Kevin Phillips: Sam Johnstone to come straight back in for West Brom under Steve Bruce
We’re delighted to welcome former West Brom striker Kevin Phillips as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at The Hawthorns…
Kevin Phillips has insisted that Steve Bruce could bring Sam Johnstone straight back into the West Brom side against Sheffield United.
The ex-Baggies talisman has backed the new manager to make changes in his first game in charge at Bramall Lane.
Valerien Ismael exiled the England international after a recent fall-out, going with David Button in net instead.
“I’d imagine he would come straight back in,” he exclusively told West Brom News.
“If I was walking through that door, you’d let players back in the team and you tell them ‘this is how I want you to play’.
“You let them go, and you’re off to a flyer as you put your best players back in, one that the fans want, it would not surprise me if he was back in the starting line-up for the next fixture.”
This one never made sense.
Johnstone is a Premier League goalkeeper and a full international, yet a small fallout led to him being exiled completely from the squad.
Ismael got this one wrong, he will know that now and Bruce arriving could eradicate that mistake and possibly even help with keeping the stopper at the club.
With his contract running out this summer, there is a high chance a free exit will happen, let’s hope promotion can change that if achieved.
In other West Brom News, an ex-Albion midfielder instantly reacted to the news of Ismael’s dismissal on Wednesday.