Can Albion sustain their awesome August this year?

[BBC] Isaac Price scored twice for West Brom in their 3-1 victory over Burnley [Getty Images] Quite a few people will be raising an eyebrow at West Brom's perfect start to the Championship season. They should not be because recent history shows Albion are awesome in August. They are now unbeaten in their past 11 league games in August, spanning four different seasons. You have to go back to the opening day of the 2023-24 campaign to find the last time Albion lost a Championship match in August, a 2-1 defeat by Blackburn. However, those great starts have not counted for much in the grander scheme of things. In 2024-25 they were unbeaten in their opening six league games, winning five of them, but won just one of their next 13 matches. They finished ninth that year. Last season the drop-off was more dramatic. After beginning the season with three wins and a draw, the Throstles won only six of the next 33 Championship matches, a run which cost both Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay their jobs, and nearly got the Baggies relegated. So are we experiencing the same false dawn we've endured the past two seasons? I do not think so. Two seasons ago Albion's goalscoring was heavily reliant on two players. In the first half a dozen games, Josh Maja scored 60 per cent of the goals and over half of the assists were provided by Tom Fellows. It was clear any dip in form or an injury for either of those players would heavily impact the season, and so it came to pass. Maja had his season ended in January, while Fellows became a marked man and managed only four assists after the turn of the year. That does not seem to be the case this year. James Morrison's fluid system allows different players to get into goalscoring positions at different times. The Baggies have scored five goals with four different scorers so far. While Jimmy-Jay Morgan can boast the bulk of the assists, Harry Whitwell and Isaac Price are hot on his heels, suggesting there will not be an over-reliance on the former Chelsea man. Then there is the context around last season's deterioration. Simply put, we sold some of our best players after our good start. Tom Fellows, Torbjorn Heggem and Darnell Furlong all played minutes in that excellent start, only to depart before the transfer window closed. This summer it seems Albion are trying to keep their best players and to add to a high-performing squad before the window shuts, not to weaken it. There are discussions with Isaac Price and Harry Whitwell over new contracts, while Albion are linked with a host of potential new signings. However, James Morrison needs the club to make some of those potential reinforcements a reality if this form is to be maintained. The current squad is wafer-thin, with the departure of Alex Mowatt, a ludicrous suspension for Aune Heggebo and an injury to Mikey Johnston not helping matters. If the club can help Morrison with the proper additions, there is every chance he can succeed where his predecessors failed in making a good start more than just a flash in the pan.