With a track record of five promotions and five relegations since the start of the new millennium, West Bromwich Albion is famously known as a yo-yo club.
Similar to Norwich and other clubs, The Baggies consistently prove their prowess in the Championship but find it challenging to secure a stable position in the Premier League.
Under the leadership of their current manager, Carlos Corberan, the team’s objective is to secure promotion to the top flight and establish a lasting presence, but this task is proving to be quite challenging. Considering the formidable teams dropping down from the Premier League, exemplified by the quality in squads like Leicester City, Southampton, and Leeds United, it seems likely that Corberan’s squad may need to settle for a play-off push.
Currently tied on points with sixth-place Sunderland, West Brom faces the prospect of returning to the Premier League. However, to succeed, they must leverage the loan market, a strategy previously employed with successes such as Romelu Lukaku in 2012 and struggles like Serge Gnabry in 2015.
While Lukaku had a triumphant run, scoring 17 goals in 35 appearances, Gnabry’s time at the Hawthorns turned into a nightmare.
Gnabry, who had battled back from a serious knee injury during his time at Arsenal, was loaned to West Brom in 2015 for his development. Despite the plan, it didn’t unfold as envisioned by Arsenal, leading to his recall in January after just 12 minutes of Premier League play.
In October 2015, then-West Brom manager Tony Pulis commented on Gnabry’s struggles, stating, “Serge has come here to play games, but he just hasn’t been, for me, at the moment, at that level to play the games.”
After leaving Arsenal for Werder Bremen in 2016, Gnabry shocked his former club with his transformation in the Bundesliga.
Since his move to Bayern Munich in 2017, Gnabry, now 28, has reached the pinnacle of his potential, contributing significantly to the team’s success with five Bundesliga titles, a 2020 Champions League triumph, and four German Super Cups.
"You could knock me over with a feather!" 😅
Tony Pulis reveals what it was like working with Serge Gnabry at West Bromwich Albion following the German's stunning four-goal display against Tottenham in the Champions League tonight. 👏 pic.twitter.com/0dkPoBjZBK
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) October 1, 2019
Reflecting on Gnabry’s journey, Pulis expressed amazement in 2019, acknowledging that they couldn’t get him fit during his time at West Brom, and he went on to become a star for Bayern Munich.
Despite a challenging current season in front of goal, Gnabry’s consistent goal-scoring form has elevated him to the status of a “world-class” player, as recognized by Rio Ferdinand. With an impressive record of 22 goals in 44 appearances for Germany, Gnabry, valued at €55 million (£48 million), has used his English setbacks as motivation to shine on the European stage.
The regret remains that Pulis didn’t fully recognize Gnabry’s potential during his time at West Brom and instead inadvertently set him on a path to becoming a football sensation.