Despite the promise shown by Brendan Galloway and Sam Field, Albion’s one-dimensional display against Middlesbrough invited questions about Tony Pulis’s lack of a gameplan
It is unusual to hear boos at full‑time only three games into the season, especially when West Bromwich Albion’s disgruntled fans had witnessed their side collect a point that took them into the top half of the table. But the booing was evidently about the style rather than their results, and this disappointing performance suggests that, at this stage, the Baggies are lacking a clear gameplan.
Tony Pulis has rarely received rave reviews for his footballing philosophy; his Stoke City side became renowned for their emphasis upon long balls, long throws and hard tackles, while with Crystal Palace and West Bromwich he concentrated heavily upon defence. That remains his speciality – since taking charge at The Hawthorns in January 2015, only Arsenal and Manchester United have kept more clean sheets. Ben Foster never seemed likely to be beaten here.
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The problem, inevitably, is Albion’s attacking. Their first booming long ball came in the opening minute, with the centre-back Gareth McAuley launching it downfield towards the powerful centre-forward Salomón Rondón. That appeared to set the tone for their performance, with the Venezuelan giving the Middlesbrough centre-backs Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson, both inexperienced at this level, an aerial test.
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However, Ayala and Gibson emerged victorious: Rondón, amazingly, won only one of his 12 aerial duels against the two centre-backs, and when Albion played passes into feet, his touch was poor and possession was conceded cheaply. Besides, he rarely found team‑mates sprinting forward in support – Matt Phillips was quiet on the right, and while James McClean started well, going on one excellent diagonal run, he rarely offers a goal threat and his end product is highly inconsistent.
West Bromwich’s brightest moments came from two players making their full debuts. The left‑back Brendan Galloway, who joined last week on a season‑long loan from Everton, provided a refreshing change from Pulis’s policy of fielding four centre-backs, and burst forward with intent. He immediately made a good overlapping run, getting Ayala booked for a clumsy tackle, and later dribbled forward to test Brad Guzan with a low shot. The 18‑year‑old central midfielder Sam Field, meanwhile – a West Bromwich youth graduate – showed composure, comfortable receiving the ball in tight situations and playing passes with either foot.
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It is unusual to see Pulis fielding a young player, and equally rare for him to use a midfielder whose game is based around technical quality rather than physicality. Perhaps the use of these two suggests he is attempting to make Albion more eye‑catching and creative – but there is no evidence he is capable of creating successful sides in that mould. There was simply no discernible plan here, aside from some decent routines at set-pieces.
Middlesbrough were far from fluent, but Aitor Karanka had clearly asked his players to switch play regularly and work Albion from side to side. Boro switched play from one flank to the other 18 times, frequently changing the point of attack. Albion did that only twice, their approach play remaining extremely predictable and easy to defend against.
Last week, before the signing of Galloway, Pulis suggested Albion needed to recruit five more players before the end of the transfer window. It is difficult to imagine four others arriving by the end of Wednesday – but, more crucially, it’s not entirely clear what type of players Pulis wants, or what he is trying to build.