West Brom had a dismal performance against rivals Wolves last time out, but they still enter the international break in a strong position.

James Morrison did an outstanding job keeping the Baggies up last season, and with 14 points from eight games this season, Albion are unlikely to face relegation fears.

Aside from the performance at Molineux, West Brom have competed well, thanks in large part to astute summer recruitment, with Rabby Nzingoula and Toby Collyer looking like solid acquisitions, and Jimmy-Jay Morgan standing out as one of the league’s best signings.

West Brom had significant goalkeeping concerns last season.

Some Albion fans will believe the club should have done more, and a significant topic of discussion during the summer transfer window was whether they needed a new goalkeeper.

It’s fair to say that the number one shirt was an issue last season, with Joe Wildsmith, Josh Griffiths, and Max O’Leary all appearing, which is obviously not ideal.

The latter arrived in January, and while he was eventually first-choice under Morrison, O’Leary only signed a short-term contract, and he had a mixed start at The Hawthorns.

Many fans expected a makeover of the goalkeeping department in the summer, and it happened, with Griffiths joining Stoke and Wildsmith, who joined Middlesbrough on loan when O’Leary came, leaving when his contract ended.

West Brom were advised to chase Alex Palmer this summer.

That left O’Leary as the only senior goalkeeper in the squad, giving the Baggies a clear choice in the market.

Did they choose an established number one to start ahead of the ex-Bristol City player? Or did they want for someone to compete with O’Leary while also showing faith in him?

In the end, they chose with the second option because, while Matt Ingram is an accomplished goalkeeper with Championship experience, he was always going to start the season as number two.

However, things could have been very different, as Albion had been mentioned as a possible destination for Alex Palmer, who had slid down the pecking order at Ipswich Town.

The goalkeeper progressed through the ranks at West Brom and proved himself as a very excellent goalkeeper at this level, prompting Ipswich to sign him when they were in the Premier League.

So, bringing him back to The Hawthorns would have been a huge coup for Morrison’s team, but the move did not happen.

Max O’Leary has been fantastic for West Brom so far this season.

While there’s no doubt that Palmer could have done well for Albion, the reality is that the Baggies’ decision not to pursue a deal for their former player will make them happy for now.

That’s because O’Leary has unquestionably been the best goalkeeper in the Championship this season, putting in some outstanding performances.

It began on the first day, when O’Leary’s heroics helped Albion to a huge three-point victory over Norwich, and even though they did not win at Wolves, the twice-capped Irish international made a couple incredible saves in the first half.

Goals Prevented Championship Goalkeepers (FotMob)

Goalkeeper

Goals Prevented

Max O’Leary

6.2

Jacob Widell Zetterström

2.2

Federico Ravaglia

2.2

Jack Bonham

1.3

Arthur Okonkwo

1.2

Daniel Peretz

1.1

The facts back up O’Leary’s performance; according to FotMob, he has prevented 6.2 goals this season, the most in the league. For reference, Derby’s Jacob Widell Zetterström is second on 2.2, demonstrating how far ahead the Albion player is of the pack.

It’s not just O’Leary’s shot-stopping ability that has piqued interest; he has also shown confidence under high balls and has helped Albion build out from the back in the manner that Morrison like.

Max O’Leary will be crucial to West Brom’s playoff campaign.

Clearly, it’s impossible to expect O’Leary to maintain these insane levels throughout the season, but he’ll be in a good spot right now, as he’s having the finest run of his career.

Even if his form dips, Albion will believe they have a superior goalkeeper than many of their Championship rivals.

You could make a strong case that O’Leary is the primary reason for the Baggies’ current place in the table, but this rapid start, along with the lengthy play-off system, means they will be hoping for promotion this season.

Of course, others will need to step up in the coming months, but in O’Leary, Albion have a player in form who will be critical in helping them accomplish their Premier League dream.