“Last year was a bit of struggle for him (Salomon Rondon). He couldn’t speak much English. His children have got their school and I think they children speak better English than him.”
“He’s a good player and he’s certainly upped his game from last year. Obviously he wants to score every week and not just to play well,” were the words of West Brom manager Tony Pulis about star striker Salomon Rondon who scored his first West Brom hat-trick last night against Bob Bradley’s Swansea in a 3-1 defeat of the Walsh club in the Premier League.
Though the Venezuelan hasn’t been consistent since his move to England last season from Zenith Saint Petersburg in Russia having score 10 goals in 40 games in all competitions for West Brom in his debut season. The former Rubin Kazan striker is the ideal striker for Pulis who favours physicality, work rate and defensive discipline as a core ingredient even for his forwards. Rondon might not be a 20 goal per season sort of striker but that must not take anything away from his qualities which includes near perfect aerial ability , low centre of gravity and ability to press high and pressure defenders. The former Rubin Kazan forward had scored 20 goals in 44 games in all competitions in Zenith which prompted Pulis and Jeremy Pearce (West Brom Chairman) to splash out £10 million last season to sign him making him the club’s record signing in the process. Though the Venezuelan struggled initially In his first season , this season the forward has already scored seven goals In 17 games in all competitions for the White and Black. Against Swansea, Rondon scored all three with his head having had six shots on the night with four on target . At 27, the striker still has a lot of improvements to make in his game so as to reckon with the world beaters having struggled with final ball an decision making yet that hasn’t done anything to deter West Brom from climbing to 7th in the table (23 points , 10 points behind Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who are 4th).
Against Swansea, West Brom enjoyed less possession compared to Swansea (42% to Swansea’s 58%), although West Brom had more shots on the night 13 to Swansea’s seven which clearly illustrates the point that West Brom are set up to soak pressure and defend at the same time trying to play on the counter with the pace of Philips, Nacer Chadli and Brunt coupled with the fact that they are set-piece specialists.
With the once Golden boy of West Brom (Saido Berahinho) still unfit and unable to play first team football, Salomon Jose Rondon will continue to be appreciated and revered by the West Brom fans and coach provided the Venezuelan’s prolific run continues.
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