Nat Phillips typically solid, 4/10 nowhere to be seen – West Brom player ratings vs Stoke
West Brom’s Championship winless run has extended to seven games.
Stoke City held West Brom to a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon, which hasn’t done much for Albion’s survival hopes.
Eric Ramsay came into the Stoke game under huge pressure, and sack talk will likely only increase following Saturday’s dismal draw.
Albion now sit 20th in the Championship, and just the solitary point above the relegation zone, and Ramsay still searching for his first win as Baggies boss.
Daryl Dike drops stinker in first West Brom start
Ramsay made six changes to the starting XI that lost 3-0 to Portsmouth last time out, in a clear act of desperation to try and force a win from somewhere.
Unfortunately, those changes didn’t work, and Daryl Dike was among them, with Ramsay handing the American striker his first start in the Championship since the final day of last season.
However, Ramsay definitely got this decision wrong, as Dike was a non-factor in the game, and wasn’t even able to register an effort on goal before being dragged off just after the hour mark.
This was Dike’s 10th Championship appearance of the season so far, and he’s still in search of his first goal contribution of any kind this term.
So, whilst it’s true that Aune Heggebo hasn’t scored since 12 December and Josh Maja looks a shell of his former self, throwing Dike in from the start out of nowhere looked a strange move from the start.
Nat Phillips impresses at back for West Brom
Given how little attacking invention there was from either side in the game, it was a day that perhaps both sets of defenders come out of it with the most credit.
In particular, Nat Phillips, who once again was his routinely rock-solid best for West Brom, answering every question asked of him.
The towering defender seldom gave the ball away, won the majority of his duels and individual battles, and even tested Tommy Simkin in the Stoke goal with a header from inside the box in the first half.
He and Chris Mepham have the potential to form an excellent partnership in the heart of the Baggies defence, and do look better playing as a two rather than with a third comrade in central defence.
That partnership is at least one positive tactical nugget Ramsay should take from the Stoke game, as those two should not be separated if possible moving forward.
West Brom player ratings
Max O’Leary – 6
Alfie Gilchrist – 6
Nat Phillips – 7
Chris Mepham – 7
Callum Styles – 6
Alex Mowatt – 5
Jayson Molumby – 6
Jed Wallace – 5
Isaac Price – 6
Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba – 6
Daryl Dike – 4
Substitutes
Josh Maja – 5 (for Jimoh-Aloba, 62)
Mikey Johnston – 6(for Wallace, 62)
Aune Heggebo – 5 (for Dike, 62)
Danny Imray – 6 (for Gilchrist, 74)
Charlie Taylor – 6 (for Mepham, 82)