‘I spoke to him’ – Bilic holds clear-the-air talks with frustrated West Brom star
West Brom manager Slaven Bilic has hit back at criticism about his use of star player Matheus Pereira, claiming that he can still pick up the same central positions.
Pereira was outstanding for the Baggies last season playing in the attacking midfield role, but, following promotion, Bilic has tended to prefer him from the right.
After his side lost 2-0 to Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday the Croatian faced further questions about the Brazilian playmaker, after Pereira disappeared down the tunnel after being subbed.
Bilic said Pereira was frustrated at not being able to make an impact in the game but insisted the player can thrive out wide and said he has spoken with him.
“He’s going to play in a few areas and he comes to them anyway during the game no matter what system we play,” he told The Athletic.
“It’s just his starting position that makes it a bit different. At the start of the season, he played as a right-sided No 10 in the first few games when we were playing three or five at the back with Grady Diangana on the left.
“Then he moved to play as a No 10 against Southampton in a 4-2-3-1, and now he’s moved to the right in a 4-3-3, but he’s not an orthodox winger, so his position is more or less the same. He can cover every position and I spoke to him about that. You don’t want your best players to move around but this is not moving around.”
Ongoing debate
With the Baggies struggling for form and results, it is understandable that the pressure is mounting on Bilic. His side have earned just three points from their opening seven matches and sit 18th in the league, one point adrift of Monday night’s opponent Fulham.
Their attack has been a real worry and with Pereira substituted after 56 minutes against the Cottagers, the Croatian is running out of time to find the solution.
In seven Premier League matches, they have generated just 3.9 expected goals, the worst record in the league, with Pereira creating just 0.16 xG plus xA per 90 (via FBRef).
Last season, the Brazilian provided eight goals and 16 assists from a central starting position. However, as The Athletic explains he has continued to roam across the pitch this season, picking up plenty of the central positions from where he was devastating in the Championship.
Instead, the problem lies with the side’s overall balance and Pereira’s output being down. When compared to last season, he is completing fewer key passes, passes, crosses, shots and dribbles per match (via WhoScored).
Conor Gallagher is also yet to convince at the top level, while Jake Livermore completed just 13 passes on Monday before being taken off. For Bilic, the challenge is to pick his side up after a devastating defeat and help his players up their level, regardless of where they are picked in the starting line-up.
In other West Brom news, ‘What’s the point?’ – Sinclair baffled by reported West Brom stance on Bilic