Karl Henry had been training at West Brom with former boss Tony Pulis but has now signed a short-term deal with Bolton Wanderers.
There may have been a collective sigh of relief among West Brom supporters when Sky Sports reported on Monday that Karl Henry had signed a short-term deal until the end of the season with Championship strugglers Bolton Wanderers.
The veteran midfielder had been training with The Baggies, per the Birmingham Mail, after being released by Queens Park Rangers. And though Henry has no shortage of Premier League experience under his belt following a spell at Wolves, the prospect of the 34-year-old sticking around at The Hawthorns will have done little to improve the reputation of divisive manager Tony Pulis.
The manager worked with Henry during his formative years at Stoke City and, in many ways, he would have been a typical Pulis signing in recent years with experience, character and a willingness to ‘put the boot in’ trademarks of a side coached by the pragmatic Welshman.
No West Brom reunion
And the prospect of Henry, who has never been a favourite among the neutrals, signing a short-term deal with The Baggies won’t have improved the reputation of a manager who continues to divide supporters despite ensuring that West Brom are cruising in mid-table rather than scrapping for survival in the relegation dogfight.
Yet, it’s a sign of West Brom’s growing financial strength and the pulling power embodied by even the Premier League’s mid-level clubs that they can now afford to target quality, proven players like Grzegorz Krychowiak and Gareth Barry.
Pulis currently has a midfield that would be the envy of many top flight clubs and Henry would have added little to improve the quality at his disposal.
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