Former West Brom player makes key Baggies transfer prediction

For much of the campaign, the Baggies’ attack has been under the microscope because of their clear lack of quality in the final third, having some of the more capable attacking players in the division on paper in Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson but failing to convert that into goals.

In fact, they have the joint-worst attacking record of sides in the top half of the division at this stage, with 19th-placed outfit Bristol City even managing to get on the scoresheet seven more times than them in the second tier so far this season, scoring just 45 goals in 41 league games during 2021/22.

However, defensive vulnerabilities have also started to creep in, even though their record of conceding 40 goals in 41 second-tier matches looks reasonably impressive on paper.

Conceding six goals in their last four league matches, they are in real danger of ending their campaign on a negative note unless they can tighten up at the back again, with their defending in the 3-1 defeat against Stoke last weekend particularly disappointing as they were caught out by two quick free-kicks and a counter-attack.

And their defensive area is one ex-Albion man Phillips thinks his old side will address when the summer comes along.

He said to West Brom News: “The defending, especially for the second goal was terrible.

“From Steve Bruce’s point of view, the experience he has in that defence, you don’t expect a player to be able to just run onto a simple ball in behind and head it in from 10 yards out.

“Switching off at the first one as well, a ball down the side and then the own goal from Livermore, it’s almost comical.

“He’ll be pulling his hair out will Steve Bruce. That is certainly an area that will be looked at over the summer for the start of