Albion boss Carlos Corberan believed Alex Mowatt was ripe and ready for a crack at regular football – after making the midfielder wait for a start.
Despite being a standout during Albion’s preseason, former Leeds and Barnsley player Mowatt, 28, had to wait until September 23 to receive a Championship starting call.
The left-footed midfielder, who joined The Hawthorns under Valerien Ismael, spent last season on loan at Championship rivals Middlesbrough after playing intermittently in his first season there.
In addition, Corberan compared the delay in calling Mowatt this term to an apple that is ripening, underscoring the significance of timing and the need to avoid going too early or waiting too long.
So it’s just a matter of time, Corberan explained. “You might think, “Ooof, that’s going to be a very nice apple,” when you see an apple with young players.
“However, if you take the apple before it is fully developed, you might be asking, ‘What kind of apple is this?'” It’s still not an apple (that’s ready). He’s the same, right?
“If you leave the apple there, eventually it will no longer be there because the good apple’s moment has passed and it has vanished,”
This occasionally occurs with players. Or you can be eating one apple that’s in wonderful shape while waiting for another one that’s in good condition. I describe the procedure to him in that way.
Mowatt, according to Corberan, is a player who would benefit from playing in a five-man midfield ‘line’ rather than a four-man one. He has often played with Okay Yokuslu and John Swift in recent games, with the wingbacks providing width.
The Baggies manager also thinks that Mowatt, a Yorkshireman, is more physically fit and trim than before.
“If I explain with him…I like his pre-season, the first game of the season was a different game, against Blackburn, an opponent who allows us to be very aggressive in the pressing,” the head coach stated.
“Is his strength to press a line of four aggressively? In my opinion, no. I believe that Alex Mowatt benefits more from playing in a line of five. He defends better from the front than the rear.
“In a line of four, a midfielder must defend both the front and the back; in a line of five, they must protect the front. A combination of factors at the conclusion caused it to seem as though it were happening right now given his level.
If given more time, would he have displayed this level? Most likely, yes, considering he is a really talented player and it was my fault that I didn’t use him earlier.
“Now that he’s ready, how about a five-four game? In my opinion. He has a distinct mentality to never give up and is more physically strong and thin, and I really enjoy his personality.
Over the preseason, Mowatt was a success story and frequent fixture. Corberan continued by saying that although he was well aware of Yokuslu and Jayson Molumby’s strengths, he used the friendly to evaluate the midfielder.
