West Bromwich Albion’s sensational resurgence was furthered this weekend as Carlos Corberan’s side breezed past Rotherham United to make it five wins on the bounce.
With that victory, the Baggies now sit just five points away from the play-off positions, which marks an incredible feat given that it wasn’t too long ago that they sat in the relegation zone under Steve Bruce.
The Spaniard has come into The Hawthorns and instantly freed the players from the shackles of his predecessor’s philosophy, completing this turnaround without having signed any players of his own.
He has built his style predominantly on stability at the back, with West Brom’s most recent rout the first time under him they had truly blown away their opposition.
A pivotal part to that solidity has been Kyle Bartley, who had featured sparingly before the arrival of the new manager.
However, his return to the starting line-up sparked their first win under Corberan and only their second in 12 Championship games. He then played the full 90 minutes in the subsequent two games, which kickstarted their resurgence in form.
Will West Brom sign Ryan Porteous this January?
He also capped off his displays with goals in back-to-back games, including the winner in a fine away victory at QPR.
The 31-year-old is a stalwart for West Brom but has seen injuries halt his continued presence in the team. Therefore, this January could see him finally replaced in the form of Ryan Porteous.
Having been linked with Albion just under two weeks ago now, the 23-year-old has since gained a host of additional suitors all plotting a swoop for him next month, and with good reason. The Hibernian centre-back has been in sensational form this term, earning a 7.27 average Sofascore rating.
Standing at 6 foot 2, he boasts an extra inch on Bartley, which could make up for the 17% disparity between their aerial duel success rates. Porteous has won just 63% of his, but this is an attribute which can flourish with experience.
The rest of his defensive statistics outline a fine stopper for Hibs who also boasts no little composure in the form of his 79% pass accuracy.
He has averaged 1.4 tackles and 3.5 clearances per game this season, outperforming Bartley in the former but dwarfed by 4.9 per 90 in the latter.
Their immense ability to read danger and get the ball clear is an integral attribute for a defender, and signing Porteous in January could allow the ageing Bartley to bestow further wisdom upon the young Scotsman.
Kevin Campbell issued his verdict on how important a signing the Scotland defender could be, saying: “Porteous – I’ve seen him play a couple of times – he’s a real decent player. Good, aggressive, strong and can play out from the back.
“The key to everything is having the squad because all you need is a couple of injuries to key players and you leave yourselves open. Corberan and West Brom are not going to put themselves in that position – he’s going to try and strengthen everywhere he sees fit.”
Porteous would be an intelligent move by West Brom to kickstart their January transfer business and would be a fine addition to boost their promotion dreams.
