Goldberg makes Dwight Gayle comparison after Mbaye Diagne hits first West Brom goal
Adrien Goldberg has sung the praises of West Brom striker Mbaye Diagne following his Manchester United heroics and likened him to a former Albion favourite.
The January signing opened his Baggies account on Sunday when he bullied Victor Lindelof to head an early opener for his side before Bruno Fernandes levelled on the stroke of half-time.
The match finished 1-1 as Albion held on in the second-half to claim an unlikely draw but they did create a few chances with Diagne always in the thick of the action.
Speaking on The Liquidator podcast [15/02/21] former Birmingham Mail journalist Goldberg said: “It’s the first time we’ve had a proper striker since Dwight Gayle left the club, a striker who knows the way to goal and who takes up the positions that you need to take up to if you’re going to be a goal scorer.
He added: “I really thought Diagne in the six-yard box looks a menace.
“My other observation about Diagne is I think that’s where his strength is, I don’t think he’s a player that’s going to hold the ball up.”
“But if we can build a team around that, play to his strengths, he will get goals for us and it’s a long time since I felt confident about that from an Albion point of view with a striker.”
Diagne daring to dream
If you looked at the physical build of Gayle and Diagne you would struggle to find many similarities with the former possessing a smaller frame which allows him to be more mobile and spin in behind defences.
Diagne, meanwhile, has a much more powerful presence and is a bigger aerial threat, as evidenced with his goal against Manchester United.
However Goldberg is true in that he already looks like a more natural fit for the striker role at The Hawthorns.
Gayle hit 23 goals in 39 Championship appearances en route to picking up the club’s Supporter’s Player of the Season award in 2018/19 before returning to parent club Newcastle United.
Charlie Austin was brought in to replace him but he only scored ten in 34 games in Albion’s promotion-winning campaign before failing to fire this season and he looked woefully short physically.
Karlan Grant was also signed at the start of this season but his return of one goal has already been matched by Diagne who looks to sniff out opportunities with the same gusto as Gayle.
It is early days yet but the signs are promising and Diagne could be headed for Albion folklore if he keeps up his early form and fires the club to an unlikely survival bid.
In other West Brom news, Gary Neville takes aim at “Disappointing’ Albion ace.
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