West Brom: Mikey Johnston concern may grow at The Hawthorns after Ireland performances
Mikey Johnston put in two underwhelming displays for Ireland during the international break, and West Brom will be hoping he does not carry those performances back to The Hawthorns.
The Celtic loanee has been flying since arriving on loan in January, but any more performances like that will be a cause for concern with Albion pushing for the playoffs.
His disappointing performance in the 1-0 loss against Switzerland was picked up on by Irish media outlet Balls who gave him a 5/10 rating, labelling him “wasteful” in a heavily critical assessment.
Mikey Johnston must bounce back from disappointment at West Brom
The first game of the international break saw Johnston start as a substitute as Ireland drew 0-0 with Belgium, coming off the bench for the final 20 minutes. In that time, he failed to make an impact, touching the ball just seven times. [Sofascore]
With those seven touches, the winger recorded a 0 per cent dribble completion rate, and a 0 per cent cross completion rate, lost all four of his ground duels, was dribbled past once, and failed to complete or even attempt a single pass in a shocking display.
Despite that performance, he was afforded the opportunity to start against Switzerland in the hope that his performance would improve. He played 57 minutes this time, touching the ball 31 times as he was immediately more involved in the game.
Johnston made 15 passes of 21 attempted with an accuracy of 71 per cent, although a 100 per cent cross and long ball accuracy saw a huge step up. He also won two of five attempted ground duels and 50 per cent of his aerial duels.
Despite the clear step up in his display, the “wasteful” line in the Irish media was justified by the winger losing the ball nine times, failing to complete a single one of his attempted dribbles, and giving away a foul out of frustration.
His performances have been so impressive since his arrival at The Hawthorns, and Carlos Coberan will have his fingers crossed that his international form does not cross back over to his club form and that he can replicate the form he has shown in recent weeks.
In other West Brom news, international media has slammed Semi Ajayi for his performance.
For more West Brom news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.