da bet nacional： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
da imperador bet： West Bromwich Albion are plain sailing at the summit of the Championship table. After just 15 league matches, they sit top on 30 points, which means they are averaging two points per game.
Slaven Bilic’s men need to keep that up as it will ensure 92 points come May, and that has been enough for automatic promotion in four of the last five seasons.
Their hopes may well hinge on their January transfer activity, but rather than any additions upfront, it could be the loss of one key member of their squad.
Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below
Sky Sports reported on Wednesday afternoon that West Ham are seriously considering the recall of Grady Diangana after his red hot start to life at the Hawthorns, as manager Manuel Pellegrini looks to increase his attacking options.
Initially, it could come as a monumental blow to the Baggies’ promotion hopes as the 21-year-old has been a crucial part of their season so far – scoring four and assisting four from just ten starts.
It also brings a sense of deja vu for those in the west Midlands as the very same scenario occurred with Harvey Barnes just last season – the Leicester City ace bagged nine goals and six assists in 26 appearances before being recalled in January.
However, since then, the Chile native has claimed he would rather the winger stay at the Hawthorns, but that’s something Claude Puel stated last season before going back on his word, according to Steve Madeley. He recalled Barnes after Leicester’s form took a turn for the worst.
But the biggest worry must be with how they replace the goal-laden exploits of the enigmatic winger as sporting and technical director Luke Dowling and the other decision-makers involved clearly got it wrong last time around.
Albion opted for Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy to fill the void left behind by Barnes, but that was far from a good decision in hindsight.
Montero joined on loan from Swansea City and could only muster up one goal in four appearances while Murphy, who is now at league rivals Sheffield Wednesday, temporarily signed from Premier League outfit Newcastle United and only directly contributed to three goals in 15 games, per WhoScored.
Both players were clearly some way off the mark compared to their left-sided predecessor.
West Brom simply cannot afford to make the same mistakes this time around, because if they kept Barnes or filled the hole left behind sufficiently, then they may well have gone one step further than defeat at the first attempt in the playoffs.
If the reports are accurate, fans at the Hawthorns best hope that the club have a contingency plan in place to replace such an integral figure.
Might it be Chris Willock’s time? We’ll have to wait and see.