David N’Gog has often been a subject of ridicule from some fans who see the French striker as simply not good enough for Liverpool and pretty much a waste of space. However what many people fail to remember is that he is a young striker that still has plenty of time to improve. A loan move to newly promoted West Brom could finally allow him to grow as a footballer without the weight of expectation around him.

N’Gog moved to Liverpool from Paris Saint-Germain as a 19-year-old and has shown a few glimpses of quality at times, but has yet to look anywhere near the finished article. Unfortunately for N'Gog as soon as Fernando Torres was injured he was immediately thrown  into the deep end by starting games, and was instantly expected to be the main man upfront and score the goals for the side. It is  a lot of pressure to put a senior pro under, let alone a 19-year-old who has spent barely a year in the country.

Last season proved to be much the same for N’Gog, except Torres was injured a lot more than in the Frenchman’s first year so he played more often and as a result was under even more pressure to perform. However his scoring rate did improve as he scored eight goals in 37 games, and his overall record for Liverpool is 11 goals in 56 games. Although on paper it doesn’t look very good, you have to take into account that the majority of those appearances have been as a substitute and the fact that N’Gog is only 21.

Putting on the red shirt of Liverpool brings a lot of demand and responsibility and it’s hard for a young player to live up to it sometimes. Therefore a temporary switch to West Brom could just be what he needs to further his career.

Manager Roberto Di Matteo has admitted that he wants to bring the young striker to the Hawthorns saying:

“Yes, he is a player we are interested in, but most clubs wait until the end of July and the beginning of August before deciding on which players they might loan out.”

He will be under a lot less pressure if he joins them as the Baggies will almost certainly be considered favourites for relegation, so N’Gog will have nothing to lose as the weight of expectation will not be so strong. Hopefully he would do well for the side and it could be a real kick-start to his career, people are too quick to judge in today’s society and N’Gog needs to be at a club where can be forgiven for making mistakes. West Brom could turn out to be the perfect move for the Frenchman and in turn could see N'Gog return to Anfield with a renewed confidence next summer.

Do you think West Brom would be a good move for David N'Gog?

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