RONDON GETS NEW LEASE OF LIFE WITH PARDEW
ALBION boss Alan Pardew reckons Salomon Rondon’s upturn in form stems from a new lease of life under his stewardship.
Having been busy against Brighton, Rondon was arguably the best player on the pitch in the 1-1 draw at Everton last Saturday.
The big Venezuelan badgered the Toffees’ backline and did everything but score in one of his most influential displays of the campaign.
Rondon was so often an isolated figure up front under Tony Pulis, but Pardew believes a shift in offensive emphasis is benefiting the former Zenit St Petersburg striker.
“You’ve got to remember we’re getting a lot more bodies around him and it’s making him enjoy his football a little bit more,” he said.
“I think that’s showing in his performances. He’s fighting for everything, but things aren’t always breaking for him.”
Rondon was inches away from scoring a sublime injury-time winner at Goodison Park, a goal his allround display deserved.
“He was so unlucky that one that hit the bar didn’t go in,” Pardew added.
“It would have been a contender for goal of the season.”
It was always going to be an emo- tional occasion last Saturday with a Premier League-wide tribute held for Baggies hero Cyrille Regis.
More so, perhaps, for Rondon, who sported the same number on his shirt Regis graced with such distinction in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Pardew was quick to pay the ultimate compliment to Albion’s current No.9.
“Salomon put in a performance Cyrille upstairs would have given the nod of approval,” he said.
“It was a very nice tribute to big Cyrille.
“That was quite a nice thought about the game. Absolutely spot-on the players were. And our fans. And the Everton fans too.”
Circumstances conspired to make it an even more emotional match for Rondon.
He was reduced to tears after catching James McCarthy when he attempted to unleash a shot. The sickening collision left the Irishman with compound fractures to his tibia and fibia.
Pardew doubted whether a visibly distressed Rondon would be in the right frame of mind to continue.
“I just said to him it was a complete accident. That’s what I was trying to relay to him,’’ he said.
“Although it’s an incident that can affect you, it happens in football and it happens in life – accidents like that.
“We all have to get on with it. He didn’t have time to recover from that, but he managed to get his head together.”
Albion face Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday unbeaten in three and having lost only one of their last six games.
And Jay Rodriguez, Rondon’s strike partner, feels the Baggies are heading in the right direction.
“We can only carry on working as we are and it’ll come,” he said.
“Everyone knows we’re fighting. To be unbeaten (in the last three) is a really important thing, it’s just getting the consecutive wins now.”