Comment: Snapping up Bakary Sako a sign of Darren Moore’s forward planning

The league’s top scorers are already blessed with plenty of attacking talent.

Jay Rodriguez, Dwight Gayle, Harvey Barnes, and Matt Phillips already have at least four goals each in the league.

To put that into perspective, only three teams ­– Brentford, Sheffield United, and Leeds – have more than one player with four goals or more, and each of those clubs only has two.

Behind Albion’s fab four is a support cast of Kieran Gibbs, who’s netted twice already, plus those on the fringe like James Morrison, Wes Hoolahan, and Oliver Burke.

Sako has been involved in 45 goals (24 goals, 21 assists) in his 78 Championship appearances.

Last time he was in this division, he was extremely potent, scoring 15 times for Wolves.

When the transfer window closed, Albion’s starting XI looked strong, but their squad looked thin.

Since then, Moore has delved into the free transfer market while others shut up shop until January.

It’s another sign of his relentless pursuit of improvement – never sit still or you’ll move backwards. Some would argue it smacks of desperation, others would argue it was shrewd.

But good business is not measured by how much you spend, just look at Burke’s impact – or lack of it – since his £15million arrival. Good business is measured by value for money.

In Hoolahan and Sako, Albion may have picked up relatively cheap options. Their wages are likely to be significant, but without any transfer fee, they will be manageable for a club still in an overdraft.

The fact that one of them was released by a Championship rival is significant.

Moore believes he can get a tune out of Hoolahan for a short period while others do not.

Those two signings have left the Baggies ridiculously top heavy, and the priority in January (or even before then) must surely be a back-up centre-half.

But Moore’s insistence on building his team from the front to the back is a sign of his intentions.

He knows he needs attacking options if Albion are going to win enough fixtures to go up.

Despite his mantra being “one game at a time” – these two signings show he is planning for the season.

Barnes could be recalled in January, while Morrison and Phillips have had injury problems.

To see what impact injuries could have on a team, look no further than Leeds.

Even though Albion academy product Tyler Roberts has deputised admirably, scoring three times already, had Kemar Roofe and Pablo Hernandez stayed fit, Marcelo Bielsa’s team would be top by more than just goal difference.

Knowing your best XI is the sign of a good manager and Moore has stuck to his in the main part all season, but on Wednesday night we saw the first signs of him using his squad.

His decision to remove his two star strikers shortly after the hour mark was an incredibly brave one, particularly when Gayle had looked so lively..

It did not go down well with the away fans and Jay Rodriguez’s dad Kiko summed up everyone’s thoughts perfectly at the time with a one-word tweet that simply said: “Seriously”.

But Moore’s gamble paid off, as both Hoolahan and Gareth Barry gave Albion more control of possession.

Chris Brunt, who would normally have been taken off for Barry, stayed on the pitch and set up both goals (although Barnes deserves plenty of credit for turning the second into an assist).

Sako, like Hoolahan, will provide another option off the bench on the rare occasion the fab four aren’t firing, and crucially, he is a completely different player.

While Hoolahan provides craft and guile, Sako offers power and pace.

Moore is building up a terrifying arsenal at one end of the pitch, one capable of scoring a myriad of goals in a variety of ways.

And he hasn’t spent the world on them. Rodriguez and Phillips were already at the club, Gayle and Barnes are on loan, Hoolahan and Sako were free transfers.

There are still tweaks to be made in defence, and that area desperately needs cover, but at the other end of the pitch, the goals are unlikely to dry up anytime soon.