Joseph Masi slams West Brom’s lack of end product
Reliable journalist Joseph Masi has claimed that West Brom are in dire straits because they have not been clinical enough in the final third.
Sam Allardyce took over the reins mid-season and the general feeling is that if he was in charge of the Baggies from match one, they would have avoided relegation this season.
However, that wasn’t the case as the team fared miserably in the initial few weeks before Big Sam’s predecessor Slaven Bilic was shown the door.
However, Masi has a slightly more nuanced take on things. He believes that West Brom’s misery has nothing to do with the time he’s been in charge at the Hawthorns.
In his column in Express & Star, Masi wrote, “Allardyce does have a tendency to forget about chances the opposition create when reflecting on games.
“He said he couldn’t believe Albion didn’t beat Wolves in the Black Country derby because of the chances missed by Conor Gallagher and Conor Townsend. But he failed to mention the visitors also had big chances of their own with Nelson Semedo and Fabio Silva going close.
“Allardyce, though, is right. It isn’t a lack of time that has cost them, it’s their failure to convert clear-cut chances.”
Quality finishers needed
It’s no secret that recently we’ve been faring miserably in terms of our expected points (xP) to actual points on the board.
In the games since Big Sam’s fielded his January signings, we should’ve picked up 15 points from 11 games.
The only game where we outperformed our xG to win was against Brighton. This means if our strikers were just as clinical as the average striker, we would now have eight more points on the board – breathing down Newcastle’s necks.
However, things have transpired differently and we are bracing ourselves for a tortuous year in the Championship.
If we are to come straight back, it’s important we sign a striker who guarantees us over 20 league goals.
In other West Brom news, ‘Boosts his bid to stay’ – Athletic journalist provides update on future of key West Brom man
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