Nick Ware

Sun 28 November 2021 21:42, UK

West Brom endured more Championship disappointment on Friday night after a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest at The Hawthorns.

Albion laboured in front of goal to record successive stalemates after Tuesday’s 0-0 at Blackpool.

However, the upshot was that it was consecutive clean sheets, and they have conceded just twice in their last five games.

Key to that has been Brighton loanee Matt Clarke.

The 25-year-old joined Albion on loan from the Seagulls in July, and has made 12 appearances for Valerien Ismael’s side.

Clarke was a rare bright spark in Friday’s draw with Forest.

As seen in the images below, he superbly marshalled the threat of Wales winger Brennan Johnson, whom Forest routinely tried to find in between Albion’s centre-backs and wing-backs.

Here, the away side hit Albion on the counter-attack, leaving the defence exposed and Johnson with a one-on-one with Clarke.

When the ball is play in front of Johnson, Clarke initially makes a movement towards it, as if to close him down and intercept.

However, rather wisely, he drops back and elects not to trust his pace against the electrifying 20-year-old.

There is still great danger, though, as there is plenty of space for Johnson to run into.

Clarke continues to backpedal before attempting to narrow down Johnson’s angle of the goal.

By the time Johnson strikes it, his only realistic chance of scoring is via Sam Johnstone’s side, and Clarke is right to trust the England goalkeeper to save it.

As it was, Clarke managed to deflect Johnson’s effort and although it caused a little issue as Johnstone scrambled to tip it over, Clarke’s defensive nous helped to avoid a potentially damaging situation and make it a difficult chance for Johnson.

Clarke could, and should, even have had an assist to his name.

Creating havoc in the Forest penalty area in the dying embers of the game, Clarke showed a great touch and the awareness to pick out Jordan Hugill, who then had the goal at his mercy for a late winner.

Hugill fluffed his lines, though, to ensure the spoils were shared at The Hawthorns.

With Albion’s current travails in the Championship, one can only imagine where they would be without Clarke as the likes of Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and Cedric Kipre have all been dropped at centre-back this season.

Clarke remains contracted to Premier League side Brighton, and with no certainty that there is any sort of obligatory clause that will see him sign on a permanent deal for West Brom, the West Midlands side could be forced into finding his replacement in the coming months.

Even if Albion do get promoted, the onus will be on the club to stump up the cash it will cost to prise Clarke from the south-coast.

The Baggies hierarchy have a big decision on their hands in 2022 as Friday night proved that Clarke is head and shoulders the club’s best defender at the moment.

In other West Brom news, Albion want to sign this centre-forward sensation after a weekend scouting mission overseas.

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