Who can be heroes next season?
Friday 23rd April 2010, 11:30AM BST.
I was lucky enough to have spent last night at the fans player of the year awards as a guest of the Express and Star, writes Baggies blogger Jarrod Hill.
It was great to meet some of the players past and present and to have a quick chat with Roberto Di Matteo.
The main topic of conversation amongst the fans was the future, and more specifically the near future and our summer plans.
RDM was playing his cards close to his chest but did mention he would be looking for quality during his summer recruitment of new players rather than quantity.
The discussion amongst some very intelligent Baggies fans was what positions should be the area of focus. Strangely enough everyone was in agreement, everyone mentioned a striker and everyone mentioned fullbacks.
The only aspect of disagreement was regarding which current players can make the step up and which ones will possibly struggle.
The fact is there are always players that surprise you every season; from the ones you think will have great seasons to the ones that you haven’t rated previously.
So what I have decided to do as a discussion point for today is to place our squad into three categories, ones I believe are a safe bet to be good enough for the Premier League, those that I am undecided on and those I think will struggle.
So here goes:
Players I believe are good enough are:
Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt, Youssouff Mulumbu, Jonas Olsson, Gabriel Tamas, Gonzalo Jara, Jerome Thomas, James Morrison, and Robert Koren.
The maybes include:
Marek Cech, Gianni Zuiverloon, Roman Bednar, Giles Barnes, Simon Cox, Ishmael Miller, and Scott Carson.
And the ones I think will struggle:
Joe Mattock, Abdoulaye Meite, Dean Kiely, Chris Wood, Luke Moore and Reuben Reid.
As you can see I have nine players I feel confident can make the step up and there are a number of players in the maybe category that are there due to fears over their fitness.
Giles Barnes is a prime example. He has undoubted quality and if we can keep him fit could be a big player for us next season.
I see him as a perfect continental style number 10 playing just behind a lone striker and we all hope he can put his past troubles behind him and eventually fulfil his potential.
Others that appear on the maybe list are players who have no or little experience of the top league, or players who had indifferent seasons the last time we were in the Premier League.
I also have no doubt there will be players in the struggling list that will prove me and others wrong by having a good season.
Chris Wood’s tender years is the only reason I think he could struggle as I hope he will be, and please pardon the pun, but a big player for us in the future.
So there you have it, that’s my honest opinion on our current squad. I have left out players who have been placed out on loan this season as I see their futures elsewhere, but who knows?
I am interested to hear your thoughts and who you would place on which list.
Lastly just a reminder of the pub crawl next Friday, all are welcome and we are going to be collecting for Help The Heroes as we go along. We will be meeting in The Vine Pub between 7pm and 8pm hope to see you there.
UK Sport
Latest Blog — A week is a long time in football
This time last week we were staring down the barrel, third from bottom with a worse record than at the same stage last year, writes Saddlers blogger Mark Jones.
Saddlers Blog
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
Hi guys, just re-read the blog, it was written in a bt of a rush this morning so i apologise for not only the typos but also the quality.
Like RDM i will be looking for better quality next season!!
Report abuse
good enough:
Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt, Youssouff Mulumbu, Jonas Olsson, Gonzalo Jara, Jerome Thomas, James Morrison, Marek Cech, Robert Koren, Roman Bednar, Ishmael Miller (if fit) and Scott Carson
maybes:
Gabriel Tamas (although the style may suit) Giles Barnes,
Not good enough.
Joe Mattock, Abdoulaye Meite, Dean Kiely, Chris Wood, Luke Moore, Reuben Reid, Simon Cox, Gianni Zuiverloon
Add 5 players to the top 2 sections, get the others off the wage bill and we’ll have a chance.
Report abuse
My only changes to your list would be to promote Carson into the gooe enough list as I really rate him and think he will get better and better and I think id keep Meite as cover and as he has PL experience.
We all agree that we need 2 new full backs and I hope we sign Reid as he gives us composure and vital experience at the back and he can play elsewhere. I can see Jara playing alongside Mulumbu and Dorrans in some games as I think we will look to be more tactically aware in certain games. A 4-2-3-1 would be my preference allowing 2 quick wide and Dorrans to get forward to support a lone striker.
Hopefully we can re-coup some money for Reid, Moore, Barnett and Teixeira as they all seem to be surplus.
My summer shopping list would be (from England)…plus the usual couple of foreign gems
Antti Niemi
Emile Heskey or James Beattie
Kevin Kilbane and Steven Reid
Gabriel Tamas and Tel Ben Haim
I’ve counted 7 players we’ve been linked with already and I expect another 150 or so til the season starts so let the good times roll!!
Report abuse
Apologies if this is duplicated having some technical issues today!
I’d agree with your lists with the exception that i’d move Carson into the good enough list and id keep Meite for cover and he has PL experience.
We all agree that we need a GK, 2 new fullbacks and a striker for next season. I think we wont be as tactically naive next season after our last PL season and I think Jara will play some games alongside Mulumbu and Dorrancs in a 4-2-3-1 set up allowing two quick widemen to get alongside the lone striker.
Hopefully we can re-coup monies with the sales of Reid, Moore, Barnett and Teix and can bring in more quality.
My shopping list would be (from England). plus the usual foreign gems.
Antti Niemi
Tel Ben Haim and Gabriel Tamas
Kevin Kilbane and Steven Reid
Emile Heskey or James Beattie
Ive counted 7 players that we have already been linked with and expect at least another 100 more. Let the good times roll !!
Report abuse
Hmmm, interesting. I am not sure about Thomas and even Jara seemed to be going off the boil before his injury. I would hope Marek Cech will be good in the Premiership – he was unlucky not to have played more under Mowbray. Otherwise, I agree, but worryingly none of our out and out strikers make the definite group and that’s what will make or break our latest Premiership adventure.
Report abuse
I also think that Carson would be good effort for the Prem. He proved for Villa when he was on loan there that he can perform at the highest level and with the displays he has produced in the last few weeks I think Carson will have a solid season in the Prem.
To be honest I dont think Miller is ready for the Prem just yet and I havent really been that impressed with this season.
We need to add experience and proven premiership players to good ourselves a realistic chance of staying up.
Report abuse
I have to disagree with the choice of Miller, as being good enough for the PL. No way he is too one dimensional, and flat footed.
The rest I agree with.
Report abuse
Hi mate, great night last night, for once i have to admit to being a bit lost for words when talking to the “stars” !!!!
Id also put scotty in the good enough, although i accept we need good cover that will raise scots game and give us decent cover should injuries prevail. I’m also confident that should Barnes get himself constantly fit he will feature greatly next year. Two years ago just before ish got injured we were just staring to see him become a real premiership handful, i@m not sure if he can replicate that, or more importantly if the system i think we will use will suit him. Someone mentioned Heskey and although he’s berated by the vile fans i think his experience at holding up and linking could offer us a good chance. However being ever optimistic i@d like to see a younger player with those qualities arrive, James Beattie isnt a bad call. I’d also like to see Reid signed up, but although he can cover RB, i feel his experience as a holding midfielder may just help the youth of Dorrans ans Mulumbu.
Once again great blog, i know how little time you have at the mo, and looking forward to next friday at the vine.
Report abuse
Another one not good enough is Leon Barnett. So Much so he hasn’t even made that list.
I agree with the sentiment that if we can lose the ones we don’t want from the wage bill this will bode well for next season.
BUT a message right now NOT TUNCAY from Stoke. If Pulis has a problem with his attitude and he comes here on more money than most of our first team he will not be a welcome influence. Beattie is the Stiker from Stoke we should be looking at. Am I the only one bothered that a hernia for Bednar may mean he loses some time in August, and perhaps even some speed?
We need to shore up true but we need to be able to field a goalscoring striker every week as well.
Report abuse
Can’t dissagree with the groupings too much but I think we’ll need to be more brutal this time round if we are to do anything more than scrape survival. I like players such as Cox and Wood but they,ve hardly had a kick lately, cox’s excellent goal aside. So if they don’t get picked in the CCC how are they going to get on in the Prem, when hopefully we have more experienced players coming in and we need the squad space. I like the 4-2-3-1 suggestion, particularly as we’ve looked vulnerable through the middle at times recently so need to be tighter. We need at least one CH, probably two. Meite’s not good enough, who knows if Tamas and Olsen will be and we need cover anyway. Should be an exciting Summer.
Report abuse
The areas where I think we need improving are as follows:
1) Centre Forward. We didn’t do this last time and paid the price, it will cost us but is well worth the investment especially if we are going to persevere with the 4-5-1 formation. Bednar and Miller are fine back ups but Miller’s first touch is simply not good enough for the Premiership.
2) Centre Half. Whilst I agree Tamas and Olsson are good enough, I would like to see us bring in additional quality and I’m talking about someone with pace. Again, won’t be cheap but needed.
3) Left Back. For a young kid, Mattock is slow and will get found out in the Premiership as he already has at times in the Championship. Cech has had a very good season but we still need improving here. I wonder if Danny Fox is an option with Burnley being relegated. We’ve looked at him before.
4) Right Back. This all depends on where you play Jara. He’s obviously good enough to play in the Premiership but if you use his excellent range in the middle of the park we need a quality right back.
If we can keep hold of our core and supplement it with the above 3 or 4 acquisitions, I really think we can finish mid table next year.
Report abuse
My list not too different from Bombers.
Players I believe are good enough are:
Graham Dorrans, Chris Brunt, Youssouf Mulumbu, Jonas Olsson, Gabriel Tamas, Jerome Thomas, James Morrison, and Robert Koren.
The maybes include:
Marek Cech, Roman Bednar, Giles Barnes, Simon Cox, Gonzalo Jara, and Scott Carson.
And the ones I think will struggle:
Joe Mattock, Abdoulaye Meite, Ishmael Miller, Dean Kiely, Chris Wood, Luke Moore, Gianni Zuiverloon, and Reuben Reid.
As for those coming in:
Emile Heskey, James Beattie and Tel Ben Haim? Hate to think what you keep in your fridge!
Kevin Kilbane was one of my heroes, but his legs have gone.
We need experience, (not the type Beattie has either), but they have to be alive and kicking…
Report abuse
Good enuff, carson,brunt, dorrans, olsson,morrison,cech,tamas,miller,koren,mulumbu,barnes,jara,
not good enuff, henersey,cradduck,ekeobie,blake,doyle,floey,
milage,keogh,jarvis,forgot the others aye boing boing
Report abuse
BaggieBob, I went for those players because they have been there and done it in the Premier League and are realistic targets for us and I dont think they are has beens just yet. For me, its key that we get some older heads in their alongside the youth we have there now. We need players that know how to grind out wins and and have a PL mentality.
Who would you suggest we look at? If we continue with the 1 up top, we need a striker who can hold the ball up and pop it off to those around him and who can also add 10-15 league goals. Not too many of those around who we know can do it and that we could realistically sign.
Report abuse
Sir Terry – absolute class.
Report abuse
When we went up with Jason Roberts in the team, he seemed a nailed on cert to do well, but struggled, however his experience that season became the basis of a long Prem career.
Most people have Giles Barnes as a “Maybe”. With a decent pre-season, and with better confidence developing if he stays uninjured, I believe he will become one of our best players in 10-11. Premier pace and skill.
Simon Cox was also finding his feet in the last few games and I think he will surprise a few people, his link up play with Bednar showed promise
l
Report abuse
My main concerns are:-
1. We have been leaking too many easy goals in the CCC and I don’t see how this can improve in the Prem with our current defenders. Need a proven and commanding central defender who can organise and boss the others around. Sol Campbell or equivalent.
Olsson is not good enough and with his temperament , a liability and Tamas needs time in the Prem to see if he can hack it but we can’t afford to wait.
Tamas maybe as a fullback?? No.
Two fullbacks.
2. The last time we went up we scored loads of goals in the CCC but struggled in the Prem.
Roman can do it but not on his own up front.
We need a proven goalscorer (Heskey isn’t).
Maybe kevin Phillips is past it now. but someone like him.
Where do we get the players we need for the immediate future??
Report abuse
Just to mention I think Valero played in his correct position behind the front 2 or 1 is easily good enough for the premier league.
Majorca are struggling to get the funds together to buy him, although that depends if they make champions league or not. So if your asking me good enough players Valero is definately one.
Report abuse
Too add also, If you only base Valero on one season under Mowbray in the Prem as a defensive midfielder alongside Greening then you are not seeing the real ability of this player. In our current formation he is easily as good as Koren who many of us think is a good prem player.
Report abuse
The only problem is if you look at some of are best signings from abroad (we have found some jems olsson, Koren, Jara) is with the pound so week now it will cost more to buy from abroad less to buy from the uk which usually means inflated, (like 5m for Tuncay what a joke!) fee’s anyway, that’s I think why this season we will spend even less than we usually do.
I never usually think this but for the first time I think are best bet it to buy older players (for not a lot of money) with experience and add them to are generally younger squad.
BOING BOING BAGGIES
Report abuse
Players I believe are good enough:
CARSON,JARA,TAMAS,OLSSON,CECH,MEITE,
MORRISON,MULUMBU,KOREN,BRUNT,DORRANS,VALERO,
THOMAS,BEDNAR,MILLER.
Players I believe might be good enough:
KIELY,ZUIVERLOON,TEIXIERA,BARNES,COX.
Players I believe are not good enough:
BARNETT,MATTOCK,R.REID,MOORE.
SOME TRANSFER TARGETS:
Habib Beye,Ben Foster(Loan),Antti Niemi,
Carlos Menseguez,Marc-Antoine Fortune,
David Nugent,James Vaughan.
Report abuse
All very serious stuff until I read Sir Terence’s comment and I roared with laughter.
Jimmy Carr, eat your heart out!
Report abuse
13 – Brilliant! :)
My list goes:
Good enough
Dorrans, Brunt, Koren, Jara, Olsson (if he calms down), Reid (if we keep him) Mulumbu, Morrison, Bednar, Miller
Maybe
Cech, Tamas, Zuiverloon, Carson, Thomas, Barnes, Cox, Kiely
The ones who might struggle
Mattock, R. Reid, Meite
But notice how the ones who are maybes or not good enough are defenders. This long standing problem needs to be sorted! Bednar and Miller if fit all season could get 5-10 goals each which for a promoted team is good but we need another proven striker as well.
Report abuse
P.S Whats happened to Teixera is he on loan to Barnsley??
if he returns he would be a maybe
Report abuse
One player who seems to be in everybodys maybe list but no ones good enough list is Simon Cox. Jarrod mentions in the blog about players that surprise you, well he would be mine. Hes a natural finisher, has a powerful shot and despite his lack of time on the pitch this season surely everyone can see how his control, strengh, and vision have improved greatly throughout the campaign. You cannot just cast aside a natural goalscorer so easily, once he has found his feet at prem level (assuming he plays) he will surprise a lot of people!
Report abuse
Lets see who you can attract to play in a team that will go straight back down. Your all deluded if you think you can attract Heskey or even Beattie. Good Luck! haha
Report abuse
RONALDO
You need to get out more mate, you know the sort of thing meet people and develop a personality , you might even get people to like you, there again !!!
Anyway back to serious matters, players out Carson, Zuiverloon, Meite, Moore, Tex , Barnett, Reid.
I think Cox could become a really good player.
Possible Targets : Wheater, St Ledger, Tuncay , Bullard and A GOOD GOALKEEPER !!!
Report abuse