Tag Archives: West Brom

West Brom Eye Ambitious Double Swoop To Land Man United Pair

Josh Challies July 12, 2017

West Brom haven’t been known for making waves in the transfer market that much but they’re looking to land a significant double-deal ahead of the new season.

The Daily Mirror indicates Tony Pulis has set his sights on Manchester United’s defensive duo Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, both of whom have two-years remaining on their contracts at Old Trafford.

Both England aces face uncertain futures in Jose Mourinho’s side following the capture of Victor Lindelof from Benfica, who’s set to partner last summer’s recruit Eric Bailly in the heart of the Red Devils defence- potentially leaving Smalling and Jones in real trouble in their battle to make England’s World Cup squad.

Jones’ versatility appeals to Pulis, who’s also looking to bolster his defensive options with former Manchester United man Jonny Evans attracting interest from elsewhere, Jonas Olsson having already left and Gareth McAuley halfway into a retirement home.

Whether they can persuade Manchester United to sell though is another matter as the departure of the pair would significantly decrease the depth at Mourinho’s disposal.

The England impact

Crucially, moving to West Brom could help both defenders in their quest to establish themselves as key figures within Gareth Southgate’s England squad ahead of the World Cup next summer, especially as Jake Livermore battled his way back into the set-up after joining the Baggies from Hull in January.

Smalling is probably better placed for a starting spot within the England squad next summer as it stands but the rise of young pairing John Stones and Michael Keane prevents problems, especially as the pair will be assured of regular football this season.

Jones is perhaps the man who desperately needs to move on though as he seems out of Mourinho’s plans and a move to West Brom, who’ll offer regular football and stable surroundings, could spark his career back into life.

Moreno & Firmino In: The Liverpool XI To Defeat West Brom On Sunday

Josh Challies April 16, 2017

Liverpool are on-course to secure a return to the Champions League but there’s still work for Jurgen Klopp’s side to do. Victory against West Brom this weekend is vital and this side should be able to secure all three points.

GK: Simon Mignolet

The signing of Loris Karius from Mainz last summer left Simon Mignolet in a sticky situation at Liverpool but the poor performances from the German stopper have allowed Mignolet to push his way back between the sticks at Anfield.

29-year-old Belgian stopper Mignolet is set to make his 23rd Premier League appearance of the season at the Hawthorns and will be desperate for a strong performance, as his current run of seven Premier League games without a clean-sheet is a big worry.

The game is being shown live on Sky Sports on Sunday afternoon (13:30pm kick-off UK time) and you can get a NowTV day pass and watch the game for just £6.29 with our fantastic 10% off a day pass offer.

West Brom v Liverpool: 3 Key Battles That Will Decide The Match

Josh Challies April 16, 2017

Liverpool face a stern test against West Brom this weekend but will seek a victory to boost their top-four chances. To achieve that though, they’ll have to get a positive outcome in these three key battles.

Chadli v Clyne

Liverpool’s defence has been unable to keep a clean sheet in any of the last seven Premier League matches and West Brom may look to exploit the right-side of the Reds defence, particularly as Nathaniel Clyne likes to bomb forward.

Up against him on Sunday will be Belgian winger Nacer Chadli, who has been a huge part of Tony Pulis’ side’s success this season. The 27-year-old boasts five goals and five assists, although his last contribution to a goal came in the victory over Arsenal in mid-March.

Clyne’s license to push forward may leave Liverpool exposed on the counter, which is where Chadli’s involvement could come into play.

The game is being shown live on Sky Sports on Sunday afternoon (13:30pm kick-off UK time) and you can get a NowTV day pass and watch the game for just £6.29 with our fantastic 10% off a day pass offer.

5 Changes, Holding Starts: Arsenal’s Predicted XI vs. West Brom On Boxing Day

Oli Price-Bates December 23, 2016

Arsenal host West Brom on boxing day in what is already surely a must win if they wish to remain in the hunt for the title. The Gunners have had a catastrophic last week, losing two away games whilst all their title rivals picked up maximum points. 

Now Arsenal need to pick themselves up and respond. There’s no use feeling sorry for yourself, you need to go and prove everyone wrong. The team selection is critical, with many of the current first eleven proving to let the team down in recent games, surely Wenger will be looking to change it up a bit.

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech

I think Cech is certain to keep his place, however he needs to be careful. Letting that shot in at his near post from Sterling may have made Wenger think twice. Ospina has been brilliant when he’s played this season and Cech has looked far from his best. Wenger may be forced to drop Cech should he continue to have an error-prone season.

Defence: Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding, Laurent Koscielny, Kieran Gibbs

The defence NEEDS changing. Arsenal’s haven’t managed to keep a clean sheet in months and that is simply not good enough for a team with ambitions to win the title. Gabriel and Koscielny as a duo just doesn’t work – they are too similar in style. Summer signing Rob Holding deserves a chance to play alongside Koscielny – it worked in Basel and the Englishman has looked very composed and much more a Mustafi replacement when he has played. On the left-hand side I will be very disappointed should Gibbs not be given a start in this game. Monreal has looked fatigued and poor all season, whilst whenever Gibbs has had the chance to impress, he normally has. He needs more game time and the team needs some fresh legs, so that is the change that makes the most sense of all to me.

Midfield: Granit Xhaka, Mohammed Elneny; Lucas Perez, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez

Midfield is another area that needs tweaking, in my opinion. Coquelin and Xhaka hasn’t worked too well and at home, I think we need to go for it a bit more. Dropping Coquelin for Elneny makes sense for me. The Egyptian has a bit more going forward, he’s full of energy and his passing is very reliable. That makes him a good partner for Xhaka who prefers to sit deeper, dictate and use his physicality. When Coquelin plays alongside Xhaka he is often pushed forward and it doesn’t really work due to the Frenchman’s limitations. Elneny would be more comfortable and effective in those more advanced areas. Elneny deserves a chance with his teammates struggling in the last couple of games and the team equally needs some fresh legs. On the right, Lucas Perez really deserves a start. The Spaniard has impressed when he’s been given a chance this season, but his game time has been really limited. With the likes of Chamberlain and Walcott struggling lately, now is the time for Lucas to come in and prove his worth. I’d shift Alexis back to the left for this one and keep Ozil in the hole.

Striker: Olivier Giroud

I think Giroud will get the nod in this game to help counteract the physical threat posed by West Brom. The Gunners do play better when Alexis Sanchez starts through the middle, but the last couple of performances have been poor and it is only fair to give Giroud, who has done well when he’s played, a chance.

‘He’s The Signing Of The Summer’ Twitter Praises Liverpool Ace After West Brom Performance

Oli Price-Bates October 24, 2016

Liverpool were one of the only teams in the top half of the table to win in the Premier League at the weekend, and it meant the climbed to joint top of the table.

Their brilliant campaign so far continued – and the scoreline of 2-1 flattered West Brom in all honesty. Liverpool fans have Sadio Mane to thank for getting the 3 points though. The summer signing crucially found the net once and assisted the other goal to help Klopp’s men secure 3 points.

Beyond the goal and assist though, there were some more impressive stats from the former Southampton man. He made 3 key passes and completed 80% of his passes overall, not a bad % for a wide man. He’s only 24 and the only thing I would say that needs definite improvement is his consistency. Mane needs to deliver these kind of performances week in week out to realise his world class potential and perhaps earn the tag of ‘signing of the season’.

Here’s how the fans reacted on Twitter. His goal on the day was particularly impressive, and now many fans are labelling him as a bargain at £30million – perhaps even the signing of the summer. Is that OTT?

So is Mane the signing of the season? I think it’s far too early to be saying things like that. One thing his early form does show us though is that he can hack it at a big club in Liverpool, contrary to what many initially thought. It also shows that those who initially labelled Mane as overpriced were completely wrong. In this market, if £30million can buy you a player of Mane’s quality then you’ve done pretty well.

Mane and Klopp appear the perfect fit. The player has great pace and desire about him to win the ball back quickly and his dynamic attacking approach makes him unpredictable for defenders, and there is nothing that Jurgen loves more than just that.

Fans Look Ahead To FA Cup Draw

Josh Challies February 16, 2015

Twitter fans today have been discussing tonight’s FA Cup Quarter-Final draw, which sees just three ‘big’ clubs left in the mix.

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Tonight’s draw takes place ahead of Manchester United’s visit to Deepdale against Preston, where we could see another upset- which would leave just defending champions Arsenal and Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool as the recognised bigger clubs left in the competition.

After claiming another Premier League scalp, Bradford City will be eagerly awaiting their fate- along with Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, West Brom and Reading.

It’s an anxious wait for the clubs involved, as they are now just one game away from a showcase semi-final at Wembley.

‘Stay Away Liverpool’: Fans Don’t Want Young Striker At Anfield

Josh Challies January 7, 2015

Liverpool fans are irritated with the news linking them with a move for West Brom striker Saido Berahino, for a substantial fee of around £20m.

The England U21 striker has been in fine form this season with 13 goals in 24 games in all competitions, attracting the attention of the Premier League’s top sides. Liverpool are said to be going head-to-head with Tottenham for the Baggies striker- but the fans don’t want him at Anfield.

Some have an issue with his behaviour, with reports stating he has missed training on a number of occasions and has recently been charged for drink driving, whilst others simply think he isn’t a good fit for the club and they should be aiming for bigger targets.

‘Defence Much More Composed’: Arsenal Fans Ecstatic With Defender Returning From Injury

Josh Challies December 1, 2014

Laurent Koscielny returned from injury this weekend and immediately made an impact, as he kept Saido Berahino quiet and helped Arsenal secure a vital three points with a 1-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion.

The Gunners came into this game on the back of two straight league defeats, against Swansea and Manchester United, which meant a positive performance was a necessity. Whilst Danny Welbeck did the business at the other end scoring the only goal of the game, Koscielny was a rock in the heart of the defence alongside Per Mertesaker- recreating the defensive partnership that kept the most clean-sheets in the league last season.

With Koscienly returning, Arsenal can look ahead to their next seven games in December with a much more positive outlook as this could spell the end of their defensive crisis.

‘Best Team In The World’: Fans React To Record Breaking Performance

Steve Wallbridge November 24, 2014

Chelsea have been in formidable form this season, and yesterday’s 2-0 win over West Brom shows that they have no intention of slowing down. The team set a new club record after they completed 812 passes during the game, beating their previous record of 803 against Arsenal. The Blues have now taken 32 points from their opening 12 games and many are wondering whether they can replicate the success of Arsenal’s 03/04 team and go unbeaten all season. They are the only title challenging team in the league that have shown real consistency this season, apart from Southampton, who have proven to be this years surprise package.

It’s no wonder Mourinho’s team is doing so well given the performances of some of their players, most notably Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Fabregas has already racked up 10 assists in the Premier League, which means he is already only 8 away from beating the record held by Thierry Henry. Meanwhile, Diego Costa has hit the ground running at Chelsea and his goal yesterday means he is now on 11 for the season, one behind Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero.

Here’s how Chelsea fans reacted to the win:

‘Cant Understand It’ England Fans Unhappy By Young Stars Absence

Josh Challies November 19, 2014

Last night was England’s night at Parkhead, and for Roy Hodgson’s team it was their sixth straight win following a comeback Group E win over Slovenia at tea time on Saturday, and wins against Estonia, San Marino, Switzerland and Norway in previous months.

For all the build up, the Scottish furore and the bagpipes whistling on a cold Tuesday evening following important qualification games just a few days earlier England took to the pitch quicker than the tartan army, and Scotland were seemingly blown away by the Auld Enemy. Those the words of Gordan Strachan, is Rooney ran riot in Glasgow.

So you would of thought, after what was a display which showed bottle, quality and heart from an England team that sometimes is questioned on all of those fronts, that all would be well as far as English supporters were concerned.

However, taking to Twitter during and following the game, fans, including some well known pundits voiced their annoyance at some of Roy Hodgson’s decisions. One in particular being the decision to not give game time to the most in-form English striker in the Premier League – Saido Berahino. Having scored 7 goals this term, many argued that one of the six changes allowed during the fixture should not of seen Rickie Lambert enter the fray, but rather the Burundi born clinical finisher thrown into the cauldron.

‘Only In Football Manager’: West Brom Fans Laugh Off Exit Rumours

Josh Challies November 15, 2014

West Brom fans seem to be confident of keeping Saido Berahino and not losing him to Italian champions Juventus, who were linked with the English striker today.

Burundi-born Berahino is the highest-scoring Englishman in the Premier League this season and has attracted attention from top clubs across England- but to these fans interest from the continent is just a step too far. To be fair they may have a point as this would be a huge step-up for the youngster, who is of course yet to earn a senior cap for the Three Lions.

Back on planet earth though, England fans seem optimistic of seeing Berahino make his debut in the European Championship Qualifier with Slovenia this evening, with many believing he should have started the game from the start.

‘He’ll Be The Most Wanted Wonderkid!’: Fans Rave About Newcastle United Youngster

Josh Challies November 9, 2014

Newcastle United continued their superb run of form this afternoon by defeating an impressive West Brom side 2-0 at the Hawthorns, putting them level on points with Louis Van Gaal’s Manchester United.

One moment stood out in the game though as Ayoze Perez opened the scoring just before the break with one of the calmest and sweetest finishes you will ever see, as he flicked Daryl Janmaat’s low ball into the net with one deft touch with his heel. Newcastle fans rejoiced and praised the man who has now scored in three games in a row and he certainly looks like something special.

The praise from fans across Twitter was plain for all to see, though we’re pretty sure he can’t claim to be Spain’s best ever produced player just yet…

‘He Should Start!’: West Brom Fans React To England Squad Announcement

Josh Challies November 6, 2014

Saido Berahino’s fine form in the Premier League season has been rewarded by England manager Roy Hodgson, as the U-21 striker was awarded his first senior call up this afternoon.

The West Brom hit man has hit seven goals in the league this season, which is more than the other three strikers in the squad combined- Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Rickie Lambert. The decision has gone down well with England fans up and down the country, whilst Baggies fans were understandably over the moon.

Berahino has represented England’s youth team set-up from U-16 all the way to U-21 and will be a key part of the squad taking part in the U21 European Championship next summer.