'Beyond the Crossroads'

One late winner..

One opportunity to throw the dice and turn a guaranteed single point into a golden three.

And we had eighteen opportunities to do so...

At both ends of this division, at times riveting, but perhaps an overall limited level of football, logjams, unsurprisingly proliferated..

The hapless Hatters, who were cluelessly poor and shockingly limp on Saturday, with a win would have jumped five places, to 18th.

Even a point would have saved them.

For us, just one more late winner, would have been enough to give us a fighting chance in the Playoffs, with a quartet of eminently beatable teams, for that money laden golden spoon of life in the Premier League.

Maybe the golden spoon, only administers medicine, seeing how poorly last year's trio performed in the footballing equivalent of a ‘Bridge too Far’.

But we’d all have taken that scenario, over the deepening financial malaise this club now finds itself, attempting to straddle the tentacles of FFP, a situation we can only blame ourselves for, with the tawdry waste of finance over the Lai years.

Late goals.

The currency of ambitious use of a bench of subs waiting to impact, and the evidence of a coach reading the opposition's tactics, and exploiting weaknesses.

Late goals.

Those that break hearts and carry momentum through dressing room elation and supporters sheer joy of the adrenalin rush of the ultimate coup de grace.

When you look back at this season, there are few moments as a Baggies fan that really stand out, but certainly Jayson Molumby’s 96th Minute winner v Sheffield Wednesday is a case in point, with the mutual guttural explosion of emotion from players and fans alike.

[Of course, even that had to be ruined by Bartley’s 'headless chicken' red card moments after, and a derailing three game ban. Four our captain..]

Like Jake Livermore’s 91st Minute winner v Spurs, back in 2018, Molumby’s goal had shades of that raw energy, that invigorates and resonates..

But for us, way too many times, end of games were the opposite emotion, one of disbelief and anger, staring at rival fans justifiably going ballistic with joy, as a late goal has stolen our sense of that elusive winning feeling, and robbing what’s always the truest currency of a teams season.

Points..

This was our lowest points total for 25 years and the number 25 is almost magnified again in the percentage of late goals conceded.

24.

Almost a quarter of goals WBA conceded last season were in the final 10 Minutes of games, a plague we seemingly could not stem regardless of managers.

And managers?

We ended up with four, and that quiz question for the ages??

True or false, West Brom had four different managers since Leicester City scored a goal at home??

Until that perennial ire of terrace of hate for us, Jamie Vardy, popped a goal in v Southampton on Saturday, that statistic reigned true…

Southampton, of course, the hurdle too far from last season, lack of Carlos ambition or not.

A team last season we played four times in six months, lost three with one draw, scoring two and conceding seven.

A team that now seems hellbent on taking Derby County’s record as the worst team ever in Premier League history..

Four different management groups, overseeing first team affairs is obviously an accident waiting to happen, the only common denominator being Carlos' disciple, Damia Abella..

Consistency is everything in football, but you’d be naive to think Corberan was in this job for the long haul, in the dog eat dog vocation of football management.

When the Valencia job became available, there was no doubt Corberan wouldn’t be seduced by the attraction of a return to his hometown, and the challenge of La Liga..

Corberan has to be applauded or at least respected hugely for the way he has turned Les Ches Blanquinegros around, an astonishing 10 wins and just four defeats in twenty La Liga and Copa Del Rey games..

When this most driven and meticulous coach left us, we had 30 points from 19 games, comfortably in the Playoffs, but the truth was, ‘Carlos’ foot had come off the proverbial gas, as we’d won just two of Carlos’s last thirteen league games with us..

In the twenty seven games post Carlos, we accrued just 34 points from 27 games, the type of form that is clearly nearer to Stoke City and relegation flirtation than the Playoffs and two other teams in red and white stripes, Sheffield Utd and Sunderland.

The dip in form, clearly had it’s roots in the later Corberan days, but precipitated rapidly in the ultimately doomed days of the Mowbray reign.

Two different management styles, and add in player power, never the twain shall meet.

Mowbray’s anointing on his return to The Hawthorns was an exercise in necessity and timing..

Exhaustive decision making by the Bilkul Group, would ordinarily make sense in a time of taking stock, not a fixture list stocked with Christmas, not so crackers..

To start scrambling at Christmas Eve, with all the familial demands, couldn’t be worse timing, add in the imminent second game of a fifteen day blitz of fixtures on the horizon..

Chris Brunt, club legend, and someone you can always turn to, was thrown in the proverbial deep end agaisnt an average Derby County side, and arguably the team who proved yet again to be our biggest thorn in our side, got their atypical win against us, in a WBA performance that personified the term lack lustre..

Or maybe shellshock?

Oddly enough, it was a perfect prelude to another vital Rams win in late April, that ultimately was the difference between us playing that oddly Achilles Heel of an opponent in the same division next season, and not possibly being three divisions apart.

The answer to our problems from the Bilkul perspective, looked to be Raphael Wicky, maybe tellingly, a subsequent little in demand figure that the subsequent five months after the WBA impending appointment fiasco and HASN’T surfaced in any other clubs radar since?

With the 'Wicky leak' of work permit issues for a valued coaching staff member, caused the appointment to shockingly fall through, it was rapidly on to Plan B and Mowbray, fresh from a cancer all clear and therefore all clear to return to the Albion.

Mowbray’s story could have been such a wonderful narrative of the returning boss, seeing history repeated again with promotion to the Prem with the free flowing football that has always been in his DNA, but it’s seemingly impossible to sing off the same hymn sheet if certain characters are reluctant to adhere to the lyrics.

Doomed and failure are two words you’d associate with a player climate like that, and add in some curious coaching decisions and lack of impact from new signings, you’d assume would make far bigger immediate impacts.

Mowbray’s tenure ended with subtle verbal pointers to why this return was so difficult to activate a winning formula, and we find ourselves back to a managerial conundrum of pushing another ex Baggies legendary midfielder to perhaps take on the job full time, in James Morrison, [although I very much doubt Chris Brunt would have had any interest in other than a short caretaking role], or roll the dice with a new name?]

Bilkul’s exhaustive statistic methodology of using data to select the ‘perfect’ candidate, will never have a greater test.

It’s a similar methodology that Leeds Utd used post Bielsa and they came up with Jesse Marsch..

Data is not a perfect science.

History informs but also bites, and your level of expenditure over income is something you have to consider, as you get this wrong at your peril..

Income, from whatever source possible only boosts the coffers, but boosts the level of playing staff, and The Hawthorns experience is always enjoyable, but is it enough?

Investment in the ‘Albion Experience’ each home game, could and should be better, and hopefully will be a hallmark of the Patel years, as the pre and post game enticements and options proliferate, hopefully reflecting the culture and business of the area.

There are parts now, but it should be much, much more.

Without such an additional cash flow helping, debts need to be looked after, and that for always and eternity will involve selling your best players.

Alex Palmer’s move to Ipswich was a hammer blow for us, at a price, any of us who’d seen such a consistent and talented keeper over the years, rued at the time, and was magnified by the next man up theorem.

Joe Wildsmith, to be kind, struggled, and these struggles wouldn’t be so costly with a free scoring forward line..

As we know, that simply didn’t happen, every error was magnified by the loss of points, that we simply never made up.

Mowbray’s faith in Wildsmith for so long was somewhat baffling, and the goalkeeping position did improve with the return of Josh Griffiths, and it’ll be interesting to see if our new boss, selects Josh as his starting keeper for the following season?

Josh Maja, for certain, was the second hole, we simply never came close to filling, such an intelligent striker who brings out the best in other forward thinking players.

Maja looked set to be that Championship serial scorer that all promoted teams lean on, seemingly set in stone to be our first twenty goal striker since loanee, Dwight Gayle in 2018/19.

Having a regular goalscorer has hamstrung us more than Matt Phillips’s used to!

Maja in just 26 games, had already beaten the previous two seasons top scorer with pitiful totals of 11 and 7!

Losing Maja, was a hole we never filled, and the weight of burden as well as matches took a predictable toll.

Maja is such a talented player, but in two seasons, whether Ballard induced, or muscle ridden injuries, has only played 38 out of the last 92 WBA games.

Josh is still only 26 years old, if he stays fit, will be a key to our future, but would other teams risk their future with high transfer bids for him, seeing his injury record?

And we are a club that has to sell…

In reality, we have two saleable assets in Torbjorn Heggem and Tom Fellows, both model professionals, and at 26 and 21 years respectively as well as having excellent injury records and relatively lightly played, will I believe thrive at a higher level of football.

Heggem was our second Player of the Year in a row being a left sided central defender, after Cedric Kipre’s deserved award last season, [that must be a record for us?]

[As an aside, Kipre has unsurprisingly had a very good opening season back in his home country of France, Reims finishing in a respectable mid table and later this month taking on the mighty PSG in the French Cup Final.

Kipre will have the daunting task of marking Ousmane Dembele, but as they grew up in Paris together and both played as teens for PSG, in youth level football, Ced is aware!]

Heggem’s athleticism, consistency and discipline stood out a mile, he really was the only candidate, and may well go down in the annals of Baggies bargain signings, of this Millenia?

I can only compare, Gera, Mulumbu, Yacob and Pereria being similar value?

You can add in one more, another late bloomer and a very similar defender to Torbjorn, Gareth McAuley.

It’s worth considering, Heggem only received three yellow cards all season, his last one being v Sheff Utd on December 8th 2024.

A current league run of 26 games without being booked, being a central defender, where every challenge counts and is potentially punishable, says so much about Heggem.

When you consider his three other first choice defensive core group of Darnell Furlong, Kyle Bartley and Callum Styles all got red cards in a hideous, self inflicted spell of thirteen games during Mowbray’s reign, the cool Norwegian’s performances were even more admirable..

Fellows, being four years younger, has time on his side and from existing suitors, and it wouldn’t be a bad time to join Everton, with their move to their incredible new stadium for the start of next season?

If Fellows moves on, he'll be remembered most fondly, one who lived the ultimate dream of a fan playing for the club he supported as a local kid.

Few things move the Baggies faithful like a winger in full flow, and Tom's pace, drop of the shoulder, exploitation of space and deliverer of a cross, at it's best was sumptuous.

Not one Baggie fan would wish anything but the best for Tom, whatever his future may hold?

I’ve said for some time, I can see Heggem easily joining the Scandinavian contingent at Brentford, a club that are thriving and his qualities would fit in perfectly with a Thomas Frank driven team..

I’m of the opinion that both will be better equipped to thrive in the Premier League than our last outfield player who has had back to back relegation's with Burnley and now Ipswich Town, Dara O’Shea.

[Notwithstanding Conor Townsend’s curious 750K transfer also to the Tractor Boys, where he has so far played just three league games.]

At this time of year, and many would perhaps say beyond time, it’s that Au Revoir moment for a number of players who ultimately underwhelmed.

Pre season, Jon Swift seemed front and centre of many of the Albion Media posts, maybe it was the shock of blonde hair, but faith at times from both Corberan and Mowbray wasn’t rewarded, as amazingly in 36 total appearances, 19 starts, 17 off the bench, for our chief playmaker, he contributed one assist.

Similarly, Grady Diangana, just 14 starts, but 20 entries off the bench and just three assists.

The mercurial has been truly missing in action and both missing from our future plans.

Being two of our top five wage earners, the saving on the salary will be welcomed, or at the very least, the reinvestment..

Diangana, from his original successful loan spell from West Ham, can only be described to have stagnated in his time at The Albion..

The old adage, ‘there is a player in there’, will be something suitors will have to consider and broach when Grady moves on this summer..

Kyle Bartley’s leaving the field, arms aloft, applauding all sections of the ground, on Saturday, looked like the response of someone on his last, rather than his next lap, that the seemingly unknown to all but Bartley, appearance clause, triggered on April 16th 2025?

Again, the future will reveal, but what was revealed was an alarming drop in form, post clause being activated.

But what about the future?

Is there a need for a specialist left back, or will we again play Callum Styles in a position that is patently not his strongest?

Styles is a Curate's Egg of a player, hard working, but capable of the spectacular but unable at times to do the basics, as his errant passing can suggest.

Mikey Johnston is an expensive return, but as with Diangana, from a spectacular loan spell and the seduction by the suitors of a return for more.

Johnston delivers energy, but does he deliver quality crosses, a penchant for cutting inside and either running into cul de sacs of awaiting defenders, or wayward shooting is worrisome?

Assists can of course be generated relatively easily from that avenue of opportunity called corners, or am I thinking too far back and the Pulis reign?

Last season we only scored five goals from corner kicks, an amazingly low statistic, even more amazing, Johnston was our second highest team source of assists with a meagre total of yet again, five.

Five, of course was how we finished the season, with a welcome, but all too late, prolific burst of goals, from the recalled and rejuvenated, Daryl Dike, dovetailing so effectively with the free role that Karlan Grant so thrived in..

Thrive was what was expected, when we signed the previously prolific Adam Armstrong and the promise of Will Lankshear to support the striking void..

Apart from an exciting debut, it proved to be an uninspiring, expensive venture that failed, Armstrong’s influence and effort at times being fitful, as were some of the tactical decisions around him that were never likely to work.

Lankshear’s appearances were sporadic, and at times he did look like what he evidently was, a young striker making his way in the game, not an easy role for a teenager facing stronger, more worldly wise, central defenders.

In the very same window, we did strike gold with Isaac Price, whose technical excellence and athleticism stood out a mile, but whose all round qualities were utilized in far too many positional changes that dulled his overall impact..

We can definitely build around a player of Price’s quality, but it will be a VERY busy season ahead, the rigours of a 46 game Championship season, dovetailed with SIX World Cup Qualifying Games in just over three months between Sept and Nov, for Northern Ireland, [the same demands for both Mikey Johnston and Jayson Molumby of Ireland].

Molumby, energy and heart personified, is always seemingly a balancing act between the yin and yang of what you gain or lose by not having that aggressive streak to his game.

Diakite, seems to be a selection based on the unavailability of others, a player who needs to break up the Mowatt/Molumby partnership on merit not on circumstance.

Circumstances seemingly brought in Devonte Cole, untrusted so it seems, by any and all of the various Baggies coaches this season, as was Gianluca Frabotta, always fit for selection, in a position of need, but only six appearances says it all.

A three year contract at a Million a year for such a pitiful return is a huge red flag for Alex Nestor and his scouting group.

Paying over 3 Million for the unproven Tammer Bany, is a big investment for a club in financial peril as we are, and despite some promising cameo’s, we are nowhere near a position of judging if this was money well spent?

Or not..

There is young talent at WBA and that judgement related methodology of ‘ready now’ or needing another loan spell, will be tested.

Caleb Taylor will return from his successful loan spell at Wycombe, where he may eventually be part of a promotion to The Championship, and being in the first year of a four year WBA contract is obviously being judged to be our future centre half.

Sometimes, physicality finds out younger players, but that wasn’t an issue with Harry Whitwell’s pleasing cameo v Luton Town on Saturday.

As with Taylor, and before him, Tom Fellows and indeed, Saido Berahino, lower league loan experiences tests and toughens you, and is part and parcel of career development.

At just 19 years old, maybe that’s the pathway for Whitwell?

And pathways always lead to crossroads and that is exactly where West Brom are now.

Our points total was twice as close to relegation than it was automatic promotion.

An absolute disaster away from home, one win in twenty two is scandalous, and yet the away support never wavered in terms of numbers, but understandably by the end, in terms of belief.

Albion are a team who dictated well, when opening the scoring, if the opponents scored first it was seemingly perennial trouble.

Of course, it's very difficult to win from behind, when scoring multiple goals is a rarity.

But away wins, and coming back from conceding goals often show a solid sense of leadership and overall team character.

Something this squad won’t be best remembered for.

And if Bilkul, via Shilen Patel/Andrew Nestor’s leadership, are to be remembered with ultimate gravitas this is their moment.

Where we turn now, in club direction, is their doing, and massively thankful though we are with allaying many of the debts that riddled us, it’s now time to see how they’ll make their long term stamp off and on the pitch?

The greater commitment to The Women’s Football Team, The Albion Foundation, and the Albion community can only be lauded and thanked.

Where we go next, in terms of their club and ultimately our club, will dictate the next decade.

It could go both ways, such is the steepness in direction of this next turn.

Beyond the crossroads..

As a postscript, THANKS BEYOND WORDS, every one and all for taking time to read my Baggies Blogs this season.. It means so much, and there will be a couple of individual player/new manager articles prior to the new season in August 2025.

Have a great summer and COYB!!