Steve Madeley names ‘invaluable’ player who could help West Brom avoid PL drop
Athletic journalist Steve Madeley has said that Branislav Ivanovic could be ‘invaluable’ to West Brom in their quest for Premier League survival.
Premier League and Champions League winner Ivanovic arrived at The Hawthorns on a free transfer this summer after leaving Zenit St Petersburg on the expiry of his contract.
Now Athletic journalist Madeley has identified the Baggies summer signing as a potential key man for West Brom, should he get regular game time.
Writing in the Athletic he said: “At the age of 36, question marks will naturally be asked about Ivanovic’s fitness until the former Chelsea star has performed well enough to allay any fears. But if Albion’s conditioning staff can get him fit and firing then his ability to marshal Albion’s defence at difficult moments at the top level could prove invaluable.”
The Serbian has only made one appearance for the Baggies since his arrival, managing just under an hour against Brentford in the Carabao Cup. He was withdrawn on 59 minutes as he wasn’t fully fit and has not featured since.
West Brom’s defence has been a real cause for concern in the early days of the new Premier League season, with the Baggies conceding 13 goals in their opening four games. This is alarming and Slaven Bilic’s side will need to improve at the back if they are to avoid the drop.
Perhaps Ivanovic could be the man to come in and make a difference to that struggling back-line. He has bags of experience in the Premier League, making 261 appearances in the English top-flight so far. It is not unthinkable that the Serbian could come into the deference and instantly improve it with some of the organisation and leadership that the Champions League winner possesses.
This is probably why Ivanovic was brought to the Hawthorns, not just to provide back-up, but to be a defensive improvement who can help guide a relatively inexperienced Baggies side to safety.
In other West Brom news, Guochuan Lai would be happy to discuss selling the Baggies.
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