West Brom loanee Josh Griffiths ‘amazes’ Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley
Danny Cowley feels it is unfair to compare Josh Griffiths and his Portsmouth predecessor Gavin Bazunu as the West Brom loanee continues to shine on the South Coast.
Griffiths has enjoyed a solid start to his career at Fratton Park, which has helped Danny Cowley’s side to 2nd place in the League One standings.
Bazunu enjoyed a stellar loan spell in the 2021/22 season and earnt himself a big-money move to Pompey’s fierce South Coast rivals Southampton.
However, the West Brom loanee has received plenty of praise from Cowley as he nears 50 career clean sheets in potentially under 100 games.
“Josh is 21 – and it amazes me that he’s 21,” Cowley told The Portsmouth News (22 September).
“He’s so mature, an intelligent boy, able to take information on, has a really calming influence on the group and has been a really good signing.
“I think it’s unnecessary to compare him and Gavin because they are both excellent goalkeepers in their own right.
“They are different goalkeepers, they have different strengths.”
On the right track
West Brom have handled Griffiths perfectly in recent years, with his three loan spells away from The Hawthorns all a gradual step up for the 21-year-old.
His current arrangement at Portsmouth is seeing him compete in a strong League One side and also get used to a high-pressure environment which Fratton Park can be at times.
The Baggies have certainly got a talent on their hands and it’s actually a surprise that he hasn’t been given a chance to compete in Steve Bruce’s first eleven. Albion do have an immediate recall option for Griffiths should they suffer an injury in goal, but considering his current performance levels he should be in and around the first eleven.
Luckily for the Baggies, the youngster is in excellent hands at Portsmouth under the stewardship of Cowley who has a reputation for handling younger players in the correct manner.
For his development, remaining on the South Coast would be the smart move for Griffiths, but it would not be the end of the world if he came back into first-team contention at The Hawthorns.
In other West Brom news, Albion are struggling to sell tickets for a match this weekend with fewer than 10,000 sold.