West Brom starting XI v Watford: Carlos Corberan mistake amid John Swift decision
Carlos Corberan has made a mistake in selecting John Swift in the West Brom starting XI ahead of a Championship clash against Watford on Monday (1 April).
Despite netting eight league goals this season, Swift has been in and out of the Baggies line-up, starting just 18 times in their 39 matches so far.
Having been benched for the sixth game in a row for the Millwall tie, the 28-year-old was brought on as a substitute before scoring from the penalty spot to salvage a draw at The Den.
Though his goalscoring heroics did help salvage a point for Corberan’s team, his overall display does not warrant being awarded a start against the Hornets at The Hawthorns.
West Brom released the starting XI via its official X account on Monday (1 April), which saw Alex Palmer in goal, with Darnell Furlong, Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi and Conor Townsend making up the backline.
Okay Yokuslu and Alex Mowatt form the base of midfield, with Tom Fellows, Mikey Johnston and Brandon Thomas-Asante joining Swift in the final third.
John Swift a surprise involvement despite Millwall penalty
As mentioned, Swift did manage to help the Baggies to a draw on Saturday (30 March), having hammered home the equaliser from 12 yards out. However, his underlying stats suggest that someone else should have his place.
Despite recording a pass accuracy of 87 per cent, as per FotMob, the creative midfielder was relatively ineffective in all other areas.
Swift made zero tackles in midfield, as well as winning zero per cent of his ground duels against Millwall. Corberan should have been disappointed with the 28-year-old for this, rather than start him in the next match.
Fitness is likely to be a factor in the decision, with Jed Wallace having started 32 of West Brom’s league matches so far. Baggies fans will be hoping that Swift can improve upon his previous stats as the team hopes to gain another three points.
A victory could see West Brom move further away from Norwich City, avoiding any chances of dropping out of the playoff spots, with the Canaries and Coventry City hot on their heels.
In other West Brom news, Craig Dawson has aimed a dig at Albion after what happened against Wolves.
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.