Max O’Leary only enhanced West Brom contract hopes despite Sheffield Wednesday loss
Max O’Leary is out of contract at West Bromwich Albion this summer.
The Baggies signed the goalkeeper from Bristol City in late January, on a short-term deal, as they needed a new goalkeeper.
Neither Joe Wildsmith or Josh Griffiths impressed, but the Irishman also had a difficult start to his career at The Hawthorns.
However, he has turned it around and the Baggies need to make sure that he does not leave when his contract expires in the summer.
West Brom need to reduce the amount of business that they need to do, and keeping the stopper around would be massive.
How did O’Leary perform vs Sheffield Wednesday?
West Brom may have conceded two goals in the loss to Sheffield Wednesday, but he still enhanced his chances of a new deal.
He made three saves at Hillsborough on 2 May, preventing an expected goals margin of -0.4, per Sofascore data.
The 29-year-old also made two successful run-outs and won the only high claim that he attempted in the clash.
| O’Leary’s stats vs Sheffield Wednesday | |
| Saves | 3 |
| High claims | 1 |
| Recoveries | 10 |
| Touches (lost possession) | 37(6) |
| Pass accuracy | 76% |
He completed 10 recoveries, and lost possession just six times from the 37 times that he touched the ball.
O’Leary completed 76 per cent of his 25 pass attempts, so he is clearly getting more comfortable on the ball.
Why West Brom need to extend O’Leary
O’Leary has shown that he can be a solid presence at the back for the Baggies, as he went 450 minutes before conceding against the Owls and also has kept nine clean sheets.
The game meant nothing to Albion, as their safety was already secured, so it is no surprise that many players had an off day.
It would be a disaster if James Morrison and Co. had to find a new goalkeeper this season, when they have a readymade starter already at the club.
They need to come to an agreement with the one-cap international, sooner rather than later, ideally, to ease fan fears over the stopper potentially moving on.
Given the insecurities in the position over the last few years, it needs to be sorted out, very quickly, to make sure that there is security ahead of the new season, one which will hopefully offer much more hope than the last one.
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