View – Potential WBA move for Ch’ship outcast surely hints at worrying desperation from Bilic
West Brom are reportedly interested in signing Stoke City forward Tom Ince, but it feels like a potential move that smacks of desperation.
According to TEAMtalk, it is understood that Potters manager Michael O’Neill has told the player that he is free to leave the club on loan in the coming days having failed to appear in any of his side’s opening three Championship matches.
West Brom are keen to add to their attacking options before the transfer window closes on October 5th, and have identified the former Derby County man as a possible target.
It is probably safe to assume that Ince wouldn’t be in contention to start in the league for the Baggies, considering the quality West Brom already have on the wings in the form Grady Diangana and Matheus Pereira, but would Ince even have enough to be an effective option coming off the bench in the Premier League?
With that in mind, it is probably fairer to compare Ince to Matt Phillips, who is currently operating in a back-up role at The Hawthorns.
Last season both players managed a similar amount of game time in the Championship, with Phillips playing around 300 fewer than Ince’s 2888 minutes (WyScout).
But Phillips managed to have a much bigger attacking impact than Ince, scoring seven goals and registering four assists, to Ince’s three goals and two assists.
In front on goal, Ince under-performed last season, coming in at 0.22 below his xG for the campaign.
Meanwhile, Phillips over-achieved, scoring his seven goals from an xG of 4.15.
Phillips also comes out on top when you look at both player’s successful dribble rates, a key trait for any winger.
Less than half of Ince’s dribbles last season were successful, with a rate of just 48.1%.
By contrast, Phillips’ rate was a much higher 65.8%.
There are some key stats where Ince and Phillips are much closer.
They both averaged 2.3 progressive runs per 90 minutes, for example, and share a 41% offensive duel winning rate.
But on the whole, you would have to say that Phillips comes out on top.
How can Bilic expect Ince to step up and be effective in the Premier League, when he under-performed compared to the back-up players the Baggies already had in the Championship?
If this is just a desperate ploy to get another body through the door before the window shuts, we can honestly say we’re not interested.
In other West Brom news, Nate Silver predicts West Brom clash with Southampton, shares chances of Baggies win.
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