West Bromwich Albion are in desperate need of something miraculous to halt their current decline, as Steve Bruce’s side are winless in their last eight Championship matches.
Leaky defensively and not lethal enough up front, the addition of a fresh, young, hungry talent might be just what they need to turn things around.
Should Bruce give Rico Richards a chance?
They have conceded eight and scored just five in their last four games.
With the transfer window shut, attention might have to be turned to the academy, which currently boasts a crop of exciting youngsters all raring to take their opportunity.
Perhaps for the future, or perhaps to replace him now, John Swift might soon have to make way for 19-year-old starlet Rico Richards.
The attacking midfielder is a tricky number ten who can create or score and was actually included in The Guardian’s Next Generation list back in 2020.
Within that report he is described as such by Ben Fisher: “He has a creative eye in terms of finding others but is equally capable of carving openings for himself.”
Four appearances this season for the U23s and two assists mark a solid start to the season, and with the Baggies’ poor form he will be hoping that he will be given his chance should he continue to impress.
He has made 62 appearances across both the U18s and U23s youth setup, even registering an eight-minute stint for the first team in the FA Cup.
Across this period, he has managed an impressive 13 goals and seven assists, demonstrating some immense qualities in the final third.
With Swift only boasting two goals and two assists in his 14 games for West Brom, it is not a feat that Richards will see as unattainable given his quality.
Not only this, but his versatility could make him a fine option for Bruce given how Jed Wallace and Grady Diangana are underperforming. Combined, the two wingers have only scored five and assisted four times.
He would certainly provide fine competition for all three of these attackers, whilst exposure to the first team would hopefully fast-track his development.
With their current form, there is little risk in handing Richards some added involvement. However, Bruce has everything to gain if he begins to star.
