New Albion boss Mason club's 'top choice'
Albion's poor form at the back end of last season, combined with a style of play which many fans had become disillusioned with, was a key reason behind Mason's appointment and a seeming change in strategy."First and foremost, there's a very clear alignment in our playing model and the kind of squad we want to keep evolving and building," Nestor added."Otherwise he [Mason] wouldn't have been a top choice - there has to be that alignment. We have a very structured process around player recruitment and scouting. Ryan's input is very important to that."For every position, we have a shadow squad - a list of players we like and if there is an outgoing, those are players that we would approach and that continues to change on a daily basis."Myself, [director of football operations] Ian Pearce, [head of technical scouting] Dan Sale and Ryan were all aligned on what the squad needs going into next season. Last season, there was a lot of turnover and frankly we needed that to address the PSR (profit and sustainability rules) deficit."But we also wanted to address the playing style, to get the team younger, start to invest into assets that will have future value but will really impact the first-team straight away and create a better squad balance."BBC Radio WM's Steve Hermon will be joining the Baggies on their pre-season trip to Austria next week and compiling a 'Daily Diary' which you will be able to read here.
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The Sun
27 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man Utd told to make transfer move for ‘giant' after Arsenal defeat as Rooney and Neville pinpoint major weakness
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Martinez – the World Cup winner and Villa's no-nonsense No. 1 – was linked to Old Trafford earlier this summer, with a £40million price tag slapped on him by Villa Park chiefs. Meanwhile, Donnarumma – frozen out at PSG by Luis Enrique – is desperate for a new home and is keen on a Premier League switch. Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville fumed:'There's a glaring issue for Manchester United that can't be ignored. They need to find a goalkeeper. They have to.' Neville says the revolving door of keepers since Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar has made United look like a circus at the back. He added:'I'm absolutely unequivocal on that. I had an experience at United for 20 years, where we had big spells with [Peter] Schmeichel and [Edwin] van der Sar, and in between, we had seven or eight other goalkeepers. What did we learn about Man Utd in Arsenal defeat? MANCHESTER UNITED have splashed the cash this summer but that couldn't prevent an opening day home loss to Arsenal. 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"The reason I say those two would be good for United is not necessarily because they're the two best goalkeepers in Europe, but they've got big personalities and characters. It's really unsettling when you don't have a really dominant No. 1. Gary Neville "You've seen Donnarumma in a Euros final saving those penalties – he looked like a giant, and you've seen him play for PSG in huge games under pressure. "We've seen Martinez play in World Cup finals. They've played under extreme pressure, and they can handle it. "Man United need that, I think they need to sort the goalkeeper out because they will keep conceding goals and points, and it undermines what you're doing. "I've said it for years, you need personality, character, and stability in that position. I think United need to deal with it in the next couple of weeks.' Rooney, speaking on his own podcast, echoed the need to bring in Donnarumma. 7 7 7 He said: 'He (Donnarumma) is only 26, and he's one of the best goalkeepers in the world. "I go back to when we had Roy Carroll and Tim Howard in goal and I don't think there was 100% trust in them from the defenders. "Van der Sar comes in and calms everything down and the defenders trust him a bit more. "Onana has come in and he's a fantastic goalkeeper but he certainly didn't fill us with confidence last season. "Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and it would be crazy if Man United don't go for him.' Fulham this weekend, with The Sun exclusively told that the club is looking at bringing David de Gea back to the club. The Red Devils have been tipped off that the Spaniard, 34, has a clause in his deal at Fiorentina – allowing him to leave for a relatively small sum.
The Sun
29 minutes ago
- The Sun
Arsenal transfer news LIVE: Gunners REJECT Saliba-Rodrygo ‘swap deal' Zinchenko ‘close to EXIT', Eze updates
Ex-Prem ref on Arsenal goal Ruben Amorim felt Riccardo Calafiori's first-half winner for Arsenal was a foul on his keeper Altay Bayindir but I have to disagree, writes ex-Prem referee Mark Halsey. It was a perfectly good goal. Bayindir has got to be a lot stronger in those situations. He has got to come out and punch the ball. There was no foul from Gunners defender William Saliba. It was normal contact. We see it go on all the time in the penalty area. No foul at all on Bayindir. There has to be clear contact or a clear blocking move from an Arsenal player to constitute a foul in those situations. The referee and VAR got it spot on. It wasn't a foul and the goalkeeper has simply got to be stronger.
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Sutton's predictions: Leeds United v Everton
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