We take a look at West Brom’s prospects leading up to the new Premier League season.
Manager: Steve Clarke
Stadium: The Hawthorns – 26,272
Nickname: The Baggies
2011/12 League Position: 10th
Summer Signings
Ben Foster – Birmingham – £4m
Markus Rosenberg – Werder Bremen – Free
Caludio Yacob – Racing Club – Free
Yassine El Ghanassy – Gent – Loan
Romelu Lukaku – Chelsea – Loan
Key Players
Jonas Olsson – The Swedish centre back is really powerful and has a brilliant football brain.
Chris Brunt – Brunt is West Brom’s magician in midfield. His vision, passing and free-kicks make him a key player for the team.
Peter Odemwingie – The onus will once again be on the pacy Nigerian to turn midfield possession into goals. He’ll need to find his shooting boots early if West Brom are going to establish a strong position.
Likely Line-Up
Team Tactics
- West Brom’s back four aren’t the quickest, so they sit deep to block out attacks.
- Morrison, Odemwingie and Brunt will constantly swap positions as they aim to link up with Rosenberg.
- Ridgewell, McAuley and Olsson are a major threat in the air from set-pieces.
Opening Fixtures
August 18th Liverpool (H), 25th Tottenham (A), September 1st Everton (H), 15th Fulham (A), 22nd Reading (H), 30th Aston Villa (A)
Verdict
Baggies fans don’t know what to expect this season after replacing Roy Hodgson with rookie boss Steve Clarke. The ex-Chelsea and Liverpool coach knows the game inside out and he’s done well to strengthen his squad. 16th