), so no need for a question mark. If you want to play 007 and let’s pretend, get teacher to show you the difference.
No.5. Frank Carson doesn’t trot out the same worn-out nonsense at every appearance either.
I can’t see any established, high class goalkeeper playing second fiddle, so there are two options in my view. Buy a good kid on the way up. Buy an old un as backup who hasn’t got backache.
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6 morning shadrag,we dont need a goalie when we play yow lot,aye boing boing
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what do baggie suporters think about the lack of coverage of W.M radio this season if i were J.P i wouldnt let them in the ground next season
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7. Unfortunately for Albion, you are not playing a bunch of kids anymore who were put together very quickly, the same bunch of kids that finished on the same points total as you that season. You will now be playing a Premiership side who have gone unbeaten against Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke, Fulham, Burnley, Hull and the done the double over Spurs. Albion have not got the quality of Phillips, Gera, Kamara, Koumas, Robinson, Davies, Mc Shane etc now your squad is very weak compared to the above. We look forward to six points and towards the inevitable – Your relegation.
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Don’t we already have a promising young keeper in Luke Daniels currently on loan ? . As for North Bank Wolf our squad is much stronger than the previous time we were promoted. Jara and Dorrans have emerged since then and are as good as any of the previous Albion players you mention and we have many good players to go with them. It’s great that the banter has started before we have kicked a ball in anger in the Premier League and it shows that Wolves fans are preparing themselves for more humiliation next season. With Burnley, Hull and Pompey out of the league next year to be replaced by us ,Newcastle and probably Forest the Premier League will be much stronger and Mick’s team may have to venture over the half way line to accumulate enough points to stay up.
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12,and who got hammered by,wigan,west ham,sunderlsnd,blackburn,pompey,brum,man city,not to mention swindon n palace in the cup,aye boing boing
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who rattled north bank wolfs dog kennel… typical dingle thinking they cut and dry premiership material. our team is still class and our midfield better than yours you take doyle out of that squad and what happens??????? have you beat man-u? arsenal? chelsea? dint think so but if you believe beating stoke fulham burnley and hull make you the galacticos of england than you have just proved to baggies fans what we always thought dingles are dumb
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12. WHATEVER MATE!!!!! We will still be too strong for you! BOING BOING!!!
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14. Hammered by Swindon, our reserves beat them. We lost 2-0 to Westham and beat them 3-1 in their back yard, we lost to pompey 1-0 (who have a far better squad than albion) but lets look at our recent results 1 defeat in 7, a 5th minute of injury time 1-0 loss to arsenal at the emirates.
Joe Mattock, Reuben Reid, Tamas, Zuiverloon, Carson, Olsson, Brunt, the wolves trialist, Giles Derby reject Barnes, Bednar, Cox, Moore, we are shaking in our boots boys!
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12 and 17 ha ha ha you lot make me laugh… when those players played for albion you lot where saying phillips was an oap crock robinson was a hoofer etc………no all of a sudden they where quality .. give it up boys you have me believe that all Wolves Poster’s are idiots like yourselves.
17 yes you lost 1 – 0 at arsenal 5 mins into injury time … you got the same ammount of points as if they had scored in the first 10 seconds .but please keep posting it cheers me up
Regards
The REAL Baggie Boy
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(11)
Barry,
You’re on the wrong station mate. Try “BEACON
Goal Zone” with Tony (bomber) Brown and Tom Ross.
(12)
We’ve heard about pads in training to practice your clogging game. You are having some beautiful dreams, wait till you wake up. Also we have more experience than wolves in the Premiership as the’ve only had two seasons in there. So long “Muggins” because you say “we” knowing you’re
a dingle.
(17)
Oh, you mean when you put your first team out against West Hams kids in a reserve match so your
stupendous strikers could score a goal or two?.
One defeat in seven, Don’t you mean one goal in eight games at home?. We also lost one nil to Arsenal, but we didn’t have to kick them to death.
You know an awful lot about ALBION don’t you. Mind
you it’s your only way to study football.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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