00:00Now, West Brom will look to Tom Fellows and Adam Armstrong as key players in their push
00:07for success, with both offering vital contributions to the team's attack and creativity. Fellows
00:14is impressed with his flair and versatility, while Armstrong's goal-scoring ability is
00:19a crucial asset for the Baggies. As the summer transfer window approaches, West Brom will
00:24need to conduct important business to strengthen key areas, particularly in attack and defence,
00:31to ensure they remain competitive. I spoke with Charlie Halfonden of Birmingham World
00:36for the latest on the Baggies.
00:38Charlie, let's look at West Bromwich Albion, and specifically a player to start with, Tom
00:45Fellows. Now, he's played so many games over the last five years or so for West Bromwich
00:50Albion. He's been a real mainstay at the club, coming from the academy as well. Just
00:56touch on his presence, his understanding of what it means to play for West Brom, and how
01:02he gets on in terms of really pushing forward. Obviously, they're on the brink of that area
01:07where they want to be in the upper echelons of the championship, and really pushing towards
01:12a future that hopefully is in the top flight.
01:16Yeah, a couple of years ago, kind of breaking through in the academy and Premier League
01:192, and really impressing there, and then making his breakthrough into the senior team as well.
01:24Last season and this season especially, I think he's been really impressive out on that
01:27right wing. He can play on the left as well, if you want him to, or he can go as a striker
01:31and as an attack midfielder. I think typically his best position is on the right wing, but
01:35having that versatility is handy, no matter how good a player you are. But then, West
01:40Brom have got the full package there in terms of, he's got the potential, he's already got
01:44the pace, he's got the technical ability, he can really whip a ball into the box effectively.
01:49You can find the bottom corner if he needs to as well. Obviously, you're not going to
01:53have the Premier League quality at this point, he's still young, but Premier League clubs
01:57have been sniffing around looking at potentially signing him. There've been rumours of bids
02:00from the likes of Everton, Ipswich Town, Southampton over the last 12 months or so. Figures of around
02:06£15 million that West Brom have been rumoured to be rejecting, just shows how much they
02:11value this player and how much you can potentially offer them in the future, as well as now.
02:16I think you need someone with that flair, with that positive attitude as well, coming
02:20from the academy, the care for the football club, kind of subconsciously as well as consciously,
02:24I think is really important and Tom Fellows offers all of that in abundance.
02:28And then we look at Adam Armstrong, now obviously a deal that not many fans saw coming. Firstly,
02:36what sort of attracted that deal, do you feel, for him to sort of drop down a level and go
02:40and obviously had an amazing season, sort of got Southampton straight to the Premier
02:44League really, and was fantastic in the playoffs as well. Do you feel maybe the Tony Mowbray
02:48experience was a bit of a pull, or the fans, etc, or their sort of goals, because West
02:53Brom have had some great loan players over the years, and he's sort of added to the list of that?
02:58Yeah, I think not many people expected that one on deadline day, actually carried over
03:03to day after deadline day, because all the paperwork and the EFL going home really annoys
03:09supporters, they were just desperately waiting, anxiously waiting, refreshing their phones,
03:12is he going to sign? He did in the end, and then he scored a couple of goals already,
03:16a crucial one for the penalty spot recently to secure a victory over QPR with 10 men,
03:20that was so important. But it's just that goal scoring threat overall, having a proper
03:25number nine in behind, you can make those runs, he's got that instinctive finishing.
03:29Obviously, with Josh Madger being injured, Daryl Dekay as well, Carlon Grant playing
03:34as an auxiliary striker at times, John Swift, Jed Wallace, they've all been trying to fill
03:39in but you can't quite replicate a proper number nine, especially one as experienced
03:43and of championship calibre as Armstrong is been so, so important. I think wrapping up
03:49a permanent deal for him in the summer could be a good way forward for West Brom, it just
03:53depends on salary expectations, of course, with Southampton being relegated, most likely
04:00anyway, to the championship, surely they'd want to utilise someone like Armstrong, who's
04:04already proven for them at that level. But I think looking at the current picture, just
04:10having him for the end of this season, trying to secure that top six place, a place it could
04:14make a big difference. And then, of course, in the playoffs as well. Last year, he scored
04:19three goals in those matches, he can deliver on the big stage, maybe not necessarily the
04:24Premier League, but at this level, he certainly can, I think a really important signing for
04:27the Baggies. If Baggies do not go up to the Premier League this season, he's still of
04:32a level that he can contribute pretty effectively. As I say, he can be a regular starter for
04:37them, if not, he's someone they really miss when he's not playing. And as I said, Mowbray
04:42really enjoys having him in the squad.
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