Jack Cunningham

Thu 4 November 2021 13:12, UK

Dean Ashton believes that West Brom are effective under Valerien Ismael even if the football isn’t that good.

Speaking on the EFL Show on Quest, the former Premier League striker revealed his grudging admiration for the Baggies and for the Frenchman’s philosophy.

West Brom just about squeezed past Hull City with a 1-0 win on Wednesday night thanks to another goal from Karlan Grant, and Ashton expressed his thoughts on the Baggies.

He said: “That is what you get from [an] Ismael team. That closing down, that [pressing] high up the pitch, and that’s where the goal comes from.

“Look, it’s not the prettiest football to watch, but it still gets results as hard as it can be to watch.”

Fair and balanced view from Ashton.

There have been a few games this season in which the Baggies have blown the opposition away and put on a real show for their fans.

However, there have also been games in which they have been pretty turgid but got the job done like last night.

West Brom had most of the possession and managed to have a lot of shots, but on the whole, it wasn’t a great display from the Baggies [BBC].

However, the goal was pretty much exactly what Ismael wants to see from his side as they nicked the ball high up the pitch and then played the ball into Grant, who couldn’t miss.

So, we think this is a fair view of the Baggies under Ismael, they certainly aren’t the most attractive team around, but more often than not, they get the job done.

However, with Bournemouth and Fulham running away at the top of the division, they might need to find a way to score more goals.

In other West Brom news, Ashton and Colin Murray were blown away by one Baggies man against Hull.

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