West Brom have been in poor form of late and their formation hasn’t helped matters.
West Bromwich Albion sacked manager Tony Pulis yesterday – a sure sign that the club are deeply concerned about their chances of staying in the Premier League, especially after losing four games in succession.
Pulis was criticised for the style of football that he always encourages his teams to play but his decision to switch to a 3-5-2 formation for the latter stages of his tenure certainly didn’t help his cause.
The system was used for the defeats to Manchester City, Huddersfield Town and Chelsea, with West Brom lacking cohesion and desperately lacking creativity.
Pulis often elected for a midfield containing Jake Livermore, Gareth Barry and Grzegorz Krychowiak, which is very defensive-minded and leaves West Brom’s attackers isolated.
Gary Megson has been placed in temporary charge ahead of West Brom’s trip to face Tottenham Hotspur and it appears that a return to four at the back would help the Baggies to become more resilient defensively and also give them greater freedom going forwards.
Kieran Gibbs could easily fill at left-back, with Allan Nyom on the right side and, even though one of the central-defensive trio of Gareth McAuley, Jonny Evans and Ahmed Hegazy would have to be dropped it seems a necessary step to take if West Brom are to stand any chance of moving in the right direction.
Playing with genuine wingers, as opposed to wing-backs, would also enable West Brom an opportunity to push forwards more, and perhaps talented youngster Oliver Burke, who has been used sparingly since joining from RB Leipzig in the summer, could be given a chance in the side.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
