Danny Cowley backs West Brom goalkeeper Josh Griffiths to shine in Championship amid calls for David Button axe
Former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley has backed Josh Griffiths to become a regular in the Championship for West Brom.
David Button has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent weeks and was at fault in the Baggies’ 2-0 Championship defeat to Birmingham City.
Griffiths spent the first half of the season on loan with Cowley at Fratton Park and the former Huddersfield boss has no doubt that the 21-year-old would be able to cope with the pressures of England’s second tier.
“I have absolutely no doubt that Josh will play regularly in the Championship at least. I think he’s in the top two or three under-21 goalkeepers in this country at the moment,” said Cowley (Birmingham Live, 15 February).
“I really believe in him as a boy. He’s got some fantastic tools, but my biggest confidence in Josh is that I know he is going to make the most of those tools.
“The Championship for sure, but beyond that who knows? Anything is possible with him. When his opportunity does arise, whether it’s this week or in the future, I have full confidence that Josh has the competence to take that.”
Pressure
There would be a lot of pressure on Griffiths’ shoulders if he was given the chance by Carlos Corberan. The first half of the season didn’t quite go to plan on the South Coast, with a couple of high-profile errors costing Pompey. Fratton Park can be an unforgiving place at times and it was clear the environment wasn’t right for the youngster.
Portsmouth’s form fell off a cliff before Christmas and he was operating in a defence which was severely underperforming. If he’s given the chance at The Hawthorns, he will be behind a back four which has been keeping clean sheets for fun, particularly at home.
Wednesday night’s visit of Blackburn Rovers is another huge test of Corberan’s side and one they must overcome. Rovers sit just above the Baggies in the table and could pull away from their hosts with three points. It’s such a tightly contested playoff race that any prolonged drop in form could cause well see the Albion lose sight of the top six.
In other West Brom news, Albion pulled the plug on a late loan signing on deadline day.