Albion boss Di Matteo plans change
Saturday 24th April 2010, 11:12AM BST.
Roberto Di Matteo today revealed his vision for Albion’s Premier League survival and urged his promotion-winning side to embrace a summer of change.
The Hawthorns head coach unveiled his blueprint for summer signings and again underlined the need for seasoned players from Europe’s leading leagues.
And the Italian braced his side for a significant shake-up despite the success of this season’s Championship runners-up.
“I am very excited about next year,” said the 39-year-old. “I think change is vital in life. Change is always challenging. You don’t really like it at first but you become accustomed to it and it’s good.”
Di Matteo is still waiting for a post-promotion planning meeting with chairman Jeremy Peace but he already has a firm idea about the kind of players he wants to add to his current squad.
And, having already called for extra top-flight experience, he today outlined his plans in greater detail.
He said: “I have very clear ideas on what I want to do. Firstly I would like to build something with the core group of players we’ve got and were here this year.
“And then I believe we will have to add some players who have proven track records, whether it’s in the Premier League or in one of the three or four top leagues in Europe and have played there consistently over the last three, four or five years.”
UK Sport
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ALBION have the nucleus of a good squad, as Roberto has stated a few experienced Premiership players and it will be no problem surviving.
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Notice,the one guy NOT talking about ‘survival’ is RDM.He may be quiet,he may not be emotional,but having spent years mixing with the elite as a player,he knows what he wants,and that is to build a quality squad that will make an impact in the top flight.His first season has been with players that were left by Mowbray,but if JP allows him to pick his own men,as permanent signings,I’ve got a feeling we might just give the premiership a real shock this time around.
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I feel we are in better shape this time than ever before, a young and improving squad, an intelligent and very competent manager with a winning mentality and last but far from least, a sound financial structure thanks to Jeremy Peace.
Previous seasons have really been mere preparation for this one!
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Fust time ive seen a pitch invasion cuz the c/f as scored aye boing boing
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gutted that the wolves have just got more points in the premier than us thats 35 points
over 34 they are shadowing us as they always do bigger club i guess
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4 Sir Tel-I wonder if somebody had to explain to the dingles what had just happened before they got excited,it’s been so long since they’ve found the net they had to get the rule book out to know what was going on.
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There’s two extreme postions: playing attractive football and getting relegated or playing boring football, parking a bus in front of goal and having enough points to stay up. I can’t see RDM wanting either option.
Our away record this season demonstrates a change from the Megson-Mowbray days and I feel too little has been said about RDM style of play. First rule of success: be hard to beat, second ensure you can score goals from a range of positions.
We all know the two weak areas in the team, so let’s hope those are the priority areas addressed.
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My post (1) should have read: ALBION have the neucleus of a good squad. Roberto has stated we need a few Premiership players. I beleive we will
have no problem surviving next season.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING ~~~~JtH.
P.S. Sorry for getting my Nongue in a tot.
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5 – hello shadrag !!!!
The reson I have an underscore as part of my web name is because you thick dingles can’t find it on the keyboard and therefore always give yourselves away – thicko !!!
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Where’s my post gone! I’ll try again.
(5)
We know you’re not the real happy baggie. You can guess all you want, ALBION have been in the big league more seasons than the dingles. Be like me,
I use my own aka when I visit the dark side. O.K.
SNEAKY.
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
P.S. My original was posted early this morning.
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9. Happy_
Don’t use big words like underscore – he’ll have no idea what your talking about! Then again given wolves goals for column maybe he will!
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AFTER THE BRILLIANT PROMOTION AND THE JOB ROBBIE HAS DONE , I HOPE THE CHAIRMAN AND THE BOARD GIVE HIM THE RESOURCES HE NEEDS TO ACHIEVE PREMIERSHIP STABILITY
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(11)
Like your aka, doesn’t matter how hard W-ton push,
they’ll never be BLACK-COUNTRY. FARMERS they be. From Stafford they aarrr (h)ay. Cow-pat COUNTRY
bumkins, Oh AAArrr. We are the BLACK-COUNTRY-BOYS,
~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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im off to palace later,come on lads lets turn it on ram there hawthorns celebrations down there throats,pity warnock aint still there,we will be in wetherspoons by palace ground for pre match refreshments,aye boing boing
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Best thing about promotion…….the proper derby with the Vile !!!
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one of the wolves fans on there site is asking um to wear fancy dress for last game,i wonder where they got that from,and also asking wot they shud wear,i did give them an idea but its not bin shown,aye boing boing
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5 Shadrag.
Two things you overlook in gloating that you have accumulated more PL points than us.
1. As we embark on what will be our fifth PL season to your third. We have achieved this with no handouts from Sugar Daddies. You’ve had the help of two or three if you count the Bhatti Brothers. We’ve also never been in recievership.
2. You’ve amassed your magnificent points total by scoring 11 ELEVEN goals at home and 18 away. I’m not knocking Mick, it’s a great achievement keeping you up. The thing is does he twist or stick. Are you looking forward to another season of dour attritional football or does Mick try playing an attacking midfield player in his five man midfield? As a fan of little West Brom I’m looking forward to playing the big established PL clubs like Wolves, are you looking forward to playing us?
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TRBH – never mind an attacking midfielder – an attacking forward would be nice for ‘em.
All this fuss over Doyle – the kid has scored 7 goals in all competitions this year…. thats less than Brunt scored in the prem last season – but he still stands out as their best player – LMAO !!!
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Be nice if E&S actually posted this.
I like it that Westbrom fans have a sense of humour, you have to I suppose. From the wooden spoon winners of last seasons Premier League and the runners-up in the worst ever championship you cannot blame us for not taking your comments seriously.
18. Kevin Doyle is better than ANY PLAYER you have in your squad. To play alone upfront at this level is extremely difficult. Maybe Roman Bednar who discraced your club will find out exactly how difficult next season, we look forward to helping you towards the inevitable relegation you will suffer.
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We’ve got to start getting players on board asap.
What about that boy Halford from that great team that plays down the road. He’s got a decent throw on him. Nearly as dangerous as Rory Delap’s so will give us attacking options.
They’ve got a young Belgian kid – Bia i think his name is who is the next Pele. He hasn’t seemed to have impressed the Dingle coach though – but I’ve heard from a mate in Belgium he’s the next best thing since sliced bread. Fast and tricky. He’s only on loan so let’s grab him.
There’s also a fantastic left back/mid-fielder/winger/striker call Ward. He may cost us a few million but he’s four players in one! Doesn’t that make economic sense? Lets break the bank and get him before Man U does.
Boing! Boing!
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We’ve got to start getting players on board asap.
What about that boy Halford from that great team that plays down the road. He’s got a decent throw on him. Nearly as dangerous as Rory Delap’s so will give us attacking options.
They’ve got a young Belgian kid – Bia i think his name is who is the next Pele. He hasn’t seemed to have impressed the Dingle coach though – but I’ve heard from a mate in Belgium he’s the next best thing since sliced bread. Fast and tricky. He’s only on loan so let’s grab him.
There’s also a fantastic left back/mid-fielder/winger/striker call Ward. He may cost us a few million but he’s four players in one! Doesn’t that make economic sense? Lets break the bank and get him before Man U does.
Boing! Boing!
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19 – don’t worry about the E&S printing anti albion stuff – I’m sure they will give it a go this once !!!
And well done to kevin doyle for playing on his own – brave little soldier…. but I’m sure the others can join in if they want.
Still – with your fantastic record against us and all the great players you signed in your superb prem season I bet you are looking forward to meeting us next season….. MUG !!
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19. Magic. Bitter and twisted soul you are. Can’t understand how this has been the worst ever Championship. Perhaps because Wolves were not in it? To escape upwards from the championship marathon gets more difficult each year. The pressure on relegated teams to do so is also great due to the financial state clubs get into. Middlesborough are a classic example of that.
You’ve stayed up – you’ve done well. Celebrate that and be happy.
And I look forward to our derbies next season at the top table of World Club football but you seem to have nothing nice to say about us or our achievements this season.
Cheer up before you realise what second season syndrome is. Perhaps it has already set in.
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Wolves stayed up only because Portsmouth, Hull and Burnley capitulated. We won’t do that, we have the ability, structure and opportunity to become an established Prem team, but I’d rather yoyo forever than have to watch the drivel that teams like Blackburn, Bolton, Stoke, and especially WOLVES serve up week after week.
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Yes, Doyle is an outstandig player – look what he’s surrounded by. You Dingles stayed up, well done, but don’t get carried away – the Blues finished higher than you..
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19-Charlie Nicholas was watching wolves on sky,saturday,and said after the game that they,and the match,were dire.Everyone was shocked that you actually managed to score a goal,and yet again what has saved you were the results from very,very poor clubs in the bottom three.Now that they’ve gone,you will no doubt fall through the trap door next season.At least with you there at present,Albion can get off the mark with our usual 6 points that we always seem to take from you.
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I have to say I think Doyle is a very good player for that lot down the road. He has played very well in a very poor team (just my honest opinion because I really could not give two you know whats about my team is better than your team childesh rubbish).
19.. I dont think doyle is better than every player in our squad , your lot would have killed for dorrans in your team infact thats just what doyle needs a quality attacking midfielder that can score goals. as for the jibes about the worst championship season 2nd place gets you promoted and as you know we have already won that league infact we showed you how to do it if I remember .. you can only beat whats infront of you ..now stop being bitter and twisted and enjoy the summer
Regards
The REAL Baggie Boy
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The worst championship ever? How? When it has took a huge amount of points to win the championship this year. Who was your competition last season really? A Reading side that are playing at a better standard this year yet have failed to make the play-offs and Blues who underachieved because they had a better squad than wolves had.
The only reason u went up is because we wasn’t in that league to humiliate u and fair play u took advantage. But only by copying and emulating our style of play after years of championship mediocarity had failed to do so. Burnley did the same and now it is proven that teams can get out of the championship by playing football.
Congratulations on this year and look forward to the blackcountry derby! But but it is a much stronger argument that this years PREMIERSHIP has been the worst in years. Portsmouth have gifted an extra team the chance to avoid relagation and it looks like several teams including YOURSELF will finish and be safe with a points tally that in any other season would send them down! So I suggest u look at ur own season and judge the standard of it.
Im glad though because its another 6 points next season season for us though :)
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That was for 19 by the way
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You lot would give anything to be in our position, we have stayed up because we deserved to stay up and we deserved it on our own merit, not because other teams have let us win to stay up (Pompey) so you lot can say what you want but its all totally irrelevant to us as we just don’t care what you lot think, but rest assured you will be bottom again all next season as you just ain’t as good as us nor will you ever be.
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30 Wolves 1877.
Are you the fat ginger lad on the pictures from the Blackburn game? After reading your posts I was expecting someone much younger.
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30 – if you care so little for our comments, why are you on here (the albion pages) every day reading them ??
You are obviously so worried about having to face us again that you have to get your childish comments in now cos you know come the season you are gonna have to sit in silence whilst we dominate you again.
Every year when we are in the same league we have to hear the wolves pre-season boasts about what you’re gonna do to us – until we meet up and you end up looking (even more) foolish – so enjoy it now, cos we all know come the new season its gonna be more hurt, embarassment and disappointment for you.
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31. Real steptoe are you one of the steptoes that sits at the front in a wheelchair?
32. hoppysteptoe, I come on here cos it’s so easy to get you lot into the net. How can you say my comments are childish have you read your own lately?
Your arrogance and assumptions for the coming season are truly unbelievable, we are a far better team now than we were, you’re a far worse team now than you were, so I think it will be you steptoes that will be crying, embarrassed and a whole load of disappointment.
wba the Midlands SHAME.
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33 – you dare mention shame after your wheelchair comment ?
Pity the paper can’t publish your real name so fans on both sides could let you know how they feel.
You aint worth spit mate and I shall just ignore you.
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