Why former Millwall attacker Jed Wallace is struggling for West Brom game-time – and how he has reacted.
Wallace, 30, a very well-liked character at The Den, left to sign a free transfer with the Baggies in the summer of 2022. After just one
season, he was named club captain.
Wallace, a former attacker for Portsmouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers, started 81 Championship games in his first two seasons at
The Hawthorns but has appeared in only one game for manager Carlos Corberan’s squad this year. It did not go as planned when Tom
Fellows replaced Wallace in the 54th minute of Tuesday’s match against Middlesbrough.
Fellows, 21, a product of the Albion academy, was selected for the England under-21 team for this season.
This week, NewsAtDen met with Lewis Cox, a West Brom reporter for the Express & Star, to learn why Wallace has had trouble
breaking into the starting lineup. Throughout his five full seasons at Millwall, Wallace was a consistent player, and with his contract
expiring in 2022, the team was keen to hold onto their finest player.
But Wallace decided to go because he believed Albion gave him the best opportunity to realize his dream of playing in the Premier
League. After finishing fifth in the previous season—Coberan’s first as manager—and tenth in the 2022–2023 season, West Brom lost
3–1 on aggregate to eventual winners Southampton in the semi-finals.
In his first season as club captain, Wallace was a vital member of the team, frequently starting in a position that didn’t suit his natural
abilities, as Millwall supporters would have expected.
According to Cox, “Jed had to start a number of games basically as an emergency striker.” “Which he was the first to acknowledge isn’t
his job; over his entire career, he hasn’t played it too frequently.
Josh Maja was hurt, therefore Brandon Thomas-Asante was the only one left to take full responsibility. Jed had to play the part, along
with one or two others.
“And Wallace being Wallace he gave it his all. He can be a pressing machine and a hard-running attacker as Millwall fans will know.
Wallace started against Boro after making six appearances as a substitute. Following six games without a loss, West Brom suffered
their second straight setback, losing 1-0.
“We were a little taken aback by his first start of the season,” Cox remarks. “Not that Wallace isn’t healthy or anything; it’s simply that
Fellows has led the division in assists this season and has had a great start to the campaign. I wrote this week about Wallace’s
statement from a few weeks ago that Fellows is currently playing so brilliantly that any right-winger in the league would be taking
second place to him.
“It was a big night for him because of [his start]. It didn’t go fully his way but it didn’t go the way of any of Albion’s attackers, really.
There was one moment before the break when he had a chance to put Albion ahead but he hit it straight at the keeper. That was a
shame.
“There were a couple of other moments he had the chance just to get at his man and whip a ball in, but it didn’t quite come off for one reason or another.
“It was 0-0, and Corberan does like to make early subs, 52, 53 minutes is early for him but it was one of those where it wasn’t quite
working for the side and if someone like Fellows is on the bench he would be one of the first names to be brought on, so Wallace had to
make way.
“I suppose with him there is always scope to move him across to the left, but again West Brom have quite a lot of options. The No.10
isn’t so much a role for him. Fellows was the obvious one to bring on as Albion were pushing to try to take the lead.
“It’s very much Fellows position as a top, top young player and he’s won the shirt, really.”
Wallace declared prior to the two losses that he would not be “throwing his toys out of the pram” at his exclusion from the squad.
Cox describes him as “the ultimate professional.” After Jed spent a season with the team, Carlos named him club captain. In his first
summer, Carlos had to make a choice. He picked Jed Wallace and basically stated, “Jed Wallace acts like a captain; those are his
characteristics; that’s his profile.” He did this without really needing to wear the armband. It was well praised.
It is somewhat unfortunate for him. However, behind the scenes, Carlos was waxing poetic a few weeks ago about how “Jed doesn’t
just back my decisions, he practically actively helps me make them, he
And that’s not to imply that Jed no longer has faith in his own abilities or supports himself—nothing of the like. He can still be a useful
winger in this tier, in my opinion. Yes, he might have had a little yard of pace a few years ago that he doesn’t have these days. Even
though he is only thirty, his delivery is still excellent.
He’ll be required. This week, I stated on a podcast that Tom Fellows, at the age of 21, is not able to start every game or play 46 in a season. We will require Jed Wallace.
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