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Ally Robertson: Selection headaches looming for Darren Moore

Darren Moore has got quite the selection headache to contend with next week.

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Hal Robson-Kanu and Harvey Barnes. (AMA)

Nobody deserves to lose their place after that fantastic victory over Leeds, least of all Hal Robson-Kanu, who was one of the main catalysts of the win.

In my opinion, that was his best game in an Albion shirt, and he backed up his performance with the all-important first goal.

But Moore has Dwight Gayle back available, and if anyone needed a reminder of just how lethal the loanee striker can be, he gave it against Leeds with that cheeky backheel.

This is where a manager must earn his crust. Keeping every player of a squad happy is no mean feat, particularly when you’re faced with dilemmas like this.

Moore must take the opposition into account. Robson-Kanu was perfect for the Leeds game, but is he suitable for a trip to the bottom side or do Albion need a fox in the box?

Whatever the head coach decides, the crucial thing is to be honest with both players.

And considering the fixture pile-up that greets the Baggies on return from the international break, whoever he leaves out could be placated with a promise for a future game that suits their traits better.

Once again this international break has come just as the team is getting up a head of steam. It seems to have happened every time this season and every time we’ve returned in less than acceptable form.

With two away games coming up, it’s important the team rediscovers some consistency in results while improving their form on the road.

The other player who stood out for me last weekend was James Morrison. It warmed the heart to see him put on such a masterclass in midfield following so long on the sidelines.

It was also encouraging to see the defenders clearing the ball rather than playing around with it, and the back four has quite rightly received a lot of praise.

But this was more than just a defensive performance, it was an all-round team performance from a group of players that all knew exactly what their jobs were and all looked desperate to carry them out.

We haven’t seen that sort of urgency for some weeks.

The only disappointing part was conceding late on because they deserved a clean sheet.

If they play like that again, they’ll be able to beat anyone in this league, but now they need to replicate it, starting away at Ipswich Town.