[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

"This is the dawning of a new era," the Specials sang some forty-five years ago, doubtless troubled in advance by the transition they foresaw West Bromwich Albion undergoing in summer 2024. God knows we've signed our fair share of carthorses through the years, so it's hardly encouraging to see us recruiting a lad called Dobbin, but given that a few weeks ago it looked like we'd be handing debuts to the Invisible Man and all his kith and kin, I suppose we should be grateful there are any players to wear the shirt at all.

Of course, we've been saying for nearly two years that Carlos Corberan deserves the opportunity to build his own team, and that's exactly what's happening now, so some teething trouble is to be expected, especially given the financial constraints the club are operating within. But having lost the likes of Okay, Townsend and BTA, we're a discombobulated side who've struggled through a string of pre-season friendlies, and even the eleventh-hour hijacking of left-back Gianluca Frabotta from Saturday's opponents QPR doesn't quite shore up Albion's crooked house. Marti Cifuentes, despite missing out on Frabotta, has been able to recruit astutely in signing Paul Nardi, Jonathan Varane and Zan Celar to bolster QPR's ranks, and on home soil they'll be desperate to start their campaign with a win.

Fitness-wise, it would be surprising to see either Frabotta or Devante Cole handed debuts at Loftus Road, so Albion are liable to stick in Torbjorn Heggem at left-back and give Josh Maja a chance up front. We only narrowly avoided defeat on our last visit, and haven't won a season opener since 2019, so it's a tough ask this weekend, and it shouldn't be surprising if we come up short. But if we can take a point away from the capital, then in the circumstances that'd do nicely.

[Baggievicar]

Ah, so good to have match threads back! Thanks, Ska'd.
Can't see us getting anything from this, given form in the friendlies, but what do I know?

[Stairs]

Here we go. Another season starting with unbridled optimism

[Baggievicar]

Clean sheet would be fabulous today.

And that was posted before I saw that Ajayi and Bartley are the centre-back pairing.

[Salopbaggie]

Not one senior player from last year on the bench (on a quick look)

[talkSAFT]

1 - effing - 0 (15 mins)

[Salopbaggie]

and so it begins, 1 - 0 how did they score that awful defending the guy scored a header after a run from outside the box unchallenged.

[talkSAFT]

1-1 Maja 25 mins

[Salopbaggie]

All in all a good first half apart from the defending of Anderson's? goal. It looks to me like CC is trying to get Fellows to play on his left foot more, so has him cutting inside the majority of the time, (unless of course he has told him to do it to put Crystal Palace off because he knows he is not that good with his left ). I just wish I understood what CC thinks a little more he did the same to Wallace another out and out winger again up the right flank, I am sure he has his tactical reasons and he definitely knows what he is doing, so I am not questioning just trying to figure out the logic.

---

More awful defending luckily this time by QPR, 2 for Maja, Boing Boing

[talkSAFT]

Woo-hoo 1-2 (51 mins) Maja again!!