Jeremy Peace backs Mowbray's Premiership dream

It’s hard to describe how Baggies fans truly feel about their Chairman Jeremy Peace. One thing that is for certain is that his popularity at the club in recent times has been called into question on more than one occasion. But with things going well at Albion this season, pressure on the Chairman seems to have died down, with all enjoying the prosperity that manager Tony Mowbray has inspired.

Peace was heavily criticised during both of Albion’s recent Premiership campaigns, especially the second, where his unwillingness to spend in the January transfer window in particular caused many fans to vent their relegation anger in his direction.  Since their relegation to the Championship, Peace has once again been criticised for his lack of transfer activity, many feeling that the failure to strengthen once again last January bought about the eventual demise of their promotion push. 

Peace himself however, sees things from an entirely different perspective.  And it is one that perhaps now many fans are beginning to affiliate with.  Peace has commented recently that slipping out of the automatic promotion places with a mere 10 games left to play, and going on to lose the Playoff final to Derby County at the new Wembley, has in fact done his club more good than harm. 

Peace believes the extra Championship season has allowed Mowbray’s men to “regroup” and give proper time and attention to the way they play their football.  It is a view outsiders of the club certainly seem to agree with, Albion have fast built up a reputation of being the best footballing side in the division.  Peace has given Mowbray his full backing, and firmly believes that his manager’s commitment to entertainment will give them a solid platform whichever division they end up in next season. 

The Chairman has made no effort to hide the fact that he believes manager Tony Mowbray is the key difference between how Albion might perform if they are to be promoted compared to their recent Premiership exploits.  Speaking in an interview this week, Peace said: 

“We have been promoted twice in recent seasons but, when we have crossed the divide into the Premiership, playing the type of football that maybe isn’t suited to the Premiership hasn’t helped us and we have been relegated.  Hopefully the style of football we’re playing now maybe gives us a bit more of a chance, if we were lucky enough to be promoted, to actually succeed in the Premiership.” 

Despite the ease with which Peace approaches the subject of promotion, there can be no denying that the pressure is still on him.  Clever business by both manager and Chairman over the summer saw Albion not only strengthen their squad, but create an impressive income with the sales of Koumas, Kamara and Davies, alongside others.   

For now it seems, Albion fans are content.  Sitting at the top of the table with a three point lead in the middle of January provides all the enthusiasm required to combat the winter blues.  But with recent programme notes from Peace suggesting that the club will still need to sell to buy, one can only question how long a matter of time it will be before the Baggies fans start to question what happened to the money brought in over summer.  And with only 9 days of January left, they still wait with baited breath to see who, if anyone, will arrive at their club during the transfer window. 

*Quotes sourced from The Express and Star.