Tom Fellows and Adam Armstrong having desired impact at The Baggies

National World - LocalTV

Two players who have stood out and can help the promotion push at WBA.

Transcript

00:00Charlie, let's look at West Bromwich Albion and specifically a player to start with, Tom

00:06Fellows. Now, he's played so many games over the last five years or so for West Bromwich

00:11Albion. He's been a real mainstay at the club, coming from the academy as well. Just touch

00:17on his presence, his understanding of what it means to play for West Brom and how he

00:23gets on in terms of really pushing forward. Obviously, they're on the brink of that sort

00:28of area where they want to be in the upper echelons of the championship and really pushing

00:32towards a future that hopefully is in the top flight.

00:36Yeah, a couple of years ago, kind of breaking through in the academy and Premier League

00:40too and really impressing there and then making his breakthrough into the senior team as well.

00:45Last season and this season especially, I think he's been really impressive out on that

00:48right wing. He can play on the left as well if you want him to, or he can go as a striker

00:52and as an attacking midfielder. I think typically his best position is on the right wing, but

00:57having that versatility is handy, no matter how good a player you are. But then West Brom

01:01have got the full package there in terms of he's got the potential, he's already got the

01:05pace, he's got the technical ability, he can really whip a ball into the box effectively.

01:10He can find the bottom corner if he needs to as well. Obviously, you're not going to

01:14have the Premier League quality at this point, he's still young, but Premier League clubs

01:18have been sniffing around looking at potentially signing him. There have been rumours of bids

01:21from the likes of Everton, Ipswich Town, Southampton over the last 12 months or so. Figures

01:26of around £15 million that West Brom have been rumoured to be rejecting. It just shows

01:31how much they value this player and how much you can potentially offer them in the future

01:36as well as now. I think you need someone with that flair, with that positive attitude as

01:40well. Coming from the academy, the care for the football club, kind of subconsciously

01:44as well as consciously I think is really important and Tom Fellows offers all of that in abundance.

01:49And then we look at Adam Armstrong, now obviously a deal that not many fans saw coming. What

01:57sort of attracted that deal, do you feel, for him to sort of drop down a level and go

02:01and obviously had an amazing season, sort of got Southampton straight to the Premier

02:05League really and was fantastic in the play-offs as well. Do you feel maybe the Tony Mowbray

02:09experience was a bit of a pull or the fans, etc, or their sort of goals, because West

02:14Brom have had some great loan players over the years and he's sort of added to the list

02:19of that?

02:20Yeah, I think not many people expected that one on deadline day. Actually carried over

02:24to day after deadline day because all the paperwork and the EFL going home really annoys

02:30supporters. They were just desperately waiting, anxiously waiting, refreshing their phones.

02:33Is he going to sign? He did in the end and then he scored a couple of goals already,

02:37a crucial one for the penalty spot recently to secure a victory over QPR with 10 men.

02:41That was so important. But it's just that goal scoring threat overall, having a proper

02:46number nine in behind who can make those runs, who's got that instinctive finishing. Obviously

02:51with Josh Madger being injured, Daryl Dekay as well, Carlin Grant playing as an auxiliary

02:55striker at times, John Swift, Jed Wallace. They've all been trying to fill in, but you

03:00can't quite replicate a proper number nine, especially one as experienced and of championship

03:06calibre as Armstrong is. It's been so, so important. I think wrapping up a permanent

03:10deal for him in the summer could be a good way forward for West Brom. It just depends

03:15on salary expectations. Of course, with Southampton being relegated most likely anyway to the

03:21championship, surely they'd want to utilise someone like Armstrong who's already proven

03:26for them at that level. But I think looking at the current picture, just having him for

03:32the end of this season, trying to secure that top six place, a place that could make a big

03:36difference. And then of course, in the playoffs as well, last year he scored three goals in

03:41those matches. He can deliver on the big stage, maybe not necessarily the Premier League,

03:45but at this level he certainly can. I think a really important signing for the Baggies.

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