West Bromwich Albion : We Know What We Are
West Bromwich Albion : We Know What We Are When Shane Long scored the other week against Manchester City and lifted his shirt to reveal the slogan “We know what we are”, it was a statement which spoke volumes to many Albion fans. Regarded by most as a small club with a big history, the Baggies have spent recent years being tagged as a “yo-yo” club, bouncing between the Premiership and the Championship: Too good for one, not quite good enough for the other. But now, with their third consecutive season in the Premiership under way and little prospect of a relegation battle, it is beginning to look as if the relatively austere nature of West Brom’s financial and football strategy is paying off, certainly when compared to the twist and bust approach of some other clubs in their hunt for glory. Perhaps it is time football started to examine and advocate the West Brom model, rather than glorify the big-money transfers which have seen the likes of Portsmouth end up in the hands of the administrators. They always say that the best businesses are those built on organic grown, gradually developing in line with their size, never stretching their resources beyond breaking point in pursuit of a dream which might never be realised. Overly cautious? Perhaps. But this isn’t fantasy football or a computer game, real lives are affected. When the monopoly money can’t be cashed in any more, everybody suffers. Players, coaches and club staff suddenly find themselves out of a job. Fans, find themselves with an empty void on a Saturday afternoon. Like any good business, the Baggies have invested wisely in both the playing and the coaching staff, not to mention the Academy which was recently recognised for its Category 1 status. Living within their means, the club has never gambled heavily on a big name signing, preferring to use the scouting network to good effect and pick up unpolished gems, written off crocks and talented nobodies. Year after year, the playing squad has been gradually improved, one or two players at a time until a look down the first team squad leads you to the opinion that this actually a very decent side who could do pretty well this season. Ben Foster, Steven Reid, Gareth McAuley, Jonas Ollsen, Liam Ridgewell, Claudio Yacob, Youssef Mulumbu, Peter Odemwingie, James Morrison, Chris Brunt, Shane Long. A first team currently sitting in the European places assembled for less than 20m. A look to the substitutes bench reveals the likes of Romalu Lukaku, Markus Rosenberg, Graham Dorrans, Gabriel Tamas. Much hyped wonderkids and seasoned internationals, again all picked up for next to nothing (or a loan move in Lukaku’s case). West Brom’s net outlay on transfers since 07/08 is 12 million pounds. 48 players have come into the club during that period and 43 have left. 12 million pounds; that’s about the same amount Southampton spent on Gaston Ramirez this summer and yet they remain at the foot of the table and Ramirez has contributed little, making only 4 appearances (all heavy defeats) and scoring 1 goal.
So that I can’t be accused of picking on Southampton, why not compare the figures for recent years with a club like Liverpool, or local rivals Aston Villa, or QPR who are sat below the Albion in the league. Or the newly promoted West Ham and Reading, all of whom have spent big over the summer for (what is currently) very little reward. It makes one wonder why West Brom haven’t received more acclaim from the press for the way the club is run. Aren’t we forever hearing about football clubs spending money they haven’t really got, only for fans to be left devastated when the administrators roll into town and the journalists to be wondering how this was allowed to happen? But it’s those same fans and journalists who are allowing the clubs to run themselves into the ground. Look at Arsenal fans and the national papers calling for Wenger to go after another summer without a big-money signing. Never mind that this is a man who has enabled the club to compete domestically and in Europe on a fraction of the budget of their rivals. It sometimes seems like fans aren’t so much after long term success and sustainability as they are an expensive player to chant the name of. It’s a bit like buying a Ferrari when you live in a council house, just so you can get one over the Jones’ next door. Yet here is a club doing things the right way; living within its means and investing smartly as the club grows and chases success. Of course, the critics will point out that nothing has been won yet, and they’re right. But 2 mid-table finishes in recent years and the quality and application of the current squad shows that the team is going in the right direction. And let’s be honest, just how realistic is it to win the Premiership nowadays? A club of West Brom’s size can never really be able to expect to compete with the riches of Manchester City and Chelsea, even if those riches are based primarily on the personal wealth of oil-rich owners. But they’re doing well for themselves and with the current strategy in place, as the team grows and UEFA’s fair play rules come into play, maybe things will get a little bit easier. In the meantime, the club continues to roll along, ignored but content in itself, ambitious, but within reason. Just as Shane Long said, “We know what we are”.
So that I can’t be accused of picking on Southampton, why not compare the figures for recent years with a club like Liverpool, or local rivals Aston Villa, or QPR who are sat below the Albion in the league. Or the newly promoted West Ham and Reading, all of whom have spent big over the summer for (what is currently) very little reward. It makes one wonder why West Brom haven’t received more acclaim from the press for the way the club is run. Aren’t we forever hearing about football clubs spending money they haven’t really got, only for fans to be left devastated when the administrators roll into town and the journalists to be wondering how this was allowed to happen? But it’s those same fans and journalists who are allowing the clubs to run themselves into the ground. Look at Arsenal fans and the national papers calling for Wenger to go after another summer without a big-money signing. Never mind that this is a man who has enabled the club to compete domestically and in Europe on a fraction of the budget of their rivals. It sometimes seems like fans aren’t so much after long term success and sustainability as they are an expensive player to chant the name of. It’s a bit like buying a Ferrari when you live in a council house, just so you can get one over the Jones’ next door. Yet here is a club doing things the right way; living within its means and investing smartly as the club grows and chases success. Of course, the critics will point out that nothing has been won yet, and they’re right. But 2 mid-table finishes in recent years and the quality and application of the current squad shows that the team is going in the right direction. And let’s be honest, just how realistic is it to win the Premiership nowadays? A club of West Brom’s size can never really be able to expect to compete with the riches of Manchester City and Chelsea, even if those riches are based primarily on the personal wealth of oil-rich owners. But they’re doing well for themselves and with the current strategy in place, as the team grows and UEFA’s fair play rules come into play, maybe things will get a little bit easier. In the meantime, the club continues to roll along, ignored but content in itself, ambitious, but within reason. Just as Shane Long said, “We know what we are”.
