Change of West Brom system could impact on Jed Wallace form
Despite an utterly dreadful start for West Brom in their Championship campaign, one or two players have shown their worth at The Hawthorns.
Grady Diangana has tried tirelessly to make things happen for the Baggies in the opening months of the season and with two goals and three assists, he’s a player who can probably hold his head high despite Albion currently nestled in the bottom three of the Championship.
However, one standout player, in particular, could well be impacted if and when a new manager takes the reigns at The Hawthorns. Jed Wallace has tried his hardest to drag the Baggies to the odd result of late, but ultimately is being let down by poor defending at the opposite end of the pitch and his team’s inability to put the ball in the back of the net.
Wallace is an old fashion winger who likes to take his man on, be direct and deliver crosses into the box. As per Wyscout West Brom have attempted 301 crosses into the box so far this season, which is the highest in the Championship and 51 more than second-placed Middlesborough.
Of those 301 crosses, Wallace has provided over a third of them (103, Wyscout), so it’s abundantly clear as to how the Baggies were asked to play under Bruce. Get the ball out wide to the creative players and pray that they can deliver. Ultimately, it never worked for the former Newcastle United boss.
As previously mentioned, Wallace is a winger who somewhat suits a system where the ball is played out wide and then moved into the box quickly. However, when a new man takes the reigns at The Hawthorns, it’s unlikely the same system that has previously failed, will be deployed.
If a more possession-orientated system is utilised, Wallace could be asked to adapt his game somewhat or potentially be used in a more central position. He may not be as effective, but the team could well benefit as a whole.
Baggies fans will be desperate for a new lease of life to be felt around The Hawthorns when a new manager does eventually get to work with this failing group of players.
In other West Brom news, Chris Lepkowski is reliably informed this manager wants the job at The Hawthorns.