This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
West Bromwich Albion are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Championship table, despite not picking up a victory in either of their last two fixtures.
Slaven Bilic’s side still have a two-point cushion to second-placed Preston North End, having lost just one game all season, less than any other team in the division.
Earlier this week, one of their young defenders has been speaking about the impact the Croatian has had, particularly on his own game.
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Jack Fitzwater, who featured for the U23 squad on Monday night, has praised Bilic’s coaching by saying: “He is really good to work with. The standards are really high and there are so many things you can learn from him. If you are willing to improve you will under a manager like that.”
The 22-year-old was kept on board for this season due to Ahmed Hegazi’s injury, but there is talk that he could once again head out on loan in January.
With his contract set to expire later this summer, there could be a dilemma on the cards for the hierarchy at the Hawthorns. However, it would be wise for the club and Fitzwater to part ways at the end of the season, considering they are only wasting each other’s time.
The centre-back won the academy’s Player of the Year for the 2014/15 season, yet since then, he’s not featured for the senior side in a single game and has gone out on loan to four different clubs.
He’s even had a trio of spells at Walsall.
Now with Hegazi, Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley, and even Dara O’Shea, who is on the fringes of the first team, in the mix, it seems rather unlikely that the defender will make his debut after five years around the first-team fold.
Fitzwater serves no purpose to Albion if he goes out on another loan, and if he isn’t going to get into the team under Bilic, then it serves no purpose to himself to hang around at the Hawthorns past this season.
A player’s career is rather short these days, and he’s already wasted five years of it on the false pretences that he will make it at the club.
When Luke Dowling meets with his Croatian manager to discuss potential deals involving the U23 squad, it will probably be time to part ways with the 22-year-old.