da cassino online： This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…
da bwin： West Brom somehow remain top of the Championship after a week where things could have easily gone against them.
Perhaps, them grinding out results even despite facing multiple factors is a true sign of the grit and determination required by a title-winning side, but that’s not enough to rely on as Albion boss Slaven Bilic must find a solution quickly or he’s playing with fire.
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In midweek, the Baggies had to come from behind to earn a draw against basement boys Barnsley, and on Saturday, they were up against it all, culminating in a 94th-minute penalty which clinched the visiting Charlton Athletic a point at the Hawthorns.
The result continued a recurring theme in that West Brom can barely keep a clean sheet to save their lives – it’s just the one from all 14 Championship matches this season.
Now, the problem could lie with the personnel at the back, but this latest result suggests the trouble is coming from another source…
£4m summer arrival Charlie Austin continues to struggle at the other end of the pitch – he’s scored just the one league goal in ten appearances.
It could be debated until the cows come home on whether or not he fits Bilic’s system, but the fact of the matter is, it’s just not working out, and when you deploy one man up top, you are risking pressure on the rest of the side.
This was displayed by the 30-year-old as he lost possession 12 times and won just one of his three aerial duels, per SofaScore.
By not keeping hold of the ball or even winning it, Charlton were able to capitalise and put pressure on the Albion backline – surprisingly the visitors recorded more possession at 54%, which is rare considering the west Midlands club rank third in the league for possession percentage at a similar number.
Bilic can lessen the burden on his defence by playing someone like Hal Robson-Kanu, who will be much more of a handful than Austin, clearly shown by his two-goal return from his last three appearances.
At least until January, when he can take further measures in finding the right man – just imagine how many Dwight Gayle would have in this side if he stayed around after last season’s loan spell.