View: Summer signing running out of time at West Brom, Bilic must consider axe
West Brom have struggled in front of goal so far this season, with just seven goals in their opening 10 Premier League games.
Now the reasons for their struggles are numerous and it would be unfair to pin the team’s failings on one person or factor.
However, the form of £14.85 million summer signing Karlan Grant is becoming an increasingly large concern and boss Slaven Bilic needs to find a solution quickly.
Grant arrived at the club as a highly-rated prospect, with the 23-year-old having just scored 19 Championship goals for a relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town side (via WhoScored). During a brief spell in the Premier League with the Terriers, he scored four goals in 13 appearances.
However, after scoring against Brighton and Hove Albion on just his second start for the club, Grant has gone four matches without a goal and his play has otherwise looked uninspired.
According to FBRef, he averages fewer shots on target per 90 minutes than both Hal Robson-Kanu and Callum Robinson and just 0.58 shot-creating actions per 90. Only the Welshman has completed fewer passes per 90 than Grant, while he completes his passes at just 66.7%.
These statistics paint a picture of a player that has become disconnected from his teammates and is failing to find chances for himself. Now the Baggies have not been the most functional attacking unit this season, but with Filip Krovinovic, Matheus Pereira, Conor Gallagher and Grady Diangana around him, Grant should be able to muster more than four shots on target in six starts (via FBRef).
In an attempt to bring the England youth international to life, Bilic paired him with Robinson and switched to a 5-2-1-2 system against Sheffield United, but the duo mustered just one shot on target between them (via WhoScored).
The Baggies were better going forward in this match and the Croatian should give the system and partnership another chance, but Grant needs to step up sooner rather than later.
In other West Brom news, three things learned in West Brom win v Sheff Utd
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