Have West Brom fans been too harsh on new signing Nolan Galves?
West Bromwich Albion fans are starting to form their opinions of the club's summer signings
While the jury is no longer out on the likes of Jimmy-Jay Morgan after five goals and two assists in his opening seven appearances and Rabby Nzingoula, who's become an instant fan favourite, there are still questions marks lingering over some of their new teammates.
Felix Horn Myhre and Nolan Galves haven't had to wait long before becoming regular starters for James Morrison, but neither have particularly won over the majority of fans yet.
Myhre was dropped from Morrison's starting line-up in the win over Watford on Saturday, but Galves started to make his fifth consecutive 90-minute long Championship appearances for the Baggies.
The 23-year-old Frenchman, who joined the Albion from Rodez in an £850,000 deal in late July, has been accused of being at fault for conceded goals.
However, his performance against Watford on Saturday might have started to change perceptions about West Brom's new right-back.
Nolan Galves among Championship best, according to the stats
Let's get this out of the way early. Football isn't played on an Excel spreadsheet so statistics aren't the be-all and end-all of everything.
From watching Galves' opening performances with West Brom, fans have every right to worry about the ex-Sochaux right-back's defensive capabilites.
Don Goodman was among Galves' critics after a mistake-ridden performance against Burnley in August while Charlton's equaliser against the Albion last week came down the Frenchman's flank.
He's also had his fitness questioned by some members of the fanbase, who've seen the former Ligue 2 star start games strongly but fall off as the minutes go by.
Now, in fairness, Galves didn't sell himself as a defensively-sound full-back when he arrived at The Hawthorns in the summer.
“I am an attacking full-back and like to get forward," said Galves after his arrival.
He did, however, say that he does "enjoy the defensive side of the game", despite some supporters worrying about his contribution when not in possession.
But despite a couple of mishaps and criticism about his defensive ability, stats by Sofascore show that Galves currently ranks joint-third in the Championship for completed tackles.
Only Lincoln City's Ben House and Wolves Andre, who've both completed 15 tackles, exceed the 14 made by Galves.
What about the rest of Galves' stats?
Although he's not assisted a goal yet, Galves is currently third in the West Brom squad for xA (expected assists), with a total of 0.51.
Isaac Price (1.64) and Harry Whitwell (1.39) are the only two Albion players ahead of him, suggesting that Galves' claim he's an attack-minded right-back is spot on.
Price (13.8) is the only Baggies player to make more sprints per game than Galves (13.2), which showcases his work-rate and ability to not only bomb down the right-flank, but also withdraw in order to defend.
Galves is also second to Ousmane Diakite (2) for interceptions per match, having averaged one per game so far.
He does, however, rank fairly high in the squad for possession lost per match, surrendering the ball 9.8 times on average, ranking him fourth among outfield players.
So how has Galves done so far?
It's fair to say that Galves has his flaws.
He's new to the Championship so the pace of the game, the physical demands and the busy schedule are things he'll get used to over time.
However, his strong performance in the 1-0 win over Watford on Saturday suggests that the Montbeliard-born right-back is on the tracks.
Steady improvement is always encouraging for new signings and with the international break coming up, it'll give him time to rest up a bit, work on his fitness and approach the remainder of 2026 with the best of his ability.