West Bromwich Albion fans will hope their team can get back on the horse when Championship football resumes this coming weekend, after stuttering as of late in the second tier despite a very bright start to the season.
The Baggies are now winless in their last three games in the challenging division, but will view an away trip up next at Oxford United as a feasible way to bounce back after the break.
Carlos Corberan will be crying out for more from his players in an attacking capacity, after he saw his goal-shy troops register back-to-back blanks versus Middlesbrough and Millwall recently, with Tom Fellows one performer who arguably needs to up his game for the trip to the U’s this Saturday.
Fellows' form this season
Fellows had started the season in scintillating form, but much like the rest of his teammates, has found his powers have started to wane.
The homegrown Baggies winger has a stunning five assists next to his name from nine Championship clashes to date, but struggled to unlock both Boro and Millwall in his team’s last two uneventful encounters, with just one of those assists coming in his side’s last four league matches.
It hasn’t been through a lack of trying however for Fellows in terms of his output somewhat drying up, with the 21-year-old registering three key passes against the Lions last time out, but to no avail as an unsatisfactory 0-0 draw was the final outcome.
Corberan’s rage about West Brom’s recent lack of clinical finishing could well result in the Baggies dipping their toes into the transfer market when it swings open this January, with a rumoured move on the agenda for this EFL sharp shooter already bubbling away.
West Brom battling to sign "insane" striker
According to football journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, West Brom will battle it out with a number of clubs for the services of Thomas Cannon this January, who is already making quite the impression out on loan at Stoke City away from parent employers Leicester City.
The Foxes reportedly have an option to cut Cannon’s loan stint at the Potters short, which will no doubt raise the eyebrows of many of his admirers, with Sheffield United also allegedly keen on snapping up the Stoke star if he becomes available again.
It could result in a frenzy over a loan-to-buy deal happening, with the Foxes valuing Cannon in and around the £10m ballpark, which is a hefty fee but a justifiable one based off his excellent displays for the Potters so far.
Cannon amazingly hammered home four strikes in just one Championship game at the start of this month for his loan employers, further reinforcing his tag as a top marksman for the division, with football journalist Pete Smith even labelling his four-goal display versus Portsmouth as “insane”.
He hasn’t managed to bag any more goals minus this whirlwind display in the league, but if Cannon was to enter in through the door this approaching window, Josh Maja would be nervous about his concrete starting spot under Corberan as the leading man up top all the same.
Maja does boast three more strikes this season in the league, but when you examine their overall records in the division away from this campaign in isolation, Cannon’s numbers better the ex-Sunderland man’s, from fewer games too.
Games
38
53
Goals
14
10
Assists
2
4
Minutes played
2490
2437
The Irishman’s numbers could soar to even loftier heights if he does end up donning a Baggies strip soon, with Fellows content at just regularly putting chances on a plate after bombing down the left wing for a deadly attacker to then latch onto and fire home.
Corberan will know that the full Championship season can be a gruelling affair, and with some January additions like Cannon potentially entering the building, a freshness could enter his ranks that will undoubtably help in their ongoing promotion push.
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