Club guide: West Bromwich Albion

Title: 7,500-1 Relegation: 5-6 Sack Race: 12-1

Transfers

IN

B Myhill (Hull, £1.5m), N Shorey (Aston Villa, £1.5m), G Tamas (Auxerre, undisclosed), P Ibanez (A Madrid, free), S Reid (Blackburn, free)

total spent: £3m

OUT

R Koren, F Teixeira (released), J Greening (Fulham, loan), B Valero (Villarreal, loan)

total made: £0m

Player to watch

Graham Dorrans. Albion were delighted to fend off West Ham’s persistent interest this summer in the talented Scottish midfielder.

Squad worries

Chairman Jeremy Peace has again declined to push the boat out too far. Goals are required to win matches and stay up but defenders, rather than strikers, have been acquired.

Manager speak

Roberto di Matteo furthered his reputation by winning promotion in his first season but predecessors have found that Albion’s neat football is not enough at the higher level.

Story of the summer

DiMatteo pulled off something of a coup in the signing of one-time former England defender Nicky Shorey, and the arrivals of Boaz Myhill and Steven Reid could prove equally adept.

Last season n/a

Scored 89 goals and always in the top two. Finished second.

This season 19th

Yo-yoing between divisions likely to continue.