Season over, time for West Brom to experiment before it’s too late
Even the most optimistic of West Brom supporters would probably admit that the Baggies aren’t going to challenge for a playoff place this year.
Yesterday’s humbling 3-1 defeat at home to mid-table Stoke City put any doubt of that to bed with Steve Bruce’s side now just coasting to the end of the season.
But despite there being virtually nothing left to play for, Albion can still put these final five games to good use rather than just trying to get them done and out of the way.
The 3-5-2 that Bruce has got sort of working at The Hawthorns might be all well and good but there could be a system that works even better for the Baggies.
With no threat of relegation, this is a golden opportunity for Bruce to try out new formations and tactics with no repercussions to come from them.
We all know that the 3-5-2 is something we can fall back on if we don’t find anything that works but we do have to play these last five games regardless so we might as well try to make the most out of them.
The experimentation shouldn’t just stop with the tactics either because there is a lot of talent around the football club hoping to prove their worth.
Players such as Reyes Cleary who have had a stunning year for the club’s academy teams should be in Bruce’s squad already and with no pressure on these last handful of fixtures, there is no better time to bring them into the fold and see what they’ve got to offer.
But with Bruce’s future still uncertain at best, maybe the experienced manager will be even more reluctant to change what has become an occasionally-winning formula for West Brom.
In other West Brom news, this journo has shared details of Bruce’s contract at The Hawthorns and whether he could be sacked at the end of the season.
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