Season Preview: West Bromwich Albion

I’m going to start this preview with a fans eye view of the new season. You’ll have to excuse the paraphrasing here but these are the basic points. ‘Mulumbu signing a new contract is a big plus; the strengthening of the squad has been good, if Anelka has his heart in it he will be a brilliant signing. There is a good mix of youth and experience although squad depth will always be a problem because of finances. Would settle for mid-table and a good cup run would be a good season, but 40 points will be the first target.’ 

The above was brought to you by Pete Rought, lifelong Albion fan.

First off I have to say that I would agree with a lot of that. Last season really was a good season; they stayed in the Premier League with ease spending a good portion of the season in the top of half of the league.

The main task over the summer has been to replace the goals and sheer presence of Romelu Lukaku. I saw him a couple of times last season in the flesh and what a fantastic player he is, Chelsea really have got a special one there. But I don’t think they will do too bad without him, as Albion have made some very good signings. The arrival of proven goal scorer Nicolas Anelka on a free is a good piece of business, getting the young but talented Matej Vydra on loan will give the attack another dimension. There has also been a tightening up at the back with the signing of Diego Lugano from PSG.  Manager Steve Clarke also confirmed last week that the club are also still in talks with Manchester City about winger Scott Sinclair, who should he make the move to the Hawthorns would add some much needed pace if nothing else into the side.

Another big positive which has been overlooked is what I’m going to call ‘The Steve Clarke effect.’ Albion as a club may not have massive finances to compete with the big boys but it seems that the reputation of Clarke has been a massive boost. Although he has only season under his belt as a head coach his reputation is clearly playing a big part in attracting players to the Black Country. I don’t think it is a coincidence that Anelka who worked with Clarke at Chelsea has arrived but new loan signing Vydra has publicly stated that he signed with Albion because of Clarke. He sang his praises as one of the best coaches in Europe and revealed that he spoke with Gianfranco Zola who recommended that he move to West Brom to work with Clarke. This might not seem like anything ground-breaking but I think that it is these small advantages that could make the difference for a club of Albion’s size.

Although they will no doubt have higher aspirations it will important for the club not to take survival in the Premier League for granted, as this has been the downfall of many a club before them. So the first aim should be to get to that magical 40 point mark. But I think they will easily be safe as Clarke is building a decent squad who over time will move steadily up the table. They have a solid defence and a decent midfield and a couple of strikers who know where the net is. The squad isn’t the biggest so steering clear of injuries will be key, but expect young players like the highly rated George Thorne to make a few more appearances. A mid-table finish and a good run in one of the cups will be a good season and I see no reason why this can’t be achieved.

Verdict: 11^th