Analysis: A West Brom performance for Tony Pulis to build on – as long as he heeds the lessons
It was not as close as the scoreline suggests but there were still aspects of the performance that Albion can take heart from.
Through a mixture of sheer will, a system that actually worked, and Manchester City’s wayward finishing, the Baggies stayed in the game for an hour.
Then just as the home crowd was starting to believe it was possible to knick something, Raheem Sterling came off the bench and squashed those hopes.
But very few fans would have travelled to The Hawthorns expecting this out-of-sorts Albion side to get anything from Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering team of talented superstars that, even at this early stage, seems to be fast-tracking its way to the title.
So the defeat itself doesn’t matter, it was always on the cards, plenty of others have been swatted aside in more humiliating circumstances this season. The performance was far more important.
What was encouraging was how much each member of the team was willing to fight for the under-pressure head coach.
Shoulders weren’t dropping, there was confidence in their body language, they pressed high up the pitch as a unit.
It helps that Pulis gave them a plan that worked. His decision to play a back five and two up top was the best way to load up the defence while threatening City’s only weak spot – their back line.
And he deserves credit for that – provided the lessons learned on Saturday are carried over into future games.
Because the front two is surely the way to go, even if Pulis will only allow such ambition if its backed up by five defenders and three defensive midfielders.
Salomon Rondon looks happier with a second striker supporting him, Jay Rodriguez looks better playing up top. Most importantly, Albion look far more likely to score.
Even though Rodriguez was tracking City left-back Fabian Delph at times, which meant he had to fall further back and further right than he would want, Guardiola uses full-backs differently to anyone else. They tuck in as an extra midfielder during attacks, causing an overload.
If the 5-3-2 formation is ever used again, then Rodriguez would not have to retreat so regularly.
The concerning thing is that Pulis won’t use it again.
When he was asked that very question afterwards, he talked about it nullifying Guardiola rather than getting the best out of his own players.
The worry is that Pulis only let the shackles off because there was nothing to lose, no-one was expecting him to win, and City’s vulnerabilities are at the back.
But there was enough evidence on Saturday to suggest he should play two up front against Huddersfield next week.
So if he reverts to the 4-5-1 system that hasn’t worked at Brighton or Southampton, there may well be mutiny in the sold out away end.
That game is far more important than this one. Plucky defeats to the big boys count for nothing, it’s the meat and drink against the rest of the league that will either make or break Pulis this season.
He was never going to be judged on Saturday’s game, and it would be ludicrous to do so.
That’s why so little anger was vocalised in the stands, it was a mismatch of teams and the supporters know that.
But if Pulis doesn’t carry that same positive attitude over into future fixtures, and retreats into his shell again, then the hostilities will grow louder.
Last week I wrote in these pages that it’s much better to lose 3-2 having a go, than 1-0 and not. This week, we found that out to be true. Hopefully Pulis has heeded the lesson.
