[BaggieSteve]

I think Steve Bruce has enough of a challenge on his plate with us!!!  Not sure he will want to take on a job with a team that are likely to have trouble putting out a first team with the number of loanees and out of contract players you guys have!!  With the list of players "leaving" WBA this summer the need to get in a manager who can find players quickly and mould the team he wants is imperative, and its equally imperative that you appoint someone yesterday!!!

You're right, SCO, which makes our neglect of our academy players this year in favour of loanees all the more galling. I fully accept that Gayle and Holgate have been great successes for us, primarily because they've regularly played. However, I struggle to understand the logic behind Murphy, Montero, Tosin and, to some extent, Johansen, particularly when we do have talented young players available. As you say, a new manager appointment is critical for us but I hope to goodness that its not another old has-been who has been around the leagues and will fill that squad with his old "tried and tested" mates who are in their mid thirties, have absolutely no pace but work 'aaard (sorry TP, I stole your trademark reply) and whom he can "trust". The future of the club, I believe, has to be a balance between experience - which we have in abundance at present - and young, keen creative players, which we also have but who have been omitted in favour of the former. The loanees we would like to keep are likely to return to their respective clubs (Gayle, Holgate, possibly Johansen), the more able players will leave (Dawson, Gibbs, JRod, Phillips, Heghazi) and we may even lose one of our most talented youngsters in Harper. The great news is that we'll still have Robson-Kanu, Townsend and Bartley; I can hardly contain my excitement for the coming season.