Steve Hermon, BBC Radio WM
Head coach: James Morrison
Last season: 21st
Key ins: Barney Stewart (Falkirk), Jimmy-Jay Morgan (Chelsea, loan), Conor Townsend (Ipswich), Matt Ingram (Oxford United), Felix Horn Myhre (SK Brann), Rabby Nzingoula (Strasbourg)
Key outs: Jed Wallace (Bristol City), Karlan Grant (Charlton), Josh Maja (Le Havre), Daryl Dike (Orlando City), Josh Griffiths (Stoke).
Expectations? A massive improvement on last season, hopefully. The club inexplicably flirted with relegation to League One, but James Morrison rescued them with a 10-game unbeaten run. He now has the job permanently and, with two extra play-off spots on offer, that should always be the aim for a club the size of Albion. Achieving that is a different conversation, though, and with a younger, developing squad, a top-half finish would at least be a positive sign of progress.
Strengths? Morrison’s miraculous rescue act was built on defensive solidity. He deployed a 4-4-2 formation, which is rare in the modern day, and players played in positions they were comfortable with. The team kept seven clean sheets in their final nine games, but also increased entries into the opposition penalty area thanks to advancing full-backs, so it was far from dull. Hopefully that organised intensity continues.
Weaknesses? Shots increased under Morrison, but turning chances into goals was a problem over the course of the previous campaign. Only four teams scored fewer than the Baggies, and two of them were relegated (Oxford and Sheffield Wednesday). Main striker Aune Heggebo bagged nine league goals in his debut season in England, so the Norwegian will want to improve on that, but he needs help. Spreading goals across the whole team is a must.
Difference-maker? Jimmy-Jay Morgan has scored five goals in pre-season and looks promising, but having not played in the second tier before, and after bigging up Isaac Price in this article last summer, I’m reluctant to put that pressure on the young forward’s shoulders. Horn Myhre is a complete newbie to English football, but at 27 and having played in European competitions, he should be able to handle any expectations. I’m excited to see how the midfielder fares after being dubbed Brann’s ‘most important player’ by one Norwegian journalist I spoke to. If he adapts quickly, he could play a pivotal role.
Jobi’s prediction: 17th