View: Small tactical tweak from Villa could cause West Brom major problems
West Brom must be wary of the added threat that Jack Grealish may pose to them on Sunday after a small tactical tweak from Dean Smith.
Up against Burnley, Grealish was utilised in a more central role for the first time, having been used on the left-wing in the Premier League this season.
Speaking after the game, Smith confirmed it was done with the aim of getting the 25-year-old more involved in the game.
While the game ended in a draw, the idea behind the switch certainly worked and Grealish found himself more involved in the game throughout.
As per Wyscout, Grealish completed 20 more actions during the game (98), compared to his average per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season (78).
He registered twice as many shots (6) against Burnley, as he has done per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season (3), according to Wyscout.
Grealish also made more progressive runs (8) than his average and drew more fouls (7) during the meeting with Burnley.
It remains to be seen how the Baggies will line up under new management, but should Albion stick with either a back five or three, as they have done on eight occasions this season.
You only have to go back to the 5-1 defeat to Crystal Palace to see how badly the Baggies struggled to deal with both Christian Benteke and Eberechi Eze, with the former dropping into deep positions and the latter cutting inside into central ‘number 10-like’ positions.
If the Baggies continue with a similar tactical set-up, Smith may be tempted to keep Grealish in a central role to maximise the space available to him.
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