The new season of the "Premier" league will start on August 13, which means there are only 14 days left until the start of the English championship. As the competitions approach inevitably, Eurofootball.com will provide you with an overview of all twenty "Premier" league teams.
This time, the team that finished in fourteenth position last season in the "Premier" league will be reviewed - "West Bromwich Albion."
"West Bromwich Albion"
History:
The team was founded in 1878 and will play in the "Premier" league for the eleventh season. Their best finish in this league was 8th place.
They will play their seventh season in the "Premier" league in a row.
Last year's season:
In the 2015-2016 "Premier" league season, "West Brom" consistently held a position near the middle of the standings, but an unsuccessful series of nine winless games at the end of the season led them to fall to fourteenth place.
Changes after last season:
After last season, the team said goodbye to two forwards - Stephane Sessegnon, who scored two goals, and Victor Anichebe, who remained goalless. It was decided not to extend the cooperation with Anders Lindegaard, who was the second goalkeeper of the team at the beginning of the season.
At the moment, the only newcomer is right winger Matt Phillips, who arrived from QPR for 6.5 million euros.
Players worth paying attention to:
Jonny Evans. The 28-year-old defender left "Manchester United" last summer and moved to "West Bromwich Albion," where he immediately became a starter. The Northern Ireland national team member ranked among the top three players of the team last season in terms of interceptions, successful passes, and balls won in his own penalty area. Recently, there have been reports that after such a season, Evans caught the interest of "Arsenal" club, but if he stays in the current team, he should be a defensive leader next season.
Matt Phillips. The only newcomer this summer spent last season in the second tier of English league, scoring eight goals and providing five assists. However, playing in the "Premier" league will not be new for this player - he has already played over 50 matches in this league. In the 2014-2015 season, playing in the top league, he proved that he can be productive at this level, scoring three goals and providing eight assists. Last season, his goal tally was just 34 for the club that scored the most, so a player who can create and take scoring opportunities will certainly be useful.
Saido Berahino. The academy product of the team faced unexpected problems last season. The player did not receive as much playing time as he would like and requested a transfer, but "West Brom" refused to say goodbye to this player. Ultimately, the player was given more opportunities, but he scored only four goals in the entire last season in the "Premier" league. Before the season, he had scored fourteen times, so the productivity of one of the most talented players of his generation in England significantly decreased. Berahino's contract with "West Brom" expires next summer, so the team will be interested in letting him shine and convince him to stay in the team, while the 22-year-old player will want to show that last season was just an unpleasant coincidence.
Team's strengths:
Ball possession. Last season, of all "Premier" league clubs, "West Bromwich Albion" had the least possession of the ball and mostly defended, creating fewer chances than any other team in the league. However, they suffered only 15 defeats during the season, and the fourteenth place shows that they know how to play by giving the opponents control of the game. To improve last year's results, "West Brom" will need to be more successful in quick counterattacks - last season, they did not score once during counterattacks.
Defense. The success of last season was mostly based on good defense. Conceding 48 goals during the season, this team ranked seventh in the "Premier" league in this indicator. With the club's attack struggling, the ability not to concede many goals was what gave them a chance to fight for victory. If the team's attack is not significantly improved this season, the team will have to seek victories through their solid defense once again.
High balls battles, heading game. "West Bromwich Albion" was one of the best teams in the "Premier" league last year when it came to playing in the air. According to the won aerial duels, they were among the top three teams in the league, and they scored a total of 12 goals with headers. Considering that this team only scored 34 goals throughout the season, it is evident that this aspect of the game was crucial for "West Brom" team.
Interesting facts about "West Bromwich Albion":
In the 1919-1920 season, "West Brom" won the highest English league title for the first and only time;
Throughout their history, "West Bromwich Albion" won five FA Cups, and they lost in the finals of this tournament the same number of times;
In the 2004-2005 "Premier" league season, "West Brom" became the first team to finish last in the league at Christmas but managed to stay in the league later;
That same season in 2004-2005, they became the only team in the league's history to be in the last position before the final round and still stay in the league;
The club was initially named "West Bromwich Strollers," but after two years, it was decided to rename it to "West Bromwich Albion," and the club still exists under that name;
Throughout the club's history, they spent only two years in a league lower than the second tier of English football;
Club legend Tony Brown holds most of the team's records. He played the most matches - 720, and he leads in terms of goals scored - 279.
Tautvydas Sakalauskas
