‘I think I speak for all the players’ – Sam Johnstone raves about West Brom senior man
Sam Johnstone has heaped praise on the job that Slaven Bilic has done since the Croat took charge of West Brom over the summer.
The Baggies are currently top of the Championship standings, level on points with second-placed Nottingham Forest but ahead of the East Midlands side due to a marginally superior goal difference.
Bilic’s job so far has been widely hailed by the West Brom supporters and it would seem as though the players are also fully on board with their new manager, according to the club’s number one goalkeeper.
“I think I speak for all the players when I say Slaven gives us so much confidence,” Johnstone said, as quoted by West Brom’s official website.
“Everyone loves coming in to training every day because we all enjoy working under a manager who believes in us and gives us the confidence to go out and perform at our best.
“He has a really clear way of speaking to all the players. You can tell that when he is trying to give us a message or an instruction in training or before games, he has the full attention of everyone in the room.
“He trusts you with everything. To give 100% effort in training and games and to also look after yourself properly away from football.
“All the lads are buying into what he is trying to do here and that’s definitely helping us on the pitch.”
Johnstone’s form was widely-criticised by sections of the West Brom support earlier this season, to the point where the goalkeeper took to his personal Twitter account to hit back.
Although the ex-Manchester United goalkeeper had made a couple of errors, it would be fair to say since his social media spat with fans, his form has improved to the point where those who doubted him have grown quieter and quieter.
Johnstone was especially good in Albion’s 1-0 defeat against Leeds at the start of October when he pulled off a magnificent double-save to keep his side in the game.
Unfortunately West Brom’s outfield players were unable to make the most of Johnstone’s impressive form in goals and they went on to suffer their first league defeat of the campaign.