View: Reported West Brom swoop for 22y/o int’l could be inspired piece of business
Reported West Brom target Antonee Robinson could have been playing his football for AC Milan this season.
The USA international came within touching distance of a surprise switch from Wigan Athletic in January, only to see the deal fall through after he was discovered to have an irregular heart rhythm.
The 22-year-old has been inactive since then, but returned to training last week – and there is a “big chance” that the Baggies will move to snap him up if they get promoted this summer, according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon.
And we would absolutely be in favour of swooping for him if the youngster becomes available in the coming weeks.
Even though he has been sidelined since January, the youngster has registered more dribbles per game than West Brom left-back Connor Townsend, as well as having a crossing accuracy that is 8.6% higher, and making 1.58 more interceptions per 90 minutes, as per Wyscout.
He’s also won more defensive duels and made more clearances too.
But ultimately, it is his attacking instinct that sets him apart.
The image above illustrates the six successful dribbles he made against Nottingham Forest back in December, with a completion rate of 86%.
The main thing to take from this isn’t just his success rate, but how advanced these runs are.
At times Robinson is more of a second winger than a full-back, and it’s a role that can be a nightmare for defenders to deal with.
But it’s not just about getting into those positions, it’s about how he uses the ball whenever he does.
In the image above, Robinson is the Wigan player on the far side of the pitch.
Before the ball is even anywhere near him he is already looking to push on, stretching the defence and causing problems.
By the time the ball does reach him on the far side, he has given himself enough of an advantage to ensure he can get a good run at his marker, and that he has the space to deliver the ball that he wants to.
His first touch is good, he gets his head up, and the full-back is essentially helpless to prevent him.
That all stems from his positioning.
The delivery is pretty much perfect too.
Floated into that awkward area between the keeper and the centre-back, Robinson hangs it up there just long enough to give his striker the best possible chance of getting off the ground and attacking it with real force.
In the end, it’s a bad miss, but take nothing away from the American’s superb play in the build-up.
The full-back is evidently a player with big potential, and if West Brom could land him this summer, we believe it would be a smart move.
In other West Brom news, Hal-Robson Kanu has opened up on how his Baggies teammates have passed their time in lockdown
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