Analysis: West Brom offer up the perfect tonic after a summer of worry

When there is a little bit of concern and uncertainty heading into a campaign, as there has been at Albion, an opening day win can be massive.

When you couple that opening day win with a superb performance, a hat-trick from your returning front man, and an impressive display from your new signing, it gives the whole club and the fan base a little injection of positivity that can lift everyone.

That is what Albion produced on the opening day at Loftus Road to get their Championship campaign off to a pretty perfect start.

It was always going to be a summer of change at The Hawthorns, as Shilen Patel and Bilkul Football look to turn the tide of the financial situation off the field at the club.

Despite players being released, the early business in adding young overseas talent was welcomed by the fans.

Then the departure of three key players in the space of a few days caused a bit of worry among the supporters.

And despite two more new signings coming through the door in the build-up to Saturday’s curtain raiser, there was a case of what to expect from many surrounding Albion.

What they saw will have exceeded their expectations and will have sewn seeds of hope for the long season ahead, despite the tricky financial road the club still have to navigate off the field.

Fans always want to see new signings on the opening day but just one was thrown in from the off, with Torbjorn Heggem starting at left back.

The young Norwegian defender is predominantly a left back, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from his performance in West London.