West Brom Fan View: we're leaving it Lai-t in the transfer window

With the new Premier League season finally underway, potentially the most competitive ever, football fans all over the country are brimming with excitement, hopeful of a successful season.

On the face of it, I should be excited about West Bromwich Albion’s upcoming Premier League campaign. New Chinese owners have replaced the traditionally frugal Jeremy Peace, revamped television revenue has allowed for a bigger transfer budget and we’ve started the season in the best possible way, with a gritty opening day away win.

Sadly, I’m not brimming with excitement. Am I excited about the new football season in general? Of course, but excited about West Brom? Not really.

In fact, I’m already beginning to feel the inevitable wave of disappointment that will spread throughout The Hawthorns over the next few months. If you’re an Albion fan and you’ve never experienced that feeling or you’re unsure if you ever have, its that feeling you get when you seeCraig Gardner starting on the wing. I know, I feel it too.

We are less than two weeks from this summer’s transfer window slamming shut and West Brom have only managed to sign two players, spending a measly total of 5.5 million. Regardless of the takeover and all the uncertainty around it, thats just simply not good enough. Tony Pulis has said that he thinks the club needs to bring in five more players in the next 2 weeks, thats a tough ask.

The squad is in desperate need of new faces, not just in one or two areas, but throughout the side. Starting with the defence, we currently have only two recognised full-backs in the squad. Sebastian Pocognoli and Cristian Gamboa, both of whom are senior internationals but they played just two games between them in the whole of last season.

Due to the duo’s adventurous nature, Tony Pulis clearly doesn’t fancy either player, leaving the likes of Chris Brunt (MF), Jonny Evans (CB), Craig Dawson (CB) and James Chester (CB), now atAston Villa, to fill in at full-back last season. I don’t know of any other professional football team who so regularly try to fit square pegs in round holes, who knew it was so difficult to find a decent full-back?

So far, West Brom have been strongly linked with Lewis Dunk (CB), Jeffrey Schlupp (LW) and Sead Kolašinac (LB). The deal for Schlupp was looking close to completion for a fee of around 11 million pounds, until Leicester changed their mind at the last minute. The signing of 20 year-old Brendan Galloway from Everton this week was a typical Pulis signing, over 6 feet tall and able to play as both full-back and as a central defender. However, he’s played less than 30 league games in his career so far. Other, more experienced options include the likes of Andrew Robertson of Hull City or Cyrus Christie of Derby County, at left-back and right-back respectively. See that wasn’t too hard was it?

In the midfield area, there is disturbing lack of pace, creativity and quality. If you don’t take into account James Morrison and Chris Brunt, both of whom were injured for a majority of last season, there are no genuinely creative players, no one able to create regular scoring opportunities for the likes of Salomon Rondon and Saido Berahino. That lack of creativity meant that last season, we scored just 34 goals in 38 games, the second lowest in the Premier League.

This problem was highlighted further by a 2-1 defeat against Everton in our first home fixture of the season, with Albion taking the lead through a set piece in the first half, we end up losing the game and offering almost no service to either Rondon or Berahino in the time remaining.

Tony Pulis has said he needs at least five new players before the close of the transfer window

With Callum McManaman being injured for a large chunk of last season and James McCleanbeing, quite frankly, not cut out for this level, it was a huge relief to see the signing of Matt Phillips from Queens Park Rangers, who can provide real quality from wide areas. We also have some exciting young players, highlighted by the emergence of Jonathan Leko last season, but more experienced additions are needed.

At least two or three exciting and creative players will have to be brought in before the end of the window, if we are to improve on our embarrassing goals scored total from last year. In terms of realistic suggestions, we need players who can unlock defences, players like Anthony Knockaertof Brighton, Tom Cairney of Fulham or Robert Snodgrass of Hull City.

An area that’s seen plenty of activity is in attack, with the club desperately trying to sign a replacement before they consider selling want away striker Saido Berahino. A fee of 16 million was agreed for West Ham’s Diafra Sakho, who then failed a medical, leading the club to look at other targets.

When you combine the above transfer troubles with my biggest gripe of all, Tony Pulis’ unique style of football, it’s looking as though it might be a tough Premier League season for Baggies fans.

Let’s not give up hope though Albion fans, maybe Guochuan Lai will pull off a few transfer coups over the next two weeks, maybe he’ll see sense and get rid of our managerial dinosaur, maybe wonderkid Jonathan Leko will lead us to glory. Whatever happens, let’s look at the bright side, at least we’re not Aston Villa.