West Brom v Watford preview - Perfect time for Tony Pulis to reveal his masterplan

The Baggies boss has a clean bill of health to choose from for the first time this season after Oliver Burke returned to full training yesterday.

After a successful summer in the transfer market, Pulis asked for time to find and develop the best system for his new and improve squad.

“I’ve got something in my mind I want to use,” he said last week. “I think it will suit the players we’ve got. But I want them all fit first.”

Now all his players are fit, so the starting line-up against Watford will speak volumes.

Pulis has switched to a five-man defence with wing-backs for the past two games, and there have been encouraging patches against Manchester City and Arsenal.

But those sides both play with three at the back. Marco Silva’s team have lined up with a more traditional back four so far.

Pulis has to decide whether he perseveres with wing-backs or reverts to his old formation in an attempt to mirror Watford.

The good news is, unlike last season, Albion now have the personnel to do either, which actually heaps more pressure on the Welshman to get it right.

After a bright start, Albion are now winless in their last five games in all competitions, and have scored just three goals from those fixtures.

They may have been creating chances, but only Swansea and Crystal Palace have scored fewer goals in the league.

The Baggies need to find their shooting boots, but it may end up being a game too early for Pulis to start either Burke or Nacer Chadli, who are expected to be on the bench.

Chadli returned from injury with 45 minutes for the under-23s this week but he hasn’t featured at all in the league this season after refusing to go to Austria in pre-season.

Pulis insists he wants the record signing in his line-up, but until he plays him, fans will remain unconvinced.

Playing a defensive midfield trio away at Arsenal was understandable, but at home, Chadli would be a potential replacement for Jake Livermore.

It’s unlikely though, that he’ll be willing to play Chadli as well as two up front.

Albion swept Watford aside 3-1 at home last season, but the Hornets arrive at The Hawthorns in the top six.

They seem a different proposition this time around and Pulis tempered expectations..

“Outside the top four Watford have spent more than anyone else,” said Pulis.

“Because it’s Watford people expect we should just turn up and win those games.

“But that doesn’t happen in the Premier League. Irrespective of what you’ve done, everyone else has improved too. They haven’t been standing still.

“It’s competitive. What happens is you try and sign some players at your club, which we’ve done, and I think they’ll add to the quality that we’ve got.

“While we’re doing that, other clubs are doing exactly the same, so that standard is raised all the time, not just the top clubs but the clubs underneath it too.”

Win, and Albion will leapfrog Watford in the table, but lose and the patience Pulis asked fans to give him with this team will begin to wear thin.

The opposition

Marco Silva is arguably one of the most exciting young managers in the top tier.

Not many reputations are enhanced by a relegation campaign, but the way the 40-year-old reinvigorated Hull City last season left him plenty of suitors in the summer.

Watford, whose board and fans never fully took to Walter Mazzarri last season, moved quickest, and it seems their move paid off.

The Hornets are currently sixth in the table after a promising start to the season that has seen them win all three of their away games so far.

That is an unusual story for Silva, who has been a home bird for the majority of his career. He went 41 games unbeaten at home in a run that stretched across four different clubs until Sunderland beat Hull in May.

But now, it is his away form catching the eye. Comfortable wins at Bournemouth and Southampton were followed up last week by a last-gasp winner at Swansea.

In fact, the only blip so far this season has been a 6-0 drubbing at home to Manchester City, but when you're playing Pep Guardiola's lot, that can happen.

Watford have also fought back to a 3-3 draw with Liverpool and held Brighton to a goalless draw despite having 10 men for most of the game.

Silva's arrival in the UK may not have impressed Paul Merson, who famously dismissed his achievements with the likes of Estoril and Sporting Lisbon from Portugal as well as Olympiacos in Greece.

But the young manager has certainly made an impression on today's players.

Brazilian forward Richarlison had agreed to join Dutch giants Ajax in the summer, but he turned down Champions League football when Silva called him up.

"I was at home, if I’m not mistaken on a Sunday night, I think," he said. "[Silva] called me and told me he wanted me here at Watford, that he knew of my potential, that I could play three positions in the attack.

"And when he called me I got super happy. That day, if I’m not mistaken, I already had the Ajax proposal, everything was already agreed. Marco Silva called me then, so I changed my mind."

He's a manager on the rise, and Watford seem to be riding on his coat-tails.

He spent a fair bit of money in the summer, it has to be said. Silva brought in 13 players in total, with the £18.5m splashed out on Andre Gray and £11.5m on Richarlison the two eye-catching deals.

In fact, only the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea had a larger net spend in the window.

But the way he's got that new crop to gel straight away suggests the Watford board were right to back him.

However, one of his signings, Nathaniel Chalobah, is out for several weeks after undergoing knee surgery following a training ground injury.

Watford dangerman - Richarlison

The Brazilian has looked dangerous since he arrived at Vicarage Road from Fluminese for £11.5m. He’s already got two goals to his name, including a last-minute winner against Swansea last weekend. A left-winger who likes to cut inside, early signs suggest his power and pace suits the Premier League.

Albion's key man - Grzegorz Krychowiak

Now he’s settled in, home fans will hope this is exactly the sort of game the Polish midfielder can take control of from the middle of the park.

Likely line-ups

Albion (5-3-2): Foster, Nyom, Dawson, Hegazi, Evans, Gibbs, Krychowiak, Barry, Morrison, Rodriguez, Robson-Kanu. Subs: Myhill, McAuley, Livermore, Brunt, Chadli, Burke, Rondon.

Watford (4-2-3-1): Gomes, Holebas, Kabasele, Mariappa, Femenia, Doucoure, Capoue, Richarlison, Cleverley, Carrilo, Gray. Subs: Karnezis, Janmaat, Wagué, Watson, Pereyra, Deeney, Success.