Allardyce has ‘direct approach’ – Maitland-Niles rates West Brom boss
Ainsley Maitland-Niles is loving working under West Brom boss Sam Allardyce and likes his direct way of communicating.
The Arsenal loanee has in six matches since joining on February 1 as the Baggies have seen a slight change in fortune. He was one of four outfield players to join the club, as Big Sam looked to bolster his options in the race for survival.
As reported by Express and Star, the midfielder claimed Allardyce doesn’t hide his feelings from his players. He said: “The gaffer is very honest and will tell you anything you need to hear.
“So you can either put your head down and take the criticism as negative, or you can take it in a positive way.
“He only says these things because he cares and because he wants to help us all improve. I love the direct approach he has.”
Midfield maestro
Whether it’s directly down to him or not, if can’t be denied the change in results since Maitland-Niles made his Baggies debut.
West Brom have lost just two of their last six matches, drawing three and picking up a valuable win over Brighton. The biggest turnaround has come from the back-line. With Okay Yokuslu and Maitland-Niles protecting the defence, Big Sam’s side have conceded just two goals in four matches.
The Baggies still have the worst defence in the league. But three clean sheets in six is some turnaround. They appear a lot more resilient at the back and this comes down to the midfield also.
Big points were also picked up against Manchester United and Burnley, although, they were significant for different reasons. Allardyce’s men played excellently in both matches, but should have definitely taken more points.
Mbaye Diagne was wasteful against United. The striker should have had a hattrick, but still managed to pick up his first goal. The Baggies also dominated at Turf Moor, despite being down to 10 men for more than half the match.
It’s all promising signs for Big Sam, though. He’ll be hoping for more of the same in the clash with his former club, Palace, this weekend.
In other West Brom news, Luke Dowling has a lot to answer for as a result of this summer signing.