West Bromwich Albion have made a number of notorious errors this season, with Steve Bruce admittedly headlining most of them.
It was a torrid season for the 61-year-old which culminated in his sacking and did little to repair his reputation after he was replaced at Newcastle United by Eddie Howe.
Whilst many will lambast him for the eight-game run without a win, other smaller decisions he made set the club back too.
For example, having suffered injuries and a loss of form with Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi, instead of having a highly-rated youngster ready to fill in, he instead had to utilise Erik Pieters out of position instead of Caleb Taylor.
The 19-year-old had been sent out to Cheltenham Town on loan, where he has already become a mainstay, featuring 22 times so far.
There will be hope amongst the Baggies hierarchy that this teenage sensation will be the heir to Ajayi, who they could boldly ditch upon his return to the Hawthorns.
His displays in League One stand as glittering proof that this could be the case, as he glides through matches with poise and purpose beyond his years.
The academy graduate is boasting a 7.24 average Sofascore rating this campaign, where his defensive contribution is second-to-none.
Taylor is recording 1.3 interceptions, 2.0 tackles and a monumental 6.7 clearances per game, as per Sofascore.
He then pairs his with a respectable 71% pass accuracy that would be more than good enough for the Championship.
Having contributed to their eight clean sheets in just 19 matches in the league, the young defender has already announced himself as more than capable of succeeding in senior football.
Jon Palmer, who reports on the Robins was more than willing to add to his plaudits, as he claimed: “He just looks like he’s cruising through games. He’s so good in the air and he never looks rushed.”
He continued: “He sees everything a split second before anybody else so you never see him panicking or out of position or sprinting to recover. He always seems in control.
“He’s got a good temperament… I think Caleb’s got that little touch of quality about him. The composure you need in the modern game, to play in the middle of a back three.”
Clearly, he is a class above those at his loan club despite his youth, and with injuries plaguing Ajayi this season, Taylor could be set to stake his claim next season in place of the 29-year-old.
