Football Season Guide

Last term, the Baggies enjoyed their best ever season since the start of the Premier League and coach, Tony Pulis, will hope to see more of the same this time around. In the summer the fans saw the team’s captain Darren Fletcher leaving, which was somewhat expected after the arrival of Jake Livermore back in January. West Brom were very effective from set pieces last term, only champions Chelsea scored more goals from dead-ball deliveries, and this is likely to be the case again as Pulis works really hard on the training ground at achieving that. The most important summer signing so far seems to be that of striker Jay Rodriguez, who is likely to be the new preferred choice up front, leaving Jose Rondon with a supporting role. Rodriguez already scored two beautiful goals in the pre-season and if he hits top form, West Brom could be really dangerous going forward as he will have for support Nacer Chadli and Matt Phillips. Last season West Brom enjoyed constant comfort because they were very effective against everyone outside the top six but Pulis was unhappy with the amount of goals that were conceded and over the summer he was seen working really hard with his backline to improve things defensively. He also added a tall centre-back in Ahmed Hegazy to his squad and against the top sides, West Brom are likely to use a formation with five at the back. The Egyptian will also be important as an option to replace the 37-year-old veteran Gareth McAuley when required, as the Irish defender might not have another season of regular starts left in his legs. West Brom are a team that prides in being a very tough nut to crack and without a doubt the Baggies will be playing to their strengths again this season, while trying to frustrate opponents and punish them on fast breaks or from a set piece.