‘Borrowed time’ – Chris Lepkowski hints Valerien Ismael West Brom future in the balance

Thu 27 January 2022 17:30, UK

West Brom could see their January transfer business hinge on the future of Valerien Ismael, it was suggested by Chris Lepkowski.

The Baggies slipped to another defeat against Preston, meaning it’s just one win in six games and three wins in 13 across all competitions. They have dropped down to fifth in the table and are on the verge of dropping out of the playoff places.

Valerien Ismael is keen to add to his squad this month, especially as the sole signing of the window so far Daryl Dike has been ruled out for two months with a hamstring injury.

Not a major surprise as so close to Millwall game (Had PNE been a Tues game, not Wed…) That said, it makes you wonder what happens on Monday. If he's on borrowed time do they even bother trying to bring any players in?
— Chris Lepkowski (@chrislepkowski) January 27, 2022

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But responding to a tweet about Ismael’s pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s game against Millwall, Lepkowski hinted that had the games not been so close together he could be gone already and this ‘borrowed time’ could be causing the board to think twice about any transfers.

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The transfer window will slam shut at 11pm on Monday night, meaning there will be just a little over 48 hours between the Millwall game ending and the window closing.

Point

It’s not hard to see where Lepkowski is coming from, and in turn completely understanding the position of the board in this instance.

With just two days between games this week, sacking Ismael is likely to have caused more problems than it would’ve solved. But by keeping him in, the club have created a new problem.

Do you continue to push for signings for a manager who may not be there once the window shuts, or do you hang tight and wait? If you wait, what happens to the squad for the new manager?

It’s a rock and a hard place for the club to be in right now, and with promotion so key for the club this season they need to have a plan in place for after the Millwall game regardless of how the result plays out.

Ismael is almost certainly on borrowed time at the Hawthorns, so the club need to decide whether to back him while he’s still here or hang him out to dry.

In other West Brom news, West Brom dealt huge blow as first-team star ruled out with new injury – report