Midlands-based journalist Luke Hatfield has admitted that West Brom defender Semi Ajayi had a day to forget against Millwall on Saturday.
What went wrong for Ajayi against Millwall?
West Brom entered the game on a four-game winning streak in the league, which had seen them move level on points with Fulham at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Millwall were languishing in the bottom half, so the Baggies would have fancied their chances of extending their run of victories.
They were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at the Hawthorns, though, and Ajayi was far from his best. As per WhoScored, he did win eight aerial duels - only fellow centre-back Kyle Bartley (9) won more for the hosts - but it was Ajayi's distribution with the ball at his feet which was the main issue.
The 27-year-old looked nervy in possession, and managed to complete just 44.4% of his attempted passes, as he received a game rating of just 6.24.
What did Hatfield say about Ajayi's performance?
Hatfield conceded that Ajayi delivered a below-par performance, but hinted that he expected the 6 foot 4 international to bounce back quickly.
When asked by GIVEMESPORT whether Ajayi's display was a one-off or if it was a longer-term concern, Hatfield replied: “I think you kind of nailed it there, it was a bad day at the office I think for Semi Ajayi. We’ve seen plenty of really good performances from him before for Albion, and then at previous clubs as well. He just had one of those days where he couldn’t seem to get the weight of pass right at all when he was playing back to his goalkeeper.”
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When will Ajayi have the chance to put things right?
The Championship is a demanding division with games coming thick and fast. This means that Ajayi will get the chance to put things right tonight, when his side take on Wayne Rooney's Derby County at home.
Despite having to settle for a point against Millwall, West Brom still moved to the summit of the second tier on Saturday thanks to Fulham slipping up away at Blackpool.
Valerien Ismael's men have yet to taste defeat when in league action this term, and have dropped just four points from their opening six fixtures as they seek a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
If Ajayi can rediscover his best form quickly, this may aid them in achieving this goal.