
West Brom Academy boss sends Wolves message ahead of Under-21 derby clash
West Brom professional development phase boss Richard Beale has called on his players to step up ahead of the upcoming Black Country derby against Wolves.
Beale shared that his players are keen to respond to their recent dip in form by winning all three points against their rivals after the disappointing results.
The under-21s fell to defeats against both Reading and Derby County in their last two games, but Beale is confident they can continue to improve.
Speaking to the official West Brom website [19 February], Beale shared: “Mainly, it’s about individuals and those individuals chipping away at the areas they need to improve.
“They’ve got another opportunity to do that, in what will be a great game and absolutely it’ll be nice to play a derby game against Wolves.
“We need to show the same levels of commitment they boys have shown for large parts of this season.
“What we can do more of is improve what we can do with the ball in the final third. We were a bit short on that, which was disappointing, but I know the lads will be keen to put that right against Wolves.”
West Brom looking to put things right against Wolves
This year has been full of derby clashes for West Brom. First, the senior men’s side fell to a 2-0 FA Cup defeat which was shrouded in controversy, before the women’s side fell to a penalty defeat in the Birmingham FA County Challenge Cup semi-final.
Now, it falls to the academy side to attempt to put things right, not just in terms of their own performances after what Beale said, but also in terms of the Black Country bragging rights.
The Albion under-21s are currently 20th out of 26 teams in the PL2, with their recent dip in form causing a drop down the table, while Wolves are ten places above them in tenth.

A victory in the senior FA Cup clash would have secured bragging rights for the fans, but at least with the academy sides going at it, fans can be provided with a new source of hope for the future.
In other West Brom news, a new manager update has emerged at The Hawthorns.
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