Mowbray not good enough for West Brom, Lankshear poor – 3 things learned v Derby
West Brom fell to yet another defeat on Monday as Derby County secured a 3-1 victory at The Hawthorns.
The relegation-threatened Rams travelled to the Black Country on 21 April and came away with all three points thanks to goals from Ebou Adams, Jerry Yates and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing.
A second-half strike from substitute Adam Armstrong wasn’t enough to turn the tide as the Baggies fell to a fifth defeat in six games.
This was arguably all that Mowbray and his side deserved after a largely lazy and abject performance from Albion in B71.
West Brom News picks out three key factors that can be taken from the damaging defeat at The Hawthorns.
Mowbray looks out of his depth at West Brom
When Carlos Corberan departed the West Midlands for Valencia earlier in the season, there were many questions over who the replacement could be.
It is fair to say that Mowbray was a well-received choice among Baggies fans after his prior ties to the club from his initial spell.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone well for the 61-year-old who has seen his side slip down the Championship table, away from the playoffs.
The defeat against Derby was just further proof that he is failing to motivate his side, as the laziness was clear for all to see.
Although serious questions have to be asked of the players, it is ultimately the manager’s job to secure results, and he isn’t doing that.
Will Lankshear struggles again for West Brom v Derby County
There was plenty of excitement when the young forward signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur in January.
It is fair to say that the 20-year-old has failed to live up to the hype in the Midlands with his showing against Derby, somewhat summing up his spell.
Despite starting against the Rams, the Englishman did very little and was unable to do much of note before coming off with over 25 minutes to go.
| Stat | Will Lankshear v Derby County |
| Minutes played | 64 |
| Touches | 14 |
| Dribble success rate (%) | 0 |
| Duels won | 1 |
This has to be taken into account when assessing Lankshear’s loan spell and whether a second deal ahead of the new season would be worthwhile.
If his performance against Derby is anything to go by, potentially other targets may be more well recieved at The Hawthorns.
Isaac Price shines above the rest at West Brom
It says a lot about the current state of the Baggies that a 21-year-old winter signing is the one putting in the best shift for the club right now.
The attacking midfielder hit the woodwork against Derby and ultimately posed the most danger for the home side on a dismal day.
If Albion could make a team with players who show the same drive as the Northern Ireland international, they would do well.
As it stands, Price stands out like a sore thumb for all the right reasons among a squad of little quality and poor attitude.