West Bromwich Albion are preparing for Alan Pardew’s first game in charge looking to move away from danger in the Premier League.
West Brom kick off the Alan Pardew era at The Hawthorns this weekend, and it is a squad that he knows very well who will be hoping to spoil his arrival – with the Baggies taking on fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.
Pardew was confirmed as West Brom’s new boss this week, and he will be hoping to build on the promise they showed during Gary Megson’s time in temporary charge, which saw draws against Tottenham and Newcastle – though it should have arguably been three points against the Magpies given that they were 2-0 up after 56 minutes.
With it being Pardew’s first game and with the side desperately needing to end their long wait for a win – the Baggies have not tasted victory in the top flight since August – it would not be a surprise if he kept faith with a number of players who featured under Megson, especially as West Brom do not boast a particularly great amount of depth anyway.
He may perhaps consider changing the system the side play however, reverting to more of a 4-2-3-1 formation for the visit of the Eagles.
Should that be the case, it may not be a surprise to see Jay Rodriguez replace Hal Robson-Kanu as he is arguably a better option in a wider role, though the Welshman can perhaps feel hard done by given that he scored in the draw with Newcastle.
Meanwhile, Grzegorz Krychowiak also comes back into the side, with Matt Phillips missing out through injury. The Poland international has plenty to prove after a disappointing start to his loan spell, but perhaps a change of manager may be exactly what he needs.
With that in mind, here is a look at the lineup in full…
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