Albion boost in Robert Green chase

Thursday 7th July 2011, 11:30AM BST.

Albion boost in Robert Green chase

Albion target Robert Green is set to leave West Ham this summer – Hammers boss Sam Allardyce has admitted.

Allardyce believes he could be powerless to stop Green and other top stars leaving Upton Park, as the club count the cost of relegation from the Premier League.

That admission will be welcome news for the Baggies, who have England international Green near the top of their summer transfer hit-list as they hunt Scott Carson’s replacement.

Boss Allardyce said: “When you fall out of the Premier League, even though you get your parachute payment, there is a loss of £45million in revenue that we have to address.

“I would imagine that one or two players have ambitions to continue to play in the Premier League and I’m not sure whether I can persuade them to stay with us. The lure of the Premier League is so great that might not be the case.

“I need to deal with that as quickly as possible in the next week or two, certainly when the international players are back at the end of this week, and ask them what their ambitions are.

“I have to address it as quickly as I can when I sit down with those players. I don’t think it’s inevitable and I haven’t spoken to the players yet, because I don’t think speaking on the phone or communicating by e-mail or text is the right way forward.

“I need to sit down with them face to face and we need to discuss away from their agents what their feelings are and what my ambitions are.

“If I can persuade them to stay, that would be fantastic.”

The Hammers group includes Green, midfield star Scott Parker and striker Carlton Cole.

Green is one of the preferred names on a list of goalkeepers on Albion’s radar. The shortlist also includes Newcastle’s Steve Harper and former Baggies man Tomasz Kuszczak, who is set to leave Manchester United this summer.

But there is no interest in former Sunderland goalkeeper Jurgen Macho, despite bizarre reports this morning quoting his international team-mate Paul Scharner.


  1. 1
    baggijono

    no better than carson. sorry. thanks but no thanks…

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  2. 2
    Derek - South Africa

    I would like us to go for Ben Foster. What happened to the Japanese keeper that we were linked with?

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  3. 3
    OffsideBaggie

    Dont want him myself, a sides ways step instead of a forward one me thinks..

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  4. 4
    JACK thé HAT

    Agree with (2) Derek, Ben Foster AND Eiji Kawashima.

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

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  5. 5
    CantelloRocket 78

    So Green has made embarrassing mistakes for his club and England,Kuszczak played like a clown for Man U. at the end of last season,and Harper isn’t wanted at Newcastle because he’s not good enough.

    And this supposed to be Albion’s short list of ‘keepers?

    Any chance of getting Scott to come back?

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  6. 6
    Warren

    Boost? Hmmm…not so sure. He’s never really convinced me, even going back to he was at Norwich. We played them away once when us and Norwich were going for promotion (Megson 03/04 maybe?) and Green was all over the place. Mistakes against Belarus and USA may give false impression but they do stick in mind.

    The lukewarm response implies he might become another Carson in the fans’ eyes when he makes that first mistake (because all keepers make them) and I was hoping I’d be able to retire from arguing with people about our keeper……

    Derek- SA

    I’ve read from a few local sources closer to home than the national press, that we were never after that Japanese keeper and the club were as bemused as anybody when the persistent rumours came out. Over-active agent perhaps?

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  7. 7
    Spenglar

    I dont get this saying Rob Green is the same standard as Carson is shocking Rob Green is TWICE the keeper carson is , as for the japanese guy he aint even first choice for Japan why would we want him he would be a great buy a strong reliable keeper for really benefit us

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  8. 8
    Romsley Baggie

    Sorry Lads but he is better than Carson, we seem fixated on Scott Carson and he is no longer at our club so thats like saying Green isn’t as good as Cech or Van Der Saar!

    Green made a mistake for England against USA, For West Ham and Norwich before them he has been a consistant Premier League player for 7 or 8 seasons now. Why wouldn’t we give this guy a chance? I think he has made mistakes like all goal keepers and has probably suffered from going a little stale and probably needs a new challenge i would welcome him to the Hawthorns with open arms and hope we get him. He’s certainly as good as Foster for half the money i should imagine.

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  9. 9
    BoingBoing666

    I’d be satisfied with Green but over the moon with Foster, I just don’t see it happening, there must be so many clubs with their eyes on him, clubs with a lot more moolah than us. As for thr SC situation I think he had done all he could at the club, he WILL improve and I believe he will be England No1 firmly one day but he couldn’t achieve that at WBA unfortunately, it sometimes takes change to bring out the best in people, this was a wise move although on the exterior it looks rash, I am a firm believer it was time for change.

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  10. 10
    Baggiebob

    I’m so use to the Albion being tight-lipped and doing business at the last minute, but this summer silly season has me baffled.

    Carson goes before an obvious replacement is found. Was Given really going to go from Man City to the Albion? If not Given, then who will be between the sticks? Baggijono says Green is no better than Carson which begs the question: what is the benchmark Albion is employing? The goings on with Vaughan and Gera haven’t been particularly impressive – I’d rather be like a child at Xmas, see what Santa has brought rather than stare daily at a wishlist.

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  11. 11
    Newbury Baggie

    Come on guys he was the 9th best goalkeeper in the Barclays Fantasy league last season so he cant be all that bad. Carson was 17th so surely Green would be an improvement……….If only football was played on paper eh?

    Boing Boing!

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  12. 12
    yewtree baggie

    wot are peoples problem wiv us being linked wiv rob green yes he makes mistakes but he is also better than scott carson as for kusczcak he is a good number 2 thats all.
    we need 2 back RH i think he no’s his stuff wiv the players he wants and how 2 go about it.

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  13. 13
    astleistheking

    As there are not many top standard keepers out there at the minute I think Rob Green is a realistic target. Like him or loathe him we won’t get much better!
    Having said that Ben Foster is a good shout provided we can out bid the Vile.

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  14. 14
    baggijono

    13, astle
    i hope you won’t find me too rude if i make a few minor alterations to your first paragraph, sir? it goes as follows:
    As there are not many top standard keepers out there at the minute i think it might have been a mistake to get rid of Carson. like him or loathe him we won’t get much better!
    like i say, only very minor alterations but i feel much better for having made them. cheers…

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  15. 15
    Gary H

    As a West Ham fan I’d be gutted to lose him. He is a High Standard premier league keeper, ok he has made a couple of errors but name two keepers that haven’t. He would make a great addition to any top side.
    Good luck to you boys and Roy(fantastic manager)- hopefully see you in 2012/13 in the premier league.

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  16. 16
    Wall Heath Baggie

    CR 78

    In answer to your last question , NO.

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  17. 17
    baggieinmanc

    Here we go again. We didn’t get rid of Carson he bolted at the chance of moving to Bursaspor and probably gave the club no choice than to sell him at a cut price. The reason because we got on his back. Now another England international (one with even more Prem and international experience) may be thinking about coming our way and the same old bile starts to churn out.

    After Foster, Green and Kawashima are the best options. Kusczcak has hardly played since leaving us and Man U want £4m. I would hope we are all willing to show Man Ure just where they can stick that valuation for thier third choice keeper. Foster and Kawashima aren’t to my or the media’s knowlege being disscussed by the club. Finally, as far as Harper is concerned, he doesn’t play first choice for Newcastle, he’s old, he’s slow and as an all round keeper, he definately would be a step down from Carson.

    That leaves Green as our realistic best option. If you boys Carson him before he even gets here, he will turn us down and we will end up with Harper or Daniels playing No1, because if I were a keeper you’d have to pay me well above the average going rate to play in front of a the boo boys unless I was cr*p and desperate.

    So boys, what do you want? Current England international or cr*p and desperate? Don’t make the old enemies mistake of beleiving we’re a bigger club than we actually are. Green is a good fit for our club.

    Boing Boing

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  18. 18
    SCOTTWBA

    As much as i would like us to sign Ben Foster I just cant see the blue nose’s letting him go for anything less than 8 million which I think is out of our reach. I dont think Carson is as good as Green imo but he is still young so I dont see why he cudnt be better than Green one day, It was just his time to leave us. Harper and Kuszczak I wouldnt be happy with so I think the most realistic target is Green!

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  19. 19
    LordsMyShepherd

    I’m getting pretty sick of everyone banging on about Carson now. IMO every name mentioned so far has been of a higher standard and would be a massive improvement on last season. I’m not saying Carson is terrible or that he cost us X amount of goals, all I’m saying is that having watched him home and away for the last 3 years I don’t rate him and we would be hard pressed to find a keeper who isn’t an improvement. At the end of the day RH and DA didn’t think Carson was up to it so they’ve flogged him before his contract runs out and I didn’t see any other Prem or even Championship clubs clamouring for his signature.

    Dean Kiely has said that they have been planning and talking to keepers for the last 6-7 weeks and I trust DA to get us a decent keeper to fill the void. And for the record I think that although Green can make the odd mistake, he is a much better shot stopper, more commanding, more vocal and much more consistent than Carson.

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  20. 20
    wbabomber

    Albion are currently working their way through a number of options regarding our incoming transfer targets. I hate it when other people say this but “i have been told by a reliable source”, that there are a number of other transfer targets that are being worked on that have not been made public knowledge.

    Obviously i asked for names but my source openly admitted he didnt know who, and i beleive him.

    What he did say though which was quite interesting was the labourious process that goes on in order to make a transfer happen.

    Initially the player comes to light via scouting reports.

    Then we make contact with the players club to find out his contract arrangements and salary.

    Then we may inquire as to whether the club would be open to transfer negotiations and what their expectations could be.

    All this information goes into our in house data base, and he told me that the data base is vast, containing lots of scouting information and financial info re contracts.

    When a player is targeted our a group of targets which is normally the case, we then speak to the players club to seek permission to speak to the player. Some clubs will insist on agreeing a transfer fee before hand others do not, but there is normally an idea of what that figure could be.

    Then finally we speak to the player or players agent or both. At this point salary expectations are discussed, but there are also various other more complicated things to be agreed. Things like, the structure of payments, image rights, get out clauses, insurance liability, special conditions ect ect.

    It was a very interesting conversation that made me appreciate the difficulty in transferring a player from one club to another.

    And when we are talking about such huge sums of money is it any wonder that transfers sometimes seem to be a drawn out process?

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  21. 21
    baggijono

    17, baggiemaniac
    ok, good points, especially on united’s third choice keeper. Green it is then! i’m just trying to fill the page really. if it’s good enough for the E&S it’s good enough for me!

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  22. 22
    Happy_baggie

    baggieinmanc 17 – ” If you boys Carson him before he even gets here….” love that expression mate.

    I think being “Carsoned” may just catch on…. next time my boss moans at me I can say “Stop carsoning me”…. love it !!!

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  23. 23
    CantelloRocket 78

    16 Max

    I’m now getting the hang of how to bring you back on here,it’s just a matter of saying Scott C…..

    Although I have to say,having looked at some of the above posts,it does make me smile.

    A few people are saying ‘Green has made some embarrassing mistakes,but we should give him a chance…….’.

    Hmmmmmmmmm…….sounds a good idea to me,if a ‘keeper messes up,let’s be sympathetic and not get on his back,right?

    That’s a VERY good idea………….

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  24. 24
    LordsMyShepherd

    baggieinmanc – “Here we go again. We didn’t get rid of Carson he bolted at the chance of moving to Bursaspor and probably gave the club no choice than to sell him at a cut price. The reason because we got on his back.”

    What a load of rubbish. If we didn’t want to sell we wouldn’t have sold him. Have you ever heard of JP? Can you honestly see him let a player dictate to him like you suggest? We sold Carson because RH and DA didn’t think he was good enough to warrant another contract and have recouped some of the cash we spent three years ago. Period.

    Another thing bothering me is people only seem to be bringing up keepers in Britain as possible targets…there are other leagues you know! It’s not very often we shop on our own shores so I would expect a foreign import if anything.

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  25. 25
    rushall baggie

    Can anyone remember a really GREAT and consistent Albion goalie, apart from Hoult for a couple of years and Ossie, for a time? I can’t. The Pearsons, perhaps, if anyone can remember that far back? I could name half a dozen great, consistent centre forwards in the last 50 years.

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  26. 26
    Wall Heath Baggie

    When i drop something on me foot like an hammer or the such like , i call it a Carson moment , cannot think for the life of me why ?.

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  27. 27
    smethwick baggie

    How long will this Carson thing drag on for? RH has , IMO, made the right call that he’s not good enough. He’s now gone and it’s time to forget him and get behind the new keeper, whoever that might be and please stop the comparisons with Carson and the comments that the new man will be vilified the first time he makes a mistake. Of course all goalies make mistakes , but the fact is that SC made more than his fair share of them. Many people seem to be in denial about that.

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  28. 28
    astleistheking

    Baggiejono, no offence taken dear chap and can see your point. I think as somebody else pointed out that he (Carson) jumped at the first chance of a move so maybe it’s 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other?

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  29. 29
    wbabomber

    Hi Happy how are you?

    I love it carsoned!!

    I have also started using another footballism in every day life. When i make a decision nobody else seems to understand i am calling it my Mcleish!!

    So far its been used for my decision to buy shares in the News of The World and my new training top that has Carson on the back!!

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  30. 30
    wbabomber

    Wall heath Baggie

    Drop a hammer?

    Take that finger out of your nose and you will avoid such accidents!!

    Only a knuckle dragger would be so stupid not to have steel toe caps on in such a hazardous hammer wielding environment!!!

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  31. 31
    We only need one half!

    4) Jack following on from your 5’5 goalkeeper comments, I had not reliased that the shortest keeper in the Prem had just left us (Carson 6ft) so being a progressive club and equal opportunities employer, who knows???? It would be wrong to discriminate against a guy purely on how short he is, that would be heightist! Bit like discriminating against a one legged Tarzan!
    equal rights for short asses I say.;-)

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  32. 32
    no1baggiesfan

    I think its funny how people keep mentioning Eiji Kawashima, we were NEVER interested in him.
    It never ceases to amaze me how small minded some fans are, Robert Green IS a good keeper, he is a BETTER goalkeeper than Scott Carson, so where’s the problem ? he IS an improvement, that’s what counts, as long as we improve on what we have, that is the most important thing.
    Most of the crap about transfers you read in papers is written by morons who like to invent stuff to sell a newspaper, likewise the blogs and trash sites (Tribal) who link news and stories to any team they can to get “hits”.
    Treat the transfer “merry-go-round” as you would with David Haye, IT’S ALL TALK.
    We aint signed anyone, ’till we’ve signed ‘em.

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  33. 33
    Wall Heath Baggie

    27 SMETHWICK

    I often agree with your posts and this one is no exception , 100% correct mate.

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  34. 34
    Wall Heath Baggie

    WBA BOMBER

    Not being superior again are we ??

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  35. 35
    Brummy Baggie

    Derek – South Africa;

    I have heard it from a reliable source that we have offered £6m plus Boaz Myhill for Ben Foster, which blues are mulling over.

    If you dont believe me, check out SkyBet’s odds on who Ben Foster is going to sign for this summer, albion are favourites at 1/5 with Villa 6/1 in 2nd place.

    Do they know something we don’t??

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  36. 36
    CantelloRocket 78

    30 Bomber-

    be careful-Wall Heath(Max) ran around the Shropshire countryside with a chainsaw looking for ‘Farmer Ted’,but couldn’t find him because he fled the country.

    Thing is,he’s still on the loose with that saw………..

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  37. 37
    CantelloRocket 78

    31 WONOH-

    personally,I’d never dream of being ‘heightist’,discriminating against a guy because of how short he is.

    I like to think I’m a bigger guy than that.

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  38. 38
    Happy_baggie

    Hiya Bomber – I’m good ta…..

    I told my wife it was all over between us last week and stormed out – then realised I had left all my clothes there and had no where to live – thats what is now know as “doing a Hughes”…. but don’t worry – just as it looked like it was all over for me I sneaked in through the window at the last minute – what is now known as “doing a McCarthy” !!!

    However she has being carsoning me ever since….

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  39. 39
    baggijono

    reliable source this, reliable source that. heard it at the bookies. heard it on the golf course

    sod this for a lark, i’m off to speak to my mate at the News of the World, see if he’s managed to get into JP’s phone yet….

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  40. 40
    Brummy Baggie

    baggijono – Like I said, check on the SkyBet website, google “Ben Foster SkyBet” and see for yourself

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  41. 41
    LordsMyShepherd

    baggijono

    Don’t joke about the NoW mate, I’m so shocked about the stories coming out I might leave them an angry message on my voice mail!

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  42. 42
    baggijono

    must be true then mate! i only hope i can force the sale of my house quick enough to get down to the bookies with the cash before mr. foster puts pen to paper

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  43. 43
    WarandPeace

    I think some Albion fans are becoming deluded. So Rob Green is not good enough for us!! Who do you think we are? I would welcome a keeper of his quality at the Albion, if we are lucky enough to sign him. Lets not get carried away with visions of grandeur!

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  44. 44
    Lone Rebecca from Scarborough with love

    Hello my Albion friends,

    Not a good day today up in Scarborough. Remember yesterday I was telling you how I thought I had the biggest caravan on site? Well some bloke from Leicester’s turned up today with a bigger one…..

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  45. 45
    Wall Heath Baggie

    CR78

    Got bigger more important fish to fry mate , i have not given up on Farmer Ted , then it’s Pete Nuts and The Real bully a’int out of the woods yet !!!!.

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  46. 46
    Bexhill Baggie

    25 Rush

    Johnnie Osbourne was the best I have seen, but do you remember Tony (the cat) Millington?

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  47. 47
    Derek - South Africa

    Interesting news Brummy Baggie – Hope it comes through. Then we just need a number 2. Should we start a “Number 2″ thread, haha

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  48. 48
    Cyril Randle

    If we get Foster for Myhill plus cash, remember where you first heard it. OFF ME ! Had no inside information, just sheer bloody genius! Well, it was a good guess anyway.
    Has St.Peter turned up for training? Is Dorrans fit? We had a good team last season so I’ll be more than happy if they are all as enthusiastic as young Cox said he was. Turned up early to train on his own. You can’t BUY that! I see The Wulfies have gone back in for Vaughan now we have dropped the idea. They might get him now as the choice isn’t so obvious. May I offer an old git’s advice ?
    Forget the players who’ve left us as quickly as possible. They’re not dead so grieving is not necessary. Concentrate on the lads we have here, fully supportive. That helps them and the staff. The Hawthorns could be a fortress.

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  49. 49
    CantelloRocket 78

    As it stands,it’s all just speculation,and we could end up signing someone who hasn’t even been mentioned yet.

    Talking of which,I don’t normally do it,but I’ve just had a look at the national ‘transfer rumours’ site,and the most recent item about Albion claims that we’ve made a move to sign Robbie Keane on a 12 month contract!!

    Now that would be popular down the road……

    Although the same site said that Chris Brunt’s going to Brighton,so I wouldn’t bet me home on it…..

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  50. 50
    LordsMyShepherd

    Cantello

    That site is available for anyone to post on…more than likely 14 year olds who play footy manager all day in the holidays and start believing it to be real…bit like the dogheads i suppose!

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  51. 51
    We only need one half!

    25) John Osborne perhaps!

    37) boom boom

    44) what is this obsession everyone seems to be having with size? Freud would have a field day! although certain posters obviously need the few extra inches, hey P.I.V.!

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  52. 52
    Wall Heath Baggie

    49 CR 78

    I bet your glad Brunty’s going ???

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  53. 53
    Romsley Baggie

    27 Smetwick, 100% Correct, spot on mate!

    24 Lords my shepherd, also spot on!

    Can we all get over the whole Carson thing he is no longer our concern. We are about to sign a new number 1 so lets all just get behind him. The funny thing is i can see all the Carson lovers circling and at the first jitter or error this will be washed down with a large dose of i told you so! I can hear it now…… we should have kept Carson.

    Albion don’t sell players who they want to keep and especially at a cut down price. We always seem to recover at least what we paid for them or make vast sums of profit, of course there are always going to be exceptions but on the whole this has been our policy for many seasons so why would it change now? RH and DA obviously decided Scott wasn’t in our plans so off he went with our blessing i didn’t see us offering him a new deal or making comments like he’s not for sale ala Odemwingie,Brunt,Mulumbu,Dorrans etc

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  54. 54
    CantelloRocket 78

    45 Max-

    come to think of it,Bully said he was going away,and it seems to have been some time ago.

    When you say he’s not ‘out the woods yet’,you could be right.

    He’s probably still hiding in there.

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  55. 55
    Warren

    This is going way off topic, but does anybody remember in the mid-90′s we loaned a young lad called James Thomas from Blackburn? At the time they would’ve been one of the top sides in the country and we were enjoying a good start under the late Ray Harford, who said of him that we weren’t fit to lace his boots when pressed if we might sign him permanently.

    Well, he strangely crossed my mind last night so I had a look to see what happened to him. He’s now an ambulance driver in Wales……..

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  56. 56
    We only need one half!

    49) Chris Brunt going to Brighton, why not, I m sure his kids would enjoy a day out at the seaside!

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  57. 57
    StreetlyBaggie

    46,Bexhill Baggie
    Can’t remember Tony Millington(BEFORE MY TIME)but remember the great Graham Smith signed from Colchester in 1971 after their great Watney cup success(Can,t remember who they beat in the final though !!!!)
    Ossie was the best in my book but there again was it his character & personality that we remember that seems to make us think he was great ?

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  58. 58
    BURNLEY BAGGIE

    I know most of us are glad Carson has gone and
    we all seem divided on who should come in.

    But we do have a very good goalkeeper who did nothing wrong last season when he came into the team so if Myhill does start the season its not the end of the world.

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  59. 59
    Farmer Ted

    Some great news my Baggie pals. Goalkeeper trials have been organised over Handsworth Park this Sunday after church. Bring your own gloves and goalposts.
    Woy says not to wowwy, it’s gonna be alwight.
    (but if things don’t work out it might as well wain until September)

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  60. 60
    kev in mallorca

    Max, Hola mar mate!
    I see you’re just bubbling away nicely there son, nice too have you back.
    Can you make it up the Vine at 12pm on the 13th for a couple of pints with me and Cantello and whoever or after if you prefer? that’s if Sky don’t wreck another Saturday.
    Adéu

    PS with a little luck All Alone may put in an appearance.

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  61. 61
    Jeff

    A reliable source informs me that as i write this, there are two people actively engaged in producing the Albion goalkeeper for the 2034 Premier season!
    No.
    Not me!

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  62. 62
    baggieinmanc

    No.24 LMS

    I realise that JP would get the best price that he could and I have no doubt that in this case this deal was exactly that. The best he could get. We paid £4.7m for Valero and he flopped during our worst Prem season so far. We still sold him for a profit and fair play to him he’s done well.

    We lost money on Carson and he was a first choice player during a pretty successful season. He was our captain at one point. I have no doubt a fully motivated happy Carson would’ve raised at least £4-5m. Unfortunately his Jaded opinion of the club due to his treatment has most probably forced DA, RH and JPs decision. Not because Carson has bullied them into it, but because it would not benefit either club nor player to continue, hence the small transfer fee.

    Boing Boing

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  63. 63
    We only need one half!

    59) When you have the likes of Adam Hammill praising your latest “star” signing, Dorus De Vries, whos CV includes getting relegated with Dunfermline, I think our potential star goalkeeper yet to be signed should be the least of your worries. Trials on Handsworth Park, where do you look for a class keeper such as De Vries, do tell?

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  64. 64
    baggijono

    well that was a lovely tea. i transformed my spag bol with a liberal squirt of HP Ketchup

    i heard it was a reliable sauce

    have we signed Foster yet?…

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  65. 65
    Happy_baggie

    Just heard Vaughan has gone to Sunderland so another Dingles target gets away…. but how many players are Sunderland going to end up with ??

    I know they got the Henderson and Bent money but they are like a pools winner who goes mad & blows it all on booze and birds and are back at work in a year all bitter and twisted.

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  66. 66
    BrierleyHillBaggies

    Personaly I think that all these stories are just rumours.
    Bet the backroom boys are happy for them to be used as smokescreens.
    RH knows the continent also.
    Wouldn’t surprise me for some unheard of foreigner to be unveiled sometime, that turns out to be a diamond.
    Now lets sit back and let them get on with it.

    BAGGIESBAGGIESBAGGIES

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  67. 67
    Wall Heath Baggie

    SUPER KEV IN MALLORCA

    I look forward to a drink with your good self and Cantello on the 13th mate , count me in .
    I hope you are well , Love and Peace as always.

    Max.

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  68. 68
    CantelloRocket 78

    52 Max-

    I actually like Brunty,and believe he’s a nice guy.
    I also believe that when he’s on form,his left foot is every bit as good as Beckham’s.

    My only gripe was that having read some of his interviews over the last couple of years,I felt that I preferred him to keep his trap shut and concentrate on his game.

    For example,at the start of last season,after the Chelsea game,he was talking to the media about Scott Carson’s ‘mistakes’,and said he was sure Scott would recover from his ‘problems’.

    And look what happened to him…………

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  69. 69
    danobaggs

    I can understand some concerns towards Green, he does seem more mistake prone than a lot of the top keepers. Yes he has a lot of attributes and is an England International. The trouble is he’s too similar to Carson. Theres too many similarities.
    He’s a good signing, but not the right signing for Albion. I just think the fans will be a concerned we will be tied up with the same type of scenario between the sticks for another 3 years.

    Having said that I would trust in Roy to reinvigorate him and would be fairly happy if it did go through.

    I just think there are a couple of better options out there, Ben Foster for one. I heard someone say Blues would want £8 million for him. Yes its a lot but Roy has warned the board to spend this summer and its not out of our reach. Were not talkin ridiculous amounts here. Why not?

    Another one that I had totally forgot about and nobody has mentioned, Paul Robinson? We looked at him a while ago and I think he would be a great replacement!

    Report abuse

  70. 70
    JACK thé HAT

    (31)
    One Half,
    You’ve solved the Carson problem, He was a shorthouse.
    (45)
    Wall Heath,
    So you’ve got bigger fish to fry!. “Doris, the fries”.

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

    Report abuse

  71. 71
    St. Clemence

    Robert Green is better than Carson, but then again 90% of Premiership GKs are better than Carson … every keeper makes mistakes, even Van Der Sar (thanks) , but Carson’s all round play was poor, the ‘understanding’ with his back 4 was shocking, he didn’t control the six yards box at corners/crosses, his kicking was erratic and often left us under unnecessary pressure. The goals conceded column and lack of clean sheets says something. He made his fair share of good saves but overall we need better than Carson and I’m glad RH sees it that way. I really believe a top class GK can earn the extra points that keep you up, trouble is top-class is hard to come by in our price/wages range.

    Report abuse

  72. 72
    B90 baggie

    Pointless getting Green. He is average at best. Foster would be a fantastic buy but may be a battle to get hold of him.

    Maybe Hodgson will want to re-sign Pascal Zuberbulhar…. JOKE!!

    Report abuse

  73. 73
    Matt M

    55 – Warren,

    I remember him well and in particular that comment from Ray Harford.
    He crossed my mind a few months ago when I interviewed a fella with the same name.
    As part of my blast from the past I also checked out what Graham Fenton was up to.
    I remember being devestated as 13 year old when he went back to Villa from his loan.
    If memory serves O’Neill sneaked him to Leicester as we were about to strike a deal with Blackburn a few years after we initially had him?
    Oh, he’s still playing for North Shields – better than an ambulance driver in Wales I guess, maybe!

    25 – rushall baggie

    In recent times what about Stuart Naylor and Alan Miller?
    Maybe not truely great keepers but in my time they were as good as I remember.

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  74. 74
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    65 Happy, and Mills as gone to leicster the team thats just changed its ground name from a crisp company to a nut company,seems its anywhere but the dingles,oh its great to be a baggieeeeeeeeeeee aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  75. 75
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    60, Kev can i come please, i promise to be good aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  76. 76
    Warren

    Matt M

    Graham Fenton!! I can remember his parents having a piece in the programme thanking the club for giving him an opportunity. Always looked a bit overweight to me and flattered to deceive elsewhere. For years our fans seemed to talk about him, it might even have been Denis Smith about 5 years later having to say something like “Look, he’s not getting a sniff at Leicester, that should tell you something” due to him constantly being suggested as a target.

    Today’s story seems to be Ben Foster then. Looks like it’s a distinct possibility. I wouldn’t be unhappy, not sure I’d pay £8m for him. The only thing is that this boy, for all his merits, does make mistakes too. I hope the people who crucified Carson bear this in mind before lauding him as a saviour and heaping expectation onto him (if it goes through of course).

    Report abuse

  77. 77
    Cyril Randle

    71St.Clemence Are you the bloke that phoned WM a few weeks back slagging off Carson? His assassination of the bloke’s reputation was about the same level as yours. Both arrogant, in that you place your judgement above professional level and pointless as you acknowledge that it will cost a huge amount to replace him. Heads I’m right, tails you’re wrong and you’re always a winner! We of the Mutual Admiration Society, (MAS), accept that his goalkeeping had flaws, but he is young and improving. With a settled, well-drilled defence in front of him, which we did NOT have before, we may have ironed out the flaws.
    But the critical know-alls who have never, ever, got near a Premiership or League as a player are qualified to savage anyone they wish, spend the millions someone else had the skill to earn but they did not and always be right.

    Report abuse

  78. 78
    Wall Heath Baggie

    Cyril

    Are you saying that supporters who spend their hard earned money on following the team are not entitled to an opinion about a player because they have never played pro football ???, sorry mate but i do not follow that logic ,lots of people have a go at David Cameron for instance , they will never be Prime Minister but they are surely entitled to their opinion .
    You have watched Football for many years , so i find it hard to comprehend how you cannot have an opinion on a players ability, be it right or wrong.

    Report abuse

  79. 79
    SIR TERRY BAGGIE

    i wasent a great admirer of Carson tho i never boo`d him or shouted abuse at him,but i dont really think he got any worse stick than deano before him,away followers will know what i mean, as for Foster and seeing him a couple of times last season he can expect the same,cuz what i sin of him he aint no better than Carson aye boing boing

    Report abuse

  80. 80
    Warren

    Wall Heath

    You use a good analogy that people are allowed to criticise the Prime Minister. That’s fair enough. What’s irritating however- and the same can be applied to some critics of the PM, some unionists being a good example- is when those critics criticise for the sake of being critical or point out a fault, but display little or no empathy whatsoever to the person in the situation or problem itself.

    There’s a difference between:

    “JP, where’s the money?”; “Carson’s the worst keeper I’ve ever seen, get rid”; and “Stop cutting pensions”

    AND

    Reading where JP spends it, being constructive in talking about the flaws in Carson’s game and MOST IMPORTANTLY, thinking about a viable, affordable and realistic solution to all of the aforementioned.

    Report abuse

  81. 81
    Warren

    If you don’t think about a viable alternative, you just end up with Peter Risdale, Robert Green and higher taxes…..

    Report abuse

  82. 82
    Wall Heath Baggie

    Warren 80 and 81

    You make your point very well as per normal mate .
    I hope to see you down the Vine for the first match and i have not forgotten that i owe you a pint .

    Report abuse

  83. 83
    Warren

    Wall Heath

    I had forgotten about that!! Glad you didn’t!! I might be away for the first couple of games but am sure to see you at some point….!!

    Report abuse

  84. 84
    kev in mallorca

    Sir Terry
    Just took it for grated you’d be lurking somewhere, waving sumut in ya ‘and!
    Adéu

    Report abuse

  85. 85
    Wall Heath Baggie

    The Vaughan deal went pear shaped and Gera needs an operation before he can sign , i hope and pray that this transfer window is not going to descend into farce again, remember Djemba Djemba, yes i know it all worked well in the end ,but this transfer business gets on me pip at times.

    Report abuse

  86. 86
    St Clemence

    77. No, not me, I don’t even listen to WM. Seems someone else has similar views to mine. I don’t see why having an opinion is arrogant ? How am I placing my judgement above professional level ? Carson is not young and improving, he was selected for England but has dropped down the pecking order , is that a sign of improvement ? Have you ever considered that your own opinion makes you sound like a ‘know all’? what makes you a better judge of a GK than me ? Those who fail to see/acknowledge our weaknesses would do nothing about them, we will not improve that way. Thankfully RH has seen the weakness and is doing something about it, I’m glad you’re not in charge.

    Report abuse

  87. 87
    kev in mallorca

    Mar Mate Max
    It dow tek a lot does it mar mate?
    Adéu

    Report abuse

  88. 88
    Wall Heath Baggie

    SUPER KEV

    No mate it doh .

    ST CLEMENCE

    A new blogger if i am not mistaken, agreed with all your comments mate , spot on .

    Report abuse

  89. 89
    Cyril Randle

    86Clemence (or lack of it). You are, as am I, entitled to an opinion. It differs from yours so we argue. However, just find me one post on here where I have not used CONSTRUCTIVE criticism instead of DESTRUCTIVE criticism, something you and a FEW others excel in. It is not in the club’s or players’ interests for you to vent your spleen on their ability.
    eg: If you say, “I’m not a fan of Carson” that’s acceptable, but the bloke I referred to on WM “came from a long line of goalkeepers” and just KNEW he couldn’t catch, kick, dive, save, position, in fact anything at all. I asked who this genius of a critic had played for to justify his stance. I ask you the same.

    Report abuse

  90. 90
    kev in mallorca

    All Alone
    I know what peer pressure’s like, me and a few mates, two of which were Dingles, got tickets for Walter Trout at the Civic on a Saturday a few years ago. The Dingles suggested going too the Custard bowl first as they were at home, so being up for the crack we went.
    At the time a tiker tape reception was the vogue, I said to the bloke next to me,who I didn’t know “what that mate Jack’s cheque stubs?”, dain’t go down well but he soon come round when I got my hip flask out full of Remi-
    Martin brandy, he married me daughter in the end.
    Adéu

    Report abuse

  91. 91
    kev in mallorca

    All Alone
    Sorry mate, I’m on the wrong thread, I’ll have to stop the brandy in the afternoon!
    Adéu

    Report abuse

  92. 92
    St.Clemence

    89 I don’t need to be a professional footballer to assess a player. We can all assess all sorts of professional skills without having those skills ourselves. I can tell Susan Boyle can sing without being a trained singer myself, I can also tell when someone is woefully out of tune. I can tell Todd Carty is not a great ice-dancer, I can tell Messi’s a good player & Luke Moore isn’t so good, I didn’t need to be a footballer to do that.

    Report abuse

  93. 93
    Cyril Randle

    92. Of course you can and that is your right. However, it is an opinion and does not mean you ARE right! Do you have to pulverise the person or persons who get a bad assessment from you though? Surely there’s no need for that? I personally cannot stand the ‘Go Compare’ little chubby tenor as he is off key too often. I turn the sound off rather than heave a rock at the TV screen.

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