How West Brom’s mighty new side with fresh signings could look line up in season opener vs Blackburn Rovers
Ryan Mason will be in control of his first Championship game as manager when West Bromwich Albion hosts Blackburn Rovers in an entertaining match at the Hawthorns on Saturday, August 9.
Mason has 13 senior games on his resume from his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur, where he was twice asked to temporarily fill the role, despite the fact that he has never held a professional managing post before. Even so, he is a well-respected coach who has already learnt from greats like Nuno Espirito Santo, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourinho, and Ange Postecoglou at the age of 34.
In order to achieve his aim of getting West Brom back into the Premier League for the first time since 2021, he will likely need to make some moves in the transfer market to raise the calibre of his team during his debut season. Based on recent rumours, we look at West Brom’s possible lineup for their season opener against Blackburn Rovers at the Hawthorns.
Goalkeeper and defence
GK: Josh Griffiths: West Brom will likely start with young goalkeeper Josh Griffiths in goal unless a replacement is signed for Alex Palmer in the coming weeks. Griffiths impressed at Bristol Rovers in the first half of last season and will be hoping to prove he can make the step up to Championship level.
CB: Nat Phillips: Former Liverpool defender Nat Phillips became the first signing of the Ryan Mason era and is a defender that’s expected to get plenty of game time this season. He told the club website: “A big factor was that this is obviously a big club with high aspirations – and I’d say those aspirations align with mine. I think everyone at the club and involved would like to see it competing for promotion and pushing for Premier League football – and that’s the same as me.
CB: Torbjorn Heggem: The Norwegian international only missed one game throughout the entirety of last season and is expected to remain a stalwart at the heart of defence for the promotion-chasing side.
LB: Jeffrey Schlupp (signing): The 32-year-old is a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Crystal Palace and could prove a solid versatile option in a number of areas across the pitch. He spent the last six months of his career on loan at Celtic and is seeking a new home, with Football Insider claiming West Brom are one of the favourites to sign him.
Midfield and attack
CM: Alex Mowatt: The former Leeds United midfielder has been a regular in recent seasons and enjoyed one of his best goalscoring campaigns so far last term with seven strikes from midfield.
CM: Jayson Molumby: Republic of Ireland international Jayson Molumby is likely to retain his place in the middle of the park with Ousmane Diakité also providing strong competition.
LW: Mikey Moore (signing): Despite only being 17 years old, the young Spurs sensation has already played and scored for the Tottenham senior team, making him a target and a headline addition. Moore might get his chance to play regular first-team football at Albion, and there’s no better place to do it than under the guidance of former assistant head coach Mason.
RW: Tom Fellows: Winger Tom Fellows is wanted by a number of different Premier League clubs but as it stands is still a West Brom player. He’s the calibre of player that could significantly increase the club’s chance of promotion if he’s retained.
ST: Josh Maja: Josh Maja scored 12 in 26 games last season and was a key player for a West Brom side that looked nailed on to finish in the play-offs during the first half of the season. He’s had his injury woes and is likely to face fierce competition from summer signing Aune Heggebø in the new campaign but at the moment remains the favourite to lead the line.
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