00:00One thing, we can talk about selection to a blue in the face.
00:03I think, for me, on Friday, I think he has to start with Illing Jr.
00:09And I will explain as for why we've had this conversation off pod.
00:13You know, we're in some chats with some of our older colleagues.
00:18I think what Friday underlines the selection of it is that when Michael Johnson's not in the team
00:23and when Illing Jr. is not in the team, Albion really lack any pace to beat a man.
00:30I know Cullen Grant's out on the treatment table at the moment.
00:33He's a wide player who I kind of like, but he's not somebody who's going to beat a man.
00:38Jed Wallace is not going to do that.
00:39He put in a couple of decent crosses, but he's not the player to do that.
00:42I think when you play Price out wide, he has got that pace and that quality to beat a man,
00:47but his better position is inside.
00:50And I think my wider point is that I've waxed lyrical about Albion's trance window
00:57until I'm blue in the face.
00:58So we've done very, very well.
00:59You know, they've been very, very decently built.
01:02The quality's better now than what it was.
01:03But if it's one area that Albion are lacking, it is a lack of pace beyond two wingers out wide.
01:11And that is the one area.
01:13They're not going to cover every area in trance windows.
01:16I don't think it's feasible at the moment in the business that Albion have done.
01:21And, you know, Tom Fellow's going, well, there's always going to be a big miss.
01:25But I think it's underlined a little, maybe chink in the armour of Ryan Mason's squad,
01:30is that when you don't play with Johnston from the start,
01:33and you, you know, Illing Junior's going to come in,
01:35and I think he will be a regular starter, but obviously he's new to the side.
01:38But when you don't play with Johnston from the start,
01:40Albion severely lack pace.
01:42And that, in that first period against Borough, you know,
01:45aside from Borough's goal, I thought Albion were pretty comfortable.
01:48You know, there were times where it looked like they may get in behind
01:51and have a real go at Middlesbrough,
01:53and they didn't have the pace to do it.
01:56And I think Albion look a better side when they've got pace out wide.
02:01So when you haven't got Johnston, you haven't got Illing Junior starting,
02:05because he's got pace rapid, you know, you're losing something a bit.
02:10And that's not me criticising his overall selection.
02:12I get the sentiment of what he tried to do.
02:14But I think it underlined that in that one area,
02:17despite strengthening in a number of areas in the summer,
02:20in that one area, they probably are surely of depth.
Comments