Carlton Palmer has been impressed with West Brom’s performances in the early weeks of the season, and has particularly liked what he’s seen from Baggies midfielder Alex Mowatt.
The 29-year-old was in imperious form at Fratton Park on Sunday afternoon as he scored a brace to help his side to a 3-0 win over Pompey, and help the Baggies reach the Championship summit.
It’s been a very impressive start to the season for Carlos Corberan’s side, and they’ve picked up 13 points out of a possible 15, only conceding two goals.
After finishing in the play-off places during the last campaign, West Brom looked to have kicked on again, and they look set to be there or thereabouts this season, with Mowatt making an impressive start to the season, and Palmer has praised the club’s decision to reward him with a new deal in the summer.
Carlton Palmer on Alex Mowatt and West Brom’s start to the season
Former Baggies and England midfielder Palmer has been impressed with what he’s seen from his former side in the early weeks of the Championship season, and believes giving Mowatt a new two-year deal was a masterstroke by the West Brom hierarchy.
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer said: “West Brom have enjoyed a stellar start to the season as they sit top of the Championship, played five, won four, unbelievable.
“Nine goals four, two against that’s always Carlos Corberan’s rock, they always make themselves hard to beat.
“They’re not the most prolific in terms of goals, teams around them have 12 already, but if you don’t concede goals you always give yourself a chance.
“There are so many players who have stepped up to the mark early in the season, and one of those is Alex Mowatt, who scored a brace at Pompey.
“He’s done really well and signed a contract extension which will see him at the club until the summer of 2026 and the deal will automatically extend for another 12 months should Mowatt trigger an appearance-based clause in his contract.
“I like that incentive for players as it means they want to play and do well, and they’ll want to kick on this season after reaching the play-offs last season, so I think it’s a huge incentive if players are on performance-based contracts where they can earn more money based on appearances and goals.
“Hopefully they can keep all of their players fit and Alex has started the season really well, as have a lot of the West Brom players.
“They look really solid and compact. They’re a really good side.”
Alex Mowatt looks set for another big season at West Brom
Mowatt has been a mainstay in Corberan’s side this season, playing the full 90 minutes in all five league games, and his brace at Pompey summed up what’s been a very impressive start to the campaign.
The 29-year-old was set to become a free agent in the summer of 2024 after three seasons at The Hawthorns, but the club moved to extend his deal by two years, and as Palmer alluded to above, that can further be extended by another season.
Mowatt is an excellent player at this level, and it’s easy to see why he’s so well thought of by Corberan and the West Brom faithful, and if the Baggies are to enjoy a successful campaign, you can expect the Doncaster-born midfielder to play an important role in that.
| Alex Mowatt’s senior career – Transfermarkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | P | G | A |
| Leeds United | 2013-17 | 125 | 13 | 13 |
| Barnsley | 2017-21 | 162 | 20 | 23 |
| Oxford United (Loan) | 2017-18 | 34 | 3 | 1 |
| West Brom | 2021- | 89 | 8 | 7 |
| Middlesbrough (Loan) | 2022-23 | 31 | 0 | 2 |
Of course, it’s early days yet, but Corberan’s side have made an excellent start to the season, and they look set to be competing for promotion come May.
West Brom won’t be getting carried away yet, particularly with the unpredictable nature of the Championship, but if Mowatt’s continues to perform like he did at Fratton Park on Sunday, it would take a brave man to write them off.
