Nat Phillips must be West Brom regular after defensive excellence vs Hull City
Nat Phillips’ defensive excellence was on show as West Bromwich Albion beat Hull City on Saturday.
James Morrison‘s side secured a vital three points in their fight against relegation and the former Liverpool star was a key part of that.
He has featured 33 times in the Championship so far this season, but has missed out on four of the last six matches, not being included in the squad for the loss to Oxford United and the draw with Sheffield United due to injury.
West Brom need Phillips to stay fit from now until the end of the season, and it was painfully obvious that he should be a regular starter after the clash with Sergej Jakirovic’s side.
How did Phillips perform vs Hull City?
Phillips has endured a mixed campaign with the Baggies, since signing for The Hawthorns outfit in the summer, with few standout showings.
However, the Hull clash on 14 March was an example of why they signed the 28-year-old for a fee of around £3million.
The defender was excellent against the Tigers, making six defensive contributions, with one blocked shot, two interceptions, three clearances, and four recoveries, per Sofascore.
He won four of the five aerial duels that he contested for an 80 per cent success rate in the contest, which certainly did not harm his side.
He took 54 touches in the victory, losing possession just seven times, and recorded an 87 pass accuracy, misplacing just six of his attempts to find a teammate.
He was extremely calm in possession in his own half, completing 100 per cent of his 31 passes in that area.
His long ball accuracy was 75 per cent as six of the eight attempts that he had found a navy and white striped shirt.
It was the kind of performance that Albion fans have been waiting for since he joined.
Why Phillips will be vital to West Brom’s survival hopes
Phillips will be key to the Throstles’ survival bid if he maintains that form going forward.
If he can provide a calm presence at the back, with and without the ball, that will be a huge boost for Morrison’s side in the run-in.
His passing was a joy to watch and helped Albion immensely to both break down their opponents and keep the ball in their own area.
His defensive abilities were the pick of the bunch though, and if he can keep up being a colossus at the back, the Baggies should stay in the division with ease.
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