Break gives Val’s troops some time for reflection
WEST Brom were grateful to Grady Diangana for maintaining their unbeaten home Championship record in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at the weekend.
The winger struck a second-half equaliser to rescue a share of the spoils after Josh Coburn had given the visitors, on the back of two defeats, the lead in a drab first half.
Albion pressed to find a winner and Boro keeper Luke Daniels denied Kyle Bartley, although the Baggies were indebted to Sam Johnstone’s dramatic late save to keep out Andraz Sporar.
Here are the talking points from Saturday’s Hawthorns stalemate.
Shot in the arm
It has been a difficult 12 months (or more) for Diangana.
Since that wonderful solo goal at Everton well over a year ago, he hadn’t found the net and this was his first goal in front of fans since before Christmas 2019, when he suffered an injury at Blues, which curtailed his form and derailed Albion’s festive period. Diangana can get fans off their seats and embarrass full-backs but those moments have been fleeting, to say the least, in recent times.
Head coach Valerien Ismael said it post-match – you can have the quality, and the status as a player who can entertain and produce, but it’s on you to go and show it.
We have not seen enough from Diangana since he joined permanently but hopefully this goal will work wonders for his confidence.
Knock-on effect
It is believed Boro boss Neil Warnock told his team ten minutes before kickoff that he was to leave the club following the game. That bombshell and Warnock’s call for one final collective effort under his tutelage, perhaps didn’t work in Albion’s favour.
Boro, who conceded three goals in five minutes at Luton in the week and were turned over at home to Blues days earlier, aren’t in great nick and have a host of key players missing.
Those who did feature here gave their all throughout and, had it not been for Johnstone, they might have left with all three points. It is on Albion to rise above their opponents, but perhaps that added pre-match motivation lifted Boro’s game.
The race is on
Bournemouth were upset in the week and dropped points at home to Preston, but they came back with a bang against Swansea. Fulham, in comparison to their 7-0 midweek rout at Blackburn, were meagre at Peterborough but got the job done. As things stand, the Cherries are on for 108 points and Fulham 103.
It is incredibly unlikely that either/ both will break the 100-point mark, but they have set a blistering pace and have the squad depth to maintain it. You can imagine they will add in January, too.
Albion, by comparison, are projected to finish on 86 points, no mean feat in itself but some way off the rampant top two. There’s still so much football to be played but Albion don’t want to let them get too far ahead.
Time for a break
This, more than either of the previous international breaks, feels like it’s come at a good time for Albion as a whole. For the fans, who voiced their disgruntlement
again at half-time and full-time with boos; the atmosphere has become increasingly flat at The Hawthorns in recent times and the attendances have begun to dwindle.
For the players, who need a break. There are signs of wear and tear and Albion need this fortnight to recover fully. Jake Livermore, Alex Mowatt, Kean Bryan and Matt Clarke have all got fitness issues which must be resolved before the trip to Huddersfield. For Ismael, and his staff, it’s a time to relax mentally for a few days, take stock of what has gone well and what must be improved upon when the season restarts.
For when it starts again, it won’t stop for a long time. The two-game weeks will continue, the festive period will arrive and the FA Cup third round will begin. This skinny squad will be pushed to its limits.
Defender Kean Bryan’s worst fears have been confirmed with the news he has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Bryan, who was signed as cover for the stricken Dara O’Shea, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the recent win over Hull City and will now undergo surgery on his knee, with a view to being fully fit again ahead of the 2022-23 season.
It is rotten luck for Bryan, who chose against staying at Sheffield United following their relegation last season and was picked up by the Baggies in September on a three-year deal.
Having made his debut as a late substitute in the victory over QPR, Bryan then got more minutes in the comfortable victory against Bristol City.
With Kyle Bartley suspended, there was a reshuffle at the back by head coach Valerien Ismael for the visit of Hull last week and Bryan got the nod to play on the left of the back three.