OPINION
West Bromwich Albion manager Darren Moore has handed trials to former Norwich City duo Wes Hoolahan and Russell Martin as he looks to plug the gaps in his squad.
As reported by the Express and Star, the duo have been training with the rest of the squad for a few days this week, and will be invited back next week should they impress.
Moore is keen to provide back-up for young attacking midfielder Harvey Barnes while also introducing more competition in defence with just four senior players vying for three places across the back line.
While a move for Hoolahan does make sense, with the former Norwich star still having a lot to offer the Baggies, one for Martin does not inspire such confidence.
The 32-year-old’s most recent spell playing first-team football came at the back end of last season at Rangers, where he played 17 matches on loan from the Canaries.
Martin did become a regular for Rangers during his spell there, but don’t let that fool you.
The Light Blues were going through a tough time on and off the pitch, and a squad hugely lacking in quality saw Martin get regular game time at Ibrox.
If you ask any Rangers fan what they think of the veteran enforcer, you are not likely to get many positive answers, with this Twitter comment from a Gers supporter showing the kind of impression that Martin left in Glasgow.
https://twitter.com/Guilfoyle94/status/1037719228713975808
The 32-year-old impressed in just one or two out of his 17 games for the club, with the rest of his performances showing exactly why Norwich eventually deemed him not good enough anymore.
It is understandable that Moore wants to bring in more depth, but a washed-up Martin is slowly turning into a liability at the back, and the Baggies would be far better served promoting a couple of academy stars to the first-team squad.
All in all, this is an ill-advised move from Moore, and one that is highly unlikely to reap any kind of benefits for the club as they search for promotion back to the Premier League.