00:00 [Music]
00:07 Baggage fans, welcome to ExpressAndStart.com. My name is Jonny Drury. I'm alongside what looks like a very cold Louis Cox here at Albion.
00:14 But he was warmed up today by four more goals for West Brom against Blackburn. A 4-1 thumping of a pretty sorry Blackburn.
00:22 Coxie, four goals, back-to-back waves. We are being treated to some goal-mouth action there at the moment.
00:28 But Albion didn't really have to hit top gear today, which probably says it all.
00:34 No, a good day. Great day out. I think Aldershot aside, you can't discount Aldershot totally, can you?
00:39 But looking at the league, perfect tonic from Swansea, isn't it really? From New Year's Day. Get over that.
00:45 Get back on the run. Get back to winning form. Because it's a tough day, isn't it, Swansea?
00:50 It probably should have been a draw, but Albion had to lick their wounds. It's been a long fortnight since, really.
00:55 And coming back here, you're always confident, aren't you, in a championship, whoever Albion face here.
01:00 Blackburn are poor and struggling at the minute, as we know. They come in with no players, couldn't fill a bench.
01:05 Top scorer out ill last minute. End of game, misluck from the moment.
01:09 Fellows open the scoring. Tom Fellows on 11 minutes. It's a half an hour to 33 minutes.
01:13 By the point, it's 3-0 to game over, isn't it? 3-0 at half hour in.
01:17 And the rest was a bit of a procession, really. I was glad once Blackburn got that goal back early into the second half.
01:23 Sorry that Albion were able to get another one immediately after. They deserved that three-goal lead.
01:28 But as you said online, it could have been 7-8-9, couldn't it? Easily.
01:32 And Albion were coasting for much of that, really, weren't they? In third and fourth gear.
01:36 And I know some would look at it and argue and say, 'Well, play like you did for half an hour for all of it.'
01:42 But it's hard, isn't it, when the game's won so early? It's hard to maintain that intensity throughout.
01:48 Those levels. Credit to Blackburn. They did what they could. I don't think they chucked it.
01:53 They tried to fight on, didn't they? But a really convincing home win.
01:56 I think off the top of my head, I haven't checked this yet, but just the third time under Carlos in the league that Albion have won by three goals.
02:03 I think there's Rotherham here and the big one at Preston earlier this season.
02:07 They're not a generally high-scoring side, are they? They're not.
02:11 So a big day in that regard. And just important minutes for players.
02:15 We'll get on to Tom Sassante, won't we, who finished with two goals in the end of the four.
02:19 But it was so nearly the hat-trick and the match-ball, wasn't it, for Tom Sassante?
02:24 Gutted for him, really, but what a day for him. He was excellent, as were many others. Excellent, actually.
02:28 Yeah, we'd be here all night if we talked about who played well today.
02:31 But Tom Sassante, someone who gets flack from certain sections of Albion fans.
02:37 He's had to take the striking mantle on all season, really, aside from a few games when Josh Madger's been around.
02:46 But he took his goals fantastically well today. Nine league goals for season, ten in all competitions.
02:52 And it's coming at a time when the main man is back as well, which bodes really well.
02:57 Yeah, he was excellent, wasn't he, Tom Sassante? Carlos Corbijn's waxed lyrical about him in there.
03:03 Not just for the goals, actually. He often, when playing well, brings the all-round game, doesn't he?
03:08 That's what he has. The way he holds defenders off and brings teammates into play and runs behind.
03:14 His effort and work rate is generally second to none. He was really good all-round today, I thought.
03:19 So, deserving of that hat-trick, really. Obviously, the third goal it is. It's gone down as a Dom, high-end OG.
03:25 Just minutes after that excellent first goal for BTA and Albion's second. It's hard to keep track today, isn't it?
03:33 There seems like so many goals and so many chances. Yeah, a real return to good form for Tom Sassante.
03:40 Hopefully, I think he sort of tends to score in fits and starts, maybe, rather than consistently every other game or every three games or whatever.
03:48 But in terms of the tally, as you mentioned, ten goals in all comps, now nine in the league.
03:52 He's surpassed his league tally from last season. He's surpassed his overall tally from last season.
03:56 We're in mid-January. We say he's not a natural goal-scoring striker. I don't disagree with that.
04:03 It's not a DK style between the posts, is he? He's a different type of centre-forward.
04:08 However, he's improving on his return and that return of ten goals, double figures, by mid-Jan is a handy, useful return, isn't it?
04:16 I would argue, certainly. We can get into it, maybe. Very, very briefly, Moa, excellent today.
04:23 Tom Fellowes, wow. That first half especially, he just continues to fly, doesn't he?
04:27 What a bonus this season. What a performance. Kipper at the back, wow, as usual, excellent.
04:33 And a word for Darnell Furlong as well, provided two of the goals. Throw-in and a good header for Brandon Tom Sassante's second.
04:40 So, yes, some really good displays today and the useful minutes. We could give Swift from the start, Reach from the start, surprise starter, Wallace from the bench, DK from the bench.
04:50 And Chaleber and Pippa, they add something when they come on, don't they? So, yes, considering the absentee is useful.
04:55 Yes, just finally, we've all seen a lot of reports and rumours on various different fronts, but one we have seen is that Albion are closing down a deal for Bristol City forwards,
05:07 Vardy and Mugdabi, and Villarman and Carl Scorbrand have just been talking about that. And there, just finally, Coxy, just tell us what he said.
05:13 Yes, I mean, it's not quite done yet and so there's only so much he can really say, but I just put it to him just to stand it up really and tell us where the interest is, that type of thing.
05:25 And yes, he confirmed it. It's something the club's working on. He said it's a tell-all when it gets over the line.
05:30 From what I've heard, it's getting there, if all, but done for the official confirmation, really. So, yes, he stood it up that it's ongoing and he's a player the club like and he wants to bring in.
05:43 I gather it's alone, as I reported last night, from Bristol City. And you do think, don't you, with the likes of… he's a seasoned player at this level, isn't he?
05:50 And a player that can create things, score things at this level. Yes, this season that injury's not been a regular starter or scorer, but he knows where the goal is over his career, doesn't he?
06:00 And at a decent age at 32, OK, getting on, but it's been around forever, hasn't it? So, to still be only 32. But when you look at the attack today, obviously Grady out, Af Khan, the long-term injuries out.
06:10 OK, they're not coming back any time soon, but you think of Dean Garner to come back and hopefully, Weimann to add into that mix there.
06:16 Maybe not as a regular starter. Obviously, Wallace didn't start today. Maybe Swift's not always going to start.
06:22 And Fellowes is now into the mix as this very real first-team option, isn't he? And we know Weimann isn't all Albion want to do this month.
06:29 They want to get two in and that will be the target. Where the second one's at, we don't know yet. But Corbijn did want to go at quickly, didn't he, in this window and get one in ASAP.
06:38 And we spoke, didn't we, and we're thinking, maybe on one of the podcasts, we're thinking, well, it never happens quickly, does it? We'll be there on the 31st.
06:47 However, he did want one for Blackburn, didn't he? It hasn't quite happened. However, we gather Weimann's close and that's what the head coach has said.
06:55 So, yes, busy few days, hasn't it? It's been a busy couple of days, but a near-perfect afternoon, I would say, for the baggage today.
07:04 More firepower coming in, but it doesn't look like they need it at the moment. Four goals and back to that cage.
07:09 And another 4-1 win here for Albion. Final score, Albion 4, Blackburn Rovers 1.
07:13 For all the rest of your reaction, head over to ExpressingStar.com.
