Express & Star

Ally Robertson: Nacer Chadli's exit from West Brom was long overdue

Nacer Chadli has finally left the club but to be brutally honest, I wish he’d gone a year ago.

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Nacer Chadli. (AMA)

For the past season the Belgian hasn’t really wanted to be a Baggies player, and the quicker he leaves the better.

I know players get injuries, but how on earth can he hardly kick a ball for us all season and then play so much at the World Cup?

That speaks volumes, and even though the £10m recuperated was much less than we paid for him, it’s best just to get him gone.

I’m sure Darren Moore would have wanted a couple of more signings to strengthen the squad but it hasn’t happened.

Time will tell whether the ones we’ve brought will be enough to win promotion.

One thing that has pleased me about this summer is that the average age of the squad has been brought down.

We had a lot of players coming to the end of their careers but Moore has signed some young players in their early 20s.

It was a difficult summer for him to navigate, because the club didn’t have much money to spend, and it’s difficult to attract players to a club that’s just been relegated.

The two areas that look a little short are right-back and centre-forward.

I know we have signed Tyrone Mears this week to plug the gap at right-back but he’s 35 and that’s only a short-term fix.

I’m also slightly concerned that we don’t have a recognisable target man up front in a division that might need it.

Now the second window is shut, it’s about getting behind the players who are here.

We’ve given away some easy goals so far this season, so the defence needs to tighten up, starting today.

These are the games we have to win if we want to go up this season. We’re at home.

There may be a few players in the Stoke team who will want to do well against us, but we should be better than them.

Earlier this week we caught a glimpse into the club's future against Mansfield.

It might be a little too early to blood the youngsters in the league, but rest assured they will be needed as the season wears on and injuries are picked up.

When the likes of Harper, Field, Leko and Edwards do get their chance, it's up to them to make sure they take it.