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View: West Brom loanee Josh Griffiths having a tough time out on loan with Portsmouth
West Brom loanee Josh Griffiths has come under the spotlight at Portsmouth in recent weeks as Danny Cowley’s side’s flying start came to a halt.
The South Coast side suffered their first defeat of the season against Ipswich Town (1 October) with 21-year-old Griffiths potentially at fault for Wes Burns’ late winning goal. It’s certainly been a mixed start to life out on loan for the youngster, but how does he stand up to the rest of the keepers in League One?
The West Brom loanee currently has four clean sheets in the league which ranks as the fourth-best in the third tier, which is a good start. However, his prevented goals (-1.23, Wyscout) puts him among some of the worst shot-stoppers in the division.
However, it’s important to remember that Pompey have faced the second least amount of shots in League One so far, so Griffiths hasn’t had ample opportunity to display his shot-stopping ability.
One area of his game that has seen the keeper struggle during his time on the south coast is his indecisiveness when leaving his box. Griffiths leaves his goal line 1.24 times per 90 which ranks him among the lowest in the division.
It’s important to remember that Griffiths is following in the footsteps of Gavin Bazunu who is now plying his trade in the Premier League for Southampton. Bazunu was a commanding presence in goal who had complete and utter confidence in his ability on the ball and saving shots.
It’s a significant couple of months ahead for the England under-21 international, who needs to rediscover his confidence under Cowley if he wants to be considered for the number-one spot at The Hawthorns.
There is certainly a talented keeper in Griffiths, it’s time for him to show he can perform whilst under a little bit of pressure for the first time.
In other Wonderkids news, Dejan Kulusevski returned to training ahead of the clash with Frankfurt