With four wins and three draws next to their name from their last seven Championship matches, Tony Mowbray’s West Bromwich Albion find themselves grasping onto the final playoff spot in the ultra competitive division.
Indeed, despite their positive recent patch of form, the likes of Blackburn Rovers and Watford are still loitering close behind both on 52 points, whilst the Baggies’ nearest challengers in both Middlesbrough and Bristol City are on 54 points and 57 points respectively.
West Brom’s heftier goal difference means they sit in sixth over the Robins, with Mowbray wanting more from the likes of Tom Fellows in crunch Championship contests to follow, aware that the homegrown gem’s form has dipped slightly.
Tom Fellows' dip in form at West Brom
Across the unbeaten stretch of results West Brom are currently experiencing, Fellows has only managed to pick up one paltry assist.
The last seven clashes in the league has seen very little come off for the usually electric 21-year-old – away from helping Adam Armstrong net against Sheffield Wednesday – resulting in Mowbray dropping the hot-and-cold number 31 from his starting lineups here and there.
Taking Fellows out of the main team would have been completely unfathomable earlier in the campaign, with the Solihull-born winger racing to 11 assists in second tier action when regularly linking up with a now injury-stricken Josh Maja, alongside also picking up two goals for his troubles.
A reported move to Everton could still be on the cards when the next transfer window rolls around, but there is one former loanee who is now managing to outperform the out-of-sorts attacker…
The former West Brom loanee outperforming Fellows
Sometimes, a player doesn’t instantly become a success during the infancy of their playing days. Rather, the star in question ends up being a late bloomer that eventually explodes into life.
Jacob Murphy falls into this bracket of players who have managed to age like a fine wine, with the now Newcastle United ace outperforming Fellows across 2024/25 to date, after a slightly unmemorable loan stint in the West Midlands.
24/25
Newcastle
31
6
9
23/24
Newcastle
25
3
7
22/23
Newcastle
43
4
2
21/22
Newcastle
34
1
2
20/21
Newcastle
31
3
4
19/20
Sheff Wed
44
9
6
18/19
West Brom
15
2
1
Looking at the table above, Murphy has managed to come on leaps and bounds since his stint at the Hawthorns, with the 30-year-old attacker worth just £5m – as per Transfermarkt – when lining up for the Baggies, having only mustered up three goal contributions from 15 clashes.
Now, the ex-Norwich City man has hit his peak in Howe’s camp, with Fellows’ 13 goal contributions for the campaign bettered by Murphy reaching 15 from 31 games.
To make his sublime season even better, Murphy would also manage to lift the EFL Cup proudly against Liverpool, having bagged one goal and two assists in the competition to get his team to that famous showdown at Wembley.
Murphy’s value – as per Transfermarkt – has also now risen all the up to a bumper £13m subsequently, representing a large £8m increase from his far lesser price-tag when he was still attempting to make a name for himself as an eager loanee.
Now, the “relentless” winger – as he’s been lauded by football journalist Chris Waugh in the past – very much has a home to call his own in St James’ Park, away from his former loan employers now desperately trying to reach Murphy’s level.
West Brom must rue losing loan ace who's now worth more than Maja & Fellows
This former West Bromwich Albion loan ace has gone on to have a very successful career after the Hawthorns.
1 ByKelan SarsonMar 2, 2025