There is an adage of a day being a long time in politics..
Time has that innate quality of revealing..
The good.
The bad.
The negative
The positive.
But inevitably.
The truth.
In West Brom’s case, that frisson of seven weeks of positivity and optimism has been breached in just four days of two games and two defeats.
In many ways, a reality check..
We were perhaps not as impressive as the narrative of being in first place or quite as bad as the last two defeats would somehow suggest?
However, a far more poignant reality check is how immaterial results matter in a time frame when one of our Baggie brethren, Mark Townsend, made it to Hillsborough on Saturday and was never to return home due to the inept organization and protocols of dealing quickly and adequately to a medical emergency..
Time indeed is everything..
A scenario so sad and so wrong..
The 57th Minute applause at The Hawthorns in memory of Mark was sustained, genuine and honorable, to the credit of both sets of fans and players.
RIP Mark..
I’m sure pre-season, if anyone would have offered West Brom in their first eight games, a return of two points per game, we’d have taken that offer most readily.
But of course, the present always tends to set the mood and losing to a barely above average Sheffield Wednesday team caused me more angst than defeat to an excellent Middlesbrough side..
This Boro team was as sweet in possession as any team I’ve seen at West Brom in a long time..
On seeing Michael Carrick’s brand of possession based football, is it any wonder, Alex Mowatt came back a more accomplished, heads up player from his loan spell there?
Many people tout Carlos Corberan as a manager who may soon get Premier League offers..
To be honest, I think Carrick is going to be far more in demand..
One key point is that the last two games have seen changes from the very rare luxury we had of an unchanged XI for the first six games.
Injuries.
Suspensions.
The mere need to rest and rotate players in this 46 game marathon that is The Championship, is bound to have an effect on a team..
Carlos has always spoken about the 16 players who will impact the game, not just the starters, and in-game Corberan changes are seemingly guaranteed.
Management is never a perfect science. It’s how you absorb and act upon lessons learned..
I was certainly of the mindset that central midfield has been a position of relative strength, Mowatt and Molumby, as a pair, have impressed.
Rhythmic passing and inexhaustible energy..
All adds up to a balance..
Balance was awry v Sheff Wednesday, with two tall, angular players who never looked close to dovetailing, inexperience in The Championship notwithstanding.
Racic and Diakite, who both have the ability and physicality to impact, but not in the same starting line up.
Lessons learnt, will always count.
In victories, confidence and understanding blooms, the need to change is deemed unnecessary, the rhythm and understanding of the roles are developed as long as the players fitness and form are maintained.
This 46 obstacle race is such an arduous division, an obvious test of squad.
Every game informs..
In our two defeats, we have started slow, partly missing the energy of someone like Molumby, a type of player truly unique to this squad and has been sorely missed..
Absence can make the heart grow fonder, but simply put, injuries, muscle tweaks and the need for rest is a condition that has to be respected, and caution is always the way to be.
Caution was perhaps the mindset of Carlos Corberan in our most recent defeat, electing to keep his most vibrant wing presence on the bench, until late in the game considering a more stretched and tired opposition would offer more opportunities in the last half hour.
Hindsight is everything.
No manager will ever get every selection correct, but by the time Fellows replaced Jed Wallace, at a telling 53rd Minute, the pattern of play at the time was so well established, with a technically superb, Boro team passing the ball around with such aplomb, that it seemed like they had a few Alex Mowatt clones playing in red..
To still be in the game was down to profligate finishing on their part as well as the brilliance of Alex Palmer, on the balance of play, no one can deny they were worthy winners.
Palmer is such a consistent keeper, wonderful shot stopper, half his games have resulted in clean sheets, and it’s poor defending, rather than errors on his part that has cost us the six goals conceded.
Darnell Furlong, own goal apart, has played consistently well, certainly thrives in his attacking combination role with Tom Fellows, the duel prong factor missed in the early parts of last night’s defeat.
Torbjorn Heggem, won’t face the likes of the truly outstanding Ben Doak too many times this season, for the first time, despite his ever earnest effort, looked less of a full back than a left sided central defender, playing out of position.
It’ll be interesting to see if other teams deploy right wingers to attack Heggem in future games, but few will have the pace and technical brilliance of the Liverpool loanee.
Again, we have options at left back, cameos that are tempting, whether Gianluca Frabotta, or Cameron Styles, who looked very promising in a flexible role on the left side.
Styles is a rarity at West Brom, being a long term investment, signing a four year contract, and his energized presence and technical ability looked very promising, certainly someone I’d like to see start a game in the near future.
In central defence, Bartley will not be moved, but more pressure will be on Semi Ajayi, despite the pair having such a solid record together over their WBA career, being in the losing side in just over one in six of the games they’ve been paired together..
But whether it’s one of the loanee’s, possibly a choice between Mason Holgate or seemingly the forgotten Paddy McNair, who hasn’t made the WBA match squad the past three games?
Or will Torbjorn being given an opportunity at centre half?
Heggem spoke about the player he most wanted to emulate was Jonas Olsson. Maybe a future in his fellow Scandanavian’s role is the way to go?
Certainly, overhauling a defence is not something you’d expect with Corberan’s methodology and attention to detail, but we’ll see?
For Corberan, it’s always about the 16, so with plenty of options available, it seems Tom Fellows will remain a 70 Minutes player, although you can detect as he leaves the pitch, a frisson of frustration, knowing he has the beating of his defender.
But no Baggie is immune from ‘Carlos time’..
Fellows, as we all know, is a VERY rare talent at West Brom, unsurprisingly has the most assists in the division, but never seems to play the whole game.
Karlan Grant has truly been a revelation, consistent, hard working, intelligent.
I defy any Baggies fan to say they expected to see this level of performance from a player who barely suggested these traits in his first few seasons at West Brom and the Cardiff City loan spell.
But ironically, the best left sided delivery of the season so far, came from Alex Mowatt, whose brilliantly whipped and flighted left foot cross was the most inviting moment of Josh Maja’s Boro’ experience.
One opportunity, in his current form, you would have thought he’d have put away..
Mowatt has been truly exceptional, his trademark 1970’s method of chewing gum has been as metronomic as his passing, maintaining possession, absorbing and getting past the opposition's high press and has such an early perception of spatial awareness.
I stated pre season, how much coverage Jon Swift was getting on the Baggies website, and consequently I’m not surprised at the confidence Carlos has in Swift being the choice as a mercurial No.10, playing the free role, linking midfield play with an emphasis on creativity and hopefully an eye for a goal..
But stats, don’t do Swift too many favours so far this season…
Ten and a half hours of Championship football and not one goal or one assist by Swift are red flags for sure, and the currency of a mercurial No.10, has to be partly reflected by those stats…
Whether our other mercurial talent, Grady Diangana is handed the keys to this vital role, remains to be seen, now fully fit after his shoulder injury, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see Swift and Diangana swap roles.
I cannot see any other option than Josh Maja leading the line, despite cameos by Lewis Dobbin suggesting this is not a role suited to his strength.
It’s encouraging to see Daryl Dike get closer and closer to match fitness, and giving Maja a rest at some point soon is imperative.
Maja has been outstanding, as any player who has scored almost a goal a game so far this season, obviously thriving on service, particularly from Fellows, but he is also an unselfish player.
The set up for Jed Wallace, in a tight game where chances were at a premium and a clinical finish by Jed would have been so vital to his and his team's confidence..
It’s been a tough situation for such a proud and respected club captain as Jed Wallace, a whole hearted player, who like all players, thrives in self confidence with game time, but since the emergence of Tom Fellows, 51 weeks ago, Jed has seen his role in his strongest position, hugely marginalized.
A scenario that’s bound to have a huge effect on performance.
Jed is nothing if not a class act.
Some would complain.
Wallace is not remotely that type, following the well worn adage of,
‘No I in team’..
But being replaced so early by Fellows against Boro, had to be tough, and it’ll be fascinating to see how Corberan deploys his club captain in future games.
Both Wallace and Swift’s contracts end in 2026, big decisions for Corberan to make on the long term future of West Brom.
Mikey Johnston is in a similar situation to Wallace, desperate to start a game, but has to get past a player in excellent form, in the shape of Karlan Grant..
But getting past a player is what Johnston does best.
It’s partly why many of us were so excited at his return to a club steeped in talented, expressive wingers over decades.
Expectations were bound to be high from that initial loan spell.
It’s way too early to judge Johnston’s return, viable positional options is what makes the accruement of a squad, such a potent weapon in any potential promotion run.
The options Carlos takes, in his atypical 16 man game will dictate our future.
An average of two points from every game would normally satisfy most fans, but it seems to me, Saturday’s game against the doyens of stubborn opposition, Millwall, is to be such a vital game..
Pre international break.
With over half a dozen of the squad going to far flung pastures, away from pastures green, this game is crucial.
The buoying of a victory can be everything for momentum and confidence..
The opposite scenario of three defeats in a week, is barely worth thinking about….
But at home, we are scoring less than a goal a game, something you very rarely see from a team with promotion ambitions. A fast start with the Baggies faithful backing, not doubting, will be absolutely vital..
Post international break, October has another three games in a week, two away day visits in four days, to an improving Oxford and Blackburn who’ve made Ewood Park a fortress this season, winning every game, is followed by a home game v bottom of the table, Cardiff City.
This run of games will tell us a lot more about WBA’s promotion credentials.
Learning from mistakes is key.
As they say, ‘it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish’.
Taking chances at home, and the first six games not being a mirage, will define.
Over here in New Hampshire, this glorious time of year is known as Fall.
The next four games will dictate whether it may or may not be a very different fall for the Baggies.
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