The Baggies View

As my friend Sam recently put it on his piece for our website, Baggies Facts that was back online this week;

‘You may feel a slight tickle in your tummies. You may also be experiencing a sense of interest, this my friends… is hope.’

Hope is something us Albion fans on the whole haven’t really ever got used to. It has this habit of coming back to bite you where it hurts. In the last couple of seasons the club has been managed by former Palace man Tony Pulis and for some, since the day of his appointment, they have had nothing to get excited about.

He was the man we desperately needed to keep us in the top flight during 2014/15, but of course the cost of having the man in the cap, although I tried so hard to believe this wouldn’t be the case, is the lack of any form of entertaining football. It has simply caused massive divides between supporters, and there is now more Albion followers on the ‘Pulis Out’ side of the divide.

So with all that in mind, came the announcement last week that the club had finally been the subject of a successful takeover. By all accounts the man behind it, Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai seems to be a level headed, smart, enterprising gentleman.

This is where the hope comes from. A new era. Potentially more investment in the playing squad and opportunities to grow the club far beyond its current level. A positive start to the season could add to that.

However a poor start, would certainly lead to the ‘Pulis Out’ brigade letting their feelings be known, and with a new owner now at the helm, there would be some hoping a Pulis dismissal could be on the cards.

So even with a new owner in place, there is still a level of uncertainty, something we are fairly used to at the Baggies.

Uncertainty is a word probably more than a few Albion targets have thought about when deciding if our club is the right destination for them. Again the club has struggled to get transfers over the line. Matty Phillips has been our only addition, albeit a smart one. Hopefully he will excel on Saturday.

Other than all of the above, it’s business as usual. Saido Berahino is still a petulant child, a talented one however and Albion will still operate with more defenders on the pitch than any other team in England, from Premier League right down to the Dudley Football Alliance Under 10’s Division Six South.

On to Crystal Palace, and before I say anything else, I want to congratulate you on signing a goalkeeper with masses of talent. Steve Mandanda is as solid as they come. He is a million times better than the other poor excuse of a goalkeeper you have in Wayne Hennessey.

You are building nicely, and although Yannick Bolasie could be a bigger miss than you may envisage, I have no doubt that Andros Townsend can excel in the top flight given the freedom. There’s no doubt who I would rather have out of those two, but the England man is not a bad replacement. Another potential England player of the future has signed in James Tomkins, however the price tag was a little steep. Then again, all clubs have to pay over the odds for English talent.

I’m very much looking forward to the day out in South London, if not the horrible journey there! A traditional ground, with a cracking atmosphere. Something you’re not too distant rivals West Ham have just given up. Their fans will soon have to come to terms with their need for binoculars when trying to make out who is who on the pitch!

Anyway, my prediction is a 3-0 Palace win. No. I’m not joking. My thinking is that we are not going to be strong enough to compete just yet. We are about four players short. Hopefully, I am very wrong, mind!

I would say ‘enjoy the game’ but with a large slice of luck hopefully you won’t! (You probably will!)