West Brom: Erik Pieters sends Carlos Corberan contract message with Cardiff display
Despite a successful campaign so far, West Brom will soon need to turn their attention to several players who are out of contract at the end of the season.
Kyle Bartley, Adam Reach, Martin Kelly and Matt Phillips are all being linked with a move away from The Hawthorns this summer due to their contracts ticking down.
To bring the current wage bill down, as per Express and Star, all of these players could reach the summer without receiving a contract extension, and among the group is 35-year-old Erik Pieters.
A subdued role for Erik Pieters at The Hawthorns
Despite an extremely bright start to the season for the Dutchman, Pieters has quickly become a forgotten man at West Brom, making just one start in the club’s previous 16 league matches.
The form of Kyle Bartley and Cedric Kipre has meant that the veteran has slipped down the pecking order under Carlos Corberan, but he has proven to still have a lot left to offer despite being shunned from the starting XI.
However, with Bartley recently suffering an injury against Ipswich Town, Corberan was forced to call upon Pieters to replace him and looks to have sent the Baggies manager a very blatant message about his capabilities.
Considering his age, the defender looked perfectly in place as new signings Michael Johnston and Andreas Weimann helped seal an all-important victory against Cardiff City on Tuesday 13 February.
Forgotten man to Carlos Corberan’s rescue
Partnering up with Kipre in defence, Pieters was rock-solid in the absence of the ever-present Bartley. With a 90 per cent passing accuracy, 100 touches, and 100 per cent long ball accuracy, he was instrumental in West Brom’s build-up. [FotMob]
Pieters was also able to win 100 per cent of his aerial duels, combatting the attacking threat of Cardiff’s Yakou Meite and Famara Diedhiou, and especially Kion Etete after entering the field as a substitute on the hour-mark.
In addition to his incredible percentages, the defender was able to make six clearances and three recoveries as West Brom secured a clean sheet and cemented their fifth-place standing in the Championship.
His performance comes as no surprise, though, and Corberan will have expected his display after dubbing him “excellent” in October. The display has only added to his 85 per cent passing accuracy average in the Championship season. [FotMob]
In total, across 1078 minutes of league football, Pieters has made 36 clearances and 14 interceptions, which suggests that age is not an issue for the defender, and looks to have shown Corberan that he deserves a contract extension.
In other West Brom news, an update has emerged amid a shock pursuit for a new manager at The Hawthorns.
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