West Brom out to extend impressive streak vs Ipswich which actually showcases their weakness
West Brom travel to face Ipswich this weekend, and they have a surprising omen in their favour.
As it always is, promotion is the goal for West Brom this season, and after a four-game unbeaten run at the start of the campaign, things were looking rosy.
Then, of course, the Albion mentality kicked in, and Ryan Mason’s side now find themselves struggling for consistent form in the Championship.
West Brom have lost two of their last three fixtures, but if recent history repeats itself, the Baggies could be in line to pick up at least a point when they face Ipswich Town.
West Brom’s record against relegated sides is surprisingly solid
Albion sit 10th in the Championship after 11 games, albeit just two points behind Bristol City, who occupy fourth place.
Notable games in which West Brom have dropped points include Portsmouth at home, Derby at home and Watford away; three games the Baggies would often be expected to win if they are serious about their promotion aspirations.
- Watford 2-1 West Brom
- West Brom 0-1 Derby County
- West Brom 1-1 Portsmouth
Now, compared to their record against teams who previously occupied a spot in the Premier League, it makes for interesting reading.
Via BBC Sport, the Baggies have lost just one of their last seven meetings with a side who recently fell into the Championship, albeit only winning one of them.
That was West Brom’s 5-3 victory against Luton Town at the end of the last campaign, with Callum Styles and Tom Fellows both getting a brace.
While wins will be valuable in games like that, a draw is a very good result more often than not for West Brom, who typically seem to struggle more when they face sides who would typically be deemed as the underdog.
It demonstrates the area that Mason needs to focus on the most this season, if Albion are to find some success.
Albion are an out-of-possession team
It will not be the case for every win and loss, but there is certainly a pattern.
When West Brom win, they typically end the game with less possession than their opponent, and when they lose, it’s quite the opposite.
- Watford loss – 60% possession
- Preston win – 49% possession
- Millwall loss – 61% possession
- Norwich win – 41% possession
- Middlesbrough loss – 59% possession
- Derby loss – 68% possession
- Stoke win – 48% possession
- Wrexham win – 49% possession
- Blackburn win – 44% possession
West Brom’s defeat to Derby is a prime example of that, when the Baggies had 68 per cent of the overall possession, but suffered a 1-0 defeat at The Hawthorns.
In comparison, their 1-0 win away to Norwich saw them register just 41 per cent of the ball.
Mason needs to find a balance between the two, and with Ipswich typically happy to see more of the ball, it could play into their favour this weekend.
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