Eric Ramsay’s Baggies are back in action on Tuesday as they face Norwich City in the Championship as both sides are looking to avoid being in the wrong end of the table at this stage of the season.
Can The Baggies bounce back after another set back on Friday evening as Middlesbrough got the winner late on after coming back from 2-0 down to bring the game back level. Boro eventually won the game that put us into the bottom six of the table and could be in danger of relegation.
Norwich City are 4 points behind us and are 22nd and a win over us would put it to 1 point apart and it could be a relegation battle for the Baggies at this stage of the season that isn’t possible come the start of the season.
Can Eric Ramsay get the Baggies his first win in charge on Tuesday night and put us away from relegation battle?
Player To Watch – Norwich City
From a West Brom point of view, Jovan Makama is one Norwich City player we cannot afford to ignore on Tuesday evening. While much of the pre-match focus will naturally fall on Norwich’s more established names, Makama has quietly been building momentum and looks like the sort of player who can cause problems if given space or encouragement early on.
What makes Makama a concern is his current confidence. He’s coming into this game on the back of a strong run of form, and young forwards playing with belief are often the most dangerous. He doesn’t need a host of chances to make an impact, and that instinct around the box is exactly what Albion’s back line will need to be switched on to from the first whistle.
Tactically, he poses an interesting challenge for the Baggies. Makama is mobile, willing to run the channels and happy to battle physically, which could test our centre-backs if Norwich look to mix up their approach. West Brom are usually well organised defensively, but players like Makama thrive on loose balls, second phases and moments when concentration drops.
There’s also an element of unpredictability about him. As a younger player still establishing himself, he plays with freedom and without the pressure that often weighs on senior forwards. That can make him awkward to defend against, particularly in a tight Championship fixture where one moment can swing the game.
For Albion, keeping Makama quiet could be key to controlling Norwich’s attacking threat. If the Baggies can deny him space, match his energy and prevent him from gaining confidence early on, they should limit his influence. But if he’s allowed to grow into the game, he’s more than capable of becoming a problem — which is why he’s one Norwich player West Brom fans should be keeping a close eye on.
Player To Watch – West Brom
As West Brom supporters, Isaac Price is exactly the kind of player we’ll be watching closely when Albion take on Norwich City because he’s shown glimpses this season of the quality that could finally help turn around what has otherwise been a miserable campaign so far.
Price delivered one of his standout contributions in the recent 3-2 shoot-out against Middlesbrough, where his free-kick from just outside the box was an absolute stunner and brought West Brom back into the game at The Hawthorns. That strike was the kind of moment Albion fans have been desperate to see from a creative midfielder — a genuine spark in a match where the team needed inspiration.
Earlier in the season Price had been one of the more exciting figures in our midfield, earning recognition in the Sky Bet Championship Team of the Week after a brace in a thrilling win at Wrexham and showing his ability to contribute goals and influence games from deeper areas.But like many Baggies this term, that strong start faded into inconsistency, and he went through a lengthy spell without goal contributions.
That free-kick against Middlesbrough could be the sort of confidence-boosting moment that brings the best out of him again. In a season where Albion have struggled for cutting edge and creativity, having a midfielder capable of moments of genuine quality — whether it’s a goal from distance or a clever flick of a pass in the final third — is hugely valuable.
For many fans it feels like we’ve been waiting to see Price recapture the form he showed at the beginning of the campaign, and if that free-kick was a turning point it could be a real boost for the team’s morale and attacking threat. Heading into Tuesday’s clash at The Hawthorns, that is exactly the sort of influence Albion supporters will be hoping he can bring — the kind that not only helps us compete with a tricky Norwich side, but actually turns some of these frustrating performances into results.
Line Up V Norwich City
Line up over Norwich City, I would play a 5-3-2 formation Eric Ramsay has used this at Minnesota United but with midfielders out currently with injuries I would stick to this formation.
Josh Griffiths would be in goal with a back five of Alfie Gilchrist coming into the side with George Campbell, Nat Phillips and Krystian Bielik in centre backs with Callum Styles returning to left back.
In midfield I stick with Isaac Price in midfield on his own with Mikey Johnston and Jed Wallace coming in attacking midfield as Wallace has been in form in his last two substitute appearances and think he should earn a start with a front two of Daryl Dike and Aune Heggebo.
Prediction V Norwich City
This one is another tough one to predict I did last time out say a 1-1 draw over Middlesbrough where this ended 3-2 to the visiting side. For this one lets see how I predict this one.
I think in the first 6 minutes there be a early goal and it would come to the Baggies, as Jed Wallace would make a smart run past the Norwich wing back and cross the ball in for Isaac Price to attempt a screamer where he would succeed to give us the lead early on and some hope for the fans.
After the goal, we would look to hold on as Norwich would be attempting to try and get back into it, but there be some good defending to keep the scoreline 1-0. The Baggies would attempt to double their advantage as Daryl Dike would hit the crossbar just before the break.
In the second half, Norwich would try and equalize with Jovan Makama attempting to get one past Griffiths with the keeper making a quality save to keep us still ahead. With 10 minutes to go, Karlan Grant would go past one of the wing backs and cross the ball for Josh Maja to double the lead but would miss. The game would be one goal in it and Isaac Price’s early finish would be enough to secure Eric Ramsay his first win as head coach.
Prediction: West Brom 1-0 Norwich City
Goalscorers for West Brom: Isaac Price
A 1-0 win here would be any Albion fan would take right now as we face Norwich City who are in the relegation zone and it would be a important three points if the scoreline is correct on Tuesday night. The Baggies have lost three league games on the bounce and it would be nice to get something against our FA Cup fourth round opponents.