Chris Lepkowski's half-term report: The West Brom season so far
ALBION fans, let me put something to you.
Ishmael Miller and James Morrison are injured. Jon Greening has gone and Paul Robinson is busy clenching his fist to Bolton fans.
Worse still, your manager has left for Glasgow and been replaced by an Italian, who has just one year of managerial experience.
Yet if you’d been told, in August, that Albion would be on 45 points after 23 games, in second spot, with most goals and best goal difference, would you have taken it?
It’s difficult not to be full of admiration for Albion following their opening half of the season.
There have been a few blips – a shocker of a display at Barnsley and a couple of sticky results in early December.
But Di Matteo warrants praise. He’s come to a club that was affected by the inevitable negativity of relegation. Yet Albion remained unbeaten in their opening eight League games, with a 5-0 victory at Middlesbrough along the way.
He’s added pace and strength to the team, identifying the problems which Mowbray failed to resolve.
Albion used to build from the back using Jonathan Greening as a pivot and using movement to draw opponents out of position.
Technically, Albion have retained many of their qualities but now play with more purpose.
Di Matteo’s criteria for players includes pace and power, as well as technical ability.
Their football is played in the final third, not across the middle. The Baggies seldom look more dangerous than when they are belting down the field on the counter, typically using Jerome Thomas’ pace or Graham Dorrans’ quick thinking.
The team retain enough technical players to pass it around, with enough steel in their side to win the ball if needed – a prevalent deficiency during the previous regime.
Di Matteo’s side have become harder to play against.
They have conceded fewer goals and went for about a third of the season without conceding a single goal from a corner or set-piece.
Thomas has been key.
When he’s on form, so are Albion but the team have also come to rely on Dorrans’ presence and drive in midfield. It’s a long while since Albion have boasted such an all-rounder in their midfield, a player who can do a little bit of everything.
