John Swift sends five-word message after West Brom return in draw vs Portsmouth
John Swift had to settle for a draw against West Brom upon his return to The Hawthorns.
Portsmouth came from behind against West Brom to deny Albion three consecutive victories in the Championship.
The match was not without its controversies. Ryan Mason was shown a red card against Portsmouth after referee Elliot Bell waved away the Baggies’ penalty appeals.
The former Tottenham coach now faces a touchline ban for dissent as West Brom look ahead to their upcoming game against Stoke City. However, one man was certain to have mixed emotions upon his return to The Hawthorns.
John Swift pleased with Portsmouth’s draw vs West Brom
Swift left West Brom to return to his former club as a free agent earlier this summer.
The midfielder signed at Albion in the summer of 2022. But despite a three-year stay at The Hawthorns, West Brom fans were conflicted about Swift’s departure.
His return to Albion was less impactful than expected, with John Mousinho subbing him out in the 57th minute.
Mason may be disappointed to end his winning streak in the Championship, but Swift was proud of his team’s performance. In a post uploaded to his Instagram stories on Saturday, 23 August, Swift wrote: “Good point on the road.”
After an intense end to an unlucky draw for West Brom, a draw without their manager was a respectable outcome for the Baggies.
- Read more: Ryan Mason has every right to be furious as ex-PGMOL chief speaks out on Portsmouth controversy
Aune Selland Heggebo has areas to improve before Stoke City
Regan Poole’s tug on Aune Selland Heggebo as he ventured into the area was the most controversial moment of the match.
If the referee had called a foul during the incident, Albion could be celebrating three consecutive wins in the Championship. But he did not, and Pompey were lucky not to have gone down to 10 men.
Other than that, the Norwegian did not greatly impact the game. Within the 90 minutes, he lost the most duels in the game and had only five touches in the opposition box.
| Blocked shots | 2 |
| Touches | 34 |
| Touches in the opposition box | 5 |
| Passes into final third | 1 |
| Dispossessed | 4 |
| Clearances | 3 |
| Headed clearance | 3 |
From two shots, he failed to register a goal. This was partly due to the limited chances thrown in his direction, but Heggebo’s positioning could have been sharper.
Defensively, he was sound, making three clearances and headed clearances. But when a goal is needed, fans would rather see their striker score than make defensive interventions.
As a result, it will be on Heggebo to put in a better attacking performance next game.
Sign up for the West Brom News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking West Bromwich Albion news sent straight to your phone.