Wrexham v West Brom - Lewis Cox match preview - video Dailymotion

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Wrexham v West Brom - Lewis Cox match preview

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00:00Good afternoon from the Albion training ground.

00:02We've just been with Baggy's head coach, Ryan Mason,

00:04for the pre-Wrexham press conference.

00:07Albion, of course, travelled to the race course ground

00:09for the first ever league meeting between the two clubs

00:11on Saturday lunchtime.

00:12Of course, we know about Wrexham's story, don't we,

00:15and the back-to-back-to-back promotions

00:16that have got them to the championship,

00:18and really the swell of kind of fandom, I suppose,

00:22and support that will be following the Red Dragons all season, really.

00:25And Saturday, obviously, the game,

00:27live on Terrestrial TV on Saturday lunchtime,

00:30and we know what a stern test, I think,

00:31it'll be for Albion and Ryan Mason's side,

00:33but I sense full confidence and belief here,

00:37certainly from the Albion boss.

00:39I mean, he'd have done a lot of media ahead of this game,

00:42and he'll face a lot of questions on Wrexham,

00:43and I think by the time, you know,

00:45the sort of few of us in that press conference there

00:47finished, you know, or were ongoing asking Wrexham questions,

00:51he'd quite frankly and politely, by the way,

00:54had enough of facing Wrexham questions

00:55and was very much keen and backing to talk about

00:58his West Bromwich Albion side

00:59and, you know, why and how they can go and win that game.

01:02Obviously, in doing so in North Wales on Saturday,

01:06they'll be continuing a pretty decent start to the season.

01:09We know they opened up, obviously,

01:11at home with a win against Blackburn last weekend

01:12and a good performance and a deserved victory.

01:14Should have been a deserved victory on Tuesday night,

01:16and that EFL first-round tie against Derby,

01:20that, of course, went the other way in the 96th minute

01:22in terms of a Rams equaliser and then penalties,

01:24but it was a good performance.

01:26Albion would be a better side on Tuesday night,

01:28deserved winners, and I want to take that,

01:30obviously, I think the performance level from both games

01:32to Wrexham, you know, this is a Wrexham side

01:34at a new level, finding their feet,

01:36still building their squad.

01:37I know they're bringing,

01:39said to be bringing Nathan Brodhead

01:41to the club from Ipswich on a £10 million deal,

01:43and I think that just, you know, summarises,

01:45typifies the ambition, really, at the club

01:48and what Albion have to go up against.

01:50You know, not just Wrexham, obviously,

01:51we know about Birmingham City as well

01:53and the usual suspects that will be

01:54at the top of this division.

01:56So, yeah, the strength of the league this season,

01:58and this will be a real test, won't it,

01:59for a first away game.

02:00Going there, you know, Wrexham's first home game

02:03at the level, the ownership, the Hollywood,

02:06you know, it's all going to be there, isn't it,

02:08we think, in our faces.

02:10So, let's see how Albion handle it and deal with it.

02:12Obviously, lots going on at the club, really,

02:14notably Torbjorn Hegem,

02:16obviously on his way to Italy and Bologna,

02:19ready to complete that move around £10 million.

02:21Massive deal for Albion, massive transfer.

02:24In terms of an exit, look, he's a quality player,

02:27we all know that, and he'll be a big miss

02:28in Ryan Mason's defence, really.

02:31He'll be a big miss, but, look, it's a deal

02:33Albion couldn't turn down.

02:35And for a couple of reasons, really,

02:37we know about the profit and sustainability laws,

02:39you know, they're trying to obviously remain compliant

02:41with that, sailing close to the wind

02:43as the club continued to pick up the pieces

02:45from the previous era.

02:47And for them to do that,

02:48while being able to back Mason,

02:50to make improvements,

02:52you know, that kind of offer,

02:53that kind of money has to be taken and made.

02:55So, we know about, obviously,

02:56Hegem's situation being in the pipeline for some time.

02:58Ryan Mason said there,

02:59look, that's not a shock to us.

03:01That interest has been long-standing.

03:03Obviously, the deal's accelerated the last week,

03:06certainly half a week.

03:07And here we are now.

03:08However, we, well, those of you

03:10that have read our website earlier today,

03:12on Thursday,

03:13we've had the couple of news,

03:16bits of news regarding,

03:17you know, potential future Albion players

03:19coming in the other direction, haven't we?

03:20First of all, Christian Bielik,

03:22the Birmingham City club captain,

03:24defender, versatile defender,

03:27can play in defensive midfield,

03:2827-year-old Paul is said to be

03:30moving to the Hawthorns on a permanent deal.

03:34We expect that to go through.

03:35I reported that earlier today.

03:37And, yeah, I mean,

03:38I'll speak about it at length another time,

03:40but early signs,

03:41I think it looks like a shrewd bit of business to me,

03:43you know, cover defensively.

03:45Obviously, Hegem's, you know,

03:47left Gianluca Frobata, left last week.

03:49The left back, Kyle Bartley,

03:50retired this time last week,

03:51didn't he?

03:52We had that news.

03:52So, really, you know,

03:54you could say three defensive exits

03:55at senior level in the last week or so.

03:58And Bielik, I think,

03:59seems smart business to me

04:00and really sort of adds to the options,

04:04adds to the depth competition,

04:05competition there.

04:05He's, you know,

04:06he's captain at Blues,

04:07so he's a leader of being a voice swoney.

04:09So, there's a lot to like there,

04:10I think.

04:10Obviously, the formalities

04:11and that to be finalised,

04:12but expect that to go through.

04:14And we've had Toby Collier as well,

04:15Manchester United,

04:16midfield prospect,

04:1821-year-old,

04:19very well thought of at Old Trafford.

04:21Obviously, Manchester United

04:22are not where they want to be

04:23at the moment,

04:24but I think he,

04:25believe I'm right in saying

04:26he played 13 times

04:27for the Red Devils last season.

04:28And, you know,

04:29having only moved there

04:30from Brighton as a youngster in 2022.

04:32Now, as I say,

04:33Collier's 21.

04:34He's a,

04:35as far as I understand,

04:36obviously,

04:36I had to speak to a few more people,

04:38but he's an athletic range,

04:39he's sort of energetic midfielder

04:40who's very capable

04:41with the ball as well.

04:42England Youth International

04:43seems to be the case

04:46that there was a big old queue

04:48for his loan signature this season.

04:50And it appears that Albion

04:51have won that race.

04:52You know,

04:53perhaps you wonder

04:53if having the likes

04:54of a Ryan Mason

04:55as head coach,

04:56you know,

04:57a former midfielder

04:57who played at the top level,

04:58is appealing to a Collier

05:00or signings of that ilk,

05:01really,

05:02that they want to come

05:02and work under him

05:03and benefit from working with him.

05:05Could be something in that,

05:06I feel.

05:07Hall was certainly

05:08one of the sides

05:08in for him on the loan.

05:10There were many others,

05:11I believe.

05:11I've reported up to a dozen.

05:13So that'd be a strong

05:14sort of,

05:15I think,

05:15loan coup

05:15if Albion get there

05:16and using that loan market

05:17for the first time

05:18this summer.

05:19That one,

05:20I expect to,

05:21maybe not with the level

05:23of certainty of Bielik,

05:24but I still expect,

05:25you know,

05:26it looks like it's going through.

05:27It's certainly advancing

05:28that loan

05:29and it'll be a big one,

05:30I think,

05:30if Albion can get that

05:31over the line.

05:32We'll see if that one's

05:32ahead of the weekend or not.

05:34Could be a busy Friday

05:35here tomorrow.

05:36Again,

05:36we'll see how the rest

05:37of the few hours

05:38of today play out

05:38and obviously bring you

05:39all the coverage tomorrow

05:40and then on Saturday

05:41from the race course in Wales.

05:43So,

05:43so yeah,

05:44for that and more,

05:45keep it expressing star.com.

Wrexham v West Brom - Lewis Cox match preview

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