View: Two goals conceded in five starts, Yokuslu is crucial to West Brom
Whilst January signing Mbaye Diagne is having a hard time transitioning to Premier League another West Brom newbie has hit the ground running.
Okay Yokuslu, 27, arrived on loan from Spanish side Celta Vigo and has gone about his business expertly so far. The Turk has made six appearances as the Baggies have overseen a slight change in fortune.
After coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 loss to Spurs, Yokuslu has started five games in a row. Sam Allardyce’s side have lost just once, picking up a vital win over Brighton and performing well to draw with Manchester United and Burnley.
His addition to the side has taken a lot of strain off of the Baggies backline, who had conceded 54 goals before his debut. Since coming into the side, West Brom have conceded just two goals in five matches and look a lot more assured at the back.
If you were able to build a Big Sam player in a lab, it’d be Yokuslu. He’s an excellent defensive midfielder, who loves to put a foot in and is rarely wasteful in possession. According to WyScout, he’s completed 90.6% of his passes successfully so far in the Premier League. It’s a really impressive stat, especially when you consider who they’ve faced.
Manchester United were a baptism of fire for Yokuslu. He won 92% of his duels on the day and used the ball well. He was unphased by the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and co, as he led by example and stopped any real attacking threats reaching his back-line.
The following game against Burnley, the Baggies spent most of the game with 10 men. They were very deserving of all three points, but were just wasteful with opportunities. Despite just 37% possession, they registered 10 attempts at goal, with four hitting the target. Brighton at home was another tense clash at the bottom, and Everton after makes for tough opponents.
The midfielder has also made 31 interceptions and 70 possession recoveries in his 474 minutes of Premier League action. Having a confident player such as Yokuslu anchoring the midfield has been a breath of fresh air to Allardyce. It’s everything he’s been crying out for to give his defence some rest bite.
With less pressure, it’s allowed those behind Yokuslu to perform better and in turn keep a few clean sheets. Sadly, it may be too little too late. Had he been around since the start of the season, the Baggies may well be in a much better position. How has he been allowed to leave Celta Vigo?
In other West Brom news, Cedric Kipre made an impressive debut at the weekend for Charleroi.