West Bromwich Albion fans will be counting down the days now until their side returns to Championship action, hoping for three league wins on the bounce when travelling to face Portsmouth on Sunday.
Carlos Corberan will know the gist of what his main starting XI looks like for this trip down to the South Coast, confident that Josh Maja can lead the line effectively once more after netting four goals from four league games so far, whilst also fully trusting the likes of Alex Palmer and Kyle Bartley at the back to provide another steely performance defensively.
Alongside those names, the Spanish boss in the Hawthorns dug-out will also know he can rely on both Alex Mowatt and Darnell Furlong in difficult times to come this campaign, past the test this weekend, as both continue to be everpresent under the former Huddersfield Town manager.
Furlong and Mowatt’s performances this season
Both the Baggies number two and the Baggies number 27 find their spaces in Corberan’s starting lineup as concrete as they can possibly be at this moment in time, with zero minutes missed this season so far in the league.
Both continue to be key parts of the West Brom puzzle for good reason too, with Furlong standing out in particular last time out during the narrow 1-0 win over Swansea City, notching up two key passes as an attacking presence whilst also performing his defensive duties valiantly with seven total duels won.
Furlong also completed this last-ditch tackle in the slim victory to ensure his side didn’t leak an unwanted goal, whilst Mowatt also went about his business in a stylish manner to help clinch the three points.
Although his holding midfield partner on the day would steal the limelight, with Jayson Molumby’s late second-half goal the deciding strike, the former Leeds United man also played his part in the win being secured with 100% of his duels won, but also with a calmness present in his game that saw only nine of his 45 passes be misplaced.
Going forward – even with the sprinkling of new additions to Corberan’s camp this summer – both will continue to be some of the first names on their manager’s team sheet, whilst others have fallen down the pecking order.
Jed Wallace would fit into the final category now, with injury issues meaning he’s been a background figure for the Baggies so far this campaign, which hasn’t really impacted West Brom yet on the pitch.
Wallace’s future at West Brom
There were even rumours floating about at the Hawthorns this summer that Wallace was going to move on from the Baggies, with interest from the likes of Luton Town reported towards the end of the frantic window.
Wallace has stayed put, but he could well regret that decision, having found his minutes hard to come by so far this campaign as young hotshot Tom Fellows also continues to excel down the right wing, with three assists already picked up from four league games.
Top earners at West Brom – 24/25 | |
|---|---|
Player | Wage |
1. Mason Holgate | £70k-per-week |
2. Daryl Dike | £32k-per-week |
3. Paddy McNair | £25k-per-week |
4. Jed Wallace | £25k-per-week |
5. John Swift | £22.5k-per-week |
Sourced by Capology | |
Alongside only featuring from off the substitutes bench so far this season from his three appearances, the former Millwall man’s high wage will also be more of a pressing concern if he doesn’t fight back and reclaim a starting spot soon, with Wallace coming in as the fourth highest earner currently in Corberan’s camp.
Both Furlong and Mowatt surprisingly earn a lesser pay packet, at £18.4k-per-week and £20k-per-week respectively, despite proving why they are undroppable members of the Baggies first-team so far this season over their teammate.
Wallace does have moments of magic like this sublime strike up his sleeve, however, and could prove to be a useful squad member moving forward, especially if Fellows’ electric form drops off.
Still, with that interesting emerging from the likes of Luton and Pompey this summer for the 30-year-old, West Brom might live to regret not cashing in on their “unbelievable” gem, as he was once labelled by ex-Sheffield United defender Jack O’Connell.
It also won’t be viewed as a hindrance having him available moving forward when he gets back up to full fitness either, as West Brom now hunt down more Championship victories this month.
