All eyes will be on West Bromwich Albion who had a pretty solid season under the tutelage of Tony Pulis. The Baggies have managed to pull off a 10th finish but their standings could have been better had they not lost concentration in their last few matches.
Despite spending lesser amount than his Premier League counterparts, Pulis has managed to earn the plaudits of his critics after getting the team to play a different brand of football last season.
In typical Tony Pulis’ style, The Baggies were defensively very rigid through out the season and have exceeded the expectations. Players like Gareth McAuley and Johny Evans have been a revelation, especially the 37 years old McAuley, who surprised everyone with his goal scoring trades.
The Baggies were very tough with their approach as Pulis’ main strategy was to diminish the opponent on a counter. Pulis changed the mindsets of the team and the result was clearly evident as the Baggies leaked only 51 goals last season.
With McAuley turning 37, Pulis needs to work out some plans as he is in the need of a defender. Here are three replacements he should eye this summer:
Chris Smalling (Manchester United):
The Manchester United defender has been linked with a number of clubs but all the rumours have cooled off lately. He is currently with the first team squad in the United States of America participating in a pre-season tournament.
The English international has been very inconsistent at times but if he stays confident, he can be a man to watch. With Victor Lindelof’s arrival, game time might hard to come by so Pulis should try to arrange a move for him and Smalling could follow the suit of Johny Evans and Darren Fletcher to join the Baggies from Old Trafford.
Steve Cook (AFC Bournemouth):
The Bournemouth defender had an excellent outing last season. The 26-year-old played a very pivotal role for Eddie Howe’s side, as they defied all the odds to claim a ninth position in the Premier League table.
Cook has developed into one of the most accomplished defenders and led the backline from the front. In a team which heavily depends on possession and attacking based football, Cook managed to attract the attention.
He developed a good partnership with Nathan Ake in the first half of the season and later with Simon Francis to give the Cherries something to cheer about.
Andrea Ranocchia
The Italian defender was on loan at Hull City and after initial struggles, he left the Premier League holding his head pretty high. Despite Hull’s demotion, the 29-year-old has been pretty impressive with his positioning sense and tight marking.
Italy has produced some great defenders with the likes of Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marcello Lippi and Leonardo Bonucci. Ranocchia might not be at that level but definitely has the potential to emulate that kind of defensive performances, making him a decent option for the Baggies.
