We take a closer look at the West Bromwich Albion players who were exiled by Tony Pulis.
Callum McManaman
In January 2015, Callum McManaman became Pulis’ first signing as West Brom boss, after agreeing a three-and-a-half year switch from Wigan Athletic. The tricky winger started his first three league games with the Baggies but that has since proved to be his longest run in the starting eleven.
During the 2015-6 season, McManaman was mainly used as a substitute, only starting in two league games (Chelsea and Southampton). He was linked to an array of Championship clubs in the summer but a move never materialised. McManaman is yet to feature this season and has only made seven starts for West Brom.
McManaman has a natural ability to beat players and Albion have failed to get the best out of the FA Cup winner. His very brief substitute appearance in last seasons’ 2-1 home win over Stoke City showed what a brilliant impact player he can be.
However, it is easy to see where Pulis’ reservations lie. The 25-year-old has struggled with the defensive side of his game; has been questioned – by Pulis – over his propensity to dive; and is yet to complete a full 90 minutes at West Brom.
Cristian Gamboa
West Brom signed Gamboa off the back of an impressive World Cup campaign with Costa Rica. The pacey fullback hardly played for Alan Irvine and the arrival of Pulis was never going to help his cause. Gamboa only saw 27 minutes of Premier League football under Pulis which came in the 1-0 away win against Stoke City. He joined Celtic in the summer.
Gamboa couldn’t be much further from Pulis’ ideal fullback. His lack of physical presence and defensive responsibility meant Pulis preferred to use Craig Dawson as a makeshift right-back. Had Gamboa been an Albion players during the Tony Mowbray era he might have had more success.
Sebastien Pocognoli
Pocognoli’s situation wasn’t much different to Gamboa’s. The left-back joined from German side Hannover 96 – as part Irvine’s summer recruitment – and played in the fifteen league games before Pulis’ appointment.
Despite starting in Pulis’ first game, against Gateshead in the FA Cup, the Belgian defender didn’t make a single league appearance for the rest of 2014/15 season. Like Gamboa, his only league appearance under Pulis came off the bench, replacing the injured Craig Dawson against Manchester United. In his 35 minutes of league football under Pulis, he managed to have a telling impact on the game, setting up Salomon Rondon for Albion’s winner.
Once again, Pulis opted to employ a makeshift defender rather than trust Pocognoli. Pulis’ unwillingness to utilise natural fullbacks, particularly Pocognoli, did frustrate many Albion fans who appreciated his tough tackling and ability to get forward. He will have the chance to prove Pulis wrong on his loan spell with Brighton Hove Albion.
Serge Gnabry
Pulis brought Gnabry in on a season-long from Arsenal and was handed his debut off the bench in Albion’s 3-2 defeat against Chelsea. This twelve minute cameo would end up being the highly-rated German youth international’s only appearance in a West Brom shirt. His miserable loan spell was terminated in January 2016.
Gnabry is currently on-loan with Bundesliga side SV Werder Bremen and has had a promising start to their campaign following an eye-catching set of performances at the Olympic Games. With two goals and an assist in his first six games for Bremen, the 21-year-old will have left Albion supporters wondering what could have been.
Alex Pritchard
After ending Gnabry’s loan spell early, West Brom snapped up Alex Pritchard on-loan from Tottenham. The exciting winger’s first appearance was as a substitute in the disastrous away defeat to Newcastle United.
Despite looking bright on his debut, Pritchard would be an unused sub in Albion’s next four games, finally making his second appearance in the closing stages of the home defeat to Norwich City. Pritchard didn’t feature again for Pulis and joined Norwich permanently in the summer.
With only 62 minutes of game time for Pritchard, some clubs may think twice about loaning their youngsters to a Tony Pulis team. Like Gnabry, Pritchard was worth more minutes than he got at the Hawthorns and his loan proved to be a waste of time for both parties.
The others
These type of issues happen at most clubs but Tony Pulis seems to be more stubborn than most in his approach. As Chairman John Williams confirmed in his post-deadline statement on the club’s official website, Pulis is “very selective and particular” about his players.
You could probably add Rickie Lambert, James Chester, Youssouf Mulumbu and others to this list of outcasts. All of which is a reminder that the Baggies must plan meticulously for January to avoid bringing players that will not be used by Pulis.
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