The transfer window. Love it or hate it, it is a part of football that is big business, high tension and excruciating drama all rolled into one. Us West Bromwich Albion fans, however, are not usually quite so interested in the unfolding drama as most fans up and down the country and beyond are. If that is the case for the first transfer window of the season, then the January transfer window is much easier to ignore as “we do the bulk of our transfer business in the summer”.
Looking at the business done so far during the summer at The Hawthorns we see a loan extension for left back Goran Popov, the Macedonian defender who was on a similar season-long loan last season which was supposed to lead to a permanent transfer if all parties were happy. Evidently, not everyone was totally happy as the deal was renegotiated as another loan. Some fans see him as the better option to Liam Ridgewell, whereas some have the opposite view. The rest simply don’t believe that either are up to the required standard and would have liked to see a new face altogether join the squad.
On the opposite side of defence at right back, Billy Jones has started the first four matches of the season unopposed as Steven Reid, freshly-inked contract extension tucked away in his suit jacket, has been unable to stay fit enough to provide any early-season competition for the spot. Much like the situation at left back, Jones has his share of fans, Reid has his share and the remainder would’ve liked to see a new face altogether signed, sealed and delivered to the squad. Should Reid continue to struggle for fitness during the first half of the season, I would fully expect that we carry out some January “topping-up” of the squad by adding another right back to the fold. I am a little disappointed that this position hasn’t been addressed with a little more urgency.
In the centre of defence, 32 year old, 85-cap Uruguay captain Diego Lugano swapped the beautiful city of Paris and PSG for the ever-so-slightly-less salubrious surroundings of Smethwick and The Black Country to provide cover and competition for last seasons defensive duo of Gareth McAuley and Jonas Olsson. How he settles will be interesting to see but his pedigree is unquestionable. After seeing him in his first Albion action against Newport County in the Capital One Cup however, his pace certainly is. I am going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that he was maybe a little ‘rusty’.
Further forward in attack, ex-Watford loanee Matej Vydra joined on a season-long loan from Udinese following his scoring exploits last season in the Championship. Much is hoped for Vydra and the chance to prove his quality at Premier League level will be one that he will want to grab with both hands. He unfortunately picked up a slight injury against Newport but does have the benefit of the International break to regain fitness and challenge for a spot.
The longest running saga of the transfer window at Albion was the pursuit of winger Scott Sinclair from Manchester City. The collective sigh of relief when the signing finally did go through in time for him to take his place on the bench at Goodison Park against Everton was loud enough for all to hear. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it onto the pitch as keeper Ben Foster suffered an innocuous injury that will keep him out of the side for the next 3 months, meaning a reshuffle was required. Lee Camp has been brought in on from the cold of the footballing job centre on a rolling monthly contract in order to maintain a well-stocked, experienced pool of keepers should any other setbacks occur.
That brings us right up to yesterday, the final day of the transfer window. The squad still had holes in it but seemingly no goals in it as the opening to the season had gone anything but to plan. Three Premier League matches in and just a solitary point to show for some pretty poor football, sprinkled with the odd flash of hope and quality. The flashes were however as odd as the fact that we are still yet to score a league goal this season, or the pitiful total of 4 attempts on target this season. We had also lacked genuine width to the team with forward Shane Long being forced out of position to accommodate the most high-profile signing of the summer, or indeed any summer at the Albion, Nicolas Anelka. Anelka’s early-season troubles have been well-documented with the striker hinting at retirement following the death of his friend and advisor Eric Manasse. Those thoughts have since passed and he has returned to training. Finding the best way to utilise his qualities throughout the season will be an on-going conundrum but one thing for sure is that, even though he has adapted his game as the blistering pace he was renowned for has slowed to merely being termed fast and started to drop deeper to find possession, we do not want to see him deep enough to be classed a defensive midfielder as he was at times during the defeat to Swansea City.
The first signing of deadline day at The Hawthorns was Morgan Amalfitano from Marseille in another long drawn out affair which had been bubbling away for a number of weeks. Completed before many had woken up, Morgan is a versatile and creative midfielder and arrives to provide competition for places across midfield, with his best position being wide right or just behind a forward. The deal is another of our favourite type, the loan-to-buy.
At this point, the wheels were set in motion on a deal that would bring an end to one of the most controversial transfer sagas of recent times. Or any times for that matter. I’m sure I won’t need to remind anyone that Peter Odemwingie took the bull by the horns last January and ended up being shown on Sky Sports sitting in his car outside the QPR ground following a mix-up of epic proportions in his attempts to force through a move and therefore kick-started a bitter back and forth argument that nobody at all came away with any credit from. The fact that he signed for Cardiff City yesterday in a deal rumoured to be worth around £2.75m is the best for all concerned. Attempts to reintegrate him into the team last season were met with angry outbursts all round from fans, staff and the player himself. It is sad that it ever got so far down the road of no return as it did and the player himself will be missed greatly. For all the words spoken, anger spat and blood boiled; on the pitch, Peter Odemwingie is a fantastic player and off the pitch, I don’t believe him to be a bad person whatsoever. Let us not be so blind as to believe he was the only person in the wrong back in January. We now must move on.
At this point in the window, we had still not invested money on a permanent transfer. The clock was ticking. We still lacked pace and we still lacked a presence up front. News that Stephane Sessegnon was at the training ground completing a medical and that he had later been joined by Victor Anichebe was met with excitement. Finally, the chequebook was being opened by Jeremy Peace and a player of genuine quality was eventually signed up. Fast, skilful, direct and with an eye for goal (he scored both home and away against Albion last season) Sessegnon is exactly what we have been crying out for and should provide the attacking impetus that we so badly need. Once he and Sinclair get up to pace on opposing flanks it should get the fans back on the edge of their seats, which most definitely has not been the case so far this season. It would also be hoped that there are no further indiscretions from Sessegnon following his recent drink-driving charge.
If the news of Sessegnon was greeted with widespread excitement, then the Victor Anichebe signing was a little more underwhelming to some on the back of a less than brilliant goalscoring record and also a fondness for the treatment table. Add in the fact that late night rumours were abound that last seasons cult icon Romelu Lukaku was available for loan and he was hinting at a return to West Bromwich. Unfortunately that move never materialised and in a twist of fortune, he ended up replacing Anichebe in the Everton squad. A fee of around the £5m mark may seem excessive for a player who has only scored 26 goals in 168 appearances for Everton, but if he can stay fit and get a run of games at the point of the Albion attack, he can use his pace and power to good effect and I believe the fans will warm to him.
Other moves were mooted for a number of other players both incoming as well as outgoing but this is the squad that we will be running with until January at the earliest. There was strong talk of Shane Long being allowed to leave for Hull City in a move that would’ve been a club record deal for Hull and also a deal that would’ve shocked Albion fans, such is his popularity for his hard work. Injuries have hampered him though and the fact that he had to be ‘managed’ and nursed through long spells of last season, not to mention his contractual situation and also a lack of goals will have given both the Board and Steve Clarke food for thought as the deadline approached. Had Lukaku opted to join us instead of Everton, the deal would’ve been rubber-stamped and Shane would now be a Hull player. The fact that he isn’t gives us an extra attacking option and a depth to the attack that we didn’t have a week ago.
The onus is now on Steve Clarke and his staff to ensure that the players are played in positions and formations that get the best out of them. He has different attacking options now and the chance to excite the fans once more. Should that not happen then the undercurrent of doubt surrounding his management in some fans quarters will grow and suck a few more into the swell. Should the new signings hit the ground running and provide the squad with the boost that it so badly needed, then I don’t believe that will be the case. It is now time to unite and get behind the squad.
Come on you Baggies
Thanks for reading! Please take a moment and follow me on Twitter – @FommyTarr. Give the site a follow while you’re at it – @LastWordOnSport.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football or with our new IRC football Chat.
Interested in writing for Last Word On Sports? Find out more by clicking on our “Join Our Team” page.
