Baggies fan poll names McInnes as first choice

Jun 23 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

ANXIOUS Perth fans will be relieved if West Bromwich Albion directors shun a local paper’s poll which has pinpointed Derek McInnes as their first choice to replace Tony Mowbray.

The former Baggies captain is listed ahead of ex-Charlton boss Alan Curbishley and Peterborough’s Darren Ferguson.

Yesterday, the subject of ongoing media speculation surrounding the vacant West Midlands managerial post had returned from a coaching badge course at the Euro U21 championships in Sweden.

And until his former club appoint a new manager, or make an official approach to St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown for permission to speak to the man who led Saints back to the SPL, McDiarmid Park supporters will be left on tenterhooks.

While Watford seem to have been scared off by Brown’s demands for £200,000-plus compensation before they could even talk to McInnes, West Brom chairman Jeremy Peace has banked around £2 million from Celtic for their former manager.

Sources down south suggest McInnes features on a three-man shortlist for the Hawthorns post.

But the Perth club continues to map out their strategy for the new campaign, with Brown prepared to sanction a bid for Livingston striker Leigh Griffiths if a lucrative personal contract and £100,000 offer tabled by Dundee falls through.

Saints remain the only club in Scotland to bankroll a cash transaction so far this summer, with £50,000 spent on Livi duo and former Dens targets Dave Mackay and Murray Davidson.

That’s a sign of the times in Scottish football, with the Setanta troubles still generating headlines.

And the television deal continues to put plans to draft in three more players in limbo.

McInnes and Brown talked over the Setanta latest yesterday, with the manager waiting for the green light to progress potential acquisitions.

He said: “We have players hanging on and obviously they are getting a bit anxious.

“That will be the case for many players in Scotland right now.”

Most of the Perth squad will assemble at McDiarmid on Monday to begin the pre-season but McInnes revealed: “A couple of the boys have been given a few days grace.

“Originally the plan was to return on July 4 but that had to change because of the Co-operative Insurance Cup draw. They had booked holidays so they will be back a wee bit later.”

McInnes said the Euro week was intensive, packed with analysis and laptop presentations.

He said: “We also looked at the Swedish youth system and that’s something we could probably learn from here in Scotland.

“Further down the line I will take in a three-day visit to a foreign club as part of the UEFA coaching badge. It should all be wrapped up by the end of the year and that’s 22 months or so after I started the course.”