Ally Robertson column - John Terry could be a great temporary solution

Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans have both added an element of class and composure, both on and off the field.

After John Terry announced he was leaving Chelsea this summer, Albion quickly became favourites to sign him.

Pulis tried to bring the former England captain to the Baggies in January, and he’s made it no secret that he admires the 36-year-old.

In my day, footballers nearing retirement would head over to America for one last pay-day that usually coincided with a healthy dose of Vitamin D.

But the astronomical wages in the Premier League nowadays mean the only clubs that can match the salaries are in China.

Apart from the crazy money, uprooting your family and moving to the Far East is not the most attractive prospect, which means Terry may well choose to stay in England.

The average age of Albion’s ageing squad desperately needs to be brought down, but if nobody younger materialises this summer, then Terry may just be a good stop-gap for a season or two.

I’m sure Pulis would rather sign somebody younger, but provided he is fit enough, and passes Albion’s rigorous medical tests, then there’s no reason why a free transfer shouldn’t be considered.

His Premier League quality is proven, and he will help breed that winning mentality in the dressing room that Fletcher is trying to instil.

And he’s reportedly on around £50,000-a-week at Chelsea, which is within Albion’s wage structure.

We need a centre-half this summer, but there are far more pressing matters further up the pitch.

This team has never scored the most goals under Pulis, but these latest struggles in front of goal are the worst it’s been for some time.

The positive thing is we are still creating chances, and still getting in the right positions. But it’s that composure in the final third that is lacking.

Perhaps it’s the effect of a long season taking it’s toll on such a small squad, so hopefully this weekend off will do the players a world of good.

At least we are not fighting for our lives down the bottom of the league, we’re safe and playing well from box-to-box without scoring.

There are plenty of fans calling for Pulis to play the youngsters in the remaining five games, particularly after this poor run of results.

That’s what always used to happen in our day, but the problem this season is that every space in the table is worth £2million.

If we chuck youth team players at the last few games, lose them all, and fall four places, we stand to miss out on £8m.

In our day, it didn’t matter too much, as long as you stopped up. But £8m is a new player in the summer.