Express & Star

Five talking points from West Brom 1 Manchester United 2

Albion made it 17 games without a win in all competition with a gutsy 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United on Sunday. Here are five talking points from the game.

Published
Last updated
Grzegorz Krychowiak and Chris Brunt. (AMA)

Chris Brunt has been overlooked this season

As soon as he came on, Albion’s set-piece king vastly improved the quality of delivery into the box.

This side have traditionally been dangerous from dead balls, but for some reason, Brunt has struggled for minutes so far.

Removing Brunt from the line-up has removed one of Albion’s most potent and unique weapons.

But Brunt is not just a one-trick pony. The experienced midfielder also created chances for Rondon and Rodriguez during open play. Get him on the pitch, he causes trouble.

Refreshing admittance from new boss

The first thing Alan Pardew did when he came to see the press was hold his hands up and admit he got his selection wrong.

He only made one change from the battling draw at Anfield, and realised, in hindsight, that he should freshened the squad up.

Not all managers shoulder the blame like that, but it will go down well with both fans and players.

Pardew deserves the benefit of the doubt because he is still getting to know his squad.

What’s more, he recognised the issue and brought Gareth Barry on at half-time. It made an impact, as did all three of his substitutions.

Oliver Burke is raw but he can be a weapon

The £15million man was finally given his first start in an Albion shirt after a series of niggling injuries at the start of the season.

The 20-year-old looked raw, and needs work on his defensive duties in particular, but at least he was willing to run at the United defence and pose questions.

He looked slightly more dangerous in a central position in the second half, and Pardew reckons his pace could be an asset, especially on the counter-attack and off the bench late on when Albion are winning.

One step forward but two steps back for Grzegorz Krychowiak

He impressed at Anfield in midweek, and actually started brightly on Sunday, demanding possession in the opening 20 minutes.

But his performance tailed off dramatically, and he started to misplace easy passes.

The Polish midfielder was jaded after the trip to Liverpool, and Pardew has already questioned his fitness levels, but frankly, that is not good enough for a player on £108,000 a week.

For some reason, he seems petrified to pass forward, and still has some way to go before convincing anyone he’s worth all this money.

Time on Pardew’s side but Stoke game is huge

Albion have 20 games left to save their season, and there are signs that Pardew’s methods will eventually bring results.

Thanks to a congested and top-heavy league table the Baggies find themselves just four points off 12th despite a 16-game winless streak in the league.

We are not at crisis stage just yet, but Saturday’s game against a struggling Stoke side will give a better indication of the season ahead.

Win, and Albion leapfrog their opponents. Lose, and Pardew will need help in January.