Thomas urges West Brom to think big
Saturday 25th June 2011, 11:29AM BST.
Jerome Thomas is urging West Bromwich Albion to ‘think big’ as they plan for a follow-up campaign to their best ever Premier League season.
The Baggies are now a week away from gathering for their first pre-season training schedule under head coach Roy Hodgson with Hawthorns regulars hoping for an exciting follow-up to last season’s major advances.
And the winger, one of the string of individual successes in the team’s overall progress, believes the Baggies should continue to look up the table following their 11th-placed finish.
“I always aim high, I said that about the team, and it’s no different with my individual goals,” says Thomas.
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Thats story is that good i read it twice aye boing boing
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so you read the first bit four times lol.
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Agree Jerome, always aim higher. But my old Pa used to say, never hold your chin up, nobody ever found anything doing that. I believe he meant, don’t be snooty.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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THE ALBION ARE THINKING BIG,BUYING PLAYERS FROM IPSWITCH& PRESTON&TRANMERE SAY NO MORE TIPCIAL ALBION BOARD GET SOME PROVEN PLAYERS,LIKE GIVEN,GERA,AND GOOD STRIKER TO HELP GODDENWINGIE.SHIFNAL BAGGIE
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The club will only do what they can afford!!
so dreamers dream on would like Given can we afford his wages suprised he’s still at city.
Dan has done ok for us so far trust in him to
recruit players we need Roy will assess if
Miller,Wood and others can cut it in PL
looking forward to seeing if Tchoyi and Cox can star. Can anyone say whats happening with
Valero??
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C’mon Shifnal it’s not where they’ve come from it’s about their ability & what they can bring or add to the team.
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I like this story,positive individual.A good player as well.He doesnt go on about spending big money, be positive and believe in better.
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Totally agree Jerome. Unfortunately for some bizzare reason we seem to be getting mugged off in the transfer market at the moment. £2m for England International and former club captain and £1.75m for Tamas, Romainian international and core squad defender?
Both of these dealings are bad. I don’t mind selling these players on if we get a decent price but less than £4m for the two is a shambles. I’m sure this is weak reporting/optimistic toe dipping from other clubs, because I would be astonished if JP were to let this happen under his nose, even if the idea is to sell to strenghthen. I agree with Shifnal02. I’m sure DA has found a couple of gems from the Championship but how much they strnghten the squad remains to be seen. I have faith but I may start to worry if the above deals go through at that price. £3-4m for Carson and the same for Tamas seems fair.
Boing Boing
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Shifnal
It’s June, everybody’s on holiday!!! Sometimes I really do despair, though I still expect this to be the first of the ‘Where’s the new signings?’ posts we’ll have over the next few weeks. You mention Odemwingie, remember we got him in August.
As for Ipswich and Preston, would you have Meite and Zuiverloon back over the two we’ve brought in? Roy knows more than either of us, so lets back him, they’re his signings, not the board’s remember.
Who have we signed from Tranmere????
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But not TOO high, eh, Jerome? Otherwise, we’d have never taken a risk with an injury-prone, out of contract player like yourself. You have done very well with your second chance – unlike Giles Barnes, who was not prepared to push himself so much. Attitude, personal discipline and work-rate is as important today as it was 50 years ago and you can’t always buy that. Please take note Ishmael!
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I see over on the Carson thread that the knuckle draggers are out in force. I smell a distinct whiff of dingle, a small club with a small mentality if some posts are to go by.
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baggieinmanc
Don’t forget the money from their wages is freed to be put too better use attracting players of Roy’s choice,especially in the case of Tamas who if I’m not mistaken signed a improved contract.
Wigmore.
I thought I’d use one of each.
Adéu
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looking at the transfer pages over the w/e seems nobody wants to sign for our staffordshire neighbours,looks like they will have to look to league 1 and 2,aye boing boing
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Sir Terry
Last week Craig Gardner was going to be welcomed with open arms, today it appears that they no longer want him…..what happened ?
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14, the same as what happened to Matt Mills, they dont want to be in a relegation battle aye boing boing
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Answer to valero – sold for £5 million!
If we stay up then I will be happy as you need to be realistic about these things. Other teams have more money than ever before and are getting in good players before us. Look at Sunderland for example they are on the verge of signing 3 GOOD Man Utd players.
To finish 11th again will make me a very proud man indeed but I believe 14-15th is where it will be.
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Astle
You use the word realistic, and we as fans, need to embrace that outlook.
We are a work in progress, and i believe the percieved first 11 and most of the subs are good enough to once again compete and survive.
It`s when you look beyond, say 15 players, the rest of the 25 man squad are made up of championship quality, this is the area i believe the club has earmarked for improvment, and it`s not a quick fix.
Also i wonder if Schwarzer is a target, given his Fulham connection with Roy.
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astleistheking
I agree with a lot of what you say, but I don’t think teams have more money than they ever have. They might get a few more inflation-based pennies from Sky compared to last year, but in terms of expenditure I’d suggest teams are reining it in slightly as a general trend.
Sunderland may well spend £20m (Darren Bent money perhaps?), but nobody outside of the top 4 will spend £50m. The likes of Bolton and Fulham won’t break the bank as most of those we’re competing against are tens and hundreds of million pounds in debt.
Compare that with our campaign under Mowbray, when teams around us like Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Bolton had just spent around £40m on Owen, Alves and Elmander.
I think now may be the time for JP’s strategy of staying solvent to pay dividends, we’ll be closer to the others in terms of expenditure than ever.
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Phew, that was close. “Bodog Europe” is our new sponsor. We would never live it down if it had been named “DOGHEAD”.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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Jerome Thomas had his good and bad days last season, but overall, he justified the risk taken. On form, he is a spectacular match winner and if his shooting improved, he could even be a goalscorer. Keep ‘em on the floor JT
Jack, I get the last bit, but who are Bodog Europe? I see the Sheik of ManCity (used to be a song called ‘The Sheik of Araby), is going to give £40mill and an oil well to their next signing. Borders on the obscene to me. Nowt to do with football, like Abramovich to his new manager. Win all 4 trophies or out you go.
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Cyril
You must be the master of understatement…..bordering on the obscene ?
More like leapt headlong into the obscene.
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Fair comment on the money side of things Warren.
I’ve just learned of us going for Monaco defender Cedric Mongongu. Valued at £3.5 million which seems a sensible target.
I’d also be happy if we were to get Schwarzer but if he said NO to Arsenal then it’s down to Roy to work his magic.
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(20)
Cyril,
Bodog Europe is an “On line” betting company founded by Calvin Ayre. They are our leading Sponsor for the next two years. Hope that helps, mate.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH.
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8 baggieinmanc
£2m for an England international thats played for them what twice? Anyone with an English passport and a pair of gloves could get into the England squad at present. Carson isn’t good enough.
£1.75m for Tamas. The same error prone erratic Tamas who we paid £800k for. Proved not good enough for this level either. Good business I think.
Lets have a bit of faith in Roy and the rest of the staff.
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I know its too early to judge or get carried away but I think there are a few early concerns creeping in.
I think at times we can pull off genius signings and have a very productive transfer window but at times and in the past we have also proven to be very naive. I dont want to jump the gun here but early indications are not good.
Althought its only early days and my head tells me we will still do some good business before the new season. But it is starting to drag on a bit now and u have to sit up and take notice when our own players are saying things like:
“If you stand still, you go backwards in the Premier league”
Obviously they are starting to think the same thing and haveing the same worries. And I dont know for sure but I bet nearly every other Prem team has made some sort of signing that wasn’t a freebie.
I am getting a bit tired of checking for transfer news and just seeing rumours of players leaving rather than coming in. And the club in the past often disguise lack of activity with things like:
‘Well we are trying to keep this player’
or
‘We have just signed this current player to a new contract’ (As if its a new signing)
or in this case
A new sponsorship deal.
Im not moaning at all here but I hope we realize we need to improve our squad and cant just expect to keep the same players and finish 10th or 11th again. And especially not if were going to sell a few of them as it seems.
Out of the few bits of transfer news so far that have excited. I would like to see Gera back, Webo possibly and I think Ridgewell would be a good signing.
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Dano
We have never been a club that does our transfer dealings through the media.
I cannot imagine that the people concerned with bringing new players into the club are sitting around twiddling their collective thumbs.
We will know when something is concrete, be patient my friend.
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Media is linking us with a loan move for ryan bertrand who, along with smalling,jones, sturridge and walker, were the only good things from englands failed u21 campaign! I think it would be a great signing and would really put pressure on the inconsistent shorey! Also a 6 million move for daniel sturridge is being touted which, along side odemwingie, would look like a definate top 10 partnership!
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Scott
The inconsistent Shorey ?
I`m not sure you`ll get many supporters to that claim mate.
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25 Dano-
I said at the end of last season that we may need to be patient,mainly because of the way the system works.
At the present time,many people are still on holiday,so the serious business hasn’t really started yet.
You also have agents ‘advertising’ their players to various clubs,and the players in question will take their time in looking for the best deal.
I’m sure that there’s plenty of activity going on behind the scenes,and a lot of it’s abroad.
I saw somewhere recently that Albion have between 16 to 20 people in other countries checking on potential signings.
Don’t forget,last August we signed at least 3 key players-Peter O.,Tchoyi,and Scharner.
I know it’s frustrating,but I’m sure things will develop,just keep the faith.
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(25)
Dano,
In closed season players have a good holiday. So transfer dealing don’t start in earnest until July. Put your “Worry-stone” away and enjoy the banter.
BOING~~~~BOING~~~~JtH..
P.S. There are millions of players to choose from.
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