[WBAinDEVON]

he always plays well against us

[SmethDan]

he always plays well against us

He should be great in training then  .

[WorcsWBA]

I've not given it much thought as I honestly didn't think we would be in the market for a LWB.

The wing-backs are absolutely vital for Valerien's system, so a make do and mend approach for RWB and LWB won't cut it, we need the best players we can manage to get for them. It doesn't sound like Reach is that, but I guess it's a sign of our lack of finances.

[gazberg]

Brum mail saying deal is close

"Adam Reach is close to becoming West Brom’s fourth signing of the summer, it’s understood.

The winger, 28, left relegated Sheffield Wednesday at the end of last season upon the expiry of his contract and he has been on the look-out for a new club this summer.


There has been interest from around the Championship, not least of all from Blackburn Rovers, but he is now poised to join Albion for the forthcoming campaign.

Valerien Ismael has already added midfielder Alex Mowatt on a free transfer and centre half Matt Clarke on loan from Brighton, while the club have recruited youngster Quevin Moises Castro after a successful trial.

Reach is expected to become the latest new face that is introduced to the group.

He played more than 200 Championship matches for Wednesday after joining from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2016, and his best return in front of goal came in the 2018-19 when he found the net nine times - one of those was a screamer against Albion at Hillsborough.

Albion have needed to flesh out their squad after having a clear-out of their own at the end of the Premier League campaign which ended in relegation, and it’s thought that Reach will provide cover and competition both in the wide forward areas and at wing-back, where there is currently little behind first choice pairing Conor Townsend and Darnell Furlong.

Reach, Durham born, came through the ranks at Middlesbrough before leaving for the Owls and so the Baggies will be only his third permanent club."

[LiamTheBaggie]

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!

I think that might be one of those common misconceptions. On the occasions I've seen Reach over the last five years I would not attribute lazy to him.

Lee Bullen who has been apart of the coaching staff at Hillsborough for forever and a day was queried on this point and was in total disagreement.

It was at a club function and he specifically stated that the KM covered by Adam Reach was significantly higher than anyone else within the club.

[TheJacko2000]

I think that might be one of those common misconceptions. On the occasions I've seen Reach over the last five years I would not attribute lazy to him.

Lee Bullen who has been apart of the coaching staff at Hillsborough for forever and a day was queried on this point and was in total disagreement.

It was at a club function and he specifically stated that the KM covered by Adam Reach was significantly higher than anyone else within the club.

Same happened to Brunty here...

[johnny Cash]

I am amazed that Adam Reach and Townsend are practically the same age.  In my mind, Townsend was still 24/25.

Some player seem to be around forever and other's have there careers pass by in a heartbeat. 

[WorcsWBA]

As this deal looks like it might have legs, here are some short video compilations of Reach for your delectation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bxPgGATRvc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_77MAhOMio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B10LvCymBg

There aren't too many tap-ins in the above videos!

He reminds me of Kevin Kilbane much more than Brunt and is obviously skillful, despite his height and somewhat gangly gait. He looks keen enough in these videos, although they're just short highlights of course. Hopefully we'd get the best out of him if he's competing at the right end of the table for a change.

There's next to nothing in these videos to illustrate his defensive qualities, but his Wikipedia page describes him as a left winger who can also play at full-back and goes on to say he played at left wing, left wing-back, as part of a front three and as a lone striker for Sheff Wed, so he clearly has some versatility.

If he does sign for us, he's likely to generate some exciting moments at times during the season.

[TheJacko2000]

I am amazed that Adam Reach and Townsend are practically the same age.  In my mind, Townsend was still 24/25.

Some player seem to be around forever and other's have there careers pass by in a heartbeat.

It's because Townsend was so poor people just assumed he'd been signed as a youngster when in reality he was 25 when we picked him up.

[iwastherein68]

It's because Townsend was so poor people just assumed he'd been signed as a youngster when in reality he was 35 when we picked him up.

Bit underwhelmed by Adam Reach, who will never replace Conor, but never mind he's probably the best player we will ever have signed from Sheffield Wednesday 

[beechyboy90]

1year deal to plug a gap worst case 2 year deal.

[Albertbaggie]

Quality free imo. Don't get any negativity. Not on the level of the likes of peltier/Mears

[Atomic]

Bit underwhelmed by Adam Reach, who will never replace Conor, but never mind he's probably the best player we will ever have signed from Sheffield Wednesday 

Did you really have to say that? 

[Blowee]

Bit underwhelmed by Adam Reach, who will never replace Conor, but never mind he's probably the best player we will ever have signed from Sheffield Wednesday 

Are you serious! You surely are forgetting Gary Bannister? 

[stubba]

Chris Brunt surely!

[Baggies]

The wing-backs are absolutely vital for Valerien's system, so a make do and mend approach for RWB and LWB won't cut it, we need the best players we can manage to get for them. It doesn't sound like Reach is that, but I guess it's a sign of our lack of finances.

I'm with you on this Worcs. It feels like the wing back positions will be vital and as I'm really not huge on either Townsend or Furlong, I do feel that we needed genuine competition in atleast one of those positions in the way of a signing.

We know that Gardner-Hickman appears to have done enough to earn himself a role as a back up to one of the roles (which I support as we need to use the academy better), but if Reach is going to be the external addition then that's probably that and we are sticking with what we have.

Every review I've seen of Reach from Sheff Wed fans suggests a player who they aren't sad to see go. He lost his place last season in a side that was relegated - that's not the sort of thing I'd expect from a signing for a team aiming for promotion. It also seems he is more of  left winger than a LWB, so I'm unsure how he adapts to Ismael's system.

It's a concern, it seems we are making signings purely based on their limited price tag rather than if they are suitable.

I predict he will be another Mears/Hoolahan.

[baggie38]

VI said something along the lines of he isn't going to be in control of signings he is going to leave that to the likes of Ken, Ian Pearce and Ron Gourlay. That seriously frustrated me because I saw Dowling going as an opportunity for us to move back to a system which allows the head coach and only the head coach have full control of transfer activity. Reach doesn't strike me as a player that VI would remotely be interested in signing (I'd love to be proved wrong) Sheffield Wednesday fans say he is lazy and they weren't sad to see him go. How is a so called lazy player going to fit into a energetic high pressing style?! This signing doesn't inspire me. Saying that though not every signing has to be a exciting one. Some will come in just to fatten the squad up a little more. We are relatively low in some areas and Townsend needs competition. I think we will see very little of reach apart from the cup games and should an injury occur to Townsend or a couple of our left wingers. Good luck to the bloke if he joins I'll support him all the way.

[iwastherein68]

Are you serious! You surely are forgetting Gary Bannister? 

Soz mate I had forgotten Gary 

[johnny Cash]

I'm with you on this Worcs. It feels like the wing back positions will be vital and as I'm really not huge on either Townsend or Furlong, I do feel that we needed genuine competition in atleast one of those positions in the way of a signing.

We know that Gardner-Hickman appears to have done enough to earn himself a role as a back up to one of the roles (which I support as we need to use the academy better), but if Reach is going to be the external addition then that's probably that and we are sticking with what we have.

Every review I've seen of Reach from Sheff Wed fans suggests a player who they aren't sad to see go. He lost his place last season in a side that was relegated - that's not the sort of thing I'd expect from a signing for a team aiming for promotion. It also seems he is more of  left winger than a LWB, so I'm unsure how he adapts to Ismael's system.

It's a concern, it seems we are making signings purely based on their limited price tag rather than if they are suitable.

I predict he will be another Mears/Hoolahan.

Mears and Hoolihan were over 35, as reach is 28 I don’t think he will end up in those category. I’ve also seen some Wednesday comments that because of Reach’s adaptability and their problems over the years he’s played out of position a lot. Some comments have suggested if you leave him out left he will be ‘ok’

Clearly that’s not perfect as I’d agree the full backs willl be essential but I don’t think it will be terrible. If you go purely on attacking productivity (goals and assists) over the years, he’s got a far better record than Townsend.

[Baggies]

He will probably score one screamer for us, maybe in a League Cup game, but I'd be surprised if he replaces Townsend and I'd have quite liked to see one of the full backs replaced in this system.

I suppose we have to hope the money I'd being saved to buy the perfect striker and central midfielder.

[LiamTheBaggie]

Every review I've seen of Reach from Sheff Wed fans suggests a player who they aren't sad to see go. He lost his place last season in a side that was relegated - that's not the sort of thing I'd expect from a signing for a team aiming for promotion. It also seems he is more of  left winger than a LWB, so I'm unsure how he adapts to Ismael's system.

He didn’t lose his place in a side that was relegated. He started 38 matches last season and was an ever present under Darren Moore towards the end of last season. There was only a period in February where he was on the bench

He was only benched in that period because he’d played every game under Thompson and he wanted to freshen things up. It backfired as they lost every game he didn’t feature having only lost 3 in 10 before that.

His biggest issue was his versatility in some ways - Lukuhay threw him into central midfield and expected him to be a midfield cruncher and that was not the case. Similar to what we did with Brunt. From there, the bottle job, can’t tackle reputation had stuck.

The club was poisonous last season for many reasons and the last six months of last season has tainted the reputations that many had at Wednesday. Given the shenanigans that went on, I wouldn’t necessarily be judging them on that period.

He is a better LM than he is a full back, there is no denying that. However, he’s got a good engine and I’m sure that appeals to VI in hope he can mould a LWB out of him.

His output in terms of assists will be excellent if we can sign a striker in that Steven Fletcher type mould.

[Standaman]

Reach almost certainly offers more than either Mears or Hoolihan. However he is most definitely a squad depth signing. If you want squad depth signings then this is what squad depth signings looks like. The truth is there are still very few players who are specialist wing backs nearly everyone who plays there will either be a converted winger or full back so from that perspective I don't know how it will work but there is a reasonable chance that I won't actually see it working. 

Personally I would never recruit squad depth I would always turn to the youth set up unless there is quite literally no alternative. I also think that "competition for places" is a nonsense for most clubs. If you have two players of similar ability for the same position in the starting line up rather than one clear first choice,  it either means neither are good enough and or one or more of the starting players elsewhere in the line up could be improved on.   

[Baggies]

He didn’t lose his place in a side that was relegated. He started 38 matches last season and was an ever present under Darren Moore towards the end of last season. There was only a period in February where he was on the bench

He was only benched in that period because he’d played every game under Thompson and he wanted to freshen things up. It backfired as they lost every game he didn’t feature having only lost 3 in 10 before that.

His biggest issue was his versatility in some ways - Lukuhay threw him into central midfield and expected him to be a midfield cruncher and that was not the case. Similar to what we did with Brunt. From there, the bottle job, can’t tackle reputation had stuck.

The club was poisonous last season for many reasons and the last six months of last season has tainted the reputations that many had at Wednesday. Given the shenanigans that went on, I wouldn’t necessarily be judging them on that period.

He is a better LM than he is a full back, there is no denying that. However, he’s got a good engine and I’m sure that appeals to VI in hope he can mould a LWB out of him.

His output in terms of assists will be excellent if we can sign a striker in that Steven Fletcher type mould.

Could have been when I was looking then, I remember a spell where I was having a look at their side, containing the likes of Bannan, Rhodes etc and being surprised they were struggling and then seeing Reach on the bench and thinking back to his season of wonder goals. If he won his place back for the final run in then fair enough, I'm just not blown away by the deal as I felt we needed an upgrade in atleast one of the positions.

He adds versatility and he frees up money for cente forward/central midfield, I'm just struggling to get excited by his deal.

[TheJacko2000]

Meltdown on here when he comes in as first choice LWB 

[charlebaggie]

Could have been when I was looking then, I remember a spell where I was having a look at their side, containing the likes of Bannan, Rhodes etc and being surprised they were struggling and then seeing Reach on the bench and thinking back to his season of wonder goals. If he won his place back for the final run in then fair enough, I'm just not blown away by the deal as I felt we needed an upgrade in atleast one of the positions.

He adds versatility and he frees up money for cente forward/central midfield, I'm just struggling to get excited by his deal.

     Not many got excited when GMac signed or Mulumbu and look what good signings they became. Trust