Albion’s Second Tier Season Comparison – 6 games | OneFootball

It is, perhaps, a little too early to get too excited, but James Morrison is building something very special at the Hawthorns. Not only has his team proved that they can play attractive, decisive, attacking football, but they can also scrap and defend like lions when the need arises. The level of performance that the ten men achieved in the second half at Pride Park was nothing short of outstanding. A more confident and better side than Derby County may have caused them more problems, but Mozza’s men batted away everything that the hosts could throw at them with relative ease.

Ultimately, it was a deserved 1-0 victory, a first at Pride Park in 23 years and only their second league win in Derby since December 1919! Perhaps a little early to call an end to the Derby hoodoo, but it’s a welcome start. Furthermore, the three points has put the Baggies two points clear at the top of the Championship table, something few will have foreseen at the start of the season. A couple of clubs could move level on points should they win their game in hand, but Albion are sitting pretty right now ahead of the visit of QPR on Saturday, who could themselves have moved top had they won at Charlton on Wednesday evening.

Rayann Pereira had a debut to forget with two rash challenges that resulted in a 34th minute red card. The second challenge, in particular, was very silly albeit the ball to him from O’Leary was ill-advised, but I thought he had done well overall up to that point – I do think there is a player there and let’s hope he can learn quickly. With Nolan Galves picking up what looks like a nasty knee injury, it does give Mozza a headache for Saturday’s game when Pereira will be suspended, and will he trust the young Frenchman for the Black Country Derby the following weekend?

This is the sixth time in our comparison seasons that the Baggies have topped the table after six games – only twice have they gone on to the be promoted – in 2003/04 and in 2009/10. In 2003, a 1-0 win at Derby County in game 5 put Gary Megson’s Albion top of the table for the first time that season.

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