Baggies fans used to uncertainty in transfer window
ALBION fans can be forgiven for feeling trapped inside another groundhog day of a transfer window.
They have been here before with the Baggies, who are notoriously slow at conducting the business of procurement.
Jay Rodriguez and Ahmed Hegazi are the club’s only summer signings for the forthcoming season thus far.
Despite Tony Pulis’ bold declaration that two more were expected by the time he returned from Hong Kong a week ago, there is nothing imminent. The mantra now is to remain “patient” and “calm”, directives Albion fans have heard before down the years.
Some are pointing the finger at the head coach, others at technical director Nick Hammond and chairman John Williams.
But the club’s cautious transfer policy pre-dates Pulis, Hammond and Williams.
Last summer Albion finally landed long-term target Matt Phillips when he completed a £5 million move from QPR on July 6.
But the transfer floodgates certainly didn’t open as Guochuan Lai’s £175 million takeover rumbled on behind the scenes. There was a six-week wait before Brendan Galloway was drafted in on a season-long loan.
Then the floodgates did open, sort of, with Nacer Chadli, Allan Nyom and Hal Robson-Kanu all joining in the final three days of the window.
A year earlier, Albion struck on June 22 with the acquisition of James McClean, but it wasn’t until July 29 that he was backed up by the signing of James Chester.
Rickie Lambert, Serge Gnabry, Salomon Rondon, Jonny Evans and Anders Lindegaard all followed in August, Evans and Lindegaard making the switch from Manchester United late in the window.
The summer window of 2014 proved the exception to the rule over the last six summers.
Eager to support Alan Irvine, former chairman Jeremy Peace sanctioned a series of early signings.
Craig Gardner, Joleon Lescott, Chris Baird, Sebastien Pocognoli, Brown Ideye and Andre Wisdom all arrived before August.
By no means was Irvine done, with five more players joining before the deadline. Not one of his purchases is still at the club.
Nicolas Anelka and Goran Popov joined in early July in 2013, but were not supplemented until August. Steve Clarke gave the term “last minute” a whole new meaning with four signings on deadline day.
The transfer record was broken twice as Stephane Sessegnon’s £6million move was quickly surpassed by Victor Anichebe’s £6.5million switch.
Morgan Amalfitano and Lee Camp also arrived at the 11th hour.
The summer before that, Clarke steadily added to the squad after succeeding Roy Hodgson.
Ben Foster’s loan was made permanent when he completed a £4 million switch from Birmingham on June 29.
A late Tom Pope header cancelled out Hal Robson-Kanu’s first half strike at Port Vale to deprive Albion of a win in their final domestic game of preseason on Tuesday night.
The Baggies now head to Spain to take on Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday in their last warm-up before the nitty gritty starts against Bournemouth.