Steve Bruce expresses sympathy for Valerien Ismael over Daryl Dike injury at West Brom
West Brom manager Steve Bruce expressed sympathy for his predecessor Valerien Ismael over the poor future that saw Daryl Dike get injured.
The American arrived at The Hawthorns in the January transfer window before suffering a significant hamstring injury in just his second appearance for the club.
The previous manager was sacked without being able to field the striker again, and current boss Bruce is still navigating through the problems caused by his absence.
Following the defeat to Middlesbrough the former Newcastle manager said, via Express and Star: “The poor manager before me pays £7million for a centre forward, and he does his hamstring badly in his first game.
“You know then that the world is against you.”
Terrible luck
An argument could be made that the sequence of events with Dike ultimately put pay to Ismael’s reign.
Considering the difference the goalscorer could have had at a crucial point in a flagging season the significance of his lay-off cannot be overstated.
The pair had linked up to good effect at Barnsley last season, where the front man scored nine league goals.
In fact The Athletic reported at the time of signing that the Frenchman had spent six months waiting to bring in the player, having built a system specially suited to his strengths.
The Baggies have scored a solitary goal under Bruce, with free-agent replacement Andy Carroll far less mobile.
The arrival from Orlando City was recently pictured back in training so the hope is that he will return sooner rather than later.
The club badly need him in light of the miserable form that has seen a managerial change pass without much improvement.
If the US international ultimately proves a success at the Hawthorns the manager to brought him to the club could be excused for wondering what might have been were it not for the timing of that injury.
In other West Brom news, the club reportedly want to sign a Premier League man.
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