Jerome Thomas backing Graham Dorrans to cope

Saturday 26th June 2010, 11:30AM BST.

Jerome Thomas backing Graham Dorrans to cope

Jerome Thomas believes Albion fans will still have a special treat to look forward to if it all goes wrong for England tomorrow.

The 27-year-old Baggies midfielder believes team- mate Graham Dorrans will continue to wow The Haw-thorns public on the Premier League stage.

The young Scot’s ability to deliver his outstanding mix of craft and graft is a key feature for Albion’s prospects.

Dorrans will have to overcome the greater athleticism of the Premier League stars – but Thomas has no doubts he will.

“I think opponents will have plans for him but he is a good player and an intelligent player who can mix up his game,” he says.

“He is not the kind of player that another team can have a gameplan against because he is so versatile.

“I think he will be wanting to lay a marker early and continuing where he left off, which is scoring goals and creating goals, and the same goes for the rest of us.

“I think he was the best midfielder in the Championship last year and I think he is ready.

“He just needs to get a good pre-season under his belt and it’s good that we’ve got a long rest because he played a lot of games last year. It will be good for him to rest and recuperate and pick up where he left off.”

And Thomas urges Baggies fans to forget any future speculation about Dorrans being lured away despite the summer starting with a cheeky bid from West Ham for the player’s services.

He added: “I think he’s happy. He has had a good season but at the same time he now has to prove it in the Premier League.”


  1. 1
    sid

    i think hell stay for 1 season then do 1 into obscurity,and i bet its fulham!!! like the rest of them, however, the first four away games are all against the big four , what a welcome back.

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  2. 2
    AlbionTiLiDiE

    It won’t make any difference how super Graham Dorrans plays,if we don’t bring at least 2 premier league class strikers in.The way Jeremy Peace is dragging his heals again in the transfer market,we are doomed to relegation again.It is looking at the moment that once again we are not ever going to be able to push-on while J.P is at the helm.I hope he pulls his finger out and proves me wrong.But if he doesn’t,he must be removed from leading our club.

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  3. 3
    JACK the HAT.

    Graham had a tremendous season, he played so many games no wonder he was a little off colour towards the end. HE will no doubt enchase his name on the Premiersip like Bian Robson did.
    Jerome, YOU can also be the fast raider you are.
    Us BAGGIES have a lot of skilful football to look forward to from all our players.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  4. 4
    JACK the HAT.

    (1,2)
    Come on guys whats all the panic about. No club worth their salt has done any trading yet.

    Sorry, post (3) should have read: You can be in the Premiership the fast raider you were in the championship. See even I can slip up.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  5. 5
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    im just wondering if theres a wolves fan who can help me out,ive took my england flag down and i wondered if i could borrow one of your (youv let us down agen)banners to replace it with,i will make sure you get it back for start of season,thanks, aye boing boing

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  6. 6
    JACK the HAT.

    After watching Rooney over four games in the world cup I think DORRANS is worth more than him or Gerrard for that matter. I’m of that oppinion.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  7. 7
    Cyril Randle

    We saw some gung-ho defending at times under Mowbray, but England’s defending yesterday was a bad as a kick-about between a bunch of strangers on a pub crawl. The disallowed goal did change the whole game and only the 19th century attitude of Sepp Blatter prevents electronics solving this problem, but we were a rabble, a clapped out, rusty, failed-MOT-van racing a Mercedes. England needs a good shakeup from top to bottom, (and that’s only the Government). Our over-hyped, over-paid, over-sexed footballers have been brought to earth with a bang. Will anything change? Answers on a used stamp please!

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  8. 8
    astleistheking

    We should tell him a story about Jason Koumas and hopefully he will take note of it.

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  9. 9
    Bully Fan

    While your on the England subject lads and lasses, how about the incredible decision to bring on Heskey when we needed to score goals quickly?

    I’m afraid that if we believe that we will turn all this around for 2014 (or 2012 Euro’s)then there is a big shock coming imo.

    Never mind the over-rated Prem. If you ask me we should follow the example of some other International sides. WHATEVER league they play in, IF they look good enough have a closer look and give them a game or 2.
    Look at USA for example, Jay Demerit plays for Watford!

    I reckon players from a lower league would give EVERYTHING for the Badge. It’s either that or performance related pay, or maybe even oh I don’t know erm….play players who are on form in their BEST POSITIONS! I think everyone knows that centre mid is Gerrard’s best position, not left wing FFS!
    Also is it just me or does anyone else think that Glen Johnson CAN’T DEFEND! He looks good going forward but USELESS at what he’s really there for.
    We could have played Joe Cole on the left wing from the start, after all he’s played there before and has been quite comfortable and effective.

    Pundits say you don’t get far with kids, how old was one of Germany’s midfielders who made us look like amateurs….oh yes 20!!! England though don’t even take a BRILLIANT up and coming pure left winger in Adam Johnson! Yes he’s young but he’s quick AND clever. Hopefully he will be in the next World Cup side (If we qualify that is) or maybe even in the Euro’s.

    Things HAVE to change or we will ALWAYS refer to 1966 as the ONLY time England have won the World Cup for some time to come!

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  10. 10
    JACK the HAT.

    (8)
    The Problem you’ll have with that idea will be
    Koumas couldn’t drive a car or Sir Terrys )))))))
    “TRAKTER”.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  11. 11
    JACK the HAT.

    (9)
    Bully Fan,
    What I saw of Johnson, He had to forsake his own
    position to come across to his far post to cover for Terry ( Without the Sir ) who was caught too
    far upfield. Therefore leaving his man to score.
    Nobody came back to cover Johnson. They go on about players being tired, look at the work DORRANS did last season for ALBION, league and cups,also for Scotland. Now HE was worth calling tired.

    ~~~~BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.

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  12. 12
    Bully fan

    11 JTH.

    Yes, I agree with you about Johnson and Terry. Tbh the first goal would disappoint me majorly if it had been against Wolves, never mind the National side! I wonder how often a goalie has been able to claim an assist in a World Cup game? Not too many I bet.

    Hand on heart though, we got what we deserved after the performances we put in for the group stages and the Germany game.
    Let’s just hope that lessons can and will be learned this time eh?

    Something I am 100% sure of though. Goal-line technology is a MUST for the future of football. The worst I remember is a game a few seasons back (can’t remember if it was Prem but I think so). The ball was hit so hard it went straight into the advertising board directly behind the goal and flew back out into play again and it wasn’t given. No need to extend technology to penalties, free kicks etc., that’s ridiculous but actual goals scored must be reviewed if there is any uncertainty surely.

    It’s poor decisions like that which cost teams points, managers their jobs etc. and it really must change and SOON.

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  13. 13
    Cyril Randle

    9. Nice post BullyFan and JtH makes a good point too. ‘Tired players’ gets to me. It is the job of the coaching staff to keep players fresh and overall they do. Now if,and it’s a big if, they kept out of nightclubs and the 4am bedtime at weekends, maybe they’d not be stale at the end of the season. They showed bits of Stan Matthews on TV tonight. He played Div.1 until he was past 50 and coached until he was 70. He supposedly never had a drink of alcohol and never a fag either. Modern players won’t live like monks, OK, but we get so many stories of punch-ups at 4am in nightclubs and Internationals should have more sense. (I’ll refrain from mentioning their womanising with each others’ wives, girl friends, etc. which all helps with team spirit). Capello made some mistakes but it must be like controlling a housefull of frisky kittens!

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