'He'll play': Toby Collyer view and which West Brom midfielder misses out for Manchester United loanee

Express & Star

Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox discuss where Albion new boy Toby Collyer fits into West Brom's side.

Transcript

00:00Up to 12 clubs were reportedly expressed an interest in Collier and Albion have come out on top.

00:06It did look at one point a week ago that he was heading for Hull City.

00:10It was claimed in Humberside that Albion offered better terms on a deal.

00:16You can look at that any which way you want. I doubt it will be financial.

00:21But for me, this was just my prediction. Albion have probably guaranteed him a little bit more

00:26kind of game time. We didn't see an awful lot of him Saturday, came off the bench late in the game.

00:31He is someone who's going to slot in in one of them positions in front of the back four, Coxie.

00:36My question to you is, who does he dislodge? Does he dislodge Alonso or does he dislodge Jason Molumbi?

00:42Yeah, hot potato. Great. It's a great question.

00:47Full of them, mate. Full of them.

00:49Yeah, I'll wait until I ask you and expect an answer from you. But what sprung to my mind there is,

00:57does he start on Saturday at home to Pompey?

01:02It's a big question, isn't it, given how the season started. I thought the two midfielders have done

01:06pretty well so far, if I'm honest. But yeah, in the long term, I expect Collier to play.

01:10I think he's an athletic midfielder, tall, rangy, physical. I think he'd be able to get about the

01:20park a bit like a Molumbi, physically. However, he clearly is a useful footballer as well. He's

01:28technically gifted. That's why he's played for Manchester United. That's why he was signed from

01:31Brighton only a couple of years ago from Manchester United. So he's got a bit of all about him.

01:37But yeah, so who does he come in for? It's tough. I wonder if it's for Molumbi on the basis of he

01:47be able to bring the physical traits that Molumbi has and sort of complement Mowat's use of the ball

01:56more. Again, it's tough this, isn't it? I like Molumbi and Mowat. I do. I'm a huge fan of Molumbi

02:06and what he brings. I really am. I think he gets a bit of a rough deal by how people say he's,

02:11you know, claim he's totally sort of hopeless on the football. That's not the case, to be honest.

02:18But clearly, we know what his strengths are. And I'm a fan of Mowat's too. You know,

02:23over the last year or two, you'd probably say Molumbi's been the better overall performer of those

02:27two, really. But I think I can see a Collier and Mowat partnership a bit easier than a Collier

02:33and Molumbi one, I think. But that's a tough call, to be honest. I don't know what you think. And I'm

02:38not certain that he'll come in against Portsmouth on Saturday on the basis that Arben have performed

02:43well so far. Yeah, I think he's got the traits of both. In one, you know, obviously, an exceptional

02:50footballer. You get picked up by Manchester United, regardless of their recent plight. You know,

02:53you're going to be a decent player. But we haven't seen him enough yet, have we, Johnny?

02:57We haven't seen him enough, no. But I think from what I've read and looked at, you know,

03:00he's obviously got the technical ability of Alex Mowat, probably better, no disrespect to Mowat,

03:08you know, just from the level he's coming up. And he's got, you know, the traits and attributes

03:12of Jason Molumbi as well. So he's kind of a Mowat Molumbi in part of one. I would lean more towards you.

03:19However, you know, Molumbi's energy, you know, his willingness to get around the field and,

03:25you know, put his body on the line is something that's big for Albion. So it'll be interesting

03:29to see which way Mason goes. It could be any one of them who eventually makes way for Collier.

03:35I think if Molumbi's not in Albion's team, I think you notice it. Yeah, I think, I'm not

03:40saying all the time, but in certain games, certain moments. I think, look, there'll be people listening

03:45to this who sort of, obviously Albion fans who sort of have an eye on or follow United or see,

03:51watch more Premier League games thoroughly or certainly United games thoroughly than you or I

03:56that have seen more of him than us. I can only go by sort of, you know, clips, match of the day,

04:01highlights that kind of thing. And he, first of all, stuck out to me that he was getting on the

04:05pitch so much for United. Look, I know they were obviously dreadful last season

04:10and that's rather enjoyable. But, you know, he's getting on enough to state that he's got

04:15something about him and the hierarchy really right in there. And for United and Collier to choose

04:22Albion, and yes, the terms, okay, financially, you know, if he was a big Mason target and Albion really

04:28wanted him as a lone player, then I would kind of hope that Albion could make, you know,

04:33go to a slightly better financial package than Hul, if I'm honest. But I do think and expect that,

04:40you know, someone like Ryan Mason as your head coach, a former Premier League midfielder,

04:44you know, went to play for England before his career was cut short. The pull of that to a young

04:50midfielder like that in this case, and the sort of the sell, the pitch that Mason can give someone

04:56like Collier. I can see that being a decisive factor, you know, nothing against Hall's head

05:00coach who's coming from overseas, but you might be a little bit more tempted by, you know, Ryan

05:05Mason's path, mightn't you? I think it's fair to say. And not forgetting as well, Johnny, I wrote it,

05:10I've written a couple of Toby Collier stories today, actually. But Johnny Evans, of course,

05:17is Loans and Pathways manager now at Old Trafford. So, you know, I suspect there's every, well,

05:24he will have played a big part in this clearly. And obviously, you know, he'd have told Collier

05:28all about the club and the benefits of Albion and the Hawthorns. And obviously, Darren Fletcher

05:33involved at Old Trafford as well, slightly further down the youth team ranks. I'm sure we'll be close

05:38to Collier. So, former Baggies captains, I guess, in Albion corner, maybe to make the deal come off.

05:46But yeah, look, something we've said a million times on this pod over the last few years, probably,

05:51Johnny, you know, in the last few years, how many loans have been good? You know,

05:56Mikey Johnson's loan was good. And it made, you know, it persuaded Albion to pay a fee for him.

06:02Okay, it hasn't gone anywhere near as well since. But can you think of any other successful loans?

06:08You know, really successful? Yeah, back beyond that, you're looking at

06:11Barnes and people like that, aren't you? And, you know, Albion have them well in the transfer market

06:15and it's in periods of time and that low market. And, you know, it's just going to be interesting

06:20to see how this, uh, this lad gets on.

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