Last Updated: 6th July 2010
West Brom Search For New Manager
West Brom fans have woken today to find their club in search of a new manager. Roberto Di Matteo has been sacked from his post with ‘The Baggies’ the board saying that they would like to see someone come in with fresh ideas.
Di Matteo spoke to us here at Sky Sports and said he was bemused at the descision. ‘I have got the club from the Championship and I am struggling to see what more I could do to keep my job. Of course I am sure that a cub like West Brom will attract a decent named manager but I am disappointed with the decision to let me go.’
Di Matteo, ousted from the West Brom hot seat.
‘When the new man comes in he will understand what it is to work with a shoestring budget and try and keep the team in the Premiership. The side is good enough but getting them to believe will be the key to success.’
West Brom Chairman, Peace, has spoken to us at Sky Sports also to try and explain the situation. ‘We had talks of great length as to where we want to take the football club,’ Peace started. ‘We have worked hard a number of years to get into the Premier division but struggle to stay here and many see us as a yo-yo side.’
West Brom chairman, Jeremy Peace, working hard to ensure Premiership survival
.‘This is not something that we wish to be known as. We are hard a hard working side who have to opporate with next to nothing to keep ourselves a float at the end of the season. A sustained period in the Premier League will see us be able to express ourselves more and get back to a position we know we are capable of reaching and competing at week in week out.’
‘A new manager and fresh ideas is the key here and this is something we are looking towards for the start of the Premier League season. We won’t necessarily be going for experience but someone who has a passion for football and the club itself to take it forward.’
Many West Brom fans have been taking the opportunity to have their say stating that they see the decision as ‘ridiculous’. Hopefully the decision will not backfire on the newly promoted side come the end of the season.
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Last Updated: Thursday 8th July 2010
Appleton ‘I Can‘t Understand It‘
West Brom Assistant Manager Micheal Appleton has stated to us here at Sky Sport that he is still not sure how to take the dismissal of Roberto Di Matteo as West Brom manager. ‘I just don’t understand it, Roberto had the team playing well and to sack him seems a crazy decision, especially this close to the start of the season.’
Appleton, who will take control of the side until a replacement is found said he will continue to give everything to the club he used to play for. ‘I have great feelings for this club who have treated me well and I will continue to offer my best at all times to keep them where they deserve to be.’
Appleton will take caretaker charge.
‘We will work hard until a new manager is found to ensure that we are ready for what will be a very tough season for us to be involved in, something that the players however must thrive on. We all know where we want to be and it is up to us to make sure that we do manage to keep our heads above water.’
The side worked hard to ensure that they got a return to the Premiership and they hope to see more scenes like the one they had at the end of last season. ‘The players know what is expected of them,’ Appleton continued. ‘We have a five year plan here, the fifth year culminating in a hopeful chance of reaching a European place in the league. This of course presently is a long way off. We are fighting all the odds to make it happen and hopefully with the right personnel, we will.’
Promotion, Appleton calls for me scenes like this.
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Last Updated: Sunday 11th July 2010
Unknown Manager Jeffries Takes Charge
Tom Jeffries has been named as the new manager at West Brom today as fans and pundits alike are left to wonder who is he. Jeffries is said to be delighted at the prospect of kicking off his managerial career at such a well sought after club, one of which he started at as a youth team player.
Jeffries said, ‘I am delighted to be given the opportunity to manage at the club that I hold dear to my heart, of course second behind my beloved Peterborough United.’ Jeffries who had been coaching as part of the set up at Peterborough has been sought after by a few Championship clubs to take the reigns and was approached by Norwich early last season before Paul Lambert was taken on as manager.
The Norwich manager nearly wasn’t.
‘I declined the opportunity to take charge at the time, everything was just going so well with my time at Peterborough and of course as an old player at the club I found it difficult to up sticks and leave.’
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Background
Jeffries started his career as a player with West Brom in the youth set up and worked hard there, gaining a professional contract in the 1982 at the age of just 19 ‘I worked hard at West Brom to ensure that I got to where I needed to be, I wanted to strive to be there best.’ Jeffries told us.
Things did not work out for the man, originally from Peterborough who moved from Birmingham based club West Brom in 1985 with just one first team appearance under his belt. ‘I was disappointed, I thought I worked hard enough in training but it just wasn’t to be and this is something I believe just pushed me on more.’
In the same summer as him moving away from West Brom he went to his own proclaimed arch rivals Cambridge United where he spent five seasons moving then on into the Peterborough United side who won two consecutive promotions in the 90/91 season then again in 91/92 now at the age of 29.
Jeffries ‘Promotion was great for us’.
‘Two promotions in two seasons was a great time for us at Peterborough and it was great to be a part of everything that was going on at the time. I was pleased to be in the side and it is something to show the grandkids in years to come.’ Jeffries ended his career with peterborough and there on continued to coach until today he was offered the West Brom job.
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Aims
Jeffries has a tough ask to keep his side in the Premiership this season and has stated that he will do his best. ‘All anyone can do is their best and of course this will be no different for me and the West Brom side this season. We are punching well below our weight and this division is exactly where we deserve to be. However we know nobody has a divine right to be here and we have to work hard to prove why we should be here facing some of the worlds tops sides every week.’
When ask of the future of ‘Baggies’ superstar Graham Dorrans, Jeffries said ‘Graham will be a key part to how we play for this season and beyond, he will not be going anywhere, unless someone offers us stupid money.’
Graham Dorrans, Championship’s best player last term?
‘For me he was one of if not, the best player in the Championship last season. He works hard and gives up on nothing and I will do anything in my power to keep the lad here for as long as we possibly can.’
