West Midlands football latest: 2024 reviews and a look at new Wolves boss Vitor Pereira

National World - LocalTV

A full round-up of all football clubs from the West Midlands.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, finally, Gary O'Neill has been sacked by Wolves. I mean, it's a very disappointing

00:08situation for them to be in again. We saw the same with Bruno Large a couple of seasons

00:12ago. They got Lopetegui injured to save them in the relegation scrap. At that time, it

00:17sort of seemed a bit too late in the season, but Lopetegui managed to turn things around

00:22and Wolves actually ended the season fairly well, albeit going away to the likes of Brighton

00:27and Arsenal and conceding way too many goals in those games. But then it ended poorly with

00:31Lopetegui. He ends just before Gary O'Neill comes in. O'Neill had some fantastic moments,

00:38more notably the West Brom game and that FA Cup run, which did sort of crumble. If you

00:42look at the fixtures and you look back, that Coventry game at Molineux where they thought

00:47they had the game won and they go and lose. And it would have been another trip to Wembley

00:51for Wolves, I think, if that went well. If that went the other way, then maybe things

00:56could have gone differently for Wolves. But ultimately, it's another failure, another

01:00terrible start to a Premier League season. Vito Pereira is the name to come in and hopefully

01:07turn things around. How do you see this going? Obviously, a lot of experience, 56 years of

01:11age. He's been around a number of clubs, but this is also the fourth time that Wolves have

01:17actually approached him. They approached him before Walter Zenger in 2016, then Nuno, which

01:22obviously went fantastically well. But then he was on the radar for them another few times

01:27as well. So it's an interesting appointment. Firstly, what do you make of it? What do the

01:32fans make of it? And how do you see Wolves getting on? I mean, this is just really sink

01:37or swim for them now in the top flight.

01:40It's important. They need a new manager bounce immediately. It's the game away at Leicester

01:44City, such a huge match and the six-pointer, the Premier League relegation five-course

01:48Ipswich game was also a six-pointer. That one ended terribly, a 94th-minute winner

01:53for the Tractor Boys. Another defeat would just be absolutely crushing for Wolves and

01:57it would make the mountain to climb even bigger for the new manager. But he looks like an

02:01experienced coach, as you say, Vito Pereira. I think the only concern, though, essentially

02:05is his loyalty. This would be his fifth club in the last five seasons, which doesn't make

02:11good reading if you want someone in for the long term. But I don't think that's what Wolves

02:14are looking for at this moment. I think it's just about getting a manager who's got that

02:17experience, who can play more attractive football. Not that attractive football is

02:23necessarily an important thing. It's all about getting results. But he's got the versatility

02:27as well. He's a bit more reactive to opponents than he is focusing on his own team. He wants

02:33to maybe set up in a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3, depending on the opponents that he has got. I'm not

02:40sure if it's going to work out, personally, because I think that the squad is in such

02:43disarray at the moment. But who knows? He seems to be a hard-nosed head coach. You might

02:48be able to get them back to winning ways. But that Leicester game, as I say, is so important,

02:53trying to get some momentum over the festive period. And then who knows what can happen

02:56in the new year with some transfers in the January transfer window.

02:59Charlie, let's look at Aston Villa and let's just have a quick, brief review on their 2024.

03:06Obviously, I mean, you look at the back end of 2023, they were on fire, beating Manchester

03:12City and Arsenal in the space of a week or so. Then they go into the new year and they

03:17are looking fantastic. Obviously, fell in the FA Cup eventually to Chelsea in a brilliant

03:23performance from the Blues. But Villa then just kick on and they had a fantastic campaign

03:28in the Conference League. But then you thought they were favourites and they did sort of

03:32throw that away. It felt at times, a bit of silverware under Emre in this fantastic era

03:39would have been ideal for fans so far. But then, you know, obviously qualifying for the

03:43Champions League was absolutely massive and starting this campaign really well. Then they

03:48go on a bit of a blip in November, festive period as well to come. And it's just an interesting

03:54one. What do you sort of make of their 2024? Maybe seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.

04:00Yeah, I think the Conference League, obviously silverware would have been amazing and European

04:04silverware, but most Villa fans would probably say that they'd rather play Champions League

04:08football, which might seem a bit controversial, silverware or silverware, they'd have had

04:12Europa League anyway. But being in the top European competition, especially with the

04:16new rebrand, the new format, it's just such an exciting opportunity. And we've seen so

04:20far being in the top five of the Champions League, league phase with all those 36 teams,

04:25they look as if they could finish in the top eight and advance straight through to the

04:28last 16, which would be an incredible achievement. I think it has worked out for the best. And

04:32considering that, and the fact they qualified in the first place, finishing in the top four,

04:37it's been a hugely successful 2024 for Unai Emery. And obviously things have dwindled

04:42at the start of the season a little bit. They had a winless streak of eight matches, nearly

04:47became nine. That would have been the longest in Emery's managerial career, but turned it

04:50round recently. Still inconsistency slipping in. I think injuries haven't helped. He likes

04:56to try and keep a consistent starting 11 and he's not really been able to do that too often.

05:00Obviously the fixture congestion throughout December is also a very difficult thing to

05:04deal with for any team, but there are signs that things are going to improve and kick

05:08on as January arrives and they want to sign a new right back in the January transfer window.

05:14Also a new attacking midfielder that should be able to fill some of the gaps Emery's been

05:17struggling with. Of course, someone like John Duran kicking on as well and should be able

05:21to help them as they progress in the Champions League.

05:23And who's been the standout player for Villa across 2024? There's obviously been a few

05:28big names. Ollie Watkins had that incredible summer moment for England.

05:34Yeah, I think that kind of encapsulates everything that Watkins was about last season. Scoring

05:39and assisting so many in the Premier League, second only to Cole Palmer last season for

05:42goals plus assists. He's been remarkable. He's been a little bit stop-start at the beginning

05:47of the season. A few small injury problems for him, but he's shown why he's still a very

05:52consistent and clinical striker. Always seems to be beating his expected goals. Recently

05:57actually, his finishing has dwindled a little bit, but he still remains one of Villa's best

06:00players and probably the best of 2024.

06:03Charlie, on to West Bromwich Abbey. Now, obviously, looking across there, 2024, a bit of a missed

06:09opportunity, a chance to go to Wembley in the playoff final. They sort of slipped up

06:14in the playoffs, but to get there in the first place was very honourable for Carlos Corbijn,

06:20the shoestring budget and the way the players, he's got them playing. It's not a top sort

06:25of championship echelon group of players, but they sort of have proven that they can

06:30perform like that. So maybe Baggies fans view 2024 as a bit of a learning curve, a bit of

06:36a chance to get the new sort of ownership structure right and go further. But how do

06:40you sort of review 2024 for West Brom? I mean, it's something that you look at going into

06:462025 and you can maybe think there could be some positivity ahead.

06:51I think it's exactly that, really. 2024, mopping up previous mistakes, the new ownership

06:56coming in, solidifying things at the basis of the football club, trying to remove the

07:00debts the club was in, not able to spend much money in the transfer window as a result.

07:04Now in the next couple of years, should be able to up their spending a little bit. It's

07:07against the Premier League would be a massive help financially. That hasn't happened. Disappointment

07:12last year of losing to Southampton in the playoffs. But Albion just weren't quite ready

07:17to make that step. The fact they finished in the top six was a top six was a positive

07:21step forward, but they weren't ready to go all the way to the Premier League. Even Southampton

07:25themselves winning the playoffs, getting up and they've not been ready to compete. Just

07:31yeah, obviously Russell Martin losing his job recently, rock bottom of the English top

07:35tier and it was like an absolute miracle. One of the best ever escapes for them to escape

07:40relegation. So don't think that'll be happening. That does put things into perspective for

07:44West Brom. Maybe they shouldn't be too disappointed that they didn't go up and maybe it wouldn't

07:47have been the right time. Anyway, kicking on this season has been a bit of a struggle

07:52at times. So many draws, especially the Hawthorns. I was there recently when they finally put

07:56an end to their draws at home. They beat Frank Lampard's Coventry City. They then go and

08:01lose away at Watford. Disappointing, but they're still just outside the playoff positions. Still

08:06so long to go this season. And I think maybe if they can strengthen a little bit in January,

08:11it should be able to help them kick on. But the shoestring budget, as you mentioned, is

08:15still an issue this season. It's going to be difficult to improve in key areas, but

08:19Carlos Corbaran, such a good head coach, such good at getting the best out of the bad situation.

08:24So I expect them to kick on and finish in that top six.

08:27Yeah, and looking at Baggy's best players across the calendar year, who sort of stands

08:32out there because there has been some big impacts made by Carlos Corbaran?

08:37I think Alex Palmer, the goalkeeper, has been so impressive. He won the Golden Glove

08:41last season in the championship. He's already got 10 clean sheets in 21 games so far this

08:47season at the time of recording, which is an incredible achievement. Just having that

08:50solid base, having an experiencing goal and the leadership as well, it is so important.

08:55It just gives the defenders in front of him more confidence and it means you can build

08:59from the back and hopefully push on and get those wins. So Alex Palmer, superb this year.

09:04New era has come in. It's a strange relegation situation for them because all the fans seemed

09:10the most positive I've ever seen a fan base after going down, which means they are buying

09:15to this new project from the American owners and the consortium that have taken them into

09:21this new era. They've changed the stadium name. They've made upgrades all around the place.

09:26They've had a few managers come in this year. Wayne Rooney's spell, as we said before,

09:32doesn't really seem real like it actually happened. It was quite a crazy time for Blues,

09:37but they've gone down and they are looking like they're going to go straight back up.

09:41How do you sort of review 2024 because it's been a bit of a mixed bag at Birmingham City?

09:46It's been absolutely bonkers, to be honest. Wayne Rooney lasting just a couple of days at the start

09:50of the year of 2024, of course, a couple of months before that as well. A disaster management spell

09:55from them and John Neustadt's going a few months earlier. You see how well he's doing at Blackburn

09:59now with limited resources in the playoff positions that Blues were saying they held

10:03on to him. But that's not how it turned out. Tony Mowbray started well. Unfortunately,

10:08illness stopped him from carrying on. Gary Rowett coming in as well towards the end of the season

10:12wasn't quite enough. Blues go down and as you mentioned, a really strange atmosphere because

10:17it was almost relief that finally these years of championship football, battling relegation and

10:23hardly breaking or never breaking into the top half and just the relentlessness of it all has

10:28come to an end. This season, the investment in the summer has really boosted the football club,

10:33a complete overhaul of the squad. Chris Davies has come in, his first proper management job after

10:38being an assistant at a host of clubs under Brendan Rodgers. He's really impressed and

10:43just the unity at the football club, the excitement, the atmosphere at St Andrews

10:46at Nighthead Park as well and sellout crowds for the first time in such a long while.

10:52It's a great feeling. And of course, I think if they win the league title as well, that'd be great

10:56to get some silverware at the club and push on and hopefully be in a better position in the

11:01championship. But I genuinely think that if they stayed in the championship, their progress and

11:06their potential journey to the Premier League would have taken longer than it would by going

11:10down, which is a strange statement to make, but they're on track to get promoted at the first

11:15time of asking and the squad is capable of great things. So very impressed by Birmingham this year.

11:20Yeah, there have obviously been some fantastic additions. Tomoki Iwata has been fantastic.

11:26Obviously coming in the summer, as you look back at over 2024, who's been the best player

11:31in the blue shirt, do you think? I think Jay Stansfield sticks out winning all the individual

11:36awards last season and starting this campaign as well. But Christian Bielek actually, maybe

11:42towards the end of last year, could have been a little bit better, but it wasn't just his fault.

11:45It was the fault of the football club and the disarray. This season he's proven to be one of

11:50the best players in League One, if not the best. And I think he's definitely top of championship

11:54quality. A great leader, playing in a variety of positions. What a player Bielek has become for

11:59Birmingham.

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