West Brom talking points: Wallace, Swift, and a failed West Brom test

After the late heartbreak that followed the comeback at Sheffield Wednesday, Albion fans wanted a response.

They did threaten in small bursts - but ultimately didn't show enough and were beaten by the better side.

Jonny Drury looks at four talking points to come from the game.

A major test failed

Aside from Wednesday, when Albion just didn't turn up in the first half, Albion have passed every test this season.

They even played Leeds off the park and somehow only managed to earn a point.

Heading into this one, on paper Boro were probably the next best side they were going to face in this early part of the season.

The second biggest test of the season if you like - and they failed the test.

Boro were well drilled, quality on the ball, efficient and dangerous.

Albion, who have been all those things against every other side bar one, showed absolutely non of that.

They looked disjointed, and the biggest disappointment was that they couldn't come up with an answer for Boro's shape and discipline.

It was a throwback to times gone by in recent seasons where they couldn't find the answer.

It wasn't an awful display and they had the odd chance, but they showed a lack of quality and a lack of creativity.

Bigger sides like Albion can do it against the smaller sides, it is okay doing that - but you have to pass the tests against the better teams to be successful. Albion didn't do that.

Midfield duo are essential - without them Albion are a poorer side

On Saturday, Albion's midfield looked a shadow of what it was in the first six games when Alex Mowatt and Jayson Molumby weren't in there.

When Mowatt came on he bossed the game and almost earned his side a point.

He started against Boro and in the first half did well, without setting the world alight.

But in the first half, alongside Uros Racic, Albion left Boro with far, far too much room to attack into.

It was the same against Plymouth in the last home game when Molumby was missing, but Plymouth didn't have the quality to really test Albion.

In the first half, the visitors could break and got space with Racic, Mowatt and John Swift out of position.

For me it underlined that against smaller sides, Albion can afford to be without one of Mowatt or Molumby.

But against the better sides, which Boro are, they cannot.

Have we seen the best days of Wallace?

Jed Wallace was surprisingly given the nod to start ahead of Mikey Johnston as Tom Fellows was rested.

Wallace, who played a lot of his football last season as a stand in loan striker, had a big opportunity to try and stake a claim to the spot that has been nailed down by Fellows.

It is easy to forget he is club captain at times, because he has, quite rightly, been kept out of the side.

In his early Albion days, he was electric but his display against Boro was quite far removed from that.

He showed, unsurprisingly, endeavour and a willingness to run all day. He snatched at a big chance in the first half and fired in the odd cross that didn't come to anything.

But he struggled to beat his man and didn't look as sharp as Fellows has been during his blistering spells.

Carlos Corberan has said he still has a massive part to play at Albion and there is no doubt he does, off the bench and in and around the dressing room and training ground.

He is a first class professional but his days of being a starter and making a big impact out on that right flank may well be behind him.

John Swift and a lack of impact

I have been a critic of Swift's during his time at Albion - and a lot of that has come from a place of frustration.

Swift has technical ability in abundance for this level.

He has admittedly been moved into a new role this season, with a license to drop deeper to receive the ball and play.

Against Boro and in recent games for me he hasn't shown what we want and know Swift can deliver.

The defence to that will be that he is in a different role, but even in that role he should still be very much Albion's creator in chief.

Against Boro, despite seeing a lot of the ball, his application, his passing, his decision making was off and it has been for a few games now.

When Swift was out of sorts last season he found himself out of the team - and I suspect if he puts in more displays like this one he may be out of the side again.