Slaven Bilic playing long game with West Brom squad
Slaven Bilic insists Darnell Furlong and Conor Townsend were not dropped – despite replacing both of them in Albion’s starting XI on Wednesday.
Nathan Ferguson and Kieran Gibbs came into the team for the 4-1 victory over Bristol City at the Hawthorns, with the latter getting on the scoresheet.
But head coach Bilic was keen to utilise the opportunity to pick from a full-strength squad for the first time this season.
“I told both Darnell and Conor, you are not dropped,” he said. “We have a squad.
“We noticed Nathan was very good in training, very lively.
“He gives us a bit more solidness without losing too much going forward.
“Gibbs is Gibbs. He is a top player – a midfield player playing as a left-back.
“I don’t see many with a left foot with that brain and that awareness.
“We have a good squad, so it was about that too. At full-back we have the players to help us in those positions.”
Gibbs missed two months of action – first hobbling off with a groin complaint against Derby in August before breaking a toe in training as he tried to come back.
“We expected him to be back in four or five weeks but then he broke his little toe, so it was longer,” said Bilic. “Thank God we have Conor and Nathan, who stepped up when needed.
“That is the key, we have good players, but it is all about the competition.”
Though Bilic is happy to have a strong squad – he revealed it was not nice having to tell Townsend and Kenneth Zohore they would not even make the squad.
He said: “ Unfortunately some of the players I am really happy with were not even on the bench – people like Zohore, like Conor.
“It is not nice. You don’t enjoy telling the players they are out of the team, but at the end of the day I would rather have that than having a situation where I have to put one of my staff on the pitch to play! It’s difficult, but if you want to do this then you have to sacrifice every individuality.
“It is my job to keep them happy and lead them all. We are leading them all.”
Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore were also reinstated to the team following their one-match suspensions – and Bilic says the central midfield berths are theirs to lose.
“The two midfielders came back, I don’t have to explain that,” the boss added. “The guys who played on Saturday did really well, in my opinion, but these two at the moment, it is their position. We didn’t have a weak link.”
