West Brom: Hungary media react to Callum Styles experiment in Kazakhstan win
West Brom star Callum Styles earned mixed reviews in Hungary's 3-1 win over Kazakhstan.
The 26-year-old has been utilised as a left-back at The Hawthorns, and it seems the national team have taken inspiration from that.
He secured the Black Country club's Players' Player of the Season award and the supporters' one too, and it appears that his international manager noticed his form.
Marco Rossi usually plays the Baggies ace in midfield, but he lined up at left-back in the friendly on 10 June.
Styles and Co eventually came out on top, although the visitors took an early lead.
The experiment from the boss earned conflicting reviews from the Hungarian media after the contest.
Hungarian media's verdicts differ on West Brom man Callum Styles
Styles' showing away from West Brom led to differing verdicts from his national media.
M4 Sport were quite impressed in their report on the game, saying: "Although defensive midfielder Callum Styles played on the left wing of the defence, the Hungarian national team led a striking number of attacks on this side at the beginning of the match, and the West Brom player repeatedly reached the opponent’s penalty area."
However, Nemzeti Sport felt that the game went away from the Albion man, and he did not play well, awarding him a five rating.
They said: "We almost had a goal when he lost a header. He played a lot in this position for his club, he knew when to catch up with the attacks.
"However, the game didn’t really go his way, once he tried to forward the ball rolling to the side with his heel, it hit the Kazakh player, and the opponent started from there."
What do the stats say about Styles' performance?
The stats seem to support the first report, that Styles had a good game, not a bad one.
He completed 92 per cent of his 48 pass attempts and made 10 passes into the final third, per Fotmob data.
He only had one touch in the opposition box and failed to create a chance for his teammates, though, so you can perhaps see why one source gave him a bad review.
Defensively, he made two tackles and four recoveries in the contest, but did not make a block, clearance or interception.
In terms of duels, he won all three ground duels that he contested for a 100 per cent success rate, but lost his only attempted aerial duel.
It seems like he has fully cemented his position at left-back, rather than midfield, for both club and country now.
The Baggies need him to return in top form for the new season, as they will be chasing a promotion berth.
Playing him in defence will not be an experiment for James Morrison, though, he already has plenty of evidence that he can thrive there.