Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
West Brom defender Gareth McAuley helped by ‘leader’ Jonas Olsson
Wednesday 9th November 2011, 10:30AM GMT.
West Brom defender Gareth McAuley today revealed how “leader” Jonas Olsson has helped him make the step up to Premier League level.
McAuley is enjoying his first taste of top-flight football – at the age of 31 – having came to the Hawthorns on a free transfer from Ipswich in the summer.
The Northern Ireland captain believes the presence of Olsson and right-back Steven Reid either side of him in the Baggies’ back four has helped him cope with the toughest challenge of his career.
He said: “Jonas is a winner and he’s a leader and that’s what you look for in a player. I have got him there and at right-back I’ve got Reidy, who has played his whole career in the Premier League.
“It all helps and it makes you feel comfortable when everyone is talking around you that people are close and they’re in the right positions. That’s what experienced players do at any level.”
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i’ve painted my kitchen this morning…*sigh*…
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I’m really chuffed that McAuley’s dong well. I wasn’t sure about signing him but time has told and it seems he was indeed a shrewd free transfer.
Having said that I’m not entirely sure that this is the real story here. Aparently Moyes is lifting up our skirt sniffing around Dawson. The way I see it and the way it seems to be transpiring is that Dawson was bought as our long term star centre half but until he comes of age, McAuley will give us the last remaining couple of years in his career as our first choice centre Half. If we sell Dawson to the Toffees then that leaves us looking desperately for another defender who will probably cost more and not have the same prospects as Dawson.
I say stick a massive price tag on his head one that only an idiot or Man City would go for and sweeten Dawsons deal as well as giving him some more chances at Prem level to keep him happy. I really do beleive that this lad could end up playing for the England first team and when that happens his price tag will rocket. We would be naive and stupid to sell him to the Premiership vultures this early.
Boing Boing
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baggieinmanc.
Tranquilo son,Jeremy’s here!
Adéu
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I echo your thoughts Baggiemanc though one thing we don’t need to lecture JP on is his outgoing transfer policies. Nobody leaves the Hawthorns unless it suits the man in charge (ie surplus to requirements or overpriced).
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4 i agree with you,but if he as a price and JP sees the £ signs he will be gone dont worry about that.
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Having read the thread below this one, ‘West Brom open commercial office in Central London’ then heard this morning that St James’ Park is being renamed as The Sport Direct Arena. I wondered how our fans would feel if we sold the naming rights for The Hawthorns.
Does it depend on how much we’d get for it? or is it ‘not at any price?’
If we need to do it to make the next step forward would it be worth it?
Does it depend on the new name ie would The Tesco Hawthorns be more acceptable than The Tesco Arena?
I love it because it’s our ground although it now bears little resemblance to the one I first attended. We started off playing at Stoney Lane (not sure if Cyril ever watched us there) so we can’t just say ‘never.’
I’ve never been that bothered about the name as I can’t remember ever saying ‘I’m going up the Hawthorns’ but I’d be interested to hear any other views and what you’d call it.
PS.
Woves fans feel free although beware Newton’s priciple “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction.” Only I suspect it would be more than equal.
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Trbhoo.
Good question,when I first heard about Newcastle
renaming St James Pk I thought it was another nail in the name of tradition but we live in a different age of football where cash is king,
I’m sure we all have our own and much divided opinions on that.
As for our own hallowed turf ,your right about”going up the Hawthorns” so as long as we don’t move lock stock too a new location and JP gets somebody like “Tesco” for big bucks and not Birds Custard,which would suit some, then it all helps us to “progress”.
Adéu
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6 Bully,
there’s a fishing tackle company that produces a brand of line with a distinctive name that I’d be happy with.
Just imagine,on the day that the last brick’s laid in the newly recycled molineux,the Baggies announce that they’ve completed a deal with this tackle company,and are proud to say that the Hawthorns is now to be known as-
THE ‘ULTIMATE’ FOOTBALL STADIUM.
(You can almost feel the frustrated anger coming from down the road were it to happen…..:)
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6 & 7) Being one of the few (if not only?) top teams that has played a season without a shirt sponsor, I don’t think J.P. is has mercenary has some would paint him. I am certain we could have found a shirt sponsor for a “price”, Ladbrokes and LDV had made offers, but credit to J.P. he stuck by his guns and refused to let the space go for less than what he valued it at, just for the sake of having a sponsor. Low and behold, our next sponsor is our most lucrative to date, and we have various other top companies like Adidas and Harvey Nichols wanting to be associated with our brand. Even better, our actually shirt sponsor, Bodog, are one of the biggest and high profile betting companies in Asia, which in it self is a vast untapped market, that the likes of Man Utd have spent many years and much money trying to get into, so it must be considered a worthwhile project.
It is a shame that Newcastle, with a long tradition and history, will be losing its St James tag, for the owners to change to the all to modern Sports Direct one. But, has we have seen with several clubs who have chairman with outside interests, a “quid pro quo” is becoming the norm, Wigan with D.W., Brighton, Amex, Huddersfield, Galphram, Hull, Kingston Communications, etc etc.
I did suggest some months ago on these pages that will also be Mr Morgans ultimate aim once the new stadium is built in Wolverhampton, and why wouldn’t he? it is free advertising for Redrow, given that the money being used was the money gifted to him by Sir Jack to invest in the team, and that due to his “creative” way of awarding the contract for the build, i.e. to his own company, it is a win, win, win, situation for Mr Morgan.
I did suggest at the time that perhaps the new name for the Molineux should be the Reds Row. Not only does this promote his building company, but gives some indication to his true allegiance (being a self confessed Liverpool fan). After all, now days you can change just about anything in your life, your job, your wife, your name, even your nationality, but the one thing you can never change is your club, think about it?
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WONOH.
Good thinking I like it, That Mr Morgan will quite fairly split it between the two clubs he has an allegiance to, the colour bit for his beloved Liverpool and the arguing bit for Wolves
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Rocket.
Not our way to brag ourselves up like that is it. How about re-branding the Mol as the Whitbread Stadium.
Whitbread big head Trophy Bitter.
The pint that thinks it’s a quart.
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11 Bully,
I like it.
I also like Kev’s idea of ‘Bird’s Custard’ for the mol.
But it wouldn’t be quite the same now that their Jelly’s gone.
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Blimey Bully, even my Dad never went to Stoonee Lern although Grandad did. I’d hate to see the name changed from ‘The Hawthorns’.
Tradition is a wonderful thing, (see ‘Poppies,Red, armbands for the use of), to get my drift.
What makes a new supporter for Albion, Wolves, Villa, Blues ? Dad, Grandad, uncle, etc. Because we are not Manchester United. Yet it’s a fact that many of the folk who now attend live outside the catchment area. I would imagine many Geordies are furious that St.James’ Park is no more.
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Cyril.
Sorry I was being facetious. I know you missed Stoney Lane by a couple of years.
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