This article is part of Football FanCast's The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more... 

West Bromwich Albion are plain sailing in the Championship as we enter the halfway stage of the season.

The Baggies still occupy top spot under Slaven Bilic having picked up a total of 42 points from only 19 matches. It's the best start the club have ever had to any season in their history.

Averaging over 2.2 points per game is promotion-clinching form as they are well on track to surpass 96 points, which in four of the last five seasons has been enough to secure a return to the promised land - last season's champions, Norwich City, won the league averaging 2.06 points per game, too.

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Much of the credit this season has fallen to the likes of Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira and Matty Phillips who have combined for 28 goals between them, 77.7% of Albion's total in the second-tier.

But the spotlight must shift downfield as one of last season's marmite characters has turned his fortunes around to the point of being a focal figure under Bilic.

On the Chalkboard

Kyle Bartley is very much West Brom's unsung hero.

Many called for Ahmed Hegazi to replace him following his return after surgery. Many blasted him at times as they failed to achieve promotion last time out.

Now he's thriving under a former centre-back in the Croatian, having originally been signed by Darren Moore in the summer of 2018.

Per WhoScored, the 28-year-old has drastically improved his passing success rate, averaging 85% for this season while also recording a squad-high average of five clearances per game on top of 1.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per match.

Bartley is one of three players to have been trusted to play every single minute available this term, which has started to pay dividends in the last couple of months as the side have recorded four straight clean sheets away from home.

Albion shot-stopper Sam Johnstone earlier this week talked about the importance of restricting the opposition by saying: "I said a few weeks ago that if you keep a clean sheet it gives you a base to go on and win the game and that’s what happened on Monday night."

Given that the colossus has been integral throughout this season, he can be attributed as a major catalyst to giving West Brom the platform to succeed, and that is exactly why he's the unsung hero amongst Bilic's exciting and attacking squad.

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