In many ways, West Bromwich Albion’s return to winning ways did not deliver any shocking revelations, but it did offer a timely, morale-boosting reminder of what we knew already.
We knew that ‘Val Ball’, when executed well, could be highly effective, especially against opponents who play into West Bromwich Albion’s hands.
We knew that Callum Robinson and Karlan Grant could be a potent goalscoring combination.
We knew that an overdue slice of good fortune would make a difference to Albion’s hopes.
And we knew that defensively Albion had relatively few problems.
Questions remain about whether Albion have sufficient alternatives in place when ‘Plan A’ is ineffective and the squad deficiencies in certain areas, most notably in the centre-forward position, are clear.
And the deeply-held doubts that some supporters harbour about the very essence of Valerien Ismael’s footballing approach will not be washed away by a single return to winning ways.
But they are issues for another day.
On Saturday it was simply refreshing to experience a matchday with no bitterness, no vitriol, no recriminations and a win.
Most of all, the win felt good.
For 90 minutes the broader issues about Albion’s absent ownership and knowledge vacuum at the top of the club and the more specific concerns about the team gave way to a performance that reminded everyone of an Albion persuasion that they have a number of strengths to go with the weaknesses that have dominated the conversation in recent weeks.
