Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Shorey and McAuley backed by West Brom boss
Saturday 14th January 2012, 10:59AM GMT.
Nicky Shorey and Gareth McAuley
Roy Hodgson today backed Nicky Shorey and Gareth McAuley to becomeWest Bromwich Albion’s on-field leaders as the Baggies grapple with their injury crisis.
Hodgson says the pair have risen to the challenge with senior men Chris Brunt, Jonas Olsson, Steven Reid and Zoltan Gera all missing through injury.
And the West Brom head coach, who has made Shorey his stand-in captain, is looking for more leadership from the defensive duo with Brunt, Olsson, Reid and Gera all set to be sidelined again against Norwich today and only Olsson close to a return.
“They took the responsibility on at Tottenham, where the performances of both of them, and the back four and the midfield four were very good,” said Hodgson. “They took on the responsibility against a team of Tottenham’s ability, so there’s no reason why they shouldn’t do it in future.
“Our squad is such that it would take a long while for us to get down to the bare bones. But we have been playing without four very influential players.
“We’ve been without our captain, Chris Brunt, our vice-captain, Jonas Olsson, and without Steven Reid, who is very vocal and helps the other players. And we’re without Zoltan Gera, so that is probably four of our most influential players.”
Meanwhile, Hodgson has revealed teenage striker Chris Wood made his own decision to join Bristol City on loan instead of extending his stay at Birmingham.
The 18-year-old linked up this week with former Baggies captain Derek McInnes at Ashton Gate despite being offered the chance to remain at St Andrew’s. “It was quite simply a choice he made,” said Hodgson. “He decided he didn’t want to continue his loan at Birmingham for the obvious reason that he wasn’t in the starting XI.”
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