Let’s check in on those West Bromwich Albion players who left for pastures new in the summer.
Rickie Lambert
Lambert joined Cardiff City after a disappointing season with West Bromwich Albion. The forward made his Cardiff debut against Norwich City and came close to grabbing a debut goal but his strike hit the bar. He played the full 90 minutes as Cardiff suffered defeats to Preston North End and Leeds United.
Lambert grabbed his first Cardiff goals to inspire a late comeback against Rotherham United. A brace in six minutes helped Cardiff overturn ex-Baggie Isiah Brown’s strike for Rotherham. The ex-Liverpool man couldn’t find the net again in defeat against Derby Count and Burton Albion.
Verdict: A tough start in a struggling side but Neil Warnock will get the best out of Lambert, so expect to see him scoring again soon.
James Chester
Chester moved to Midlands rivals Aston Villa after failing to fit into Tony Pulis’ plans. He made a winning start for Roberto Di Matteo’s side as they beat Rotherham 3-0 at home. The Welsh defender has featured in every game since arriving at Villa Park but hasn’t been able to prevent their slide.
Chester has had a mixed start with good performances to help Villa keep clean sheets away at Derby County and Ipswich Town. However, errors against Brentford and Preston North End have shown how difficult life in the Championship is.
Verdict: Like Lambert, Chester has had an reasonable start but the players around him haven’t helped matters.
Cristian Gamboa
After a frustrating two years at West Brom, Gamboa made the move to Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. Gamboa’s was handed a baptism of fire as his debut came in the Champions League against Barcelona. Celtic were thrashed 7-0 and Gamboa had a torrid time trying to handle the threat of Jordi Alba and Neymar.
Gamboa started Cetlic’s next game against Inverness but only lasted 68 minutes. The Costa Rican defender was then benched for the following three games.
Verdict: Still finding his feet and he should do well in Scottish football. That Barcelona debut will give him nightmares.
Sebastien Pocognoli
Pocognoli had a similarly tough spell at West Brom before moving to Brighton Hove Albion this summer. The left-back had to wait until Brighton’s EFL Cup tie with Reading to make his debut. Reading’s Tyler Blackett saw red for a tackle Pocognoli and the Belgian was subbed off after 69 minutes.
Pocognoli played a full 90 minutes as Chris Hughton’s side held Ipswich to a 0-0 draw at Portman Road. He was then dropped back to the bench for their game against Wednesday.
Verdict: Still finding full fitness after barely playing the last two years. Chris Hughton is the right manager to sort out his defensive deficiencies.
Stephane Sessegnon
Sessegnon was a free agent for most of the summer before opting for a move to the French league with Montpellier. He made a late appearance off the bench as his new club played out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Dijon FCO.
Verdict: A good move for Sessegnon who has surely played his last game in English football.
Victor Anichebe
Anichebe never got over his injury problems during his time at West Brom and was released in the summer. He reunited with David Moyes at Sunderland but has only featured as an unused substitute against Crystal Palace.
Verdict: Unsurprisingly, he is struggling with his fitness but David Moyes is the right man to rehabilitate his form if he is given the chance to.
Anders Lindegaard
Lindegaard moved to Preston on a permanent deal after failing to make his mark at the Hawthorns. He started Preston’s first eight games of the season before a 5-0 defeat to Brentford saw him dropped for Chris Maxwell. Lindegaard has sat out the last three games and could only watch on as Maxwell saved Ross McCormack’s late penalty against Aston Villa.
Verdict: Another ex-Baggie who has found his level in the Championship but will be concerned by his early season form.
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