Millwall old boy Jed Wallace a strong POTY contender for West Brom….as winger’s Hawthorns move assessed

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Jed Wallace has plenty of motivation to deliver at The Hawthorns next weekend – with the West Bromwich Albion attacker knowing that a win over his former club will spark another twist in the Championship play-off chase.

The 28-year-old winger has started all 37 of the Baggies’ league matches this season, scoring five goals and collecting eight assists.

Wallace rejected a new deal with Millwall in the summer to quit on a free transfer.

He cued up Jon Swift to score at The Den in October and his decision to gleefully celebrate in front of the Cold Blow Lane end sparked fury from the home support.

Millwall hit back to equalise through Callum Styles before Tyler Burey’s 90th-minute winner, not long after Albion centre-back Kyle Bartley saw red.

West Brom are five points behind the South London club but have a match in hand. Wallace is set to be pivotal to their prospects of extending their campaign beyond 46 matches and keeping alive a Premier League return.

Lewis Cox, who covers the Baggies for Express & Star, told the South London Press: “Jed is a very strong contender for their Player of the Season. Millwall fans will know about the consistency he has to his performances and his energy levels. They have made him a huge hit in what has been an up and down season for the club.

“When Albion played at Millwall they were without a manager and in the relegation zone. Carlos Corberan came in and the team did slip to the very bottom of the pile, but has since been on an incredible run which takes us to where we are now.

“The next game becomes a bit of a play-off shootout – eighth against sixth.

“Jed’s goal involvement numbers have been excellent. What he brings to every game – in terms of the workload, energy and commitment to the cause – is very infectious. Fans started loving it very, very quickly. Despite how tired he might be, or how many games he has played in this busy period, he never stops running and chasing lost causes.”

Wallace has netted once since mid-December, in a 3-2 defeat at Watford on February 20.

“I wouldn’t want to speak for him but maybe he’d have liked to have scored two or three more,” said Cox. “He was on three by mid-September. It’s perhaps something to work on, but Albion are not big scorers. They have won a lot of games by a narrow scoreline and haven’t got someone on 20 goals topping the charts.

“Jed is joint second for assists in the Championship, Boro’s Ryan Giles is top with 11. He is relentless in his crossing, he is so involved and influential.

“His figures are good – 13 goal involvements. There are nine games left to improve on that and he’ll want to get that assists tally well beyond 10. I’m confident he’ll do that.

“He’ll be looking forward to April 1, no doubt.”

Wallace’s role has slightly changed since Matt Phillips was ruled out in January after undergoing quad surgery.

“It sort of prompted a bit of tinkering,” said Cox. “It’s not to say we haven’t see him on the right but he’s also been used on the left and sparingly as a 10. He’s almost been one of two up front but been deeper, whether that is with Daryl Dike or Brandon Thomas-Asante.

“Being diplomatic, that has been semi-successful. I don’t have too much of a problem with it, he has the attributes to play there. You want to see him out on the right, because of his crossing, but from that free role his energy and speed of movement means he can run off the last man and get in.

“Whether he is out wide or central, he can still cause damage. He’s still popped up with assists in that central role, but it has been a topic of debate and contention over the last couple of months when the wins haven’t been as regular, certainly away.

“Albion have got Jon Swift, who is about as natural a number 10 as you can get. There have been times when Wallace has been central and Swift has been on the left – fans have thought that was a bit odd. Many of them just want to see Wallace out on the right.

“In their last game against Cardiff he started on the right and swung in the most unbelievable cross for Dike to open the scoring. But I’ve seen flashes and elements of his game that can work playing centrally.”

West Brom are unbeaten in 11 at home in all competitions, winning 10 of them. They have only conceded once there during that run – a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on February 15.

Millwall head there off the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Huddersfield.

“That was a big result for Albion and a bit of a surprise,” said Cox. “Jed called this next match massive in a radio interview and I couldn’t disagree.

“Albion cannot afford not to win that game. They have got five home games remaining and three are rivals – Millwall, Norwich and Sunderland. They have to make home advantage count.”