Phillips: My mate was furious with baffling Big Sam decision at West Brom – Exclusive
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips was “very surprised” by Sam Allardyce’s decision to name Matheus Pereira on the West Brom bench ahead of their defeat at Tottenham on Sunday.
Pereira, 24, has scored four goals in five Premier League matches ahead of the trip to North London at the weekend but that didn’t stop Allardyce from dropping the Brazilian to the bench and only bringing him on for the final 10 minutes.
Albion fans were shocked by the decision and it seems Phillips, and his West Brom-supporting friend, also struggled to under Big Sam’s decision-making process.
“I was very surprised,” Phillips told West Brom News.
“Playing Karlan Grant on the left-hand side, he’s an out-and-out striker. I’ve been asked to play that position over the years and believe me, you’re not going to say no – but it’s not ideal.
“You’ve got Pereira, Phillips and Robinson on the bench and they’re natural wide players or are more comfortable, I was very surprised.
“But again, it is what it is and Allardyce is trying anything now to try and get a result. Maybe he felt Grant is more disciplined in terms of tracking back but I just think it’s a very strange decision. My mate if a West Brom supporter and he was baffled by it and he was kind of angry about it, especially with Pereira being on the bench.
“I can only put it down to Sam trying something different to get a result.”
What little support there was for Big Sam vanished very quickly after his decision to leave Pereira out of the starting line-up on Sunday.
The Albion manager claimed it was a tactical decision to leave his best player on the bench but we struggle to believe how any tactical system at the club cannot be built around the South American ace.
Pereira has lit up The Hawthorns for the last year and a half.
Yes, he’s struggled at times in the Premier League but who in this squad hasn’t? The more Pereira’s played, the better he’s got and leaving him out of a match we had to win (they’re all must-wins now) was just baffling.
In other West Brom news, fans want this 45-year-old manager to replace Sam Allardyce if he’s sacked.
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