'West Brom Are Like Chalk & Cheese From Before'
- West Bromwich Albion visit King Power Stadium in the Premier League on Thursday (8pm kick-off)
- Leicester City, currently fourth in the Premier League, beat the Baggies back in September
- However, Joseph Masi, from the Express & Star, says Sam Allardyce has transformed their form
- Live coverage of the game begins, for free, on LCFC TV and LCFC Radio from 6:30pm on Thursday
The Baggies are 19th in the Premier League with seven games to play, nine points adrift from safety, but have nonetheless scored eight goals in their last two outings - victories over Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge, and Southampton, at the Hawthorns.
Former Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Everton manager Allardyce took over in the West Midlands back in December and, while results were hard to come by earlier on, the Dudley-born ex-defender is now turning performances into points.
There is concern among the club's support that the uptick in form has come slightly too late for West Brom, but Masi says they are now a side playing with confidence as they look to achieve what would most likely be considered the greatest-ever escape from relegation.
"There’s seven games left, they’re nine points from safety, so it’s a massive ask," he told LCFC TV. "Albion did the great escape once. If they do this, it’ll be the greatest escape. It’s such a strange mix of emotions. Despite their place in the table, they are in the in-form team in the league.
"Okay, I’m only basing that on the last two games, but they’ve scored eight goals in those games. They are a side transformed, certainly since they last played Leicester, but also in the last 10 or so games. It’s like chalk and cheese from everything which went before.
"There are multiple reasons for that. The main one is the January additions. They made four signings and they’ve been absolutely fantastic. They were Okay Yokuslu, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Mbaye Diagne and Robert Snodgrass. All four of them have made a huge difference.
"The other big reason is that Allardyce has had time on the training field with his players. He came in at Christmas. We all know what the schedule is like at that time of year, but it was even more hectic because of the pandemic. He simply couldn’t get the players on the training field enough to get his ideas across.
"He’s had that time now and Albion are so much stronger for it. Defensively, they look solid. They’re really not conceding a lot of goals anymore and, going forward, they’re scoring goals with eight in their last two games.
"I don’t think anyone could have predicted them scoring five at Chelsea and then getting three at Southampton. They could have been 4-0 up after 20 minutes, the performance was that good. Without doubt, Albion are good enough to stay in the Premier League.
"Allardyce actually said that a couple of weeks ago. Defensively, in midfield, and in attack, they're good enough. They create chances, but they weren’t converting them. They now are and if the season started when Allardyce came in, there is no doubt in my mind that they would survive.
"We all know it’s probably too late, but they’re in every game now."
Matheus Pereira and Callum Robinson netted braces, alongside a solitary effort from Mbaye Diagne, to seal a 5-2 win at Chelsea earlier this month, before Pereira, Robinson and Matt Phillips registered a 3-0 triumph over Southampton.
That is the form which West Brom head into Thursday's clash with Leicester exhibiting and it should give them confidence on Filbert Way, Masi believes.
"It’s a really strange combination," he continued. "There’s no other way to say it, they are cut adrift. They’re nine points adrift, but they are full of confidence because of their last two games.
"They’re brimming with confidence, which you don’t get very often, so they’re incredible dangerous opponents for everyone, as Chelsea found out. People will say Thiago Silva was sent off after half an hour and he was, but I think Chelsea with 10 men would still expect to get a result at home to Albion.
"You have to remember they were 14 games unbeaten under Thomas Tuchel. They’d conceded two goals in 14 games. Albion put five past them and they thoroughly deserved to. They were the better team on the day. It’s a really tricky game for Leicester.
"They’re a phenomenal side with so many wonderful players. Of course, they’re the favourites, but nobody’s going to be looking forward to playing Albion at the minute. They really have come together as a unit and they’ve got some dangerous players in form.
"They’re scoring goals, they’re not conceding, and they’re a dangerous side now."
All times BST.