Valerien Ismael compares expectations at West Brom and Barnsley
Valerien Ismael says the difference between West Brom and Barnsley is that he has to win at the Hawthorns, and thinks they’re on the right track.
The French manager took over the Baggies in the summer after spending one season with Barnsley, where he got them to the playoffs for the first time in 21-years.
Since taking over he has been largely praised for his job, with West Brom sitting in third place in the Championship table and well in the hunt for automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Speaking to Sky Sports Main Event ahead of the fixture against his former club on Friday night, Ismael was asked about if he notices the difference in expectation between the clubs and the 46-year-old gave a very honest answer.
“Yes, I think,” he said. “I knew this before it’s not a surprise.
“I need to win games [here] and at the same time create a path for young players. We knew when I came here I need two or three transfer windows to get exactly what we want but at the minute I think we’re on the right way.”
Clear progress
While the season has had it’s ups and downs so far, there is clear progress in the style that Ismael is looking to implement.
They are incredibly hard to break down, with a league low for goals conceded and their shape is very similar to the one that he was successful with at Barnsley last year.
While there is always room for improvement, the acknowledgement of that shows that he isn’t living in a dream world and Baggies fans will be excited to know that there is more to come on the pitch.
For Ismael, the league position is a sign of the good work he has done so far but with clear space to get better he knows there is still more to do if he is to be considered a success at the Hawthorns.
In other West Brom news, Sky Sports pundit says ‘pack is getting closer’ on Championship title race.