By Martyn Cotterill
November 30 2004

With recent encouraging performances since Bryan Robson took the helm at the Hawthorns, the bottom placed Baggies will be hoping to take points off some of the teams around them at the foot of the Premiership table in the coming weeks. An unbelievable miss from Kanu that may have taken a point from Middlesbrough, a gutsy performance at Highbury against the reigning champions, and a spirited first half display at home to Manchester United, are all major plusses, and the Albion fans, management and board will take heart from that. But unfortunately, the table doesn’t lie, and Messrs Robson and Pearson will be hoping to convert some of those performances into results, as we enter a critical few weeks.

Starting away against Portsmouth on Saturday, followed by the visit of Charlton Athletic to the Hawthorns, and the short trip across the second city to face Birmingham City at St. Andrews, everyone connected with the club will be hoping to really turn the corner and get the season underway!

Former Middlesbrough stalwart stated: "There have been a lot of positives since we have been here and the way the players have responded has been good. People possibly didn’t give us much of a chance of getting anything out of the first three games we’ve been at the club."

It will also be an acid test for the players on the periphery of the first team squad, as they play to impress Robson, or indeed secure a move away from the club. Junichi Inamoto and Larus Sigurdsson are continuing their recovery from major injury problems, Lee Marshall and Lloyd Dyer still apparently out in the cold and Irish duo James O’Connor and goalkeeper Joe Murphy out on loan at Burnley and Walsall respectively.

Jason Koumas has been linked with moves to Fulham and Everton in recent weeks, but he is understood to be firmly the plans of the new Baggies manager after missing Saturdays 3-0 reverse with a groin strain. Koumas played a full 90 minutes for the reserves in the 1-1 draw against the Toffees on Monday night, as he plans to stake a claim for Saturdays clash with Pompey.

News In Brief

· Former Paris Saint Germain coach Luis Fernandez claims that he had the opportunity to replace Gary Megson before the club opted for Bryan Robson. "I would appreciate England," said Fernandez. "I had contact with West Bromwich, but I did not progress it. Spain, of course, too."

· Bryan Robson has allowed midfielder James O’Connor to remain at Championship outfit Burnley for a further two months.

· Albion will be scrutinised by the Sky cameras early in the New Year, as the clash with Manchester City at the Hawthorns will be screened live on the PremPlus channel. Kick off for 22nd January encounter will be at 5.15pm.