View: West Brom winger Grady Diangana needs support to get back to his best
West Brom winger Grady Diangana was one the most exciting players in the Championship, but how can the Baggies get him back to his best?
Three years ago, a 21-year-old Diangana alongside Mattheus Pereira, lit up the championship making 30 appearances in the division, scoring eight goals and providing seven assists, a scintillating rate of a goal contribution every two games.
However last season, that goal contributions rate dropped to a goal or assists every 13.7 games. [Transfermarkt]
So what happened to the winger and how can Steve Bruce get the best out of the winger who once made former West Ham captain, Mark Noble, make a public outcry on Twitter against his sale.
Helping Grady Diangana?
The Athletic’s Elias Burke wrote a piece on how to help ‘Rebuild Diangana’ and he believes that it is imperative that he strikes up a relationship with John Swift similar to his with Mattheus Pereira, and to get him dribbling again like he did when he first broke onto the scene three years ago.
Burke said: “There is hardly a better sight in the Championship than watching Diangana confident and dribbling at opponents.
“His ability to jink left and right, combining speed and flair, is the primary reason why Albion fans fell head over heels for him under Bilic and were desperate for the club to sign him permanently.
“Diangana needs a running mate capable of providing a Pereira-esque spark to Albion’s final-third play.”
The ex-England Under-21s winger seems like a player built on confidence, and his confidence is extremely low right now.
He used to thrive in one-on-one situations, licking his lips when being marked and easily leaving opposition defenders in his wake.
With audacious nutmegs, rapid stepovers, close control, and body feints, the former West Ham winger has an abundance of skills in his arsenal, skills he never hesitates to bring out when necessary.
However, he seems like a player that after two seasons where he has scored a combined three goals, has lost this confidence and therefore has affected his playing style.
If Steve Bruce can somehow get Diangana to regain that confidence and belief he once had in himself and his ability, it can hopefully reignite the fire in him and we can see a return of the player that West Brom paid £12m for in 2020.
The winger with frightening pace and daredevil-like flair, and if the club can successfully do that, they are already aware of the type of devastating attacking player they will have on their hands.
In other West Brom news, the club are pursuing Newcastle forward Eliott Anderson.