"Was different" - Tom Fellows drops West Brom claim after unexpected tweak v Sunderland | OneFootball

A meeting between the Championship's two draw specialists unsurprisingly finished level, but the Baggies are positively reflecting on the result.

West Bromwich Albion player Tom Fellows is taking the positives away from the club's most recent match, despite another draw for the Baggies, citing the last-minute change the side were forced into.

West Brom's clash in the North East with Sunderland finished goalless on Tuesday night. The away side only managed two shots in the entire game, with neither hitting the target. The Baggies were up against it even before kick-off due to a forced last-minute alteration to the team.

As per the Express and Star, Ousmane Diakite was initially named in the starting XI after Darnell Furlong's fifth yellow card of the season, in the weekend's 2-2 draw against Norwich City, meant he was suspended. However, Diakite pulled up during the warm-up, meaning Kyle Bartley - who has recently been nursing an injury himself - started in his place.

His lack of recent game time because of this meant he was withdrawn at half time. His replacement, Uros Racic, had to play the second half at centre-back instead of his usual midfield position.

Fellows remains optimistic about West Brom

Corberan's forced last-minute change has been noted

Despite the lack of chances for the away side, winger Fellows praised the Baggies for their ability to take something from the game despite being handed a potential spanner in the works immediately before kick-off.

"Changing from a back five to a back four was different and we had little time to prepare," he told the media after the game, as quoted by the Express and Star. "But we showed our versatility and dug in when we needed to. If you can't win then you do not want to lose."

21-year-old Fellows, who has been at the Hawthorns since under-10s level, went on to discuss his frustration with the team not creating enough chances but was generally pleased to have earned a point in the end.

"We obviously want more attacking intent but getting into those areas is tough, and easier said than done when they are pressing high and have the crowd behind them," he said. "It was tough but we take a point and we move on from it."

West Brom held firm despite pre-match problems

Although the Baggies faced a bombardment of 18 shots from their hosts, the Black Cats could also only manage two on target, leaving the sides to have to settle for a point. The neutrals could hardly be surprised by the result, given Sunderland were also struggling with draws going into the match. Their last four matches before hosting the Baggies on Wearside had finished level.

The result means the Baggies have now drawn eight of their last ten games since their 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at the beginning of October. The stagnation in form has seen them slip eight points behind league leaders Sheffield United, with the club desperate for a spark to get their season back on track.

A valiant effort but more attacking depth needed

West Brom rely heavily on Josh Maja

It was always likely that a clash between the Championship's draw specialists was going to finish level come full-time on Wearside, but it was easily a better outcome for the Baggies than the Black Cats.

The away side did well to keep a clean sheet considering they had to play the first half with a defender who isn't quite back to full fitness, followed by a midfielder in his place for the second half. They faced a barrage of shots from the home side but ultimately kept them out.

Despite this, the lack of attacking football in the game must have proved somewhat of a worry for Carlos Corberán. In-form Josh Maja had a surprisingly quiet night, while Karlan Grant and Devante Cole both failed to step up. The club are also currently without Daryl Dike, who Corberán believes will be out until after Christmas.

If the Baggies are serious about a promotion push, they can't afford to simply rely on Maja to produce that prowess in front of goal - as tempting as it may seem. Besides the Sunderland draw and Hull win, the players are having plenty of shots in games, but they aren't scoring the goals required to win.

With about a month to go until the January transfer window opens, it is time for the Baggies' frontmen to stand up and be counted or risk falling out of favour to a potential new signing in the second half of the season.

There is a chance Dike could do the business himself once he returns from injury, but the chance to bring in fresh legs at the Hawthorns rather than simply wait for their current crop to come good may prove to be an opportunity too good to resist for the club.