View: 24-yr-old who’s been mainstay all season could be under threat from West Brom youngster
Dara O’Shea is the latest West Brom academy product to burst onto the scene for the Black Country club as he scored his first senior goal in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Millwall.
Despite Storm Ciara’s best efforts to cause mayhem at The Den, Albion showcased one of their strongest performances of the season as they moved four points clear at the top of the Championship table.
Filip Krovinovic and O’Shea scored in each half for the Baggies and while it was a top attacking display by Slaven Bilic’s men, the work in the defence should also be highly commended.
O’Shea played as the right-back in a back-line that managed to keep a clean sheet for two Championship matches in a row for just the second time this season and although some fans feel as though Bilic’s decision to drop Darnell Furlong has been harsh, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international has more than proven himself in the last two games.
Not only did O’Shea get himself on the scoresheet with a header in the 84th minute after a well-taken corner by debutant Kamil Grosicki, he also impressed defensively.
According to stats by WhoScored, O’Shea made a match-high of five tackles while also completing two interceptions, three clearances and one block. He also won six aerial duels, with one of them being the goal to wrap up the win and three points for the Baggies.
It was a superb display by the 20-year-old, who looked as though he had been playing in the Championship for years, rather than making only his third start in the competition.
West Brom’s defence has been a bit of a concern all season.
Although the Baggies are top of the table and the highest scorers in the second-tier, they have conceded 33 goals, which is more than any other team in the top five.
Albion have also managed to keep just six clean sheets in 31 Championship matches but two of those have come in the last two games when O’Shea has started.
Furlong, 24, has been a mainstay at right-back for the Baggies all season, appearing 27 times in all competitions since his summer switch from QPR.
Although he has not done much wrong, his once-safe spot in Bilic’s starting line-up now appears to be under threat due to how impressive O’Shea has been.
In other West Brom news, Don Goodman has shared his verdict on Albion’s attack.