WEST BROMWICH ALBION

LAST SEASON

CHAMPIONSHIP 10th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP Second Round TOP SCORER Karlan Grant ( above, 18)

FAN FILE

Last season was a slip, trip and tumble down a steep hill. Think: Mr Bump after a few drinks. The big talking point is Steve Bruce’s ability to reshape a squad that needed breaking up long ago. This season will be different because the weight of expectation shifts to the newly relegated teams, which might help us. This group didn’t cope too well with pressure last season.

Our key player will be Jed Wallace. When your previous club, Millwall, are showcasing your finest moments to a soundtrack of melancholy muzak… Fans think our owner is disinterested.

The pantomime villain will be Bruce [ below]. I don’t mind him, but I get the feeling he might be receiving the stocks- and- wet- sponge treatment before very long. I’m least looking forward to playing whoever we lose to in the FA Cup Third Round due to playing an unnecessarily weakened team. I’ll say Reading ( a).

I for won’t promotion. be happy The unless Championship we push is a The horrible active division player to I’d be love in. to have

back is Harvey Barnes. He lit up The Hawthorns on loan a few years ago. Look out for Caleb Taylor, the son of Martin. He looks like a competent and versatile Fans think defender. our ground is banned from hosting Saturday games at 3pm. We had so many TV games, it was more like a fly- on- the- wall Netflix season. The thing my club really gets right is trying to lure younger supporters with attractive, incentivised ticket prices. The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is mixed. Many hold him accountable for our failure to reach the top six, but he also inherited the worst Albion squad I’ve seen for 20- odd years. The player I’d happily drive to

another club is Callum Robinson. He clearly has the ability; seldom has the application. Peacocks around the field but persistently wilts under pressure. The one change I’d make would be removing all betting sponsorship. It would be lovely for us to be that club, who do something positive about this societal stench. We’ll finish 4th.

FFT VERDICT 5TH

Albion hope that the inspirational guile of Wallace and John Swift – two of the division’s three most profilic creators last season – can claw them back into contention. They have capable Championship forwards; working out how to get them involved is the test for Bruce.