Bernardo: I can still do better

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Albion defender Bernardo says he will never stop learning or trying to improve his game.

Bruce Talbot

2020-01-11T06:00:00Z

Bernardo

But the Brazilian left-back believes he has been accustomed to the rigours of the Premier League despite missing three months earlier in the season because of a knee injury.

The 24-year-old joined the club from RB Leipzig in 2018 but admits he endured a baptism of fire during the early weeks of his Albion career.

“My first match against Watford last season was a shock,” he said. “Players were so much faster and the game more physical but they were still good on the ball. I doubted myself and, looking back, the manager at the time did the right thing when he took me out of the team for some games so I could work on things.

"When I came back, I felt ready to play in this league. I am used to it now, but you can always get better and develop. I don’t think I am at the peak of my performance - that has still to come – but I still feel I have a lot more to offer.

Bernardo says he is enjoying head coach Graham Potter’s possession-based style of play this season.

“It is totally different. Last season we focused on having a good defensive shape and relying on counterattacks with good wingers like Anthony Knockaert and Jose Izquierdo, when he was fit. Now we concentrate on having more possession with lots of different systems.

“This is good for the growth of the players because you learn to become more flexible as you have to be trained in different systems and to play in different positions.

“Players want to have more of the ball and more possession, and this style encourages that. And of course attacking is also more enjoyable than defending and you do more attacking when you have the ball.”