[bartleygreen baggie]

Meant to be in for Adam Reach (remember him scoring a banger against us)

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2021/07/30/west-brom-may-go-for-adam-reach/

[Hull Baggie]

Meant to be in for Adam Reach (remember him scoring a banger against us)

seems an odd one, we don't need another left winger and we have cover for Townsend at LWB in the form of Gardner Hickman.

[A5HB]

seems an odd one, we don't need another left winger and we have cover for Townsend at LWB in the form of Gardner Hickman.

I’m not sure that you’d want Gardner-Hickman, as promising as he is, to be the only recognised cover for Townsend all season.

[Standaman]

Reach is not terrible cover at wing back, absolutely not a winger but right now I'm going to call this as the typical Nixon BS until something happens to confirm it.

[Baggies]

28 so a tad on the old side and he lost his place in the Sheffield Wed team after his brilliant 18-19 season.

Not awful as free transfer covet but probably not somebody to challenge the first 11.

[tuamigos]

28 so a tad on the old side and he lost his place in the Sheffield Wed team after his brilliant 18-19 season.

Not awful as free transfer covet but probably not somebody to challenge the first 11.

That's the issue for me, we have a squad but we need genuine competition for first team places.
Striking options look well below what we need imo.

[Baggies]

I do agree about needing first team improvements, but playing devils advocate, it may be that the money is being prioritised so that we can push the boat out for a striker

[johnny Cash]

We are broke, we need some cover, and given it seems like VI is going to run players in to the ground over the course of the season I think Reach on a free would be ok.

Townsend isn’t immovable either, every chance someone could force there way in to the side. With championship finances as they are and a shot at promotion I imagine a modest deal could be quite attractive to the player.

[Mister AT]

Reach on a free is a good bit of business.

Can cover several positions, strengthens our bench whilst also adding some competition to the first team spots.

Think we can all agree we need some cover for Townsend, and Reach would provide that, as well as giving us a threat further forward.

Also frees up the money to sign a striker (if we ever get any money!).

[johnny Cash]

It’s quite a difficult position for the club in some respects.

We need to build a squad and that has to happen one way or another, but whether we need to do it with £5m (I think we probably do have some money available) or whether we can do it with £20m changes everything. In the meantime it’s no good bloating the squad with the bargain budget if we do sell Johnstone and Pereira. You the. Also have to balance potential targets moving elsewhere.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we are juggling a few players and even have some bids in principle accepted.

[LiamTheBaggie]

I wouldn’t be disappointed in signing Reach to be honest - he’s a very good option to have at left wing back and may allow us the opportunity to get our younger lads out on loan.

I wouldn’t judge him over the last season and half at Wednesday as the club has been a mess. He’s covered central midfield, left back, left wing and like many at Wednesday been messed around with wages. The figures he churned out though are still very good:

His output over the last few years

2020/2021 - 44 apps - 5 goals and 3 assists
2019/2020 - 37 apps - 1 goal and 6 assists
2018/2019 - 42 apps - 8 goals and 7 assists
2017/2018 - 46 apps - 4 goals and 11 assists
2016/2017 - 39 apps - 3 goals and 4 assists

Quite frankly, if he can replicate any of the stats with us then he’ll have proved his worth.

I would imagine those statistics fair much better than Townsend and Gibbs in recent years.

[gazberg]

On a free i don't have a problem with the Adam Reach deal if true. Solid player at this level, his stats are decent as Liam shows and i'd rather any money used for a decent striker or 2 where we are desperate.

[Baggies]

The feedback from Sheff Wed fans is thathe is very lightweight. Can look classy but often gets bullied off the ball

[baggie96]

Reach would be a decent squad player surely. Covers left wing back, left wing and potentially centre mid. Only 28 as well, a level up from the cover we had for the last stint in the champ, ie mears, hoolahan, montero etc

[skyclad99]

Reach would be a decent squad player surely. Covers left wing back, left wing and potentially centre mid. Only 28 as well, a level up from the cover we had for the last stint in the champ, ie mears, hoolahan, montero etc

Is this the chap who is quite happy to have a go at 25yds +? He has scored a few like that from memory

[gazberg]

Is this the chap who is quite happy to have a go at 25yds +? He has scored a few like that from memory

Yeah only seemed to score worldies as i remember

[LiamTheBaggie]

Is this the chap who is quite happy to have a go at 25yds +? He has scored a few like that from memory

Yep, one of which was against us in a 2-2 draw.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Article in the E&S - though it doesn’t say a lot

https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2021/07/30/west-brom-may-go-for-adam-reach/

The 28-year-old is a free agent after leaving Hillsborough at the end of last season and is among several targets being tracked by the Baggies. Reach, who made more than 200 Championship appearances during five seasons with the Owls, is also attracting interest from Blackburn.

Albion are likely to make multiple additions to their squad before the transfer window shuts at the end of next month but the extent of their business will be determined by the futures of Sam Johnstone and Matheus Pereira.

Both will be allowed to leave this summer, with the Baggies hopeful of receiving significant fees which can then be used by boss Valerien Ismael to fill holes elsewhere.

[Standaman]

Don't particularly like this if we had any sort of viable left footed wing back option in the under 23's I would hate it but we don't so on that basis it is just about okay in my view. That has nothing to do with the fact that he is coming in on a free from Wednesday. At 28 he is a back up option we will give him a two year deal at least and he pretty quickly becomes dead money and deader than dead if we are promoted.

If LWB is a priority we should go the whole hog and get the best young (under 25) option we can with a view to them being the first choice for the foreseeable future. It isn't so it is Reach or someone similar. If Gardner-Hickman was left footed this wouldn't be close in my view. 

[zac]

I asked my friend about Reach because he has been a season ticket holder at Sheffield Wednesday for a while. He said he can be a little lazy but as we know, scores a worldie every now and again! He also mentioned he definitely isn't the type to press..

I suppose we will have to wait and see!

[johnny Cash]

Don't particularly like this if we had any sort of viable left footed wing back option in the under 23's I would hate it but we don't so on that basis it is just about okay in my view. That has nothing to do with the fact that he is coming in on a free from Wednesday. At 28 he is a back up option we will give him a two year deal at least and he pretty quickly becomes dead money and deader than dead if we are promoted.

If LWB is a priority we should go the whole hog and get the best young (under 25) option we can with a view to them being the first choice for the foreseeable future. It isn't so it is Reach or someone similar. If Gardner-Hickman was left footed this wouldn't be close in my view.

Any left backs in mind?

The Derby Left back is only 20, fairly highly rated and out of contract next year. He can play wing back and was young player of the year. Forest have had bids of around £2m rejected.  Surely he fits the bill perfectly.

[Albionic]

Any left backs in mind?

The Derby Left back is only 20, fairly highly rated and out of contract next year. He can play wing back and was young player of the year. Forest have had bids of around £2m rejected.  Surely he fits the bill perfectly.

Offer derby a 2 for 1 deal and they will rip your hands off, (if allowed under their embargo thing). who have we got left that will not play under VI ?

[lewisant]

We aren't going to be offering £2 million though for a LWB when Townsend is more than likely our first choice. Adam Reach as a free and a utility player makes sense, hopefully no long-term commitments in the contract.

[SmethDan]

Offer derby a 2 for 1 deal and they will rip your hands off, (if allowed under their embargo thing). who have we got left that will not play under VI ?

Matheus Pereira in all probability, seems a bit of a steep trade for a 20 year old left back......

[Standaman]

I think you are talking about Lee Buchanan both Forest and now Celtic reported as being interested. Not a bad shout at something like £2m. Player trade not going to happen you have to persuade someone with a contract at the Albion to go to Derby where they aren't always getting paid on time, unlikely.

I've not given it much thought as I honestly didn't think we would be in the market for a LWB. Reach really is only a LWB in the current set up. If you can get away with 12 month contract rather than a 2 or 3 year one that doubles in value when we are promoted then that's okay but in general I would rather see the place on the squad go to one of the under 23 players.