West Brom v Sheffield United: Baggies will press on with with their all-action style
Valerien Ismael says Albion are on the right track as he works to build a team that can play his high-intensity brand of football for 90 minutes.
The Baggies host Sheffield United tonight looking to build on an impressive start to the season that saw them draw at Bournemouth before beating Luton.
In what was an extraordinary game against the Hatters, Ismael’s side were outstanding for an hour and raced into a three-goal lead.
But the momentum of the game then completely changed with Luton taking control and pushing for an equaliser before Albion eventually held on to win 3-2.
Ismael is adamant the main reason for that momentum shift was a 15-minute break in play that occurred after Luton’s Jordan Clark was left concussed following a collision with Sam Johnstone.
That break arrived roughly five minutes after half-time – with Ismael believing the half-hour rest ‘killed our legs.’ But the boss also feels Albion fell into old habits by sitting back and trying to protect their lead. And that is a mindset he wants his players to get out of, with the boss insisting they press and play at a high tempo from the first whistle to the last.
“It’s about starting strong and finishing strong – you have to stay on the front foot,” Ismael said.
“Old habits came back against Luton but this normal, we have only been working for seven or eight weeks together.
“When it happens we can work with the guys. We can have video sessions. And you can give them the solutions and show them how to do it better. That is how you improve.”
Ismael says, overall, he is delighted with the way the team are taking his ideas on board.
“We worked really hard in pre-season with the guys,” the Frenchman continued. “We are still in the early part of the season.
“But so far, we can already see a lot of the principles, the energy and the intensity in the games.
“On the other side we need to work on a lot of topics with the guys.
“That is normal. We are learning how the team reacts in certain stressful situations.
“We are still working to cement our way, to get that focus and to get that momentum, to keep the momentum going. That is our purpose.
“The Luton game gave us – especially the first hour – good confidence that we are on the right way.
“But we have to try and do it 100 per cent. We lost focus and control after the injury break.
“So we need to work on it, we played at home and my expectation is that we are on the front foot for 90 minutes plus. That is the next step.
“We don’t want them to fall into old habits, to drop, to wait.
“We want them to stay active and on the front foot.”
Like the Baggies, Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League last year.
But despite the quality they boast, Ismael expects Albion to play on the front foot for 90 minutes.
“For us it’s another strong opponent, it doesn’t matter if they have just come down from the Premier League,” the boss said when asked about Slavisa Jokanovic’s side.
“The focus is on the game, tactically what we have to do.
“They have a new manager, a new philosophy.
“We need to manage it, to find the right solution. We need to be disciplined in our approach to press.
“And my expectation is that we stay on the front foot from the first minute to the last minute.”
