West Bromwich Albion’s promotion credentials will be under the microscope this coming Saturday when Carlos Corberan’s playoff-chasing Baggies face off against Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town, the Tractor Boys loving life back in the Championship with the Suffolk club in second spot currently.
Corberan’s men are way off Ipswich in terms of points in the division, but West Brom’s focus will be fixed on trying to make it into the playoff positions this season – outside of the playoff picture at the time of writing owing to goal difference, Sunderland above the Baggies in sixth nervously looking over their shoulder to see what the West Midlands club does next.
West Brom’s manager will have a number of selection calls to ponder over for the upcoming game at the Hawthorns, selecting the very best lineup he thinks can go toe-to-toe with the confident visitors in what is an exciting match-up on paper.
With that in mind, here is how Corberan could set his side up this weekend – with two possible alterations from the latest defeat to Southampton.
1
GK – Alex Palmer
Everpresent in all of West Brom’s 16 Championship games so far, Palmer starting against Ipswich Town will be one of the simpler decisions when it comes to team selection from Corberan’s perspective.
Keeping seven clean sheets this season, only conceding 17 goals when he has been unfortunately beaten, the 27-year-old’s position in the starting lineup is surely set in stone for Saturday.
2
RB – Darnell Furlong
Darnell Furlong will also be retained in Corberan’s first-team plans for the clash against Ipswich, very rarely missing a game for the Baggies whether that be at the back or played slightly more forward in a right midfield spot.
He’s featured in all 16 second-tier games for West Brom much like his teammate Palmer, a shoo-in for a starting position against the Tractor Boys.
3
CB – Kyle Bartley
Scoring against the Saints last time out – Bartley bundling the ball into the back of the net after a Brandon Thomas-Asante effort clattered the crossbar – the 32-year-old could be key at the back up against Ipswich’s high-energy attacking line of Nathan Broadhead and George Hirst by successfully marshalling them out of the contest.
Averaging 3.8 ball recoveries per 90 minutes this season, according to Sofascore, Bartley will hope he can act as a Baggies brick wall when swarms of Ipswich attackers do come his way.
4
CB – Cedric Kipre
Missing from the West Brom starting eleven only once this campaign so far – benched when the Baggies played Millwall at the Hawthorns – Kipre should start this Saturday to take his season tally to 16 appearances.
Kipre has been a colossus in many of his performances, the Ivory Coast defender standing out in West Brom’s 2-0 win over Coventry recently – blocking three shots to foil the Sky Blues and clearing the ball away seven times to consolidate a clean sheet, as per Sofascore.
5
LB – Conor Townsend
Corberan shouldn’t have to make any changes in his defence, with Conor Townsend another trusted member of the backline at the Baggies.
Performing below his usual high standards in a West Brom strip away at St Mary’s – the 30-year-old losing all six of his attempted ground duels – West Brom’s Spanish manager will still stick by his full-back for the visit of Ipswich in the hope that he raises his performance level in such a high-octane contest.
6
RM – Grady Diangana
Once on West Ham United’s books as a youngster developing at the Hammers, Grady Diangana has since become a key player at West Brom with the 25-year-old entering his fifth successive season with the club this campaign.
Often blowing hot and cold as many exciting maverick-style players tend to do, West Brom’s number 11 has two goals and three assists from 11 games played this season.
Two of those assists were notched up in just one game, Diangana a nuisance for the Hull City defenders all night in a 3-1 win at the Hawthorns over the Tigers.
7
CM – Okay Yokuşlu
West Brom’s defensively sound Turkish midfielder should start again for the West Midlanders for the evening kick-off, Okay Yokuşlu solid in recent contests for Corberan’s playoff-aspiring team.
In a 2-0 home win over QPR back in mid-October, the 29-year-old was no-nonsense in approach.
Tough into the tackle by winning three of his four ground duels, West Brom’s number 35 excels at doing the dirty work in the centre of the park allowing other midfield options the freedom to get forward subsequently.
8
CM – Alex Mowatt
The first change Corberan could look to make for the game at the weekend could be starting Alex Mowatt over Nathaniel Chalobah, the former Leeds United man standing out when substituted on against Southampton.
Mowatt was a far more effective attacking presence than Chalobah when introduced, pushing his team further forward to attempt an unlikely comeback.
As per Sofascore, the 28-year-old had 44 touches from just 34 minutes on the pitch in a bid to leave his mark on the contest. Unfortunately for Mowatt and the rest of the team, he couldn’t quite be the difference-maker but this individual display could see him start against Ipswich.
9
LM – Matt Phillips
Playing for Blackpool, Sheffield United and QPR before finding a settled home in the West Midlands with West Brom in 2016, Phillips continues to be a talented winger despite the twilight of his career fast approaching him now at 32 years of age.
Starting all 16 games for Corberan’s Baggies this season – even with youngster Tom Fellows pushing Phillips and Diangana all the way for a starting spot – Phillips has registered three goals and two assists to show he’s still a reliable creator going forward and why his manager keeps picking him.
10
ST – Josh Maja
Once on loan with Fulham in the Premier League from then parent club FC Girondins de Bordeaux, West Brom snapped up Maja on a free transfer deal this summer after the Ligue 1 outfit released their former EFL hot-shot.
Bursting onto the scene in English football with Sunderland as a teenage sensation up top, the “rare” talent – as hailed by former Black Cats striker Jermain Defoe – hasn’t really got going yet for the Baggies, but he could be pushing for a starting spot this weekend if fit.
With Thomas-Asante having not been in rich goalscoring form recently – failing to find the net in his last two displays – it could open the door for a surprise Maja start.
11
ST – Jed Wallace
Deployed as a striker this season – a change in position for Jed Wallace who has always played down the channels in his career – the former Millwall man has performed well for Corberan’s men as an out-and-out forward this season.
It’s his creative flair on the ball that makes him a worthwhile strike partner for whoever slots in next to him, West Brom’s captain registering three assists in the league to date.
Predicted West Brom XI vs Ipswich in full: GK – Palmer; RB – Furlong, CB – Bartley, CB – Kipre, LB – Townsend; RM – Diangana, CM – Yokuşlu, CM – Mowatt, LM – Phillips; ST – Maja, ST – Wallace
