West Brom ‘must shake off awful recurring problem’ against Blackburn Rovers
Ryan Mason’s first competitive game as West Brom manager is now upon us.
Mason’s side rounded off a turbulent pre-season with a promising 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano, with supporters getting to see their new signings in person at The Hawthorns.
Ahead of the end of the transfer window, there are still some key issues, with Albion in need of a new goalkeeper following Josh Griffiths’ poor performances.
West Brom don’t seem to be rushing in their search for a new number one, but they will be searching for a way to solve one drastic problem before Saturday’s game against Blackburn.
West Brom have won just two of their last ten opening fixtures
Baggies supporters have grown frustrated with their lack of transfer business this summer.
Mason’s side have only brought in three players so far in Nat Phillips, Aune Heggebo and George Campbell.
While their defence has been significantly strengthened, given their injuries in the final third of the pitch, there is still room for improvement.
With Blackburn travelling to The Hawthorns on Saturday, Albion will be looking to go some way towards improving their record on the opening day of the season.
West Brom have won just two of their last ten first fixtures of the season, including two draws and six losses.
| Matches | Losses | Wins | Draws | |
| Opening games | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
The Baggies have picked up just eight points across the ten games, which has put them on an immediate back foot in the league.
Throughout the years, Albion have seen some of their best and worst results come on the first game of the season.
- In August 2010, they suffered their worst ever opening-day defeat in the top flight as they were thrashed 6-0 away to Chelsea, which was the joint heaviest loss on the opening day in Premier League history.
- However, in 2012, the Baggies ran out 3-0 victors against Liverpool in a day to remember at The Hawthorns.
Mason has been left short by West Brom
West Brom’s squad won’t be up to scratch for their game against Blackburn.
The fixture could be an eye-opener for supporters, with plenty of gaps still to be plugged before the Baggies can compete for the top six.
Hopefully, new signings are in the pipeline, so that the squad looks more complete come the end of the season.
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