Albion's growing injury list has Mowbray studying priorities
Feb 2 2009 by Robert Tanner, Birmingham Post
HULL CITY 2 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2
The cavalry could be coming just in the nick of time; West Bromwich Albion boss Tony Mowbray has revealed he is close to reinforcing his disintegrating squad before the transfer window slams shut at 5pm on Monday, but he has warned that the recruits may not be the heroic saviours Albion fans will be hoping for.
An already massively depleted Albion side, which included patched-up centre backs Ryan Donk and Abdoulaye Meite, did a sterling job of coming away from the KC Stadium with a point after a dismal first-half performance.
However, two more key players limped out of action as midfielder Borja Valero picked up a hamstring strain and the influential Robert Koren complained of a calf problem after a gruelling contest.
With the games coming thick and fast, and Mowbray’s men set for a FA Cup fourth-round replay at Burnley tomorrow night, the manager is hoping he can bolster his squad but is realistic about the type of player he will be able to recruit.
“My phone was pretty busy this morning with my technical director telling me what was happening here and there,” Mowbray said after the 2-2 draw with the Tigers. “The hope is that we can get one or two in. One would be good but two would help a lot.
“It is hard when you are talking about loan players coming into the Premier League and making a difference. Whoever lets you loan them is probably letting you have them because they are not quite good enough for their team, so why would they come to the strongest league in the world and make an impact?
“If they are a squad player at their club, then it is unlikely they will be making a huge impact but that is the area we are looking at and we are trying to get the balance right in our squad.”
As a result of his problems, Mowbray has confessed he is considering protecting his weary players ahead of next week’s vital league clash against Newcastle United at The Hawthorns by sending a weakened side to Turf Moor tomorrow. It will simply be a case of prioritising.
“I do want to progress in the FA Cup, although potentially we would be away to Arsenal if they can get past Cardiff of course, so I am not thinking it is a nice easy one and we are in the quarter-finals,” he said.
“I wrestle with how we go against Burnley in my mind. I don’t want to risk any of our players so, if Valero has a tight hamstring, he won’t play if he has a chance of next Saturday.
“I don’t want to demean the FA Cup in any way, shape or form, but it is about doing the right thing for the football club.”
Meanwhile, Mowbray’s existing squad proved they have the stomach for the fight by twice coming from behind to grab only their fifth point of the season outside The Hawthorns.
Roared on by a massive away following, Albion were poor in the first half and fell behind to a Bernard Mendy strike just before the interval.
Jay Simpson grabbed the equaliser eight minutes after the break after good work from James Morrison, but Hull regained the lead with a Craig Fagan header in the 69th minute.
However, Kamil Zayatte hacked down Koren in the box and Chris Brunt blasted home the resulting penalty under Matt Duke to secure the draw.
Scorers: Mendy (44) 1-0, Simpson (53) 1-1, Fagan (69) 2-1, Brunt (73) 2-2.
HULL CITY (4-4-2): Duke, Dawson, Turner, Zayatte, Ricketts, Mendy, Ashbee, Marney, Kilbane, Fagan, Garcia (Folan, 80). Substitutes: Myhill, Doyle, Geovanni, Hughes, France, Manucho.
WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-2): Carson, Zuiverloon, Meite, Donk, Robinson, Morrison (Kim, 75), Valero (Pele, 88), Koren, Brunt, Simpson, Fortune (Bednar, 75). Substitutes: Keily, Hoefkens, Cech, Teixeira.
Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).
Bookings: Hull – Dawson (foul); Albion - Robinson, Meite, Morrison, Zuiverloon (all fouls).
Attendance: 24,879.
Albion man of the match: Robert Koren – another wholehearted and honest performance.
