00:00Coxie, Albion announced a surprise sort of sign-in earlier this week. Paddy MacNair has
00:13come in as Albion's fourth catcher of the summer. Former Sunderland and Middlesbrough
00:18man just signed a deal with San Diego, but will come to Albion on a short-term loan deal
01:25in 2025.
01:26It struck me as an opportunistic move from Albion, I think, and that chimes with the
01:34noises we had from owner Shillam Patel earlier this summer when he said Albion have to think
01:38outside the box, be resourceful. Basically, words first. We've got no unlimited cash to
01:45throw at this window. We need to really have a think about different kind of deals and
01:49how we do this.
01:51Yeah, opportunistic. I mean, it's obviously been long known that Paddy MacNair was ending
01:55his long spell at Middlesbrough. I think he had six years there at the Riverside and that
01:59was coming to an end at the end of his contract this summer. Probably long known that he was
02:03taking the opportunity to go out to the States. He's actually joining a brand new club, a
02:08new franchise in the MLS in San Diego. But of course also, San Diego's kind of MLS tenure
02:16doesn't start until the opening months of next year, as I mentioned, January, February.
02:22So sort of period, I guess, of relative inactivity for MacNair. I think I've read reports from
02:28the States that San Diego were trying to sort out a little loan, a short-term loan, a few
02:33months for him to play competitively, stay as a regular. And look, I'm sure that drew
02:37interest from championship clubs for Albion, obviously, and more really. It's smart. Like
02:44I said, it makes sense. I think it's opportunistic. And I think Albion could reap the rewards
02:50of it. I like it. As I say, when we heard about it yesterday, it sort of drew a bit
02:56of puzzlement and you're sort of thinking, well, what's this one about? But we know,
03:00as we reported, that Corgan wanted more cover at centre-half. That was a big one. He wanted
03:05certainly one more in there. He's got it for half a season. And look, in Paddy MacNair,
03:10it's funny, isn't it? Because he's a name that's been around forever. And you kind of
03:14think he must be well into his thirties, you know, maybe not quite Eric Peters' age or
03:19a Martin Kelly age, but he must be getting on. But he's 29, Paddy MacNair, and he's not
03:25long-term 29, only in April. So, you know, relatively speaking to a defender at centre-half,
03:30I know he's versatile, but in his best years, really. And he wasn't sort of bombed out by
03:35Middlesbrough last year, you know, played 20-odd times in championships. So you have
03:40a full and very regular international, 69 caps, I think, for Northern Ireland. So yeah,
03:45I think it takes the experience and sort of leadership and know how he will bring, I think
03:50could be really, really sort of valuable for Albin. I think it's a smart one. I think it'll
03:54be, it's low risk, isn't it? Low cost, really, and what Albin would have to cover wage-wise
03:58from obviously this new deal he'll have in the States. So yeah, I think when you actually
04:04think about it, it makes sense in many ways, really. He's quite smart and astute.
04:10There's another centre-half coming through the door, or centre-half that can play in
04:13central midfield as well until January. Obviously, Torben Heggum has come in as well. I'm sure
04:19Carlos Corbijn, you know, will be targeting more players in that area.
04:23Earlier this week, Caleb Taylor signed a new long-term contract he spent at the end of
04:28last season on loan at Bolton. He's been very much in and around it this pre-season. What
04:33does it mean for him? And would you be surprised if he now went out on loan till at least January?
04:40I think last time we did these videos, one of the key points we spoke on in one of them
04:46was Caleb Taylor, wasn't it? I think we were speaking about the youngsters in general and
04:50maybe who can replicate the Tom Fellows and stand a step forward. And you would have to
04:56have said, and I did at the time, that Caleb is, I think for me, the one most primed and
05:01ready to do so. And for that as well, going off words from Carlos Corbijn himself last
05:06year saying that he'll be around, he'll be a part of the squad next term, which was maybe
05:10a little bit of a surprise at the time. But look, perhaps the McNair, now we always knew
05:15another centre-half was coming in, but perhaps this half a season of McNair, and we know
05:20it will only be half a season, you know, he will go to his new club in the new year. Perhaps
05:25it does open up that window of opportunity for Caleb Taylor. Now, I'd like to see Caleb
05:29Taylor play in the League Cup at Fleetwood, hopefully have him get through and then play
05:33in the next round of the League Cup, which is towards the end of August, maybe and then
05:37get his deadline day loan or whatever. Now, we know a loan away isn't maybe ideal if you
05:43haven't had pre-season with the loan club, but if you can get a couple of Albion appearances
05:46in that kind of thing, in Cup competitions, I think that's good for him. I would say it's
05:50by no means an absolute guarantee that he'll go out just because McNair's coming in. I
05:54think League One clubs up and down the land, I think Scottish Premier clubs would, you
06:03know, rip your hands off for a Caleb Taylor loan. I think he's that highly rated, you
06:06know, I imagine Bolton would do it again if they could, you know, real ambitious third
06:11tier clubs would go for it. So there wouldn't be any shortage in suitors. I think it'd be
06:14on Albion's terms if they and Carlos Coburn decide they've got enough cover now and, you
06:21know, they sort of come to the agreement that the best thing for Caleb's development is
06:25to go again for, you know, play regularly for three months, four months, whatever, then
06:30I think it will happen. As I say, you know, McNair now will obviously compete with Carl
06:35Barley, with Shamir Joey. I suppose the one sort of little question mark is on the new
06:40boy Hagen, Torbjörn Hagen, and just where is he going to be more of a regular? Pre-season,
06:47he came to the club left-sided defender, centre-half, you know, left-footed. Pre-season, although
06:53we haven't been able to go to behind-closed-doors friendlies yet, unfortunately, he's played
06:56both as far as I can tell so far. So no real permanent clues yet as to whether he's going
07:02to be. Look, full-back, obviously Connor Townsend's out there, experienced, regular
07:08part of the side. Full-back, wing-back, centre-back in a four, left-sided centre-back in a three.
07:16When we get the chance to quiz Carlos Coburn for the first time, which will hopefully be
07:19in the coming days, hopefully next week before the first public friendlies, we'll finally
07:23get a feel for where he sees Hagen in terms of a home. Now, if he sees him more out as
07:29a full-back, then you possibly need a Taylor as another centre-back option, but in Hagen
07:35there's someone who can play in the middle as well. Good size, isn't he? Big size. So
07:39I think as it looks now with McNair, who can be a regular still, you know, in good years
07:45in terms of his career, I think now the scope to send Taylor out, I do, and I think him
07:49playing 20-odd times in the first half of the season could be really, really beneficial.
07:55And who knows how that goes. It might go brilliantly and that might need him for injury cover or
07:58might need him once McNair returns, or it might go smoothly. Albion might look at another
08:03loan in January and might keep Caleb out for the season. But look, as we know from that
08:07new deal he mentioned earlier this week, Johnny, Caleb Taylor is hugely regarded at the Hawthorns
08:13and certainly by the head coach. So he's got a big future regardless, but it becomes an
08:17interesting season for him now. And yeah, it looks to me like a good crop of centre-halves
08:23and it'll be interesting to see how Albion sort of start that first game at QPR, won't
08:28it, in terms of, you know, we'll see. Will it be the four? Will it be a three in terms
08:33of centre defenders? And who makes the cut really? You know, you've got... Cedric Kipper
08:38has obviously gone and he was the sort of one given last season, wasn't he, along with
08:41Bartley for the most part. So does Bartley stay in as a starter? Obviously advancing
08:46years now, we'll see more of Shami Ajayi than we've seen in a couple of years. Where will
08:51Higgins play? Will Paddy McNair come in and be a regular, even though he's only a half
08:54season loan?
08:55A few questions, but interesting nonetheless.
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