Express & Star

Comment: Pulis vs Moore – past vs present for West Brom

After such a drab season which resulted in relegation from the Premier League, Albion fans are rediscovering their love for football.

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Darren Moore and Tony Pulis worked together during the latter’s reign at The Hawthorns – Moore is now the man in the Albion hotseat and faces his former mentor on Friday

Taxi-gate, the disastrous reign of Alan Pardew – those are well and truly in the rear view mirror.

And that’s thanks to goals, lots of them.

The Baggies have enjoyed three victories within a week – two in the Championship and one in the Carabao Cup – and have managed a mighty 12 strikes along the way.

Attacking partnerships are burgeoning in a fresh 3-4-1-2 system.

Dwight Gayle looks very sharp, as do Jay Rodriguez and Harvey Barnes.

Darren Moore’s men, although it is early days, have a new lease on life.

But one man is intent on reminding the Albion faithful of more dismal days.

Tony Pulis’s Middlesbrough are the Baggies’ next opponents, on Friday night.

Moore’s side last two league games have been seven and eight-goal thrillers but, if Pulis’s time at The Hawthorns is anything to go by, this encounter at the Riverside Stadium will be far less exciting.

Albion have netted 11 times in their last two league fixtures under Moore.

Pulis, before he was sacked as Baggies boss last November, oversaw just nine goals in 12 games league outings last campaign.

He will be determined to stifle Albion’s attack and grind out a win, probably by the odd goal.

A win over Boro and Pulis, to signal they have moved on and times truly are changing, would go down a treat.

By the way, as much as the Baggies deserve plaudits for beaten QPR 7-1 on Saturday, the Rs fully warrant the criticism that is being aimed at them.

How Steve McClaren got the job in the first place is baffling.

The former England chief’s last successful season was at Dutch club FC Twente, winning the league eight years ago.

Since then, he has made a right hash of things at Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, Twente (again), Derby County, Newcastle United, Derby (again) and is now carrying on that streak at Loftus Road. I have absolutely no clue why the Rs decided to let go of Ian Holloway, who appeared to be building something on a stripped-back budget, and replace him with McClaren.

He just seems to be out-of-touch.

He was once a good manager, but the game has moved on over the last decade and he has displayed no evidence that he has been able to keep up.

QPR may actually be better off giving the job to John Eustace, the club’s current assistant boss.

A level-headed and ambitious coach, he got Kidderminster Harriers playing some beautiful football in National League North with the help of Matt Gardiner, who is also with the Rs now as a coach. The way they’re going, the only way is down.