Premiership Preview: WBA

For the love of god, don’t let him leave

West Brom could easily have ended up in the Championship this year if it wasn’t for Roy Hodgson who saved them from the brink and led them to a respectable league position by the end of the season. The man from Croydon, who looks like he could be your geography teacher, will have a limited budget this season, but has an excellent recruitment team that will be on the look out for bargains once again.

Goalkeepers
The rumours were true and Scott Carson did indeed make the somewhat baffling move to Turkey, so a new goalkeeper is high on the list for West Brom. Both Tomasz Kuszczak and Robert Green are seemingly available, the former finding himself surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and the latter in search of Premiership football. Either one of these would be a good buy for the Baggies.

Defenders
Conceding 71 league goals last season, the league’s third highest, means that Roy Hodgson will have to work hard with his current back line to give them some confidence. They have a decent crop of players, but could do with an experienced head to command the back line. Matthew Upson is available on a free transfer and would be an excellent choice. A right back should be a priority too; a loan signing of either Kyle Walker or Kyle Naughton could be a shrewd move.

Midfielders
West Brom’s midfield is sturdy and robust, but lacks any real flair or creativity. Graham Dorrans is a stylish player but another creative player to run the midfield would be useful. A hero’s welcome could yet be rolled out for Zoltan Gera and there has been talk of Reo-Coker or Owen Hargreaves as possible targets too. Youssuf Mulumbu, proved to be a great signing for the Baggies last year he is hardworking and strong, and the fans will be hoping he continues his good form into this season. I still feel they could benefit from a tricky wide player to support James Morrison, Somen Tchoyi and Jerome Thomas.

Forwards
It couldn’t be simpler for Roy Hodgson: Keep Peter Odemwingie. The Nigerian’s 15 league goals last season went a long way to securing the team’s league position. Tying him down to a long-term contract will be the highest priority, and could well be the biggest piece of business that the Baggies do this summer. They could also do with shifting on a couple of players; Marc-Antoine Fortune and Roman Bednar aren’t Premiership quality and should expect to be heading to pastures new in the near future.

Adding a spine of new players will no doubt help the West Midlands side this season. More steel at the back coupled with some flair in midfield and Peter Odemingie could enable West Brom to easily surpass expectations and enjoy a great season. They benefit from having a man in charge that can make these things happen.

Owain