West Brom are safe for another season, but have yet to push on from their promising position a few weeks ago.
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis
West Brom’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal in March effectively secured their Premier League status for another season, but what has followed has been a dramatic slump in form.
As with the previous season, the Baggies have dropped form as soon as they hit the 40 point mark instead of pushing themselves higher up the table.
Their victory over Arsenal was followed by a goalless draw with Manchester United, before a run of four defeats in a row kept them well out of reach of climbing any further up the table.
West Brom’s Salomon Rondon scores their first goal
Last season was a similar tale; West Brom enjoyed a run of three wins in five games, including a 1-0 victory against Manchester United, before securing their 40-point safety total with a goalless draw with relegation contenders Sunderland in early April.
What followed then as well was a drab run of form, losing five and drawing four of their final nine games of the season.
This could be seen as a lack of ambition for Tony Pulis’ side, who seem content to settle for safety each season instead of using the platform to push themselves further up the table.
Leicester City proved last season that you do not need to spend big or have the best players in the world to challenge the bigger clubs in the Premier League, and that success should be motivation to other clubs with the ability to be successful to start raising their aims.
West Brom have proven both this season and last that they have the quality in their side to threaten any team when they are in form so it is a question of ambition as to why they have not pushed themselves to challenge the likes of Everton and push higher up the table.
Their performance against newly crowned Premier League champions Chelsea was evidence of this ability, as they frustrated their opponents and could have won the game themselves before Michy Batshuayi’s 82nd minute winner.
Regularly retaining Premier League status is a fantastic achievement for any manager in such a difficult and competitive league, and Tony Pulis is no stranger to that feat.
But surely for a manager so successful in surviving the English top flight, he has the ability to continue that form after the safety mark and propel his West Brom side into a top-six challenge.
West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis
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