The Baggies were Championship play-off semi-finalists last season, and sit fourth in the table this campaign.
We caught up with Albion reporter Lewis Cox, from the Express & Star, to get the lowdown on the Baggies.
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What’s the start of the season been like for West Brom?
It was an exceptional first six games, with five wins and a draw, which was a remarkable effort. There has been a little bit of a stunt in their progress after the remarkable start, but you’re always going to hit stumbles in the road.
Even though they were top at the beginning, they’ve only dropped down a few places. They were beaten 1-0 by a good Middlesbrough team, and then last time out, they drew with Millwall, who parked the bus a little bit, but Albion will expect to get back on track.
What’s the playing style and likeliest formation under Carlos Corberan?
Under Corberan, it’s always been a 4-2-3-1. Then there was a subtle change over the summer to the system, as one of the 10s, John Swift, dropped deeper into a 4-3-3. You’re looking at him or a Grady Diangana in the midfield now.
It’s not often rip-roaring stuff with Corberan. He’s very considered and can be pragmatic, but there’s often been results under him, with a play-off semi-final against Southampton last season and getting them off the foot of the table before that. It’s not swashbuckling, but he gets results more often than not.
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Who are the key players to watch?
The backline and goalkeeper Alex Palmer are consistent, with a lot of clean sheets, especially since Corberan went in. The left back Torjbjorn Heggem is actually a centre half, but has been used at left back this season. Kyle Bartley is hugely experienced at the back.
Alex Mowatt, who’ll be familiar to Oxford fans after his loan spell there, makes Albion tick, and is superb on and off the ball. Tom Fellows is an England Under-21 international winger who attracted interest from the Premier League, and has got five league assists this season, the most in the Championship.
Josh Maja’s time at Albion has been ruined by two separate injuries, but he’s got seven in nine. He’s a remarkable finisher, and his game is fascinating. He’s a bit like a false nine who can drop in to link up.
What are the expectations this season for the Baggies?
Having done it last year, the expectation will be to get up there again. It would be going some to hold onto the top two positions, but I’d expect them to get play-offs as a minimum. The vision with the new owners is to get up and sustain that.