Another one in the bad books

21 March 2003

Not content with banishing Bob Taylor and Lee Marshall to train with the youth team and play in the reserves, Albion Manager Gary Megson has now had a training ground bust-up with striker Jason Roberts. Just back from a three-match suspension, Roberts said on his own web site that it was time for Albion to throw caution to the wind and try playing with three up front in order to get the goals that are now desperately needed to save them from relegation. Although the exact cause of the row is not known, Megson has not usually taken kindly to anyone that has suggested that his tactics might not be entirely spot-on, and this would seem to be a reasonable cause.

Meanwhile, Megson has blamed the Board and the Club's politics for the failure to prepare adequately for the Premiership, although the comments are somewhat vague - they could be taken as a swipe at former Chairman Paul Thompson, or at the current regime headed by Jeremy Peace, or both. He claims that Robbie Savage is a player he would have liked to sign last summer, but was unable to do so because of the boardroom wranglings going on while Peace tried to take control of the Club. Other sources suggest, however, that Savage was never considered as a target at the time.

The comments failed to impress pundit Alan Brazil - not that anything connected with Albion ever does, of course. On Sky Sports News, Alan was asked if Megson would be allowed to get away with making comments like that about his Board, and replied:

"I couldn't care less. This guy took on the job - he knew at the start of the season what the board's policies were - he knew he'd have no money - he knew his team would struggle. All he's doing know is saying to other Premier league chairmen "I know we're going down - but it's not my fault, I'm still a good manager, consider me for a job if you need someone." That's low and disloyal and I have no sympathy for him whatsoever - I don't care if he keeps his job or not"

Ouch!

Previous Stories:

  19 March 2003:  Hale honoured

  17 March 2003:  1968 evening at Kiddy SC

  16 March 2003:  Superbob frozen out

Back to the News Index