Valerien Ismael is unfazed about Matheus Pereira’s impending exit from The Hawthorns.
What’s been said?
In a recent interview with BBC West Midlands, the Albion manager, whose recent comments regarding the winger’s apparent lack of commitment to the club drew an angry response from the 25-year-old on Twitter, suggested he is not concerned about Pereira’s deapture, and would rather focus his enegry on the players who will be in and around the Baggies squad next season.
In his latest comments, the 45-year-old said: “Everything has been said. It is not a new situation. My focus now is on the game and on the squad. I don’t want lost energy.
“For us, it is important to have the right direction. Every summer, every winter, some player at some club wants to leave. But the club is always bigger than the player.”
Fans will be buzzing
Considering the fact that Ismael was only appointed as the West Brom manager earlier this summer, with the Frenchman having only spent a single season in England prior to his rather high profile move to The Hawthorns, the fact that the former Barnsley manager appears to be completely in control of the situation surrounding Pereira’s exit from the club is sure to have left fans buzzing.
Indeed, the cool, calm and collected approach is an incredibly important characteristic for a manager to master, as, not only has the 45-year-old appeased the Albion fans by claiming that no one player – no matter how talented – is bigger than their club, his words will have also inspired the West Brom players, who will undoubtedly be hoping that Pereira’s transfer is resolved as quickly as possible in order for them to completely focus on their football.
Indeed, Ismael is right not to give attention to the situation during his side’s preparation for their Championship opener against Bournemouth on Friday, as a win against a likely promotion rival in the first game of the season would be a magnificent start to the Frenchman’s reign in West Bromwich.
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