FIVE-POINT PLAN

1 FILL THE VOID UPFRONT

None of the club’s trio of rotating striking options were consistently prolific last term. The last time the Baggies were promoted to the Premier League, in 2010, they managed to unearth Peter Odemwingie for a paltry £ 1.5m. He netted 15 league goals that season – they could do with finding a similarly fearsome frontman for a similarly small fee.

2 CHALLENGE THE NO. 1

Sam Johnstone splits opinion. Backers cite his agility and shot- stopping; dissenters point to late- season wobbles and a reluctance to dominate his area. Having invested time and money in the former Manchester United man, the Baggies will surely give Johnstone his top- flight chance, but – with respect to understudy Jonathan Bond – they must find a goalkeeper to truly rival him.

3 KEEP ON KEEPING ON

Not only did the Baggies top the Championship for goals scored in the final 15 minutes of matches last term, they didn’t lose a game after going ahead

and had the best record after conceding the first goal in a tie. Finishing games strongly would serve them well in the top flight.

4 PICK UP SMART LOANS

Matheus Pereira, Grady Diangana and Filip Krovinovic were key contributors to the club’s promotion, while Callum Robinson scored and set up some vital goals in the second half of the campaign. Any season- long additions will need to have similar impacts. They’d be welcome in the engine room: though Romaine Sawyers and Jake Livermore have formed an excellent partnership in midfield, the departures of Chris Brunt and Gareth Barry have left Bilic light on experienced deputies.

5 MAKE TOUGH CALLS

Supporters love Hegazi’s uncompromising defensive approach, but the statistics are less kind. The Egyptian played in 16 Championship matches; the Baggies lost six of them. In contrast, Bartley was on the losing side in four of 38 games. Hegazi’s poor positional sense and erratic ‘ tackle now, ask questions later’ approach may mean it’s time to cash in and reinvest in an upgrade.