Nat Phillips has been West Brom’s unsung hero through James Morrison resurgence, stats prove it
Nat Phillips has been a soldier for West Bromwich Albion this season, and James Morrison has taken the defender’s fight to another level.
The Baggies signed Phillips from Liverpool for £3million last summer, in a deal that may have raised the eyebrows of West Brom fans.
Though the defender has vast Championship experience, £3m was clearly a lot for Shilen Patel to splash on the 29-year-old, given financial constraints.
Regardless, the former Derby County man could be on of the main reasons as to why Albion are close to securing their Championship status, even with a possible points deduction.
Phillips was tremendous against Watford, keeping another clean sheet and adding another top performance to his growing list for West Brom.
👔 West Brom Match Day 👔
Team news, line-ups, expert previews and tactical analysis for every West Brom fixture..
VISIT THE WEST BROM MATCH HUB
Nat Phillips hasn’t put a foot wrong under James Morrison
Centre-backs are often overlooked, though George Campbell has been given his plaudits for his goal-scoring ability this season.
Phillips has been a quiet success for Albion and is most likely not getting the praise that he deserves at times.
| Game | Result | Rating |
| WBA vs Watford | 3-0 Win | 7.7 |
| Preston vs WBA | 0-2 Win | 7.5 |
| WBA vs Millwall | 0-0 Draw | 7.3 |
| Blackburn vs WBA | 0-0 Draw | 8.1 |
| WBA vs Wrexham | 2-2 Draw | 6.9 |
| Bristol City vs WBA | 0-1 Win | 7.7 |
| WBA vs Hull City | 3-0 Win | 7.8 |
As seen in the table above, Phillips went under the radar once more against Watford, keeping his impressive run of performances going.
The defender has an average FotMob rating of 7.57 under Morrison, as the game against Watford was his sixth clean sheet in seven games under the West Brom interim boss.
He has won 57 per cent of games under Morrison, and currently has a 0 per cent loss rate, with the three other games being draws, two of which he kept clean sheets in.
The veteran defender is on track to be in the mix for West Brom’s Player of the Season award at this rate.
One West Brom centre-back exit likely this summer, but who?
Regardless of West Brom’s Championship status, interest in George Campbell is likely this summer. That’s not to say the American will be sold, but if a big offer comes in for him, then Patel may be tempted by a quick profit.
If the Baggies stay up, they should be in a good position to keep Campbell, and if that happens, Albion may look at selling Krystian Bielik.
The Polishman is taking up a squad space right now, and is still battling with injury issues that the Black Country Club can’t afford to wait around for.
Either way, Albion will be happy that Phillips is on their books, as he instantly makes any defence in the Championship look more solid.
Don’t Miss a Beat: Get All Your West Brom News Content
Get the full story from The Hawthorns with our dedicated expert hubs:
Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of the Black Country.