Football Season Guide

West Brom looked set up to be a side that could go one better than their 2023/24 play-off semi-final exit. Carlos Corberán was considered one of the best managers in the Championship with a strong squad built on solid defensive foundations. The season started brightly with five wins and a draw from their opening six league games which put the Baggies on top of the table. Even as their form dipped, they remained in play-off contention and had only lost three league matches by Christmas, but then the wheels started to come off. Corberán was snapped up by Spanish giants Valencia, top scorer Josh Maja picked up a season-ending injury and first choice goalkeeper Alex Palmer was sold to Ipswich. The club tried to curtail a crisis by engineering a romantic return to former boss Tony Mowbray. Even most neutrals wanted him to succeed after bravely surviving a battle with cancer, but his second stint in charge proved ill-fated and he was sacked in April when the Baggies play-off hopes were all but over. Former player James Morrison took over for the final games of the season but admitted he wasn’t ready for the job on a permanent basis, but the club have gone for an even younger appointment in 34-year-old Ryan Mason. This will be the former Spurs’ midfielder’s first head coach role since his playing career was cut short by injury. The squad remains relatively the same. Experienced campaigners John Swift, Semi Ajayi and Grady Diangana have been the most notable departures, but they all played far less football last season due to injury. WBA have recruited well in recent times with defender Torbjørn Heggem named the club’s player of the season after his arrival last summer and January signing Isaac Price also impressing. There have only been three new arrivals so far this summer. Nat Phillips arrives with Premier League experience from Liverpool, whilst fellow centre-back George Campbell is less proven, having joined from MLS. Norwegian striker Aune Heggebø will need time to adapt but may get his chance sooner than expected if injury-prone Maja and Daryl Dike can’t stay fit.