Tony Pulis is looking forward to the challenge that West Ham will bring to the Hawthorns this Saturday at 3 o'clock. The Welsh manager believes his West Brom outfit are strong enough to stand up to the London club, and takes last weeks missed chances as a positive.

"There are lots of ups and downs and I will deal with it the way I think is right. If we win Saturday, we will be in the top half" the Albion manager optimistically stated.

“We created good chances in the second half against Bournemouth last week. We've got to take those chances” Pulis said to the media this morning. Handing out a league debut to newcomer Nacer Chadli was an important decision, as he linked well with Left back Brandon Galloway and fellow newcomer Matt Phillips.

Another shining star for the Albion this season is the emergence of Sam Field and the Baggies manager had nothing but good things to say about the up and coming English talent, "Sam Field has come in and played fantastically. He's been away with England and done well there too which is great experience".

Time for change?

The Baggies fans are not sharing in the same optimism of Pulis this season however, with some calling for drastic change; however the experienced Premier League manager has a thick skin quoting "You have to take criticism. The fans have a right to voice opinions. It's their club. They've a right to say what they think", also adding "It's no good being in this job if you can't take criticism. All managers take criticism. It's part of the job".

Fitness the key?

Brunt has been sidelined since February and missed the Euro's | Photo: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images
Brunt has been sidelined since February and missed the Euro's | Photo: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

Coming into the fixture West Brom still have a few first team players missing out. James Morrison and Chris Brunt are still not in the first team due to injury, however Pulis remained positive on their situations; "Morrison is a lot fitter this week than he was last week and Brunty could play on Monday in the Premier League 2 game versus Aston Villa". This is encouraging for the Albion, as the pair are firm fan favorites. Morrison played a full 90 minutes last week in a Premier League 2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion, whereas Brunt is still recovering from a horrific knee injury sustained last season against Crystal Palace.

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About the author
Joe Crabb
First year at Southampton Solent University studying Sport Journalism. West Bromwich Albion fan and huge lover of the NFL!