West Brom boss Tony Pulis will be looking for his team to claim a second consecutive victory at Everton on Monday night
West Brom has played one Premier League game under Tony Pulis since his appointment and the Baggies claimed a 1-0 over Hull in that solidarity top-flight outing.
The former-Stoke boss kept Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season, despite the Eagles being bottom of the table when he took over.
The side from London finished 12th in the Premier league table. I am sure Baggies fans would accept that position at this point in time.
The Baggies face a trip to struggling Everton on Monday night and it represents a chance for West Brom to pick-up a second consecutive win.
Solid
One term that is frequently used about Tony Pulis teams is the word solid. The Welshman prides himself on the way his teams defend and stay solid. The 56-year-old’s style has often been described as long-ball football, but that would be harsh.
His style at Crystal Palace was far more expansive, as he used wingers to great effect. He did use a more direct style in his days a Stoke. The Potters were often labelled as a long-ball team and had players who were very physical in Pulis’ days at the Britannia Stadium.
Pulis builds his team from the back and at both Stoke and Crystal Palace he had some good centre-backs. At West Brom he has some very decent defenders to work with. England centre-back Joleon Lescott and Liverpool-loanee Andre Wisdom are two very solid players.
The pair are both players who Tony Pulis will appreciate. They are both strong players, who can contribute to a good defensive set-up. The pair could be key to the way that Pulis sets up his team for the Baggies.
Promising
A key player for West Brom this season so far has been young England under-21 striker Saido Berahino. The youngster scored the winner in last weekend’s victory over Hull and has now scored nine Premier League goals this season.
The Burundi-born star is without doubt a promising talent and has been linked with a January move. There were suggestions that Tony Pulis may sell the striker in order to raise funds to strengthen his squad. However, the Baggies boss has stated that he wants to keep hold of the striker.
Controversy
Pulis’ arrival has been greeted in a positive manner by most Baggies fans. The Welshman’s stay at the club has not all been positive though, as assistant boss Paul Jewell left the club after just a week at the club.
Experienced former-Tottenham boss Gerry Francis has come into the club, which has led to speculation that Jewell’s exit was related to Francis’ situation. That speculation has been dismissed by Pulis, as the former-Stoke boss revealed that Francis was always going to join him at the Hawthorns regardless of Jewell’s role.
Francis has been part of Pulis’ backroom staff for a good while at Stoke and at Crystal Palace, so his arrival was not a surprise. The departure of Jewell is unlikely to disturb the equilibrium at West Brom though, as Pulis’ arrival has changed the mood at the Hawthorns.
Poor
The Baggies travel to Everton’s Goodison Park on Monday. Neither of the two teams are in great form. The Toffees are in an unexpected position of 12th in the Premier League table and just one point ahead of the visitors.
The Toffees have not won in five Premier League games, but Roberto Martinez’s team have produced far better performances in the home game against Manchester City and against West Ham in the FA Cup in midweek.
The mood seems to have slightly lifted on the blue half of Merseyside in recent games, but the worrying thing is that they have not picked-up up a win.
West Brom have not won in five away Premier League games and may just be facing the Toffees at the wrong time with that slight upturn in fortunes.
Betting News
Usually Everton would be big favourites to claim victory, but with fatigue and poor form a factor West Brom may just have a chance of claiming an away win.
With Tony Pulis in charge you can never write the Baggies off and they may just come away from Merseyside with something to show for their efforts.
Can West Brom claim a victory at Everton?
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