West Brom have had a really disappointing begin to the 2022/23 Championship season however the statistics present that they may and ought to be doing loads higher.
The Baggies at the moment sit twenty first within the second tier after only one win from their opening ten matches, which got here in a 5-2 thrashing of Hull Metropolis.
Bruce has issues at each ends of the pitch, as regardless of being high of the anticipated objectives desk with a median of two.04 anticipated per match, they’ve scored 15 occasions thus far this season, 5 of which got here in a single recreation.
In the meantime, in addition they high the desk for anticipated objectives towards with simply a median of 1.1 anticipated objectives towards per recreation, which means that among the blame should lie with first-choice goalkeeper David Button, who has shipped 14 occasions thus far this season.
After the departure of Sam Johnstone in the summertime, Bruce opted towards bringing in a brand new goalkeeper, with Button beginning all ten video games this season, averaging a surprising 6.11 ranking from WhoScored for his performances.
Did Bruce make a giant mistake right here?
Sure
No
This ranks him because the worst performer in Bruce’s squad of these to start out not less than one recreation, which means that Bruce has made a mistake in placing his religion in him as primary. To make issues worse, the stopper additionally has the worst save share of all 26 goalkeepers used within the division this time period, with a dreadful return of simply 50%.
The choice is maybe much more baffling when you think about that the Baggies possess one of many high younger goalkeepers within the EFL in Josh Griffiths.
Regardless of being a starter for Cheltenham City and Lincoln Metropolis up to now two seasons, Bruce determined to ship Griffiths out on mortgage once more this season quite than giving him an opportunity, with Portsmouth the beneficiaries.
Throughout his time with the Robins, the place he helped them to promotion from League Two, chairman Andy Wilcox was stuffed with reward for Griffiths, saying:
“He actually loved it right here. I watched him from recreation one to his final of the season and he’s improved no finish.
“He’s simply received higher and higher, so credit score to Booky [Steve Book, goalkeeping coach] for giving him confidence. He has a giant future, that lad.”
The 21-year-old has made 9 appearances in League One, wherein he has conceded simply eight objectives and stored 4 clear sheets with a save success fee of 70.4%. That definitely suggests, on present type not less than, he could be a giant improve on Button in Bruce’s facet.
Due to this fact, it appears truthful to counsel that loaning him out was one other mistake by Bruce this summer season and followers will certainly be hoping to see Griffiths take over as primary on the Hawthorns within the not-too-distant future.
