West Brom must still get rid of Kyle Bartley in 2023 despite transformation under Carlos Corberan
Despite a recent renaissance under manager Carlos Corberan, Kyle Bartley is still skating on thin ice after years of inconsistency at the heart of West Brom’s defence.
The 31-year-old has been up and down like a yo-yo this season and most recently helped West Brom claim their third win and, more importantly, their third clean sheet in as many games.
Although Bartley helped secure these victories and netted a decisive goal against high-fliers QPR, this doesn’t excuse his continual mistakes over several bleak seasons in the West Midlands.
Under Steve Bruce, a weekly game of West Brom bingo wouldn’t be complete without a Bartley mistake, and as a result, his valuation in the eyes of The Baggies faithful dropped through the floor.
This season alone, there have been too many errors to even remember from the much-maligned Bartley.
Gifting Scott Hogan a hat trick in September. His match-defining red card in the loss to Milwall. His humiliating substitution against Burnley – in which he brutally booed down the tunnel.
The list goes on and on.
The centre-back, who will be 32 by the time the summer transfer window arrives, is far from good enough to take West Brom to the heights that new boss Carlos Corberan envisages. If the club are serious about promotion to the Premier League, something has to change this summer.
Since joining West Brom in 2018, Bartley has played a crucial part in the club’s dramatic fall from grace and keeping him on as captain under Corberan could spell further danger for the club.
How Bartley has survived so long in West Brom’s squad is a sign of how poorly the club has been run in recent years, with other notable names such as Jake Livermore and Matt Phillips having clung onto the coattails of their teammates for far too long.
The sooner these types of names and, in particular, Bartley are out of the door, the sooner Corberan can properly get to grips with the mammoth challenge that awaits.
I’m sorry Kyle, it’s time to go.
In other news, Peter Odemwingie shares West Brom verdict on Twitter after watching them beat Stoke.