West Bromwich Albion’s revival under Carlos Corberan has been nothing short of miraculous. The Spaniard took over whilst the club languished around the relegation zone, and turned a sorry season that seemed destined for failure into one where fans could once again start dreaming of promotion.
Unprecedented mid-season winning runs saw them come ever closer to that goal, however recent stuttering results have faltered their crusade. It now seems like the Baggies might once again be forced to miss out on a potential Premier League return for another season, with Steve Bruce’s tenure to thank.
Despite that, it has been a season of immense growth for many of the players, who looked tired and unmotivated under the previous regime.
Their new boss has them organised and incisive, with solidity marking the foundation of his philosophy early on. This has largely been achieved, but often left them somewhat wanting upfront.
Daryl Dike and Brandon Thomas-Asante have certainly pulled their weight in that department, but the sudden and aggressive drop-off of Karlan Grant has seen them lose out on a huge number of goals, which might just have cost them promotion.
How has Karlan Grant been playing this season?
Having signed in 2020 for a mouth-watering £15m, the forward endured a tough first season in the Premier League as the midlands outfit fell to relegation.
However, the campaign following saw him notch an impressive 18 goals despite their mid-table finish, with the 25-year-old commended for his continued high performances amidst poor form.
This was clearly a trend he would not follow into Bruce’s second season, as after 23 appearances in the Championship Grant has just three goals to his name.
Unsurprisingly, this has merited the £20k-per-week forward’s abysmal 6.57 average Sofascore rating for a season in which he has been branded “absolutely lost in front of goal” by Football League World’s Albion pundit.
For comparison, Dike and Thomas-Asante have recorded seven and five goals respectively, managing a return from injury and a step up from League Two.
Had Grant elevated himself to his previous levels, or even to alongside his striking teammates, perhaps promotion would now be comfortably secured with an injection of some added goals.
Previously their top marksman and a shining light in an otherwise dull team, this fall from grace has been startling, which culminated in the 25-year-old’s failed deadline day exit in January.
Perhaps it would have been best for all parties had he departed, with the Baggies removing a man who had the ability to fire them back to the top flight but simply did not show up.
