West Brom: Irish media reacts to Jayson Molumby’s performance in win over Gibraltar
West Brom midfielder Jayson Molumby was a second-half substitute in Ireland’s 4-0 win over Gibraltar on Monday, 16 October.
Stephen Kenny called upon the Baggies midfielder in the 74th minute as his side picked up their second win in Euro 2024 qualifying, thanks to strikes from Even Ferguson, Michael Johnstone, Matt Doherty and Callum Robinson.
It remains a tough ask for Ireland to qualify for next summer’s tournament in Germany as they currently sit six points off the Netherlands in second, but for Molumby it was a good opportunity to get some time on the pitch after a difficult spell for both club and country.
Irish media has been reacting to Molumby’s short cameo from the bench, with the Irish Independent (16 October) giving the West Brom man a 6/10 rating. The website said that the Albion ace “added some energy late on,” as Kenny’s side romped to an incredibly comfortable lead.
The Irish Mirror (16 October) was similarly impressed by the short appearance from the 24-year-old, also giving him a 6/10 rating, but as he only played 16 minutes of the game, they were unable to provide any justification for his rating, suggesting the performance was nothing out of the ordinary.
Valuable time
At the start of the season, Molumby was one of Carlos Corberan’s regulars, with the Irishman playing regularly and typically starting matches, but in recent weeks he has slipped down the pecking order, with the likes of Alex Mowatt preferred in the middle of the park.
The 24-year-old’s last start came in September against Millwall at The Hawthorns and he hasn’t played a single minute for Albion since their 4-0 win over Preston on 30 September, so a brief runout for his national side will do him a world of good.
It was a bright performance from Molumby as well, winning all of his attempted tackles and duels while also completing 81 per cent of his attempted passes as he showed a little bit of rustiness, but the energy he brought to the contest can’t be undervalued.
Given the next few months are some of the most congested in the Championship calendar, Corberan is going to have to call upon his squad more than before and Molumby is going to have to be ready as he will be required as the Baggies try and push for the play-off places.
In other West Brom news, Corberan has described Daryl Dike’s return from injury as like a new signing