Billy Jones urges West Brom to tie down Roy Hodgson

Nov 20 2011 by Gregg Evans, Sunday Mercury

BILLY Jones has urged West Brom to tie Roy Hodgson down to a longer contract, insisting he is vital to the club’s progression.

The full-back believes 64-year-old Hodgson can take the club on to the next level and help them shake off their unwanted ‘yo-yo’ tag. Last season the experienced head coach guided Albion to Premier League safety after a period of uncertainty under the previous regime.

But he only penned a one-and-a-half year contract when he joined in February and his current deal is set to expire in June.

“He’s massively important to the club,” said Jones. “He proved that last season with the situation West Brom were in before he arrived. He came in and pretty much made the difference of keeping the team up.

“The direction and the organisation he brought to the team set them on that great run and I’m sure we will show that again for him this year.

“The aim of the gaffer and the whole club in general is to take the club on to the next level. We all want to get rid of that (‘yo-yo’) tag and become an established Premier League team looking up and onwards.

‘‘That’s definitely the plan from the team at the moment and the whole club in general to keep on pushing on upwards and improving.”

Albion’s sporting and technical director Dan Ashworth recently announced they were planning to talk to Hodgson about a new deal.

However, the much-travelled manager is in no rush to tie himself down for any longer than originally planned.

Hodgson has given no indications to his future beyond the current campaign and is happy to put talks on hold until the new year.