Last season was West Bromwich Albion’s best in the English Premier League. The Baggies are on a high, so can they maintain momentum?
What happened last season
A stunning 3-0 opening day home win over Liverpool suggested the Black Country side meant business.
By the time the Baggies had recorded an incredible 5-5 draw at home to Manchester United on the final day of the season – in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last game, no less – West Brom had registered their highest ever Premier League points tally.
Their form at their atmospheric Hawthorns home was impressive, with the likes of Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea all dispatched as Steve Clarke’s side went on to tally an impressive 14 wins in total.
An eighth place finish was no less than West Brom deserved on the back of 17 goals from on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, as the Baggies finished eight points clear of bitter local rivals Aston Villa.
What happened in the off-season
In somewhat of a blow for the Baggies, powerful Belgian striker Lukaku rejoined parent club Chelsea.
That means West Brom will need to look elsewhere for goals and they’ve turned to one of the most enigmatic strikers in the business to score them, as 34-year-old Frenchman Nicolas Anelka returns to the Premier League following a brief spell in Chinese football at Shanghai Shenhua.
The Baggies have also looked to shore up their defence, with veteran Uruguayan defender Diego Lugano drafted in from French moneybags Paris Saint Germain in a bid to add some experience at the back.
Fan favourite Zoltan Gera is expected to sign a new one-year deal after his previous contract expired, however fellow veterans Jason Koumas and Jerome Thomas have both moved on.
Why fans should be excited about the 2013/14 season
The Baggies took the Premier League by storm last season – or mid-table, at the very least – as they brandished an attractive, free-flowing style of football.
Much of that was built around the mercurial midfield talents of Gera and the goals of the powerful Lukaku, however with the Hungarian out of contract and still recovering from a serious knee injury and Lukaku’s loan now over, West Brom may struggle to replicate that blistering form.
Nevertheless, with a solid spine – which includes England goalkeeper Ben Foster, experienced defender Jonas Olsson, the creative Graham Dorrans and mercurial striker Peter Odemwingie – the Baggies still possess a solid core of talent.
Much will depend on whether coach Clarke can get the erratic Odemwingie to focus on the job at hand.
Last season, he bizarrely attempted to report for duty at Queens Park Rangers, despite the London club having not even signed him.
The main man that can carry 2013/14 hopes
Odemwingie is the man who should logically shoulder the burden of hope for Baggies fans, however last season’s comical attempt to force a mid-season transfer suggests the former Lokomotiv Moscow frontman doesn’t always have West Brom’s best interests at heart.
That means Anelka could well prove the key player for a club shorn of last season’s top scorer, Lukaku, some 18 months after the Frenchman left fellow Premier League side Chelsea.
Often characterised as a brooding, sullen striker, what the enigmatic Anelka lacks in the goals-per-game department he more than makes up for with a superb football mind.
If Anelka can lay on the goals for fellow strikers Shane Long and Markus Rosenberg and the likes of Dorrans, Odemwingie and potentially Gera all fire, then West Brom should prove capable of reprising their 2012/13 exploits.
Verdict – Mid-table
Many pundits expected West Brom to struggle when popular former manager Roy Hodgson departed to take over as England coach.
Instead, former Chelsea legend Clarke brought a new-found swagger to the Black Country, as West Brom brushed several pedigreed outfits aside in front of appreciative crowds at their intimidating Hawthorns home.
Home form could once again prove key for the Baggies, however Clarke has moulded a tight-knit unit and if his stars fire once again then West Brom should secure a mid-table position with relative ease.
New West Bromwich Albion signing Nicolas Anelka at one of his many previous clubs.
West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke.
Will Peter Odemwingie stay at West Bromwich Albion?
Damiano
Guest
Must have been, so nice of you to take time out from your "journalism" to interact with your readers, but shouldn't you be off starting another code war? Its been nearly a fortnight since your last one.
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Lost in translation, perhaps.
Damiano
Guest
Strange... it says expert under your photo. Is it a typo, or my English that poor?
Mike Tuckerman
Expert
Yes, however the standard of football in China is slightly higher than Serie A, so I chose to list his parent club Shanghai instead.
Damiano
Guest
Anelka was last at Juventus. You even have him in a Juventus jersey in the picture. When he left Shanghai for Juve on loan, he made it clear he wasn't expected to return to the club. Juve had an option to sign him following a successful loan, which they didn't take up. The article is either misleading, because it reads as if he has just come from Shanhai, when he wasn't there for 6 months, or poorly researched. Smarten yourself up Mike Tuckerman.
Sawyer
Roar Rookie
Brom have down well to bring in Vydra and Anelka. Together with Long they've got a really decent attack which should be able to make up for Lukaku's absence. Having watched a few WBA games last year I was really impressed with Mulumbu, especially in their 2-0 win over Southampton. The guy bossed the midfield. Same goes for Olsson in defence.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Interesting signings for a club like WBA. Lugano had an awful start at PSG and was never really given a chance again. He was just too slow and when centre backs like Alex and Thiago Silva joined PSG he was never going to have much game time. Tbh am not sure he is adapted to EPL style but will be curious to see what he does there. As for Anelka, I also wonder if he still has a bit of pace. Hope he does well there.