Birmingham wouldn’t have liked what Mikey Johnston did in West Brom draw as ex-player speaks out
Mikey Johnston was one of West Brom’s better performers in their draw to Birmingham City on Wednesday.
Albion conceded late against Birmingham in a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns in what was another mixed performance.
The result means that West Brom are 17th in the Championship table – a far cry from the team Ryan Mason was set to guide to Premier League promotion at the start of the season.
However, Johnston once again remained a shining light in a sea of darkness for Mason.
Mikey Johnston terrorised Birmingham’s defence
Johnston started on the right wing in West Brom’s 3-2 defeat to Coventry City last week and did likewise against Birmingham on Wednesday.
The winger was tricky to contain:
- Johnston successfully completed two out of three attempted dribbles
- He made one key pass
- He won five of his attempted ground duels
Furthermore, Johnston won 50 per cent of his tackles and made five recoveries against his opponents, according to Sofascore.
His strong performance did not escape the notice of former Birmingham midfielder Darren Carter.
“Johnston is causing all sorts of problems to Birmingham with his pace. He’s running directly at people and defenders don’t like it when you’re running at them,” he said via BBC Radio West Midlands on 26 November.
While West Brom fans would’ve liked to see him bag a goal or an assist, there are still positives for them to take from his display.
Either way, Birmingham fans certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed his performance on Wednesday.
Ryan Mason is doing one thing right
Mason is under pressure at West Brom after winning just one of his last seven Championship fixtures.
However, the decision to deploy Johnston on the right wing could be a game-changer for the former Spurs star.
In their defeat to Coventry, Johnston and Aune Heggebo ran the show in the first half, contributing to both Albion goals.
While their connection was not as vibrant against Birmingham, there were still positive signs from both.
It is far from the finished product. But the partnership between the two aces is definitely a strong enough foundation for Mason to build upon.
Therefore, it remains to be seen if the current Baggies coach makes it past Christmas. But if he does, he could be on track to curate an elite duo at The Hawthorns.
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