Exclusive: Kevin Phillips blown away by ‘Excellent’ West Brom ace who was fringe player in 18/19
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has been blown away by the form of Conor Townsend since he stepped into the West Brom side to replace Kieran Gibbs and Nathan Ferguson.
Albion signed Townsend, 26, from Scunthorpe before the start of last season to provide cover at left-back and he did not exactly impress fans when he was called upon to play in the Championship.
Townsend managed just 10 Championship starts last term and went through a large spell of this campaign without getting into Slaven Bilic’s side.
However the former Hull full-back has become a key figure in the Baggies’ starting line-up in the last few weeks due to injuries for both Gibbs and Ferguson.
Ex-Baggies forward Phillips is impressed by what he has seen from Townsend and has hailed the strength of the squad that Bilic has at his disposal.
When asked about Townsend’s form, Phillips told West Brom News: “He’s been excellent. Man for man, the whole squad has been very, very good.”
“The good thing about that squad at the moment is they’ve got a bit of everything.
“They’ve got pace, they’ve got energy, they’ve got youth, they’ve got the experience, they’ve got leaders and they’ve got a manager, who looks to me like they all love playing for.”
Townsend has made 20 appearances in all competitions for West Brom this season, two more than he managed in the whole of his debut campaign at The Hawthorns.
He scored his first goal for the club in the 1-0 win against West Ham last month and it shows how well he is playing that a player as experienced as Gibbs might not be guaranteed a starting spot when he is back from injury.
Let’s hope Townsend can keep on impressing between now and the end of the season.
In other West Brom news, Chris Brunt has shared some thoughts on his future.