West Brom season review 23/24: The defenders
Jonny Drury and Lewis Cox bring you part two of their positional season review - and discuss the Albion backline.
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00:00Hello Baggies fans and welcome back to our latest end of season review video, our positional
00:12review videos and in this one we're going to be talking about the defenders. Now there's
00:17been sort of up and down periods for Alvin's back line, poor at the start but then it was
00:22rock solid, absolute rock solid for the large majority of the campaign, bit of a blip towards
00:26the end but that's largely been down to the centre half pairing of Kyle Bartley and Cedric
00:33Kipray who have probably this season coxed he surprised everybody. Yeah, I think that's
00:38a fair assessment Johnny really, I think if we were speaking this time last summer probably
00:43doing this review in this very spot, would we have had Cedric down as player of the season
00:50and defensive linchpin and leading the way in all of Alvin's defensive stats? I'm not
00:55sure we would, I think you'd have really needed the crystal ball for that one wouldn't
00:59you and obviously we know about the contract situation of Kipray and Kyle Bartley for that
01:04reason as well too but Bartley who's I think for me well merited the new deal that's been
01:10offered as well from his performances because he's been absolutely rock solid with Kipray
01:14weren't he, they're different type of defenders, look Bartley's about being dominant isn't
01:17he and winning the headers and reading crosses and clearances but whereas Kipray you've got
01:23more of a ball playing sort of silkier kind of defender haven't you, who can still get
01:27his foot in don't you know, no bones about that but you're right as a partnership they
01:32absolutely clicked didn't they and Alvin you're fairly well stocked weren't they I think in
01:37the middle of the back line this season when you factor in I know Shemmy Ojaye missed plenty
01:42through AFCON but he was always there as a reserve wasn't he, I can think of some games
01:45leads here at Christmas when he had to come in and did a great job, Eric Peters I think
01:50so worthy of praise really for his two years here and the times in and out the side he
01:55had to come in, come in from the cold and perform so admirably for getting on as a veteran
02:01as he is so really well stocked I think in the central of defence and yes there'll be
02:07change in that this summer but certainly in terms of the season just gone, you're right
02:11started the season, goals were flying in left, right and centre weren't they and thinking
02:15well this can't continue and it couldn't, they were lacking a clean sheet, switched
02:19it didn't they to the back five, found some solidity, went from there and I think from
02:23what September, October until February maybe, Jan, Feb, Alvin's record was second to none
02:30at the back, it was league leading, clean sheets, goals against, they were leading the
02:34way, yes it went away from them and it was costly really but not costly enough not to
02:40secure the playoffs and this core brand team I think this season for me was built on that,
02:45they're solid foundations and yes they deserve credit.
02:49Obviously other admirable mentions there, we didn't see an awful lot of Shemmy Ajayi,
02:53we talked about the likes of Martin Kelly to partner with and Eric Peters who sort of
02:57stepped in and done really good jobs, just want to talk as well about the full backs
03:00in terms of, we'll start with Daniel Furlong, someone who has been linked with the move
03:04away from the Hawthorns this summer, largely down to the fact that he's had a really good
03:07season and another one probably in the camp of Bartley where sort of surprised a few people.
03:13Yes, I haven't been in place as a reporter for all of Furlong's seasons but I think
03:19he's probably the best and most consistent realistically in terms of minutes for an outfield
03:24player, he's right up there, I think he's number one for the most minutes played, I
03:30think he was the only one to play in every single league game, outfield player, obviously
03:34Alex Palmer didn't miss a single minute in goal but Furlong, he's a solid defender isn't
03:40he, he's a solid defensive full back by and large in terms of his athletic, he can shift,
03:45he can win a header, very good at that, fairly solid in the tackle. I think we saw more of
03:51him going forward this season, I don't know, at times as a wing back, at times as a full
03:56back but he got goals didn't he, he did deliver in terms of the odd assist as well but he
04:01was productive for Carlos, he's got important goals as well not to forget that and I think
04:08the head coach said it a few weeks ago, he said I see Furlong as one of the best right
04:13backs in the division, I think that says a lot doesn't it and you mentioned the interest
04:17and that's as you say off the back of the season he had and he's one like many will
04:21mention in these review videos, we spoke about Josh Griffiths in the goalkeeper section,
04:26he's one of many whose contracts are up next summer, Furlong and maybe that's what sparked
04:32the interest this summer and ditto Conor Townsend on the other side. I don't think Townsend
04:37had the consistency that Furlong had this season, did he quite and had up and down spells
04:42I think, at times was he made a bit of a scapegoat at times, there were occasions where he was
04:49like other players for goals, things like that, he just didn't quite offer going forward
04:55I think what maybe was offered on the other side but look still selected enough by the
05:01head coach that points to consistency that he showed to a point I think, look we've always
05:08spoke about the full backs haven't we, first of all on the right side there was never that
05:12depth and competition for Furlong, it's always like he's a given in the side and then Pippa
05:17came in last summer didn't he as that competition as a right back, we didn't see him and on
05:22loan did that give Furlong a kick up the backside, maybe, did it push him on, maybe, was Pippa
05:29seen to not be good enough, maybe, but then on the other side you've got Townsend, who
05:34was maybe there to push Townsend, he wasn't really because he became a centre-back, Adam
05:39Reach, he's not a left back is he, maybe a bit more of a left wing back in the start
05:45of the season, injured for a good while I think until the new year and Carlson actually
05:49said he really wanted to try and use him as a wing back in it, it didn't really happen
05:53so perhaps Townsend has fallen victim for not having that push over this season and
05:59over his time at Albion, he's not one of the leadership group like Bartley, like Furlong,
06:07like Palmer and a big member of the squad, he really is a big character, but I think
06:14an up and down campaign is probably the best way to summarise Townsend, I think Furlong
06:19has had one of his best, but as a defensive collective, I think it's fair to say, as
06:24a group, whether it's a back five, back four, whether you're judging it as three and wing
06:29backs and then the keeper behind them, I think they've had a great collective campaign really
06:33and I think it's what the success, relative success, getting to the playoffs and obviously
06:38falling there, but I think it's what the success on the side and the core ground has been built
06:41on. Are there ways you'd want to look at it and improve it and add depth to it and changes
06:46this summer? Yes, I think there are, but with the personnel that are there, with what core
06:51ground wanted from them, I think they did a fairly good job overall.