Karen Carney: Okay Yokuslu is the West Brom difference-maker in PL survival push
Karen Carney has lauded Okay Yokuslu after his impressive start to life at The Hawthorns has inspired an unlikely Premier League survival bid for West Brom.
Albion looked down and out at the start of February after a run of just one win in 10 league games under Sam Allardyce, but there are now signs of life in their bid to avoid an immediate return to the Championship.
A win at home to Newcastle United on Sunday would push the Baggies to within six points of the visitors and offer a real chance staying up, and much of that is down to the deadline-say signing of Yokuslu.
Speaking on Amazon Prime [11:30, 07/03/21] before the relegation rivals met at The Hawthorns, Carney waxed lyrical about the Celta Vigo loanee’s abilities.
She said: “I think Yokuslu’s the main one for me, he’s the screener and the one who sits in front of the backline, he’s the difference-maker.
“He’s been outstanding, he’s not afraid to put a tackle in.
“A lot of West Brom fans have likened him to Claudio Yacob when he first came in but he’s probably technically better.
“His positioning is outstanding, he doesn’t just clear it, he starts attacks.
“His game understanding has been ten-fold and I think defensively they’ve significantly improved because of him, he shields that backline and technically he’s very good as well.”
An abundance of talent
Yacob was a our terrier in the middle of the pitch and the one who would break up play with his snarling presence and brilliant reading of the game.
He did not lack for technique as he did show some impressive passing range during his time in the West Midlands but it is fair to say it wasn’t the most impressive aspect of his game.
It looks like Yokuslu has it all.
Not only has he been brilliant at organising our midfield and protecting our backline, he has also showcased some exceptional ball-playing abilities.
According to Wyscout he registered a sensational 98% pass accuracy against Everton on Thursday, only failing with one of his 57 attempts, building on an already solid figure of 89% in our previous outing v Brighton.
Carney is right – this lad has it all.
In other West Brom news, Maitland-Niles opens up on why he joined Albion on loan.
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