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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
West Brom entered the off-season with an air of uncertainty having just lost in the playoffs with no permanent manager at the helm.
But they have come out the other side of it all the better as Slaven Bilic took the reins and has guided them to an unbeaten start in the league.
Sunday afternoon’s victory over Huddersfield gave them a fourth win in eight matches, moving them into fourth position, just a single point off the league-leading duo of Leeds United and Swansea City.
Having gone ever so close last season, it seems as if the Croatian could be the man to actually take them into the top-flight, they’ll have every chance of doing so if they keep this up.
There are a couple of negatives that will need ironing out as the season goes on, most notably their lack of clean sheets but for now, it’ll do. We’re only entering October after all.
The other struggle is in terms of the lack of goals from their new frontline – Charlie Austin joined for £4m on deadline day from Southampton and is yet to score his first league goal while Kenneth Zohore cost double that and has only netted twice from the spot.
It’s a stark contrast to last season where the Baggies attack was dangerous, exciting and most importantly extremely goal-laden.
Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle scored 46 between them alone with Harvey Barnes chipping in during the first half of the campaign with nine too.
But none of them remain at the club, hence the arrivals of Austin and Zohore this summer.
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Although, there is a familiar figure still amongst their ranks – Hal Robson-Kanu, who surely thought he would have been given a chance with Gayle returning to Newcastle United, Rodriguez being sold to Burnley and even Solomon Rondon departing for pastures new.
An injury has mainly played a part in his absence from the squad – only playing 61 minutes all season, eight of which came on Sunday as a substitute.
Less than 24 hours later, the Welshman scored a brace for the U23s to ramp up his recovery – might he be an unlikely hero to put a stop to their forwards’ impotence in front of goal? He’s certainly a potential solution worth weighing up.
Playing against kids is no comparison to what the Championship has to offer, but it at least shows he is raring to prove a point if allowed to do so.
He’s hardly been a prolific scorer over his career either, scoring just 49 goals in 370 career appearances, but Transfermarkt suggests he’s played the bulk of his career from out wide.
We’ll soon see if he can have an impact on Albion’s goalscoring fortunes.
