Express & Star

Five talking points from West Brom's Carabao Cup defeat to Crystal Palace

Albion's six-game winning streak at The Hawthorns came to an end last night when Crystal Palace beat them 3-0 in the Carabao Cup. Here are five talking points from the game.

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Wes Hoolahan in action. (AMA)

1 WES HOOLAHAN COULD BE A SHREWD SIGNING

The diminutive Irishman was one of Albion’s better players, and was buzzing around the pitch with James Morrison. Confident in tight spaces, he was always looking to receive the ball and move it on quickly.

The 36-year-old is only on a short-term contract, initially until January, but he will offer variety off the bench when Albion come up against stubborn opposition. Morrison’s return from injury was also a positive on what was largely a negative night.

2 BACK THREE LOOKS VULNERABLE TO INJURY

It was a tough evening for Tosin Adarabioyo and Sam Field, who struggled up against Premier League quality. Ahmed Hegazi had to mop up plenty of danger in the first half and after he was substituted off, the back-line struggled to contain Palace.

Field is not a centre-back, and it might be time to end that particular experiment, even if it has been born out of necessity.

What that does mean is that Albion’s back three has limited cover. Instead of bringing Bakary Sako in, it might be worth looking at another centre-back.

3 OLIVER BURKE’S CAREER IS STUTTERING

Burke has made a limited impact since his £15million switch from RB Leipzig last summer. He looked to have turned a corner earlier this season when he netted his first Albion goal in the first round of this competition, but he didn’t even get onto the pitch against Palace.

Moore went with Hal Robson-Kanu, who struggled to make an impact up front, but Burke’s non-appearance suggests Albion’s new boss is the latest to remain unconvinced by the 21-year-old, who has so far been an expensive flop.

4 YOUNGSTERS STRUGGLE WITH STEP UP

Jonathan Leko and Kyle Edwards were the stars of the second round, but they were on the bench for this match, as Moore opted to pick experience rather than youth. Subsequently, Albion lacked pace and dynamism in the final third.

However, those youngsters who were picked failed to step up to the significantly more difficult test. Rekeem Harper and Sam Field both struggled, albeit against Premier League opposition.

Those four are all promising players, but they need regular minutes to develop. Loan deals in January should beckon.

5 BAGGIES FANS WERE SHORT-CHANGED

Tickets were only a tenner, but the 10,000 fans who showed up were treated to little more than a training match.

After making 10 changes, Ahmed Hegazi, Gareth Barry and Tyrone Mears were all removed on the hour mark with Saturday in mind, removing the possibility of more positive changes like bringing Dwight Gayle or Burke on.

The league is obviously the priority this year, and those fringe players need chances to shine.

The congested fixture schedule also forced Moore's hand, because he needs to look after his starting XI with midweek games in the league last week and next week. However, it never felt like he was too bothered about progressing.