While West Brom’s promotion charge is temporarily on pause for the foreseeable future, there’s no better time to take a look back to how they’ve got to where they are today.
It appears very much as if the only thing stopping the Baggies from a return to the top-flight after a two-year absence is themselves as they are holding a healthy six-point cushion in second place.
They have had their ups and downs all season and now find themselves nine games from clinching glory.
Conor Townsend is very much one player who has gone full circle this campaign, too, but that’s from the mindset of supporters as well as, in part, his performances on the pitch.
He joined the club in the summer of 2018 following relegation from the Premier League and had finally started to make that left-back spot his own under Slaven Bilic, featuring 24 times this season.
It hasn’t been an easy ride for the 27-year-old, though, as you’re about to find out below…
Townsend’s first major appearances of the season came off the bench against Barnsley in October, a brave roll of the dice from the Croatian boss as his side found themselves 2-0 down at half time to the basement boys. He hauled Nathan Ferguson off and the former Hull City man made an instant impact by providing a crucial assist with a lovely cross.
It was that good that some fans were comparing him to Chris Brunt whilst another wanted Townsend to start above the 19-year-old starlet.
Although this quickly changed as he featured in six of their next nine league outings, culminating in the following responses during Albion’s 3-2 win over local rivals Birmingham City.
The Englishman was blasted for being a “huge liability” while one member of the Hawthorns faithful really didn’t want to see him play for the club again.
This was echoed less than a month later against Charlton as the Baggies threw away a lead and had to settle for just a point.
Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
Townsend was destroyed for being “spineless” as well as looking like a League One player, the very division he signed from as ex-boss Darren Moore clinched him from Scunthorpe.
However, just last month, it appears that Townsend had won fans back on his side following a superb 2-0 victory over promotion rivals Preston North End.
The 26-year-old full-back was lauded everything from “outstanding” to “unreal” whilst one supporter claimed he had come of age over the course of the season, which sums things up pretty well.
Townsend had been given a crack at the starting spot as Ferguson looked set on a move to Crystal Palace and Kieran Gibbs’ injury struggled kept him out for a long time.
But overall, if there was one word to describe Townsend as an Albion player, it would be the following… “scapegoat.”
Calling all EFL experts: Can you get full marks on this stadiums quiz?
AND in other news, West Brom should sell this summer FLOP when they next can…
