West Brom V Liverpool
Saturday, 18 August, 2012 – 15:00 kick-off (GMT)
English Premier League
Last Season
West Brom 0-2 Liverpool
Liverpool 0-1 West Brom
Preview
It’s been a summer of acclimatization for both Liverpool and West Brom. So it could be a case of whichever side makes the necessary adjustments the quickest, will register maximum points on Saturday, in a contest which last season was split right down the middle. Kenny Dalglish’s Reds inflicted a 2-0 defeat upon Roy Hodgson’s Baggies in the corresponding meeting at The Hawthorns, though the Midlands outfit exacted their revenge later on when winning 1-0 at Anfield – only their second victory over the Merseyside outfit in twelve Premier League encounters. Adapting to a new manager, and with it the possibility of a change in tactics and philosophy, will be the biggest challenge for both sets of players.
Although the sacking of Kenny Dalglish at the very beginning of the post-season did come as a shock at the time, it was to be expected. Liverpool, despite ending their six-year barren streak when it came to silverware by clinching the League Cup, as well as making the final of the FA Cup, endured a horrendous league campaign: languishing down in eighth, the Reds finished the term a staggering 37-points adrift of the champions, 17-points off Spurs in fourth, and, shockingly, four behind local rivals Everton. Simply unacceptable for a club that invested in excess of £100million on its playing staff during King Kenny’s reign.
The new man at the Liverpool helm?: 39-year-old Brendan Rodgers, formerly of Swansea City. And it was under his tutelage that the Welsh club secured promotion to the Premier League for the very first time in 2011, before going on to mesmerise audiences with their majestic brand of football the following season. Rodgers has promised the Reds faithful to expect something very similar while he’s at the helm, and that has got everyone excited, fans very much included but especially the players, who, according to the Northern Irishman, have all bought into his project – and that is crucial for me, as morale can’t have been good when he first arrived at Melwood, not after a bitterly disappointing 2011-12 term.
As for West Brom, they’ve had to absorb a monumental blow with the departure of Roy Hodgson, who gleefully accepted the role of England head coach at the end of last term. Filling the vacancy is none other than Steve Clarke, who last season was Kenny Dalglish’s number two at Anfield. So he should know a fair bit about this Liverpool side; their strengths and weaknesses. This is, though, his first spell in charge as a Premier League manager, and he’ll have huge boots to fill, also; Hodgson guided what I believe was, and certainly is now, a very average group of players, by Premier League standards, to safety in each of the last two seasons, comfortably as well. With the club, in my opinion, having failed to strengthen sufficiently during the summer, with forward Romelu Lukaku signing on a season-long loan the one noteworthy addition, I have a feeling Clarke may struggle to emulate the success of his predecessor.
Prediction: Liverpool to Win @ EVENS with StanJames
I expect Liverpool to begin the new season with a fairly routine win at The Hawthorns – where they have won on five of their previous six visits in the Premier League – which is just as well seeing as mouthwatering contests with Arsenal, Man City and Man Utd at home, as well as a tough trip to Sunderland, await them afterwards. Visiting fans may well catch a glimpse of their two marquee signings of the summer, with Allen and Borini tipped to play some part in proceedings. I especially hope to see Allen from the off, as the Welshman would line up alongside Lucas in the middle of the park which would hand Gerrard the initiative to push forward and link up more with dangerman Suarez, to devastating effect one would hope.
Either way, I just think the visiting team will have too much craft and nous going forward for a Baggies outfit that spent much of pre-season contesting friendlies with lower-league opposition. West Brom also suffered more defeats at home (10) than they did on their travels (6) last season, including reverses at home to Arsenal, Man Utd and Tottenham, as well as that 2-0 loss to Liverpool.
Value Bet: Steven Gerrard to Score Any Time @ 12/5 with PaddyPower
Liverpool had a knack of not only winning penalties last season, but missing them, too. In total, five spot-kicks went awry in the league, and if my memory serves me right, Steven Gerrard was at fault for none (because he was absent in those games through injury). The Reds skipper will brush everyone aside should his team earn one this weekend, and the stats would suggest that (Liverpool winning a penalty) could be the case: no team conceded more penalties in the Premier League last term than West Brom (9), while Luis Suarez earned more of them than any other player (4), including one in this very fixture, which Charlie Adam surprisingly scored.
So Gerrard, who should play in behind frontman Luis Suarez, appears a fantastic bet to notch at The Hawthorns on the opening day – because if he doesn’t manage one from open play, there is every chance he may have an opportunity to net from 12-yards at some stage.
