Jay Rodriguez, right, has been a successful signing for West Brom and scored the winning goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Jay Rodriguez, right, has been a successful signing for West Brom and scored the winning goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Jay Rodriguez, right, has been a successful signing for West Brom and scored the winning goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Jay Rodriguez, right, has been a successful signing for West Brom and scored the winning goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

West Brom's imminent relegation one of the most inexplicable in the Premier League era


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

Only one club has tasted victory at both Old Trafford and Anfield this season. It isn’t Manchester United or Liverpool, either. They are West Bromwich Albion and at some point – perhaps as soon as Sunday – their relegation will be ratified. After eight years in the Premier League, Albion will return to the Championship.

It will be one of the more ignominious demotions. It will also be one of the most inexplicable. Not in terms of the results – any team with only two wins in 32 attempts will be in trouble – but because of the context. Albion seemed configured to compete. As they have demonstrated in beating Liverpool, albeit in the FA Cup, and United, their best is comfortably good enough.

"I don't know what their problem has been this season," said the former West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku, even before Albion beat his United team.

Pinpointing it is difficult, beyond the obvious disaster of appointing Alan Pardew, whose 19 league matches produced a solitary victory.

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Because Albion started the season seeming a model of stability. They had only posted fewer than 43 points once in this stint in the Premier League. They possessed a manager, in Tony Pulis, who had famously never been relegated and who signed a contract extension the day before the campaign began.

Albion oozed Premier League experience; some near the top of the table, much in dodging the drop. They had a battle-hardened group with a cadre of senior professionals who, until four of them stole a taxi during a mid-season break in Barcelona, seemed to offer the right sort of leadership.

Others still do. The good characters include goalkeeper Ben Foster, accomplished enough to surely attract offers from the Premier League, but who has already pledged to stay, and stand-in captain Chris Brunt, who has been eloquent in saying everyone involved must accept responsibility for their plight.

"With the squad of players we have got, we should be doing better," the Northern Irishman said this week. Take a quartet who promised to form a solid square in the centre of the pitch. Jonny Evans has attracted interest from Arsenal and Manchester City in the last 12 months. Ahmed Hegazi was named in the team of the tournament in the Africa Cup of Nations. Grzegorz Krychowiak is a double Europa League winner. Gareth Barry holds the record for Premier League appearances.

This seemed risk-free recruitment, forming a strong-looking spine. There was even a success in the transfer market. Jay Rodriguez, a scorer at both Old Trafford and Anfield, has 11 goals and has delivered some stirring displays.

The Pulis formula of clean sheets and set-pieces scarcely set the pulse racing but Albion appeared grounded in reality; there were no delusions about an expansive style of play or finishing in the top six. They looked pragmatic role models.

Instead, as a blunt Brunt said: “We haven’t been good enough.” Rodriguez and Hegazi apart, the signings – Barry, Krychowiak, the injured Daniel Sturridge, the underused Oliver Burke – have been poor. Others have not played to their potential.

Albion’s squad – with barely a player under 27 – has seemed too old and tired. They have lost leads and an astonishing 26 points from winning positions. The caution that seemed common sense has been counter-productive: they have been draw specialists when they have really required wins.

"Pulis-ball" seemed efficient. There is no surprise Albion have had the second lowest share of possession or the third lowest number of shots on target. They are the joint lowest scorers.

The shock is in the league position and the points total. Because it is hard to explain why they went from continuity to catastrophe so abruptly.

THREE
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
UK's plans to cut net migration

Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.

Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.

But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.

Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.

Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.

The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.

While you're here
Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder

Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

And%20Just%20Like%20That...
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

MATCH INFO

What: India v Afghanistan, first Test
When: Starts Thursday
Where: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengalaru

UAE'S%20YOUNG%20GUNS
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Company%20Profile
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Dolittle

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen

One-and-a-half out of five stars

Dubai Creek Open in numbers
  • The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
  • It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
  • This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
  • 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club  
Brief scores:

Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

Power: 420kW

Torque: 780Nm

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Price: From Dh1,350,000

On sale: Available for preorder now