Mowbray furious at Isaac Price development after latest West Brom blow
West Brom star Isaac Price was an unused substitute when the Baggies lost 1-0 to Norwich City on Saturday.
The 21-year-old endured a busy international break as he played two full games for Northern Ireland, scoring two goals in the process.
Price received plenty of plaudits when he scored a free-kick against Switzerland in a 1-1 draw for Michael O’Neill’s men on 21 March.
The attacking midfielder then bagged a late consolation goal as Northern Ireland were beaten 5-1 by Sweden on 25 March.
Mowbray unhappy with Northern Ireland management
Having played 180 minutes for his country, Price returned to West Brom with a calf strain he picked up on international duty.
And Mowbray was left frustrated with Northern Ireland boss O’Neill over the way he handled the player’s minutes.
Mowbray said: “Isaac wanted to play [against Norwich] but I want him to play the next seven games, not play this one and not play the next seven games.
| Isaac Price stats | Championship 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 9 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
“He had a calf issue, he played 90 minutes in a game [and] got pumped 5-1.
“The kid came back and said he feels okay, he felt his calf pretty badly after the first game for his country but was asked to play and played 90 minutes.
“So I’m protecting him and protecting the club. I’d rather he played the next seven games.
“He played two 90 minutes, the second after making the club aware of a calf strain, a really tight calf, but he got through the second 90 even though they were five down.
“My own view is that if he’s got a calf issue, he got through the game, but it’s not worth the risk.
“We’ll calm it down and get treatment on it, and hopefully, he plays the next seven games.”
West Brom will need Price at his best
Even though West Brom lost to Norwich on Saturday, Mowbray made the correct decision to keep Price away from the action.
After joining West Brom from Belgian outfit Standard Liege in January, the creative ace has already shown his qualities, as he has notched a goal and an assist in nine appearances and just seven starts.
But at club level, Price has not hit the relatively prolific numbers he has managed for Northern Ireland, with eight goals in 20 outings for O’Neill’s men.
Meanwhile, Mowbray’s side could drop out of the playoffs after winning just one of their last five games in the Championship.
The Baggies are on the hunt to land a top-six spot for the second consecutive season but will need talented players such as Price to be at their very best to achieve such a lofty objective.
While Mowbray was right to leave Price on the bench against Norwich, West Brom will need the attacking midfielder to produce the goods in crucial clashes against Sunderland and Bristol City on 5 April and 8 April respectively.