Scouting report: West Brom loanee Caleb looks Taylor-made as centre-half

It is the 21-year-old centre-back’s third loan away from The Hawthorns after Cheltenham and Bolton spells. We caught up with James Richings, Wycombe reporter for Bucks Free Press, to see how he is getting on.

How has Taylor done for Wycombe so far?

Richings: He’s looked really good – he’s good on the ball as well. I think Wycombe have managed a real coup with him. He looks like a proper player.

His debut was against Northampton and I just remember, in the second half, the ball was so high in the air and he climbed for it and honestly I’ve never seen the ball go so high from a header! He properly got his neck muscles working and I remember thinking ‘this kid is good’.

He is so strong. He doesn’t let people barge him around. He can tackle, pass by spraying accurate long passes too.

Do you expect him to be a key regular this season?

Richings: Very much so. I think the one part of the pitch Matt Bloomfield wanted to sort was the back, to bring in a proper solid back four or five so you know who is starting.

There were so many partnerships last season. They played Peterborough in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley with a pairing used for the first time!

Bloomfield wanted that stability. Joe Low and Caleb Taylor have been the pair so far. The experienced Ryan Tafazolli keeps getting injured, but generally plays when he’s fit.

Has Taylor been received well by the Wycombe fans?

Richings: Yes, 100 per cent. He’s one of those players that you know he’s playing and he’ll do something great for five or 10 minutes but then is quite quiet – and that’s good for a centre-back!

Joe Low is a more attacking centre-back, he might go on a mazy run. Taylor has stepped back and been more of a sweeper too. If we don’t notice you as a defender like then you’ve done well and he’s done very well since joining.

Experienced for 21 thanks to previous loans...

Richings: He looks so assured. He looks like he’s been playing for years on end and he’s just 21. That’s great, because players have come here on loan from higher clubs and have just not been ready for men’s football.

There was a kid on loan from Man City and everybody fancied him as the next Xavi or Iniesta but he barely featured at all.

Men’s football is so important for development. Caleb has had good loans before and he is doing so here. Premier League 2 academy football might be good technically but not physically – he looks like a veteran here already.

How has Bloomfield talked about Taylor in public so far?

Richings: Blooms does hours, weeks, months of research to get players in. Even though he was signed on deadline day he was probably a target back in March.

He has been nothing but complimentary for him, that’s for sure.

Wycombe are a club hopefully on the way up. They were taken over by a Kazakhstani billionaire in the summer, which is incredible for a club like Wycombe. They have a new training ground, have improved facilities around Adams Park and more to dish out on transfers and wages.

Wycombe are now an attractive proposition for good, young players.

Wycombe’s previous identity has changed as you mentioned – what is the style he is having to work to?

Richings: He’s adapted very well. Wycombe want players who aren’t one-dimensional now. They want players who can do a bit of everything.

Taylor was a long-term target. While they might think he is a bit rough around the edges with his feet, they know they can work on him this season.

He has proved a really valuable asset with tackling and heading but he can certainly pick a good long pass. He will continue to grow under Bloomfield and his staff as Wycombe are pushing for players who can do a bit of everything.

Bloomfield is experimenting a lot with players in different roles when it comes to certain games. We know Taylor as a centre-back but he wants more from his players.

Is the system by and large a back four then?

Richings: It can depend on who they play. They often base it on who they face. There will be a time when games are coming thick and fast that he will play next to Low and then it could be Tafazolli.

Then he could be playing next to Jack Grimmer if Wycombe decide to play in a back three. It really will vary, Blooms is big on that. They want to identify and nullify opposition strengths. But playing in a few different backline shapes will be useful for Caleb.