West Brom fans told they have ‘nothing to worry about’ with new signing
West Brom fans will be looking for a scapegoat for Albion’s first Championship defeat of the season.
Derby County defeated West Brom at The Hawthorns to end their unbeaten run in the Championship.
West Brom fans were disappointed after the game, eager to place blame on the coach and individual players, with one new signing particularly disappointing. However, Albion supporters have been told to be patient moving forward.
West Brom fans will need to be patient with Aune Heggebo
West Brom signed Aune Heggebo from SK Brann over the summer, but other than a goal in Albion’s elimination from the Carabao Cup, he has been unlucky in front of goal.
Issac Price currently leads the Baggies in Championship goals, with the striker yet to net in the league. This is a shocking statistic, which suggests that Heggebo is not good enough to play for West Brom.
As a result, patience has been running thin at The Hawtorns with the centre-forward. However, Don Goodman, speaking to Football League World on 18 September, urged West Brom fans to be patient with Heggebo.
“He’s had one or two chances, although I don’t think West Bromwich Albion, as a team, are creating bundles and bundles of chances. So, he’s going to suffer in that regard,” Goodman said.
“But I read an interview with Ryan Mason, saying he’s about much more than scoring goals, because he does occupy defenders, he holds the ball up well, he’s won every single tackle, he never stops running, he puts himself about, and he’s been a handful for Championship defenders to play against so far this season.
“You hope that his team can create a few more really good opportunities for him to score. And, hopefully, once he gets the first one, then the goals will flow,” the former striker added.
“So, there’s nothing to worry about as of yet, but obviously, all the while Josh Maja will be lurking in the background.”
- Read more: Ryan Mason set for brutal Aune Heggebo decision vs Middlesbrough following Josh Maja update
How much has West Brom created in the Championship this season?
Goodman speculated that West Brom’s lack of chance creation could be the reason behind Heggebo’s goalscoring drought.
A glance at Albion’s creative stats in the Championship this season indicates that the ex-Wolves striker’s take has some merit.
| Goals | 1.2 per 90 |
| Goals from inside the box | 5/52 |
| Goals from outside the box | 1/21 |
| Big chances | 1.6 per 90 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Total shots | 14.6 |
| Shots on target | 4 |
| Shots off target | 6.6 |
| Blocked shots | 4 |
The Baggies are averaging one goal from 1.6 big chances created per 90. Albion are not creating enough quality chances for their attackers.
But there is another element to this. West Brom are also being wasteful with their chances, with 6.6 of their shots being off target. However, this could be because players are spamming shots in and around the attacking third as a result of the lack of chance creation.
Heggebo’s goalscoring stats reflect this. The striker has failed to register a single goal from 1.57 expected goals per game. Just over one expected goal from five league games is a poor statistic, which indicates Albion’s creative output.
As a result, Mason will need to figure out a way for his side to create several quality chances each game or risk dropping more points in the Championship.
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