The Qatari transfer window closes next Wednesday but it is safe to say that Brown Ideye will not be getting on a plane to the Middle East anytime soon. After pulling the plug on the Nigerian’s £3.8m transfer to Al Gharafa on deadline day, after a deal for Carlton Cole collapsed at the 11th hour, West Bromwich Albion have been rewarded with two goals in as many games from the club-record signing who was previously a figure of ridicule.
It is some turnaround for Ideye and on the evidence of this crucial victory over a desperately disappointing Swansea side, there are the makings of a promising partnership with Saido Berahino.
Ideye opened the scoring after being set up by Berahino and the roles were reversed 14 minutes later when Albion’s top scorer dispatched a splendid first-time shot inside the near post to take his tally for the season to 15 and in the process, lift Albion to 14th in the table.
Much more of this and Tony Pulis, Albion’s head coach, will start to think that it was a blessing that West Ham refused to allow Cole to leave Upton Park. “Brown’s a lovely lad,” the Albion manager said. “He works hard, he’s a good professional but he had a bad time here before I took over. In today’s world there is no patience. People expect, expect and expect. And if the person doesn’t match that expectation they moan like drains. We’ve played him a few times and we’re happy that he stayed and delighted he got us a couple of goals.”
Ideye, who scored the equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Burnley on Sunday, looked lively throughout and there were signs that the £10m Albion paid Dynamo Kyiv for him last summer is no longer weighing so heavily. “He’s come here with a big fee on his head, there’s great expectations from the fans and he’s had to deal with that,” Dave Kemp, Pulis’s assistant added. “But he’s got himself into the team now and he’s playing well. We’re pleased he scored and he also had a very good game. He had an impact for 90 minutes.”
As well as Albion played at times in the second half, there was no escaping just how poor Swansea were. Bafetimbi Gomis made little impression up front, the midfield never imposed themselves and there was a vulnerability in defence that the home side exposed.
Garry Monk, the Swansea manager, made no attempt to conceal his frustration. “The first half was pretty even but I think all night we didn’t play with any tempo or intensity – the most disappointing bit is I spoke about that before the game. Albion deserved the win, I have no complaints. You can’t turn up to a Premier League game without that intensity, crispness of passing, and expect to get anything.”
Chris Brunt may well have been lucky not to be penalised in the buildup to Albion’s first goal but Monk refused to made much of that incident. “It was a foul. I didn’t think the referee had control of the game the whole night. He didn’t seem to really know what he was doing at times. But that’s not an excuse, that’s not to do with why we lost the game. As a team tonight we didn’t perform at all.”
After a first half of few chances – a glancing header from Craig Dawson that was repelled by Lukasz Fabianski was about as a good as it got – the game came to life on the hour mark. Stéphane Sessègnon, on for the injured Callum McManaman, cut inside to release Berahino in the inside-left channel. Berahino moved the ball on to Ideye and after Ashley Williams managed to partially block his first attempt, the striker hooked a low shot into the far corner.
The game was effectively over when Albion struck again. Jefferson Montero lost possession midway inside his own half and Berahino, after exchanging passes with Ideye on the edge of the Swansea area, finished with a flourish.
