West Brom v Sheffield Wednesday detail may hand Tony Mowbray another option in problem position | OneFootball

After an eye-catching performance versus Sheffield Wednesday, Tony Mowbray has been handed another option in the playmaking position.

The number 10 position has by far been the most difficult to nail down throughout the entirety of the West Bromwich Albion season.

Even before Tony Mowbray's return to West Brom, predecessor Carlos Corberan struggled to see a solution for the gap in the squad, experimenting with six options – each to differing success.

All of the above names have at least spent some impromptu time occupying the playmaking role, but all have showcased their best spells within their natural positions, with the only natural number 10 in the squad, John Swift, still enduring a torrid term.

However, after Grady Diangana's two goals and two assists versus Portsmouth, it appeared the Englishman had discovered his preferred fit for the spot as the Congo international quickly found favour within the Baggies boss' fast and fluid philosophy of football.

But after two quiet appearances by the former West Ham man, Mowbray looks back to the drawing board as he seeks a solution to his creativity crisis. Aside from Tom Fellows, not enough service has sought out Baggies' number nines, with Fellows registering seven more assists than his closest counterpart.

With progressive ball carrying and forward passing the style Mowbray will lean on as he seeks to sustain Baggies' play-off place, he has since deployed one of his new January toys to occupy the role and the stats versus Sheffield Wednesday solidify him as a potential option for the slot.

Isaac Price caused Sheffield Wednesday problems

West Brom's first January acquisition, Isaac Price, was quick to catch the eye of the new Baggies boss upon his first training session, with Mowbray stunned at the calmness and control of the Northern Irish international and his ability on the ball.

Mowbray told Birmingham Live: "From what I've watched and trained with him yesterday he looks a very talented young boy. "He's athletic, he's lovely with the ball, the ball's easy for him, he can run all day, he's a decent size. He looks a good footballer to me.

"You can see some footballers, the contact they make on the ball is very clean, he passes through lines, he runs, joins (in), he's competitive. He looks like a good player, your eye is telling you 'wow'. "Sometimes you describe footballers as a bit scruffy, they give you energy and fight but the ball is a bit uncomfortable at times, but this kid the ball looks natural, really strikes through it and really crisp".

Price's training ground performances have seen it take just two appearances in a cameo capacity for the Northern Irishman to earn his first start at The Hawthorns, where some were surprised to see the natural number eight be the latest to try his luck in the playmaking role, moving Grady Diangana out wide.

But Price repaid his boss' faith, quickly silencing any doubters that suggested the midfielder was not equipped to play in the more progressive role and delivered a standout creative showing, playing the most key passes in the match (double the amount of the next highest), and the most accurate crosses.

His link-up play with Karlan Grant on the left wing also effectively overloaded West Brom's attacks on the Owls' right back, and their interchanges created large gaps of space in the middle of the pitch for the winger to target, something that should have been rewarded with a goal before Baggies eventual breakthrough in the 74th minute.

Although Price is yet to deliver upon the frequency of shots that made many cite him as a crucial acquisition, the midfielder's confidence to carry and receive the ball in tight areas within the league has been an impressive adaption, registering 100 touches in just 123 minutes, a stat only likely to rise as he cultivates confidence playing more frequently.

Isaac Price passed first West Brom test and could only get better under Tony Mowbray

Although assumptions cannot be made that Price is the perfect fit for the position after just one match, his dominant display versus Sheffield Wednesday should see him keep his starting place in the side and rotate well with Diangana, who has only recently returned to match action after a spell on the sidelines.

However, there is still much for West Brom fans to get excited about based on Mowbray's initial assessment of the 21-year-old, with the former Sunderland boss the perfect fit to extract the promise of potential already identified within Price.

As seen from the stats above, Price's profile encompasses much more than merely key passes and crosses, as the Northern Irish international has already demonstrated his destructive attacking potential within his attacking output for Standard Liege.

Playing in a more advanced role than his natural number eight could therefore be the perfect position for Price to begin to display his confidence in challenging the opposition goalkeeper, and with the profile of Adam Armstrong in front of the midfielder, his penetrative passing could combine well with the fast forward's focus on making runs in behind, something that could see Armstrong replicate his previous prolific exploits in the second tier.

Whether Price will wind up the perfect fit for the problem position remains to be seen, but the attacking intent of the Northern Irish international could certainly prove key in Mowbray's mission to sustain Albion's play-off place and could be vital in providing for the promise of goals Armstrong brings.