Mikey Johnston sums up Eric Ramsay problem at West Brom with Norwich disasterclass
Mikey Johnston’s performance in West Brom’s 3-1 loss to Norwich highlights the issues that the club are facing.
Johnston has been one of the standout players at The Hawthorns this season despite a tough campaign, but Eric Ramsay has struggled to utilise him.
Ramsay initially played the 19-cap Republic of Ireland international at right wing-back when he took the job, but he has learnt his lesson and started playing him in his typical role on the flanks.
However, that did not change West Brom‘s fortunes as they crashed out of the FA Cup at Carrow Road on 14 February.
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How did Johnston perform in West Brom’s loss at Norwich?
The most damning stat of all from the loss was the fact that Johnston, who is Albion’s most dangerous player, did not have a single shot against the Canaries, per Sofascore.
He also attempted six crosses, but none of them were successful, which suggests that his teammates are not getting into the right positions, and he is getting desperate when he tries to find them.
Another concerning facet of the clash, was the fact that the Irishman attempted just 25 passes, completing 19, for a 76 per cent success rate.
That statistic means that the Baggies struggled to get the ball up the pitch, which is also supported by the 26-year-old’s carrying data from the game.
Johnston made 17 carries of the ball, for a total distance of 182.5m, but only three of those were progressive, which is moving it 5 meters upfield towards the opponent’s goal.
He contributed defensively, making four recoveries, one interception and also won four of the eight ground duels that he contested.
However, that is another worrying sign, as a player of his creative ability should not be having to get back and defend as regularly as he did.
His disasterclass highlights the issue that Ramsay has at the minute.
How can West Brom get their attackers firing?
Ramsay desperately needs to change the way that his side attack, as they do not score enough goals at the moment.
He has shifted to a 4-2-3-1, rather than sticking with his preferred five at the back system, and it has made them more solid defensively.
However, it has not led to an improvement at the other end of the pitch, with the wingers and strikers still lacking the required service to regularly change matches.
Perhaps, he has to throw caution to the wind, and go with an Aune Heggebo and Josh Maja partnership up front.
The next few weeks will be crucial to determining whether Albion stay in the Championship or play in the third tier next season, they need to get Johnston and his fellow attackers into the game and work out how to get them firing.
Ideally, sooner rather than later.
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