Coventry City 0, West Brom 0: Chris Lepkowski's big match verdict

Oct 26 2009 by Christopher Lepkowski, Birmingham Mail

SOMETHING, somewhere, isn’t quite right.

Saturday’s draw at Coventry might, from the outside, look a decent point but the performance at the Ricoh Arena raised major issues about Albion’s progress.

A side which was scoring goals recently is suddenly devoid of spark in front of goal.

Worse still, it’s losing the ability to create. The warning signs have been there.

Albion’s four senior strikers have scored just six goals between them in the opening 14 league games and, with all due respect to Chris Wood, the word ‘senior’ is not one you should associate with somebody who cannot even legally buy fireworks. Ideally, the 17-year-old should be used sparingly at this stage of his career, not relied on to rescue his side when things aren’t going well.

And, consider this, when Albion reached their 14th league game in 2007/08, Kevin Phillips already had nine goals and Ishmael Miller seven. Roman Bednar had yet to make his Baggies debut.

Bednar, we know, wasn’t fit on Saturday and may still be out this weekend.

So that leaves Luke Moore and Simon Cox. Moore looks a shadow of the player who began this season so brightly. He’s lost his enthusiasm, his imagination and his fire. As a lone striker he simply doesn’t work – never has done and Saturday’s performance suggests he never will.

And what of Cox? The deal to sign the 22-year-old from Swindon was struck before Roberto Di Matteo’s appointment. We’re told that the head coach gave his unequivocal backing – it was one of the questions he was asked when he was unveiled.

But the striker’s appearances have been sporadic. Sure, he has been a little unfortunate with injuries along the way and was several weeks behind his pre-season preparation due to a knock he picked up during his medical – a bad omen if ever there was one – but in recent weeks he’s been fit and rarely used. Moore continues to splutter, yet Cox remains on the bench.

Albion’s coaching staff claim Cox is responding to their direction and guidance, but his lack of game time is at odds with such public appraisals. Albion have been at pains to point out that Cox was signed with Di Matteo’s approval. However, the longer he is marginalised, the more people will naturally assume otherwise.