---
title: "Total Duds: Grzegorz Krychowiak seemed cursed by John Williams’ prediction upon signing for West Brom"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/grzegorz-krychowiak-west-brom-dud-flop-worst-signings/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Liam Togher"
section: "Features"
published: "2020-06-07T15:30:21Z"
modified: "2020-06-07T15:30:21Z"
---

# Total Duds: Grzegorz Krychowiak seemed cursed by John Williams’ prediction upon signing for West Brom

**This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.**

When West Brom agreed a [season-long loan deal](https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2017/august/albion-complete-krychowiak-loan-deal/) for Grzegorz Krychowiak in August 2017, they were getting a player with an impressive CV. He had not only won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2015 but also [scored in the final against Dnipro](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2252427.html), while he was [ever-present](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grzegorz-krychowiak/nationalmannschaft/spieler/45184/verein_id/3442) in Poland’s fine run to the Euro 2016 quarter-finals and had won a domestic treble the following season with parent club Paris Saint-Germain.

It was little surprise that then-Baggies chairman John Williams said of the midfielder: “Grzegorz arrives with an impressive reputation that is well-earned and a CV in European football which clearly displays his qualities. We are delighted to welcome him and are confident he will make a significant contribution to the first-team group this season.” \[via [wba.co.uk](https://www.wba.co.uk/news/2017/august/albion-complete-krychowiak-loan-deal/)\]

Unfortunately, that latter sentence proved to be the kiss of death from Williams, who was [sacked from his position](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/43047113) six months later. Krychowiak played in 27 Premier League games for West Brom that season, starting 20, but he did not manage a single goal as the Baggies finished [rock bottom of the table](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/premier-league/tabelle/wettbewerb/GB1/saison_id/2017). Indeed, only one of his 20 league starts ended in victory, with the Polish midfielder only getting token minutes as a substitute in the ultimately fruitless late season revival under Darren Moore. \[via [TransferMarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grzegorz-krychowiak/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/45184/plus/0/saison/2017/wettbewerb/GB1/verein/984)\]

He averaged only 0.6 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, while his match average of one successful header was the lowest he has recorded in a league season in his career (as per [WhoScored](https://www.whoscored.com/Players/67424/History/Grzegorz-Krychowiak)). Arguably his standout contribution from the season was when he [took aim at then-PSG manager Unai Emery](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/oct/13/grzegorz-krychowiak-psg-unai-emery-west-brom) over feeling deceived by the future Arsenal boss over a lack of game-time in the French capital.

Krychowiak may not have cost West Brom a transfer fee but his ineffective performances characterised a miserable season for the Baggies and certainly did not live up to what he had shown at club and international level in previous years. [Birmingham Live](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-fans-grzegorz-krychowiak-14804622) writer Brian Dick gave the unflattering view that “many Baggies supporters will recall a breathtakingly underwhelming season at The Hawthorns in which is performances fell far short of expectations”.

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Only a few weeks after that disastrous season ended, the midfielder was [on target for Poland](https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/44439055) in their World Cup game against Senegal, [sparking disbelief among many Albion supporters](https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-fans-grzegorz-krychowiak-14804622) who had never been able to cheer a goal from Krychowiak in their club’s colours.

Astounding as it may seem to The Hawthorns faithful, the 30-year-old has been prolific for Lokomotiv Moscow this season, scoring [10 times in 27 games](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grzegorz-krychowiak/leistungsdaten/spieler/45184) along with providing [five assists](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grzegorz-krychowiak/leistungsdaten/spieler/45184). If those were the sort of figures that Baggies fans expected of him when he arrived in West Bromwich, they would be left sorely disappointed by the [69-cap Poland international](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/grzegorz-krychowiak/nationalmannschaft/spieler/45184/verein_id/3442).

***West Brom fans, did you expect a lot more out of Krychowiak in his one season at the club? Have your say by commenting below!***