Shilen Patel is looking for West Brom's next manager
Shilen Patel is looking for West Brom's next manager

Don Goodman delivers brutal West Brom transfer verdict, 'Wow'

West Brom News Speaking to Don Goodman

West Brom News is delighted to have Don Goodman joining its team of Albion experts at the start of 2024. Goodman played for the Baggies between 1987 and 1991, scoring 60 goals in 140 league appearances to make him one of the most prolific strikers in Hawthorns history. Goodman also played for Bradford, Sunderland, Wolves, Motherwell and Walsall in his career and since hanging up his boots, he's been working in the media with Sky Sports. Now, Don has agreed to join West Brom News and we're absolutely thrilled to share his expertise on the Baggies every week.

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Don Goodman has questioned the transfer business done by West Brom amid a lack of impact from many of the summer arrivals.

The Baggies brought in 11 new players for the 2024-25 campaign - four of those on loan - but a number of those are yet to nail down a starting spot.

Indeed, in the view of Goodman - speaking exclusively to West Brom News - Torbjorn Heggem is the only real stand-out new arrival thus far.

"West Brom's recruitment has been hit and miss for a number of years now," he said. "It's absolutely safe to say with regards to Heggem their recruitment policy has worked. But when you look at the other players they brought in this summer, he's the only one that's showing the levels needed.

"Even Mikey Johnston, it's been a slow-burner for him. The other ones you're like 'wow, they've hardly been on the pitch'. Heggem is literally the only regular who has come in. The West Brom team now is still largely made up of the players that were there last season.

"It's safe to say Heggem's been a bargain. That is without question a positive from a transfer perspective. But we're still waiting for these players that arrived in the summer to break into the team. While they haven't played badly, the recent winless run was the team for the new players to push for a way in."

West Brom summer signings need to step up

Uros Racic is another of the newbies who can be pleased with his start to life at The Hawthorns, but there is no denying many of the other summer signings have not made the desired impact.

Johnston is not on the level he was in the second half of last season, for example, and that is concerning considering he cost £3million to sign permanently from Celtic [BBC Sport].

Gianluca Frabotta
West Brom ace Gianluca Frabotta [Credit: Imago]

Devante Cole in particular has been a disappointment, having not done enough to force his way into Carlos Corberan's thinking, while Gianluca Frabotta has barely been seen.

The season is still early doors, of course, and you can only hope that many of the recently signed players will be integrated into the side before too long.

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