posted Jul 14, 2009

I would suggest that he is one of our better players, if not our best. He is so crucial to our team keeping possesion and moving the ball around. When he was injured for 8 weeks between January and March. It coincided with our worst form? On my side that was no coincidence. He is the key "cog" in our team. He is a good passer, got a good engine and will work all day for the team.

He is also versatile. Can play anywhere across the midfield and off the front man.

H was often used in different positions last year depending on who we played. Sometimes he'd player deeper and then other weeks higher.

I certainly think Greening could more then hold his own in the PL. I'm not sure if you listen to Gab Marcotti, but he ranked him as our best player last year and feels he is more then good enough to play for a top 8 PL team.

It seems Fulham are very interested in him and Hodgson has made him a key target. Fulham have apparently had two "informal" bids rejected. He is rated very highly by Peace as you can tell by the Statement which has more conviction then the one he made for Mowbray. Also Di Matteo wants to keep him.

I hope he signs his contract extension and stays at the Albion. But like i said he is a top man and i wouldn't begrudge him a move to the Premiership as he isn't getting any younger (30).

Also you'll find if he did leave. Most if not all Albion fans would thank him for his service as unlike Mr Paul Robinson, he has more class both on and off the field.

A true professional.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

He**

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Yeh! Fair play! I like Jonno (though I didn't like him as a winger). But he IS replaceable (in my view). Somebody like him who could tackle would be great.

But what would you say if Hodgson had agreed for Gera + enough cash to pay Zol's bigger wages?
Gera's not the prototype I had in mind (above), but I'd welcome him back on our right side, and we could release Morrison if we had to balance the books.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Greening has always been a top guy and has gone about this the right way. If he feels he wants one last crack at the premiership then I wouldn't be grudge him that in fact he'd leave with most peoples best wishes.

I do feel though that he was one of the players of the season in our promotion campaign and would be again this season so we would need a good price for him.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Why have Grrera back he was one of the first to jump ship the last time.he went for the dough,and then couldn't keep a regular place at Fulham.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

I wouldn't mind selling Greening at all. We have perfectly capable midfielders; some are young, some have experience. You can see these Centre Midfielders that are easily good without Greening:
Mulumbu, Koren, Dorrans and Valero. All of them are good enough in my opinion. If Koren keeps his head high and Greening goes, I'm sure we can give him the captain's armband. We don't need greening, but a few million would be great.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Jonathan Greening is a very spirited and hard working individual who sums up everything good about West Bromwich Albion. I feel that for smaller clubs, Greening can bring so much to the party that few can. Playing for Manchester United, Middlesbrough and West Brom, he is been at the Hawthorns for quite a long time now. Being the captain, you can understand why West Brom are so desperate to hand on to him.

Being 30 years of age, he brings experience and leadership to a club who has swapped between leagues for a number of years now. With Roberto Di Matteo replacing Tony Mowbray at the helm, he needs lieutenants on the pitch and Greening can be his second in command. Di Matteo is untried and untested at this level and West Brom will be dented severely if they were to lose their inspirational captain.

Looking at the other side, he is the type of player that Fulham should be targeting. Roy Hodgson is a very shrewd manager who knows what he wants. Having marvelously transformed Fulham's fortunes over the past year or so, he continues to take this small club from strength to strength. Trying to add quality to his playing staff all the time, he has made some fantastic signings and Greening would certainly fall into that category.

I would expect Fulham to increase their bid if they really wanted to get their man but whether West Brom would sell is another matter.

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posted Jul 14, 2009

Maga- A very good post. I agree we should try our best to keep him. Very underrated footballer.

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posted Jul 15, 2009

£2.5 million plus a promising 24 year old for a 30 plus player who cost less makes good sense to me. Losing Greening should not reduce our chances of gaining promotion to the PL so I say let him go.

I agree he is a great player and one who has made a difference but we should not stand in his way if he feels he has had enough. In fact, perhaps West Brom owe him another crack at the PL before his time is up.

Perhaps, as with Robinson, he could go out on loan with a view to a permanent transfer at a previously agrred price. THis may be difficult given Greening has only one more year on his contract.

West Brom should do this deal now as far as I am concerned.

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posted Jul 15, 2009

fulham fan here...

Didn't realise we were interested in him, but as a regular at games, I am not surprised...

Fulham rely on Murphy, he is our lunchpin, and the whole team works around him, with european games this year, I think hodgson wants/needs a player who can fit into that mould. greening strikes me as that kind of player, one who can hold onto the ball, dictate a game. I suspect that is why hodgson is after him, as back-up to murphy, and I suspect he hopes that greening won't mind playing second fiddle half the season for a chance at playing in a club which could be going places. I suspect someone will have a go at me, saying we are a small club and all that (which is true) but with a manager like hodgson, a decent run in the europe and a cup, while retaining premiership football is possible.

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