'More to come' from Alex Mowatt insists West Brom boss Valerian Ismael
Valerien Ismael believes Alex Mowatt has become a better player since joining Albion – but the boss still believes there is more to come from the midfielder.
Mowatt joined the Baggies on a free transfer in the summer after opting to join Ismael in swapping Barnsley for The Hawthorns.
The 26-year-old has gone on to establish himself as a key player in the middle of the park.
And he was badly missed on Monday when Albion were beaten by relegation-threatened Derby, with Mowatt forced to watch at home after testing positive for Covid-19.
Overall, though, the former Leeds man has enjoyed an impressive start to life as Albion player – Ismael though believes he can get better.
"I think with Alex we are of the same opinion, it (his signing) was a massive win for West Brom," the boss said when asked to reflect on Mowatt's first six months at the club.
"He started very strong then, unfortunately, he got injured with his toe. He missed five or six games.
"We have seen how important Alex is for us already and I think he has continued his performances from last season and taken them to the next level.
"After his injury he has come back even stronger. Now he needs to continue that way, to have more influence on the games.
"On that point, I think he can improve, I think he can score more goals and get more assists – especially from set-pieces.
"I think he has room to improve and we are working on that because we believe Alex can be even more effective for us."
Back in November, former Albion midfielder Jonathan Greening said he believes Mowatt will prove to be the signing of the season in the Championship.
And Ismael feels it was a big advantage to sign a player in the summer who was already familiar with how he wants to play.
"He knew the principles and I think it was really important to reinforce that message throughout the squad," the boss said.
"He knows the principles for how to perform and with the performances you get the respect.
"I think he has made it perfectly so far. He is a very important player, a key player for us.
"But as I say, Alex is a hungry young player – he wants to get to the next level and that is only possible when you perform."
